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Unanimous Surprise City Council approves Prasada Development Agreement


SURPRISE, AZ. (February 23, 2007) The Surprise City Council voted 7-0 Thursday night to approve a development agreement with Westcor/Surprise, LLC, paving the way for the development of Prasada, Westcor’s largest regional mall.

Prasada is a 1,755-acre project located between Greenway and Cactus Roads along SR Loop 303. It will be a major long-term employment base and tax revenue generator and includes plans for power centers, an auto mall and a medical campus featuring a Catholic Healthcare West hospital. Westcor anticipates full build out by 2025, though economic activity at Prasada could reach $1.5 billion by 2015.

“The significance of Prasada is many fold,” says Surprise City Manager Jim Rumpeltes. “For example, the Dysart School District will benefit from the increase in the value of the land at the site. Good, high quality jobs will number more than 20,000. That fact alone will make a permanent difference in the quality of life for Surprise residents.”

Rumpeltes calls Prasada an “economic engine” that will generate as much as $2 billion in sales tax revenue by 2045, allowing the city to continue providing high quality services to a growing community.

Westcor estimates it will invest $1.6 billion in Prasada, including construction of major public infrastructure improvements such as sewer lines and 20 miles of roads. The city will reimburse Westcor for infrastructure costs only as Prasada begins generating sales tax dollars, up to a cap of $240 million.

“One reason we strongly recommended the agreement to council was the way the reimbursement aspect is structured,” Rumpeltes says. “Westcor will build major public improvements on what is now farm land. We will reimburse them with dollars actually generated by the project, so Westcor’s reimbursement is tied to Prasada’s performance. We don’t touch our general fund, and in the end we take ownership of the infrastructure.”

Westcor will begin getting permits to begin infrastructure construction this year, Rumpeltes says. Phase 1 of the development includes power centers and the auto mall, called “AutoShow”, which already has commitments from five area auto dealers.

The Development Agreement is the latest step in a series of council actions related to Prasada, which since 2004 have included a General Plan amendment, an annexation, and approval of a Planned Area Development (a zoning action).