Big box retailers Home Depot and Dick's Sporting Goods are eyeing new locations in Buckeye, Arizona, potentially joining a burgeoning shopping hub on the outskirts of Phoenix. Public documents unearthed by ABC15 reveal that The Home Depot Inc. has kickstarted a preliminary application in March to set up shop at Buckeye Commons. Interestingly, the approval process for Home Depot's plans are to be handled administratively, dodging the requirement for a public vote. Meanwhile, marketing materials dated February 2024 suggest Dick's Sporting Goods could be opening a new store right next to the Costco that started drawing crowds in 2023.
Buckeye Commons is geared up to sprawl over 410,000 square feet along Interstate 10, housing several major stores, as well as a plethora of shops and retail pads along Roosevelt Street near Verrado Way. Already generating buzz, the development's success was notably accelerated by the opening of Costco last year, and these new establishments are poised to further elevate the area's commercial profile. According to a Phoenix Business Journal report, the area has been transformed into a regional destination, with Teale Bloom of Phoenix Commercial Advisors stating, "Retail is finally catching up to all the rooftops, and tenants don’t want to miss the opportunity to get in."
The developer behind this project, Sunbelt Investment Holdings Inc., is closely guarding details concerning the inclusion of Home Depot and Dick's Sporting Goods, declining to comment on inquiries. The first phase of the Commons is already underway with stores like Over Easy and Starbucks among the first arrivals, eyeing a mid-2025 launch. These offerings are part of a broader optimistic push in Buckeye, as the locale braces to welcome more than 3 million square feet of commercial space over the next several years. This explosion of growth has been a longtime in the making, with Home Depot among the first tenants floated during the early 2000s before plans were put on ice by the Great Recession.
As far as construction timelines go, the second phase of Buckeye Commons, which will house the major tenants, is slated to begin this summer. The design of the sprawling complex has been crafted by Butler Design Group, with Chasse Building Team on board as the general contractor. Across the road, the development fervor continues with a new 500,000-square-foot center in the works, featuring a Harkins theater, Target, Safeway, and other heavy-hitters. While Buckeye may have previously played a low-key role in the greater Phoenix area's retail landscape, it's clear that won't be the case for much longer, with a transformative wave of commercial development on the horizon.
Dick's Sporting Goods is also concurrently expanding in the region, with plans to set up at the Village at Prasada power center in Surprise and introduce its House of Sport concept to Glendale's entertainment district. Home Depot, not to be outdone, is extending its reach with a new store in Maricopa, south of Phoenix, which would total 108,000 square feet, complete with a 30,000-square-foot garden center.
