ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (KGUN) — Months after construction first began at the Oro Valley Marketplace, visible signs of redevelopment are beginning to take shape across the property.
Back in October, KGUN 9 reported on the major redevelopment project aimed at transforming the Marketplace into more of a mixed-use destination with housing, retail and public gathering spaces.
Now, several months later, new playground equipment has started going up, structures tied to the future apartment complex can be seen and crews continue work on pedestrian improvements throughout the area.
For years, many Oro Valley residents described the Marketplace as a shopping center that had lost momentum, with once-busy storefronts and large stretches of empty parking lots.
But newer businesses moving into the area say they see potential in what the Marketplace could become.
Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream is one of the newest additions to the Marketplace, opening earlier this spring with pizza, ice cream and a small arcade.
Manager Jessica Gonzalez said the family-oriented concept fits with the direction many hope the Marketplace is heading.
“The more things that move in up here, and the more options they have, then yeah, they don’t have to go elsewhere to get there,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said the business has already seen strong interest from the community since opening in March.
“The grand opening was ridiculously busy. I mean, we had a line out the door,” Gonzalez said. “Everyone was just excited that they, you know, were in town.”
She said many customers were already familiar with the Happy Joe’s brand from the Midwest, particularly seasonal visitors and snowbirds who spend winters in Arizona.
“Anyone that didn’t know about us got to hear about us,” Gonzalez said. “The all the Iowans definitely did their part and said, you know, you got to try them and let them know what we were about.”
Gonzalez also believes the Marketplace’s long-term redevelopment vision could help create a more walkable, family-focused destination for Oro Valley residents.
“Arizona is that place where people want to be outside, so it would be really nice to have kind of a walkable market that you can just hang out in all day,” Gonzalez said. “I mean, the playground is going to be amazing.”
Developers have previously said the long-term vision for the Marketplace includes apartments, future retail, restaurants and public spaces aimed at creating more of a “live-work-play” environment.
Gonzalez said she believes additional housing and attractions nearby could help keep more people — and more spending — within Oro Valley itself.
“We want them here in Oro Valley,” Gonzalez said. “We need them to know what we are and come in, because we want them here in Oro Valley.”
She added that keeping local families engaged will be especially important during the summer months, when many seasonal residents head back home.
“A lot of the people that already know about us are snowbirds, so when they leave, we're left with the crowd that doesn't know about us,” Gonzalez said. “So any of them that come in, you know, we want to snag them, we want to keep them, want to make them happy…”
The Oro Valley Marketplace redevelopment project is expected to continue in phases over the next several years.
The management company for the marketplace was unable to be reached for comment.
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Kenny Darr is a reporter for KGUN 9. He joined the team in January 2023. Before arriving in Arizona he was an Anchor and Reporter at KADN in Lafayette, LA. Share your story ideas with Kenny by emailing kenny.darr@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
