Phoenix Commercial Real Estate Is Expanding East and West — Here’s Where We’re Watching
Drive through Metro Phoenix today and one thing is immediately apparent: growth is no longer concentrated in just a few familiar business districts.
Commercial development is pushing outward in both directions.
To the east, Mesa, Chandler, and Queen Creek are seeing investment in advanced manufacturing, industrial, logistics, retail, hospitality, and mixed-use development. To the west, Glendale and the Loop 303 corridor continue to attract major industrial and logistics projects, while semiconductor-related investment is influencing development across the northern and western portions of the Valley.
For commercial real estate buyers, sellers, investors, and business owners, understanding where growth is occurring—and what is driving it—matters.
The East Valley Is Becoming Much More Than a Residential Growth Story
Mesa is one of the areas we are watching closely.
The Mesa Gateway area continues evolving into an important employment and commercial center. In January 2026, global logistics company DSV broke ground on a new 950,000-square-foot Arizona regional headquarters in Mesa, near Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. The location provides access to transportation infrastructure as well as Arizona's growing semiconductor and advanced-manufacturing industries. Arizona Commerce Authority
Nearby, Gateway East is a 273-acre master-planned development with the potential for approximately 3.5 million square feet of manufacturing, industrial, flex, retail, office, and hotel space. Gateway East
Mesa is also attracting advanced manufacturing. Hadrian opened its 290,000-square-foot Factory 3 near Mesa Gateway Airport in January 2026, representing a $200 million investment and more than 350 anticipated jobs. Arizona Commerce Authority
And the growth isn't limited to industrial property.
The Power Road corridor is adding hospitality, entertainment, retail, and mixed-use projects alongside the area's employment base and educational institutions. GovDelivery
Chandler Continues to Attract Industrial Users
Chandler remains another East Valley market worth watching.
The new Ten56 development is bringing more than 180,000 square feet of Class A speculative industrial space to West Chandler near the I-10/Loop 202 interchange. City of Chandler
Another project, Envision 56, was completed in August 2026 with approximately 125,000 square feet divided between two buildings specifically designed for small and midsized industrial users. City of Chandler
That distinction is important.
Commercial growth isn't only about million-square-foot distribution centers. Smaller industrial buildings can serve manufacturers, service businesses, contractors, suppliers, and growing local companies that need modern facilities without an enormous footprint.
Then There Is Queen Creek
Anyone who remembers Queen Creek from 15 or 20 years ago knows just how dramatically this part of the Valley has changed.
The transformation is continuing.
As of early 2026, approximately 230,000 square feet of commercial development was underway in Downtown Queen Creek, supported by approximately $200 million in private investment. Projects include restaurants, retail, hospitality, and mixed-use development. Queen Creek
Queen Creek's 2026 economic-development strategy also specifically targets advanced manufacturing, logistics, energy and infrastructure services, digital and business operations, and destination-oriented businesses. Queen Creek
That makes Queen Creek an area we believe commercial property owners, business owners and investors should continue watching.
Now Look West
The scale changes considerably when you head toward Glendale and the Loop 303 corridor.
In March 2026, construction began on Commerce 303, a roughly 497,000-square-foot logistics facility on 70 acres near Camelback Road in Glendale. Glendale, AZ
North Park Logistics Center is considerably larger: its first phase is approximately 1.14 million square feet, with another approximately 623,000 square feet contemplated in a second phase. Lovett Industrial
VanTrust's VT 303 North, another approximately 1.14-million-square-foot industrial project in Glendale, was fully leased before completion in 2026. VanTrust Real Estate
Those are not isolated projects. They are part of a much larger pattern of industrial, manufacturing, logistics, and technology investment across the West Valley.
What Does All This Mean for Commercial Real Estate?
Growth creates opportunity, but growth alone does not make every property a good investment.
Location still matters. So do zoning, infrastructure, utilities, access, property condition, surrounding development, intended use, and acquisition price.
Two parcels only a few miles apart can have very different commercial potential.
That is why we believe commercial real estate requires looking beyond the building itself.
At Croft N Croft, we are watching how Metro Phoenix is developing—from the East Valley to the far West Valley—because understanding what is being built around a property can be just as important as understanding the property itself.
