The Coolidge City Council unanimously approved a revised plan for a new apartment complex aimed at supporting the growing workforce needs of nearby industrial developments, including Nikola Corporation and Proctor & Gamble. The “Coolidge Apartments” project, proposed by Lafferty Development, Inc., will bring 354 units of housing in 16 buildings to a 20.7-acre site located one-third of a mile south of Inland Port Arizona near the intersection of Hanna Road and State Highway 87. Inland Port Arizona is the planned location of the new Proctor & Gamble facility.
Developers presented the updated preliminary plan, which addressed concerns raised by council members during a previous meeting. The revised proposal reduced the number of units from 414 to 354, bringing the density to 17.1 dwelling units per acre, which is below the city’s standard maximum of 18 for multi-family developments.
The development will be built in six phases, with five dedicated to residential units and one 3-acre section reserved for future commercial development. Lafferty stated that all his housing is priced 11 to 30 percent below market rate, focusing on workforce housing.
The project’s timeline is dependent on the extension of water and sewer services to the site. Lafferty estimated that construction could begin within two years, with the entire project potentially taking between four to seven years to complete, built in phases according to demand.
This housing development comes at a time of significant industrial growth in the Coolidge area. Nikola Corporation, a zero-emissions vehicle manufacturer, is moving its battery manufacturing from Cypress, California, to its Coolidge, Arizona facility. This move, expected to be completed by early Q3 2023, will bring Nikola’s truck assembly, fuel cell power module assembly, and battery module and pack production under one roof in Coolidge.
Additionally, Procter & Gamble announced plans in November 2022 to build a new manufacturing facility in Coolidge. The $500 million facility, set to be operational by 2025, will support P&G’s fabric care portfolio and is expected to create approximately 500 new jobs. The P&G plant will be constructed on 427 acres at Inland Port Arizona in Coolidge.
The approval of the Coolidge Apartments project aligns with the growing need for workforce housing to support these major industrial developments. Council members expressed appreciation for the developer’s responsiveness to their previous feedback. The council approved the revised plan unanimously.
Lafferty Development will now move forward with planning for the first phase of the project, contributing to Coolidge’s economic growth and providing housing options for the expanding workforce in the area.
