GLENDALE, AZ (AZFamily) -- Early unofficial results have come in for a special election in Glendale regarding the massive VAI Resort that's under construction just south of the Westgate Entertainment District.
Proposition 401 has a No vote leading 50.27% to 49.73% while Proposition 402 is looking like it'll pass with early results showing a Yes vote up 51.68% to 48.32%, as of 8 p.m. For the latest results, click/tap here. It's a mail-in ballot only election.
Both propositions are focused on 10 acres of the resort property that is being built near State Farm Stadium. Prop. 401 would allow the construction of office buildings and a parking garage as part of the resort project. Opponents want to keep the land as a designated open space. Prop. 402 would change the zoning rules to commercial development for the land. If both are rejected, it could stop and/or change the development.
Last year, the Glendale City Council unanimously approved to rezone the sliver of land, just southeast of the resort for office space and parking. The developer has already started building the offices.
But Worker Power, a labor group, said they're environmental concerns and the city needs more parks so they gathered enough signatures to put the issue up for a special election. However, there was never a park in that area and none were planned for it either.
Developers say if voters reject both propositions, they will have to tear down the offices and change the design, likely delaying the project even more.
VAI Resort was first announced in 2020, with 1,100 rooms, artificial beaches, a two-story nightclub and an 11,000 seat concert venue. Supporters say it'll create 2,000 jobs and bring in $2 billion in economic impact. The $1.2 billion resort was supposed to open in 2023, then 2024, and now is scheduled to open at the end of this year.
Voters in Goodyear are deciding on six ballot measures in Tuesday's special election. In the form of questions, the first four ask voters to amend the city's charter, including how city council compensation is handled, whether to give the city manager more administrative control and how taxes and bonds are structured. The other two ask voters to approve agreements with EPCOR for water services and Liberty Utilities for natural gas. Click/tap here for the latest results.