Tolleson made a five-story leap into the lap of luxury by attracting a Westin hotel, which will be built near the city's gateway.
The Council on Tuesday approved a final subdivision plat for Tolleson Towne Center, which will be built on 20 acres at the southeast corner of 91st Avenue and McDowell Road.
A 205,000-square-foot, five-story office building will be completed first, followed by retail and then a five-story Westin hotel.
The entire project could be completed near the end of 2009, said Donald Scher, general counsel for Momentum Development Co., the developer for the site.
"In addition to a significant amount of retail sales tax revenue, it's going to raise the perception that people have of Tolleson," City Manager Reyes Medrano said. "We have constantly touted our I-10 retail parcels as among the best in the region and Momentum has proven that."
Right now, the office building is slated for a gold level of LEED certification. The rating system is used by the U.S. Green Building Council to determine if a building is environmentally sustainable. The highest level is platinum.
"If we are able to make it feasible for solar energy, then we will achieve a platinum level," Scher said. "What makes our building unique is not just that it's a green building, but that ours is what we call a high performance building."
Momentum uses systems to reduce energy usage by one-third, Scher said.
The office building in Tolleson will have a demountable wall system, which means walls can be moved from one space to another to change the size of a room.
It will also feature an under-floor system so voice, data, electrical and air conditioning outlets can be placed anywhere on the 40,000-square-foot floor.
"There are a number of elements in our buildings that we call Momentum Technology Centers that make it more comfortable and a healthier place to work," Scher said.
Another energy saving feature will be to use as much daylight as possible. Lights will have motion sensors and also dim when more daylight is going into the building, he said.
"Most people are unaware that office buildings use up more energy in this country than automobiles do," he said. "We're happy to be in Tolleson because the city sees the increased value of an office building that's green and has the attributes that we have."
The retail portion of the site will include a 29,000-square-foot retail strip and two additional pads, which will likely attract a restaurant and bank, Scher said.
"We're looking at the usual service retail that does not want to be in the congestion of 99th Avenue and McDowell," he said.
Emily McCann can be reached by e-mail
at emccann@westvalleyview.com.