Safford Clears Long-Vacant Highway 70 Lot for Future Commercial Reuse

By Jon Johnson

jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com

SAFFORD — Passersby on Highway 70 have likely noticed the city’s heavy machinery “going to town” recently on a long-abandoned eyesore.

On Thursday, the City of Safford began demolition and clearing operations on a prominent 1.13-acre blighted lot located at 425 S. Central Avenue, directly adjacent to Highway 70. For years, the property sat vacant, dominated by a massive poured-concrete slab and exposed plumbing lines — remnants of a hotel project abandoned long ago.

Now, through strategic municipal acquisition and federal assistance, the city is wiping the slate clean to pave the way for new business development. By mid-day, the former concrete slab was nowhere to be seen – instead replaced with graded dirt

A Strategic Investment in Growth

The cleanup is the direct result of a calculated economic development move by local leaders. At a City Council meeting on July 14, 2025, officials approved the purchase of the property for $380,000.

According to city documents, Safford staff initially approached the property owner to gauge interest in a sale. An independent appraisal by Baker Peterson & Associates, Inc. valued the clean land at $440,000, but established an “as-is” market value of $380,000 to account for the substantial cost of breaking up and removing the thick concrete footprint.

The council funded the acquisition using FY25-26 contingency funds, backed by General Fund reserves, alongside moving to clear an outstanding municipal lien previously placed on the lot for past abatement efforts.

EPA Grant Driving the Redevelopment Plan

To maximize the property’s potential, Safford is leveraging federal resources to ensure the land is prime for commercial builders.

“We are developing a site redevelopment plan through an EPA Brownfields Grant, which supports projects that remove blight and prepare sites for reuse,” said Jaime L. Embick, Safford’s Planning and Community Development Director.

Embick noted that the formal redevelopment plan is expected to be finalized within the next couple of months, transforming the stretch of Highway 70 into an attractive, turnkey opportunity for a future enterprise.

Now Open for Offers

While the physical clearing is underway, the city has officially put up a “for sale” sign on the plot. Because the land is municipally owned, any final transaction or development proposal must ultimately undergo a staff review and be approved by the Safford City Council.

“At this time, the property is expected to be marketed for sale,” Embick stated. “It is technically available now, and any interested party may contact me directly.”

Additionally, as part of a broader push to bolster local commerce, the Planning and Development department invites commercial realtors working within city limits to submit their active commercial listings via email. The city will feature these properties on its interactive Safford AZ Prospector Site, a data-rich portal that maps available regional buildings, vacant sites, demographics, and local business GIS data.

Interested buyers or developers who would like to inquire about the newly cleared Central Avenue property can reach out directly to the Planning and Community Development Office at 928-432-4299.