Goodyear’s Downtown Vision Realized: A Civic Square with Global Reach
By Kendra Hoffman, Business Development Manager, City of Goodyear
When Goodyear, Arizona opened Civic Square at GSQ in August 2022, it brought to life a community dream of establishing a downtown. Residents envisioned a destination designed to blend civic life, local business, and community pride into a walkable, dynamic heart of the city. Modeled after a traditional city square, the development included a new city hall, library, and a speculative Class A office building, all centered around a community park.
Today, Civic Square is thriving. Community events bring the park to life. Class A office space and an active library contribute to a steady daytime population that supports a strong lineup of new restaurants. Residents sip wine at Baccus, dance to live music at The Stillery, grab Mediterranean street food at Spitz, and enjoy evenings dining among friends at High Tide and Copper & Sage. Banner Medical is set to open a three-story office building, bringing additional professionals and visitors to the area, and a much-anticipated AC Hotel is also on the way and will provide more accommodations and amenities.
With all the new development, one piece of Goodyear’s downtown vision remained unrealized: a university presence.
The aspiration to include higher education in Goodyear’s downtown gained fresh momentum after city leadership visited a neighboring community with a downtown-based university campus. Inspired by the energy students brought to the area, they returned with a renewed commitment to recruit a university to Goodyear’s downtown.
In response, the Economic Development team launched a focused outreach initiative—Project Higher Education—in June 2023.
The timing wasn’t ideal. The higher education landscape was shifting with post-pandemic uncertainties and evolving strategies around virtual learning. Recognizing the challenge of finding a university willing to invest in a physical location for in-person classes amid economic and social headwinds, the team cast a wide net—evaluating more than 150 universities and contacting 92.
The campaign generated a 1% response rate but produced several valuable connections with universities exploring expansion opportunities. While most conversations eventually faded, one stood out: Avila University.
Founded more than a century ago in Kansas City, Avila is a traditional private university. Due to a developing partnership with Global University Systems (GUS), an international network committed to accessible, global education, Avila was considering potential locations for a campus expansion. The connection was immediate. Avila and GUS didn’t just see Goodyear as a potential site—they saw it as a launchpad.
They shared Goodyear’s forward-looking vision. Together, they recognized the opportunity not only to serve local learners but also to attract international students seeking a high-quality education in a dynamic, community-centered environment. GSQ’s walkability—rare in a car-centric region—offered a compelling setting for students adjusting to a new country and lifestyle, with housing, classes, and entertainment easily accessible within the downtown area.
The partnership required no incentives—only shared purpose.
Avila University Arizona began student recruitment in March 2025 and is currently preparing classroom space for a Fall 2025 program launch. Today, Goodyear is gaining international visibility as GUS representatives promote Avila University Arizona around the world, with current outreach underway in Nepal and India.
The community is now preparing to welcome its first students this fall.
From civic vision to global impact, Goodyear is transforming aspirations into reality—creating a downtown alive with possibility, purpose, and a new university.