John F. Long, a residential developer, who has mostly built in the West Valley, has hired Grubb & Ellis to promote and market Algodó Center, a 1,000-acre business park between Indian School and Thomas roads, adjacent to the Loop 101 Freeway. The first phase of the project will be a 134-acre parcel at the northwest corner of Indian School and the 101. Site improvements are scheduled to begin this spring.

The proposed business park would border the new 73,000-seat stadium, if the West Valley site out duels the four other sites vying to land the taxpayer backed stadium. The site in the West Valley for the stadium is at the northwest corner of Thomas Road and the Loop 101. The stadium site will include a multipurpose center for conferences, concerts and trade shows.

Long has offered to donate 40 acres toward the parcel that will be the site of the stadium.

The West Valley site, along with a site in Tempe near the Tempe Town Lake, are the front runners among the five sites that were submitted to the Tourism and Sports Authority, which will own and operate the stadium. The TSA is expected to narrow the list of contenders to just two very soon and choose a winner by mid-February.