'Phoenix is the future': Kate Gallego announces new airport terminal for Sky Harbor

Mayor Kate Gallego celebrated Phoenix as the city of the future at her annual State of the City address Tuesday, touting the expansion of advanced manufacturing and medical companies, and ensuring her commitment to smart water use and home affordability.

Speaking before hundreds of influential lawmakers, business owners, and organization leaders at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, the mayor lauded a series of changes coming to Phoenix, such as a new airport terminal and new Amazon drone delivery services. The new "cutting-edge" terminal will feature "zero greenhouse gas emissions" and a new Customs facility to usher in tourists from around the world, Gallego said.

The mayor is also establishing an Olympics committee to help bring events to Phoenix from the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. She also said that she's planning to build a new team focused on accessibility in order to make Phoenix the most accessible city in the world for persons with disabilities.

Gallego emphasized Phoenix's role in the global economy, highlighting an increase in international flights out of Sky Harbor International Airport, the increased investment from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the relocation or expansion of 25 additional semiconductor companies in Phoenix and a new trade office the Dutch government is building.

"It didn’t happen by accident," Gallego said, "I chased this opportunity relentlessly when I first traveled to Taiwan in 2019 to pitch Phoenix as the best place for TSMC."

TSMC in Phoenix: The semiconductor company is making microchips.

She added, "As of today, the Phoenix airport system’s economic impact is $44 billion — an increase of nearly 15% compared to 2016."

Gallego also lauded the expansion of United Foods International, a company she met with in Asia and lured to Phoenix, and the new Global Operations Center for the autonomous car company Cruise — from which autonomic vehicles in "Tempe, Tokyo or Dubai" will be navigated.

The mayor also used Tuesday's address to voice support for abortion access. She previously lambasted the 1864 near-total abortion ban that the Arizona Supreme Court upheld this month, saying girls and women have fewer rights today.

"I want all Phoenix families to get the care they need right here at home. And let me be clear, that includes reproductive health care," the mayor said.

She praised other city leaders for their work in delivering the regional transportation tax measure, Proposition 479, to voters' ballots this November.

But Gallego also used the address to urge other cities to "step up" in areas where she said Phoenix has led, such as homelessness and home affordability.

"To folks who might be listening and thinking zoning policies are the bane of the affordable housing shortage: I'm here to tell you that in my city, they are not," Gallego said.

Tuesday's address was Gallego's fifth State of the City since 2019 and her last before she faces re-election in November. She skipped it in 2021. She was on the City Council representing parts of downtown and south Phoenix for 4 1/2 years before that.

Taylor Seely covers Phoenix for The Arizona Republic / azcentral.com. Reach her at tseely@arizonarepublic.com or by phone at 480-476-6116.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego's State of the City: New airport terminal