It’s taken a few decades, but it looks like the south side of Avenue of the Fountains is finally on its way to becoming something more than a large dirt lot.

A groundbreaking ceremony was hosted last week, with Bart Shea from N-Shea Group Development, Mayor Linda Kavanagh and other local dignitaries involved in the special event. While they only moved a few shovels of dirt at the time, the event was symbolic of what is about to unfold on the Avenue, a multi-year project that will bring a rather sizeable amount of new commercial and residential space to Fountain Hills.

We realize that this was a controversial project from the very beginning, with some residents preferring to keep things as they are and others wanting to see their local community grow and thrive. We feel this development should strike a nice balance between the two.

We agree that many move to Fountain Hills because of the small town atmosphere and the views. However, we don’t feel this development is on a scale that will have a great negative impact on either. Sure, the views from along the Avenue will change, but there are plenty of other places around town folks can go to take in the picturesque landscapes. We’d also argue that the planned development will only improve the immediate area, replacing a whole bunch of nothing with spaces that could help turn downtown into a bustling destination.

As for the residential side, Fountain Hills is lacking in affordable housing. If you’re a young family, just starting out, imagine how attractive a two- or three-bedroom apartment would be that’s in walking distance of restaurants, stores, the Community Center, police station, post office, library, Fountain Park and so much more. If you want to open up shop in the area, or even just get a job in town, a centralized location like Park Place certainly seems ideal.

If Fountain Hills is going to continue to thrive, it’s going to require a bit of growth. We’ve got our fingers crossed that, in time, this downtown development will be seen as a huge positive for the community.