Council approves ground lease with WestMEC for Vistancia campus to expand career-technical training

The City Council on Nov. 4 approved an intergovernmental agreement and ground lease with Western Maricopa Education Center (WestMEC) to place a new career‑technical education campus on seven acres of city‑owned land in Vistancia.

Economic Development Director Maria Loughner said WestMEC would occupy a 7‑acre site on the southwest corner of the 56‑acre parcel the city acquired in August and intends to seek bond funding; staff said the campus is scheduled to permit student enrollment by July 2029 so classes could start in the 2029–30 academic year. Loughner said WestMEC agreed to establish at least one medical or health program (nursing services, medical assisting, pharmacy science or medical laboratory science) to support hospital and employer partners in the area.

Lease terms match an earlier Peoria site Loughner presented in February: $300,000 annual rent payable with a 2.5% annual increase beginning in year four; a 10‑year lease term with a purchase option available during the lease; and a provision that the lease will terminate if the related bond measure fails.

Loughner said WestMEC is the Western Maricopa Education Center, serving 12 member districts and enrolling roughly 45,000 students across the West Valley; she added that about 20% of WestMEC students are Peoria residents. Council approved the IGA and ground lease by voice vote 7‑0.

The agreement includes city responsibilities (replat of the 56‑acre parcel to carve the 7‑acre site, waiver of non‑mandatory fees) and WestMEC responsibilities (board approval, bond funding, permitting and program startup). Council members highlighted workforce development and the role of career‑technical education as a complement to traditional postsecondary pathways.