BUILDING A ‘MAKERHOOD’

Article originally posted on Phoenix Business Journal on May 22, 2023

Laura Briscoe’s granola-making operation was experiencing rapid growth in 2018 and she soon found herself needing a larger building in Tempe to operate the business.

With the help of a broker, Briscoe in 2019 leased a 3,500-square-foot production, packaging and storage space for Laura’s Gourmet Granola in a 600-acre industrial area southwest of Arizona State University that city officials were targeting for redevelopment.

“Right after we got our certificate of occupancy, conversations started about the Maker District and I was on board,” Briscoe said. “I remember going to the initial (community) meeting at Mac6 Coworking Space and I was like, ‘This is amazing that the city would want to support businesses like ours and their growth.'”

Laura’s Gourmet Granola is among several businesses that have found a home in the area now known as the Tempe Maker District, which is going through a revival as companies are moving in and expanding operations, filling up vacant buildings and creating a vibrant neighborhood.