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Axon looks to build Scottsdale HQ as opposition grows
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Axon Enterprise, Inc. is a Scottsdale-based law enforcement technology company, and it’s growing.
It’s got its eyes set on expanding its headquarters on Hayden Road, south of Loop 101. While the city council voted in favor of the more than 400,000-square-foot office building, some residents are dead set on defeating the development.
Scottsdale residents say developers are destroying their neighborhoods. There are thousands of new apartments, more large office buildings, and more traffic.
While they believe Axon is great company, they feel this new vision is way too big for their community.
These residents are known as Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions, or TAAAZE.
It's leading a citizen-initiative to stop the company from building its global headquarters in north Scottsdale.
The Scottsdale City Council voted in favor of Axon’s vision, rezoning the area off Hayden Road into mixed-use, allowing a 74-acre 400,000-square-foot facility, equipped with retail shops, seven restaurants, two hotels, and nearly 1,900 apartments.
"Trying to get tech people to come to Arizona was just hard. Arizona was not seen as a tech hub. I think that’s changing, and as we plant this flag, we’re really excited," said Rick Smith, Axon CEO.
The law enforcement technology company told the city council that the site will create more than 5,000 jobs and generate more than $87 million in potential tax revenue.
The vote was extended by hours of public comments for and against the proposal.
"Please, let's keep building a city that welcomes and invests in those who are ready to take risks."
"The people didn’t elect you to turn this place into a tech hub. They elected you to protect the character of Scottsdale."
This week, TAAAZE, led by former council member Bob Littlefield, says it’s collecting signatures with the hopes of getting enough by the end of the year to hold a referendum on the city council’s vote.
"I would say we have in excess of 10,000 units in Scottsdale ready to be built. Why this guy wants to add another 2,000 is beyond me," Littlefield said.
Axon says its employees could live on site, eliminating cars and carbon emissions. The hotels and restaurants could host tech conferences.
"Just having Axon here is going to continue to make Scottsdale a better place. It's going to continue to help us grow," a proponent of the project said.
Scottsdale residents have less than 40 days to collect 15,000 signatures to stop this project for two years and put it to a city-wide vote in 2026.
This is just the beginning of what they see as the battle between the little guy and the big developers.
"I don’t want to see the desert being built up," Richard Isaac, a Scottsdale Stonebrook II resident, said. "I want to be able to enjoy the desert, which is why I think a lot of us have moved here. To get away from the big city."
FOX 10 reached out to Axon to get its response to this citizen initiative. It didn't respond.
The CEO, Rick Smith, has said in the past that if there’s an anti-development sentiment in Scottsdale, he will take his headquarters to Atlanta or Seattle.