North Phoenix mixed-use project adds apartments and Aldi

The Bell 17 Business Center in Deer Valley is moving into another phase, with apartments and an Aldi store planned near Interstate 17, Bell Road, and 19th Avenue. The long-term project sits on roughly 90 acres acquired from the Arizona State Land Department and is evolving from an industrial-flex start into a broader mixed-use development.

A large Deer Valley property in north Phoenix is continuing its transition from a single-use employment site into a more layered mixed-use project. KTAR reports that Sunbelt Investment Holdings is advancing the next phase of Bell 17 Business Center with plans for residential units and an Aldi grocery store, adding consumer amenities and housing to a site that began with industrial-flex space.

The development sits near Interstate 17 at Bell Road and 19th Avenue, across from Turf Paradise. That location places it in a heavily trafficked north Phoenix corridor where retail access, housing demand, and transportation connections are all important to how fast a project can mature. For nearby residents, the arrival of a discount grocer is a practical neighborhood update, not just a real-estate headline.

Sunbelt bought the roughly 90-acre parcel in 2018 through an Arizona State Land Department auction, paying $26.5 million. The first phase delivered a 101,000-square-foot industrial flex-office building at 2001 West Phelps Road. KTAR said that building is now leased to California Closets and packaging-machinery company All Fill, indicating the site already has an operating employment component.

The newer phase suggests the developer is broadening the project into something closer to a live-work-shop environment. Adding apartments can help support the labor pool for nearby employers while giving the site more day-to-day activity, and an Aldi store gives the project a consumer anchor that can draw both residents and surrounding neighborhoods.

In Arizona terms, this is another example of how growth in north Phoenix is being shaped by mixed-use infill rather than only stand-alone subdivisions or isolated office parks. Business owners watch these projects for foot traffic and demographics, while residents often care more about whether the promised grocery, housing, and traffic improvements actually materialize.