Sierra Vista has demonstrated a strong commitment to economic growth by investing in the City’s infrastructure, pursuing grants, and creating an economic development commission to provide input to the City's economic development strategy.  The economic development team stands ready to answer general questions, assist with site selection, help with permitting, connect you with valuable resources, and guide you throughout the life of your business.  Our Sierra Vista businesses are not just a cog in the economic engine, but unique and valued members of the community.

We offer:

• Site selection assistance
• Business feasibility analysis
• Business counseling
• Access to data and resources
• Face to face interactions and personal attention from staff and Council members that care about your success
• A supportive and connected innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem

Business Forward Regulation

The City of Sierra Vista and the State of Arizona have made concerted efforts in recent years to create a business-friendly, minimalist regulatory environment by cutting red tape and by repealing overly burdensome regulations. Our commitment to reducing red tape and paperwork makes it considerably easier and more efficient for businesses to locate, expand, and start up in Sierra Vista.

Here's how:

• Free pre-submittal meetings for site development that help preempt concerns and prevent costly errors
• Free courtesy inspections of potential sites with the building inspector, fire marshal, and business liaison              520-439-2219
• Staff is readily accessible at any time for questions or meetings with phone calls typically being answered the same day
• Building permits can be efficiently submitted online
• Expedient plan reviews.  In Sierra Vista plans are moved into review the same day they are submitted with review times often being completed in less than a few weeks.
• Site development approvals occur administratively via a Development Review Committe (DRC) that includes staff reviewers and at least one Planning and Zoning Commission member.
• Architectual reviews are administrative as well and guidelines are flexible with the primary review being conducted in house by Community Development staff.
• Between 2015 and 2021, the City has made several code amendments to simplify development. Some of these include: expanding the range of permitted uses in General Commercial Districts, providing flexible parking considerations for shared parking arrangements, amending administrative setback processes for greater flexibility in Infill Incentive areas, simplified sign code, clear architectural design standards for commercial buildings, and streamlining the review and approval process for Conditional Use Permits, Rezonings, and text amendments eliminating legal ads and public hearing requirements.