The Gilbert Town Council in Arizona will vote Thursday on an economic incentive for domain name registrar and hosting provider GoDaddy worth $836,000 in an effort to retain its Gilbert office.
“I think it was an important factor. I think just having the support from the town of Gilbert really meant a lot for GoDaddy,” said Calvin Crowder, vice president of Global Real Estate, on the company’s decision to remain in Gilbert.
The Development Agreement would see the Scottsdale-based company reimbursed $86,000 a year over 10 years for job training. The deal is contingent on the company maintaining at least 1,364 jobs a year and completing $15 million of improvements to the facility within five years.
“GoDaddy felt that their current Gilbert facility could not meet the needs of their workforce without significant improvements,” said a memo to the Town Council. The company started to consider sites inside and outside of Gilbert.
“They’re doing a national site selection search. We obviously want to retain those 1,300-plus employees. These are technology-oriented jobs in a proven company,” said Dan Henderson, Gilbert Economic Development director.
Improvements to the building should include energy-efficient cooling systems and LED lighting.
Crowder pointed to GoDaddy workspaces around the the country that include amenities such as a pedal-car racetrack, a speakeasy style bar and sports courts.
Pending Town Council approval, Crowder said the renovations should be complete in the next two years.
Independent firm Applied Economics estimated GoDaddy will have an economic impact of about $1.53 billion in Gilbert in the next 10 years.
