Buckeye appears to be recovering from the Great Recession as the city issued 45 percent more single-family building permits by the end of October than it did for the same period in 2014.

Buckeye has granted 920 building permits so far this year, according to recently released figures. That’s up from 748 permits for all of 2014. It usually takes about six months to build a home once a permit is issued.

But like other West Valley cities, foreclosures left Buckeye with many vacant properties. Most of those are now occupied, and developers are building on unused lots in unfinished communities, said Buckeye’s Economic Development Director Len Becker. 

“You’ve seen subdivisions that haven’t had activity in about 10 years come back to life and people moving back into those neighborhoods,” Becker said.

The possibility the Fed may raise interest rates has helped draw more home buyers into the market, Becker said.

Buckeye is particularly attractive because it has available entry level, brand new and high-end housing, Becker said. The city’s proximity to large employers like Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station and Luke Air Force Base are also contributors. But neither facility lies within the city limits.

Becker said Buckeye can’t thrive as a bedroom community, but the city can use new development to attract more jobs.

“Employers want to know that we’re a growing community,” Becker said. “And as people move into Buckeye, that they’re going to be able to live, work and play and stay and recreate in the community.”