Awards & Accolades
1. Milagro on Oracle, a $21M, 63-unit affordable housing community in Tucson, received the Arizona Multihousing Association’s Developers Award for Best Community Design, Affordable Community. El Pueblo Housing Development and Gorman & Company developed the project through the adaptive reuse of the historic DeAnza and Don motels along North Oracle Road. The project, which also includes a new four-story building, was completed in January 2025.
Groundbreakings
2. Creation and a real estate fund advised by Crow Holdings Capital broke ground on Avondale Tech Center, a three-building, approximately 700KSF Class A industrial campus on 38 acres at the NWC of 117th Avenue and Corporate Drive in Avondale. As part of its practice of supporting a local charity with each new development, Creation donated $25K to Southwest Family Advocacy Center. LGE Design Build is the architect and general contractor. Riley Gilbert, John Lydon and Kelly Royle of JLL are leading leasing efforts. Completion is targeted for Q3 2027.
3. Banicki Construction will begin construction on the JW Powell extension project on Sept. 8 in Flagstaff. The project will extend JW Powell Blvd. from east of Lone Tree Blvd. to Fourth Street with one lane in each direction and includes underground utilities and multimodal amenities. The City of Flagstaff is working with Peak Engineering and Banicki Construction on the project, with the City’s portion expected to be completed by the end of fall 2028.
Progress Reports
4. The Arizona Department of Transportation completed the eastbound bridge deck over the Gila River as part of the 26-mile I-10 Wild Horse Pass Corridor Project between Phoenix and Casa Grande. Replacement of the eastbound and westbound bridges began in May 2024 and is expected to be completed in October. The new bridges will feature three lanes, wider shoulders and increased clearance for water flow. All four segments of the corridor project are expected to be completed by late 2030.
5. Construction is underway on a new 50KSF federal courthouse at 1535 W. Route 66 in Flagstaff. Easterly Government Properties owns and is developing the three-story building, with approximately $35M allocated for land and the base structure and another $32M for the federally reimbursed interior build-out. The exterior is mostly complete, with interior completion expected in March 2027. The facility will include two courtrooms and office space for federal court services and the U.S. Marshals Service. The building will be LEED Silver certified.
6. Oakwood Homes celebrated the grand opening of its 105-home community within Moonlight at Maricopa on Aug. 8. The builder will deliver 69 homes in the Sonoran collection and 36 in the Crescent collection as part of the master-planned community’s initial phase. Homes range from approximately 1.3KSF to 2.9KSF, with prices starting in the low $300Ks.
7. Mattamy Homes is now selling homes at Alamar and Covena Pointe at Rocking K, two new neighborhoods in Vail’s Rocking K master-planned community. The neighborhoods add 212 homesites, with 38 at Alamar and 174 at Covena Pointe. Floor plans range from approximately 1.6KSF to 2.7KSF, with prices starting in the $300Ks. Mattamy Homes’ Oasis at Rocking K neighborhood is also nearing completion.
Completions
8. NexMetro Communities is opening Avilla Marigold, a 214-home Build-to-Rent community at 19765 W. Thomas Road in Buckeye, later this month. The 19-acre gated community features single-level, mostly detached one-, two- and three-bedroom rental homes with private backyards. Avilla Marigold is NexMetro’s 26th Avilla Homes community in metro Phoenix.
9. Representatives of the City of Surprise joined LivAway Suites officials to celebrate a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the company’s latest hotel at 14020 W. Mountain View Blvd.
10. YourSpace America and general contractor ARCO/Murray completed Jackson Street Self Storage, a four-story, 166.4KSF Class A self-storage facility at 835 E. Jackson St. in Phoenix. The climate-controlled facility includes approximately 1.3KSF of office space and exterior loading docks. A grand opening is scheduled for Aug. 26.