Groundbreakings
1. Rust Land Management has broken ground on Palomino Ridge, a 66-acre subdivision in Maricopa that will add 226 homes between Maricopa Meadows and the Union Pacific Railroad. Dream Finders Homes is building the project.
2. Petrified Forest National Park will begin a multi-year restoration of the Painted Desert Community Complex in September. Stronghold Engineering is leading the project, which will rehabilitate the northern visitor center and park headquarters to address structural issues, improve accessibility and restore historic design elements. The project is funded through the Great American Outdoors Act.
3. The Phoenix Zoo has broken ground on two new facilities in the Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation Animal Care & Conservation Campus. The first facility is a 27KSF Veterinary Medical Center, which will house the Midwestern University Zoological Medical Institute and the JoEllen and Philip Doornbos Veterinary Student Center. The second includes a 10KSF Doornbos Animal Rescue and Care Center. Sundt Construction is donating construction management services, with completion expected in 16 months.
Progress Reports
4. Crews have closed the eastbound Loop 101 off-ramp at 27th Avenue for reconstruction as part of the ongoing $140M Arizona Department of Transportation widening project between 75th Avenue and I-17. Work began in September 2024 and includes adding lanes, widening bridges, resurfacing pavement and upgrading lighting and drainage. The ramp is expected to reopen in late September, with project completion scheduled for spring 2027.
5. Dick’s House of Sport, a retail-entertainment concept from Dick’s Sporting Goods, is slated to open this October in Glendale. The national chain purchased the site near Loop 101 and Maryland Avenue for $10.7M in January 2024 from BYPG Holdings.
6. Crews with Achen-Gardner Construction have base-paved more than 2,000SY of the City of Tempe’s Smith Road infrastructure upgrade, with top paving expected soon. The CMAR project stretches from Apache Blvd. to University Drive and includes accessibility and safety improvements for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. The project is expected to be completed this November.
Completions
7. Achen-Gardner Construction has completed the Crismon Road widening project for the Town of Queen Creek. The $7.5M CMAR project included a new collector roundabout at Crismon and Cloud roads and a half-mile roadway extension to improve safety, traffic flow and access to Crismon High School. Ardurra served as design engineer. The project was completed ahead of schedule to accommodate the start of the school year.
8. ARCO National Construction has partnered with WareSpace to renovate a 70KSF former call center at 9801 S. 51st St. in Tempe into a co-warehousing and micro-bay industrial hub. The redesigned facility will offer 200SF-1.2KSF suites tailored for small and mid-sized businesses.
9. Willmeng Construction and the City of Avondale have completed the new 3.9KSF Avondale Police Department K-9 Training Facility at 50 N. Eliseo C. Felix Way. The $4M project was designed by Perlman Architects and includes dedicated space for K-9 housing, training and department operations.
10. Taroko Sports celebrated the grand opening of its second U.S. location on July 25 at Mesa Riverview. The 18KSF indoor entertainment venue is operated by Taiwan-based TRK Corporation, which plans to open a second Arizona location in Chandler later this year.