Awards & Accolades
1. Arizona Forward hosted its 44th Annual Environmental Excellence Awards in Scottsdale. The awards given were as follows:
Governor’s Award for Arizona’s Future:
- South Central Extension/Downtown Hub Light Rail Extension — Submitted by Valley Metro and AECOM.
- Grassroots Water Protection Movement in Cochise County — Submitted by the Grassroots Water Protection Movement Team.
Crescordia Awards:
- Dairy with Purpose, United Dairymen of Arizona;
- SanTan Brewing Grain-to-Farms Initiative, SanTan Brewing Company;
- City of Tucson TREE Center, City of Tucson;
- Arizona Water Innovation Initiative, Arizona State University;
- Grassroots Water Protection Movement in Cochise County, Grassroots Water Protection Movement Team;
- Center for Negative Carbon Emissions, Arizona State University;
- City of Tempe Microgrids Masterplan: Resilient Energy Hubs, RSP Architects and City of Tempe;
- ¡Sombra! Experiments in Shade, City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture;
- Mesa Youth Climate Action Fund, City of Mesa;
- Laugh, Like, Share: Using Humor to Educate Arizona on Waste and Recycling, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality;
- Piestewa Peak, J2;
- South Central Extension/Downtown Hub Light Rail Extension, Valley Metro and AECOM;
- The Arizona Sustainable Economic Development Learning Laboratory, The Flinn Foundation;
- Mountain Line Downtown Connection Center, HDR.
The full awards list, including Awards of Distinction, can be found here.
2. LG Development’s Sol Modern was named Multifamily Development of the Year for Phoenix in the 2026 CoStar Impact Awards. The 29-story, 747-unit mixed-use development occupies two acres at 50 E. Fillmore St. in downtown Phoenix and includes 28.8KSF of ground-floor retail and more than 100KSF of amenity space. The approximately $400M project was designed by bKL Architects and built by Layton Construction. Construction of the development began in February 2023 and was delivered after pre-leasing in April 2025.
Groundbreakings
3. Northern Arizona Healthcare has broken ground on the NAH Verde Valley Cancer Center in the Verde Valley, which will consolidate oncology services into a single location. Kitchell is the general contractor. Grace Design Studios is the architect.
4. Empire Group of Companies, through its infill division Aspirant Development, and Brinkmann Constructors have officially topped out construction on The Monroe, a 228-unit, 420KSF senior living community being built in Old Town Scottsdale. The milestone marks the completion of the building’s structural framework and signals the project’s transition into interior construction.
5. A $19.4M improvement project in the Williams area along a 19-mile stretch of State Route 64, north of I-40, is set to begin the week of April 6. The Arizona Department of Transportation project includes resurfacing between I-40 and Pipeline Road, adding turn lanes at key intersections and upgrading more than 50 driveways and pullouts. Completion is scheduled for fall 2027.
6. A new four-story mixed-use project, Brundrett, is moving toward construction in Gilbert’s Heritage District at 78 and 226 N. Gilbert Road. Developed by the Brundrett Family, the infill building will feature restaurant space on the ground floor and rooftop, office space and an expanded Norwood Furniture showroom. Archall Architects designed the project, and Primak Construction Group will serve as the general contractor, with construction expected to begin once a restaurant tenant is secured.
7. Sun State Builders has broken ground on Avion Square, a 39.6KSF warehouse and office facility in the Chandler Airpark area near Germann and Cooper roads. The spec building will offer flexible space for up to four tenants and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
8. The City of Scottsdale has broken ground on a $9.5M ambulance annex at Fire Station 618, located at 1901 N. Miller Road in Scottsdale. The facility will include office space, kitchen and dining areas, medical storage and three vehicle bays.
9. The Arizona Department of Transportation began a guardrail replacement project on April 1 along a three-mile stretch of State Route 89A, between Pine Flat Campground and Oak Creek Vista near Flagstaff. The project includes replacing guardrails, reconstructing curbs and gutters, and installing concrete barriers. The estimated completion date is late summer.
Progress Reports
10. The $106M I-40/US 93 West Kingman Traffic Interchange Project in Kingman is approximately 70% complete, with full completion expected in early 2027. The project will replace the existing signalized intersection and create a free-flowing interchange between the highways with new ramps, bridges and roadway improvements.
11. The City of Glendale’s $94M Downtown Campus Reinvestment Project is nearing completion, with substantial completion of the new City Hall building expected by April 14. City staff and Council members are scheduled to move in on May 18, with a ribbon-cutting planned for mid-June. The redevelopment at 59th and Glendale avenues also includes improvements to Murphy Park, where construction is expected to finish in May.
12. Silverstein Properties has begun pre-leasing Shorehaven, a three-tower, 722-unit mixed-use residential development along Tempe Town Lake, as part of the $1.8B South Pier master-planned development. The project includes approximately 26KSF of ground-floor retail space. Initial occupancy is expected in April when the first tower, comprised of 248 units, opens. Clayco is the general contractor.
13. George Oliver and Ascentris have secured nearly 48KSF in initial leases at Arbor Old Town, a 360KSF office redevelopment in Scottsdale. The project spans three buildings on six acres at 4141 and 4167 N. Scottsdale Road and 7272 E. Indian School Road. Symmetry Software is among the new tenants of the development, relocating its headquarters to a new 32.5KSF space. Construction is also underway on 17 speculative suites designed for move-in-ready occupancy. RSG Builders is serving as the general contractor, and completion is slated for Q3 2026.
14. Reconstruction of the Legado Apartments in Prescott Valley is more than 60% complete following the April 2024 fire that destroyed the original project. Developer Fain Signature Group expects the first phase of units to open this fall and be fully completed by next year.
15. El Cidro, an 80-home single-family development, has opened in Goodyear. The project includes one- and two-story homes ranging from approximately 1.5KSF to 2.9KSF and is located near Cotton Lane and Lower Buckeye Road.
16. At Promenade at Casa Grande, Target is preparing to reopen its approximately 137KSF store in a previously vacated space. The nearly 485KSF retail center is located at 1005 N. Promenade Pkwy. The reopening is scheduled for May.
17. Achen-Gardner has completed a condition assessment of a 30-inch transmission main in Gilbert using remote field testing technology as part of its Transmission Main Assessment Phase 3 CMAR project for the Town of Gilbert. The work, performed with APPIA Pipeline Solutions, identified corrosion and potential defects without extensive excavation and allowed for targeted repairs in an active construction window.
Completions
18. Stevens-Leinweber Construction Inc., on behalf of Merit Partners Inc., has completed Merit 27 Buckeye, a 256.8KSF, two-building industrial redevelopment on 18 acres in Phoenix. The project transformed the vacant Murphy Elementary School District campus at the SEC of 27th Avenue and Buckeye Road into a Class A industrial property. Site preparation included six months of demolition and remediation. Butler Design Group served as the architect. The development is now fully leased.
19. Moonlight, a 460-acre master-planned community in Maricopa, is opening its Twilight Park amenity center on April 16, featuring recreational amenities such as a pool, courts and open space. Forestar Group is leading the community’s development with builders D.R. Horton, Oakwood and Risewell. The final project will include nearly 1,300 homes.
20. Achen-Gardner is completing utility and roadway improvements for the Verdin Community Facilities District infrastructure project in Phoenix, including more than 98KLF of water and sewer lines, 149.1KLF of dry utility conduit, 32.5KLF of curb and gutter and 54.3KSY of asphalt. The work also includes the construction of a 1MGD lift station, with phased coordination supporting reimbursement through the CFD delivery structure.