Author: Brianna Johnson

White Mountain Apache Chairwoman Gwendena Lee-Gatewood and Colorado River Indian Tribes Chairwoman Amelia Flores appeared before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee seeking funding to develop water infrastructure and approval of a bill that would let tribal water be sold to other parties. Lee-Gatewood said her tribe needs additional time and funding for a rural water system that the federal government promised more than a decade ago. Flores told Committee members the tribe has the opportunity to reallocate some of its water but needs the authorization to proceed. Both leaders cited the ongoing regional drought in their appeals for urgency. The…

Nearly 30 years of planning and development have languished on a 27-acre site at the SWC of University and Mesa drives, including a planned water park/resort that never materialized and other tentative development agreements that never came to pass. Now, however, the City of Mesa is optimistic about a partnership with Miravista Holdings that could transform the Transform 17 site (also known as Site 17) into a residential-focused mixed-use development that would finally bear fruit. Mesa spent $6M to acquire and demolish 63 homes on the site starting in 1996 in expectation of a developer building the Water Verde resort.…

Six proposals have come in for the Phoenix Sky Harbor Northwest General Aviation Redevelopment, a project that would redevelop 40 acres worth of property and buildings that are approaching the end of their useful lives. Responses were submitted by Aerocheck, Aeroterm, Amazon, Atlantic Aviation, Cutter Aviation and Hillwood. Aerocheck’s plan calls for using 10 acres for repair hangars and maintenance. Aeroterm would construct two cargo buildings, truck docks and apron space for planes on 33 acres and leave seven acres for future development. Amazon’s plan calls for using 13 acres to support its existing airport operations, including building an on-site…

Wetta Ventures is planning Gateway Commerce Center II, a 450KSF, $60M heavy industrial-focused development at the SWC of Pecos and Sossaman roads in Mesa. Represented by Lee & Associates’ Ken McQueen and Chris McClurg, the company has purchased a 28-acre site for nearly $7M. Since so much recent industrial development has focused on warehousing and logistics, Wetta officials expect the project to fill a needed gap in heavy industrial space. The site is located near Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and a rail line. It already has general industrial zoning in place. Project representatives expect to begin construction late this year and…

In its March 22nd meeting, the Glendale City Council took action to advance three residential developments. District at Westgate Multifamily The first proposal to gain approval concerned the District at Westgate multifamily development. A March 24th article in Phoenix Business Journal reports Council approved a general plan amendment and rezoning to planned area development for the proposal. Located at the NEC of 91st Avenue and Ocotillo Road, the project narrative says District at Westgate “is a contemporary residential mixed-use project with multifamily housing and condominiums. The Project will feature a wealth of resident amenities, substantial open space, neighborhood dog park,…

Sales Transactions 1: LBA Realty and Clarion Partners have sold four of the five buildings in the Esplanade office complex at 24th Street and Camelback Road to a partnership between Monarch Alternative Capital and Tourmaline Capital Partners for $353M. The transaction includes approximately 1MSF of office, 60KSF of retail space and a parking garage. Monarch plans to improve the site with renovations to the lobby, roof deck and central plaza. 2: Following an extensive legal battle that tied up the property for years, WVSV Holdings has sold 12,081 acres of land near Loop 303 and Sun Valley Parkway to BA…

By Arizona Department of Transportation Several highways carrying significant passenger and freight traffic are targeted for expansion and improvement during the next five years as part of the proposed annual update to the Arizona Department of Transportation’s list of projects that will be available for public comment. The 2023-2027 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program allocates $571M for projects that widen highways or improve interchanges, including: Widening Interstate 17 north of Phoenix from Anthem Way to Sunset Point, plus adding flex lanes from Black Canyon City to Sunset Point. The five-year plan contains $83.6 in 2022 for a total project…

The Tucson Unified School District Governing Board has granted approval for improvements to the Borman K-8 School on the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and to bathroom renovations at four high schools. The Borman project matches 20% of a Department of Defense grant to the District. The federal government will pay 80% of the total $26M cost to add a new entrance, gymnasium, cafeteria, kitchen area and new classroom wing. Existing classrooms will be renovated, and security features will be upgraded. The District’s initial Fiscal Year 2022-2023 investment commitment will be $3.3M, with a total commitment from TUSD of $5.3M. The…

By Salt River Project SRP has announced a proposed half-mile 230 kV transmission line and substation to serve energy to a data center being built for Meta (formerly Facebook), located in Mesa, and slated to be fully operational by 2024. Meta’s data center is under development at the southeast corner of Elliot and Ellsworth Roads. SRP’s proposed “Project Huckleberry” outlines a new double-circuit 230 kV power line to be constructed from the already approved Southeast Powerlink along an existing flood control channel to the new proposed “Prickly Pear Substation” located on the Mesa data center site. As the primary beneficiary…

Semiconductor chemical supplier Kanto Corporation has received preliminary approval from the Casa Grande City Council to rezone 81.39 acres for an industrial plant at the NEC of Burris Road and Ash Avenue. The Council’s preliminary vote on the rezoning request was unanimous. The final approval vote is scheduled for next month. As of Wednesday, Kanto Corporation had not identified a design firm, general contractor, development timeline or scope of work. (Source)