Author: BEX Staff

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX The Arizona State Land Department has submitted a request to Pinal County to rezone 389 acres of Arizona State Trust land east of Hunt Highway and south of Gantzel and Judd roads in San Tan Valley. ASLD wants to change the general rural zoning currently in place to three base zoning districts with a planned area development overlay. Under the requested changes for North Copper Basin, 256.1 acres would be zoned for single-family residential, 68.1 acres for mixed residential and 64.8 acres for commercial/office/residential. The entire site would be united under the PAD overlay. According…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX News emerged this week that, despite having been handed a victory from the Arizona State Legislature that would have allowed it to build its nearly $1.5B planned headquarters campus as originally envisioned and approved last year, Axon Enterprise had been in negotiations with leadership from the City of Scottsdale to dramatically reduce the number of planned residential units and overall density to make the project more palatable to local leaders and project opponents. Those negotiations came to a crashing halt between the end of last week and the beginning of this one after texts from…

New data from ConstructConnect shows more projects were abandoned in May than in any other month on record. The group’s Project Stress Index, which examines projects that have been abandoned, paused or experienced a delayed bid date, increased 11.4% and shows a project stress index of 22.8% more than baseline levels from 2021. Most of the increase was fueled by abandonments in the private sector, many of which were blamed on uncertain market conditions combined with high interest rates. Project abandonments were up 30.3% in May. On-hold activity was largely unchanged, and delayed bids fell 1.9%. Abandonment activity has increased…

Groundbreakings 1. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new Maricopa Fieldhouse. The fieldhouse is to be constructed at the former site of the Maricopa Police Department Substation at the SEC of Bowlin Road and Greythorn Drive. The new building will be 42KSF and will cost $16.2M. Construction is scheduled to be complete next summer. 2. A.R. Mays Construction, in collaboration with the Arizona Jewish Historical Society, broke ground June 5 on the Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center. The Center will be located at 122 E. Culver St. in downtown Phoenix. The 32KSF, two-story facility with a basement is being…

Land purchase and lease plans approved by the Tolleson Union High School District Governing Board could spur new development activity in the West Valley. The District will pay John F. Long Properties $7.8M for 12 acres at Catalina Drive and 93rd Avenue in Phoenix. The land will be used to enable a partnership between Western Maricopa Education Center and Tolleson Union. Tolleson Union will build a new campus for approximately 500 students next to the Southeast Campus planned by West-MEC. TUHSD will also pay $7.35M to 5445 Glendale JV, LLC—a collection of private owners—for nearly seven acres at the SEC…

By BEX Staff for AZBEX Jomax Road could be extended between Dysart Road and 126th Drive under an intergovernmental agreement approved by the Surprise and Peoria city councils. A local news outlet reported there is currently only one way in and out of Surprise in circumstances where US 60 and 163 Avenue are closed, prompting traffic problems and difficulties for emergency personnel trying to access the area. The extension will provide a new access point to Loop 303 and should help drivers commuting to Happy Valley Road. The Peoria City Council’s June 3 agenda item on the IGA said, “Completion…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX Taylor Morrison is proposing a 14.37-acre mostly vacant agricultural site near the NEC of 23rd Avenue and Baseline Road in Phoenix as the location for a new 188-unit Build-to-Rent development called Yardly Baseline. Currently owned by Mundall Family Revocable Trust, the site is zoned for ranch or farm residence. The developer has requested a rezoning to multifamily residence district and a General Plan land use map amendment to allow for the new community. Surrounding land uses include single-family residential on all four sides, as well as commercial uses to the east. Up to 240 units…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX A City of Phoenix draft ordinance to curtail data center zoning has raised concerns in the City’s own Village Planning Committees. A recent post on Rose Law Group Reporter explained City planning staff was directed to start drafting an ordinance on data center uses in December 2024, which included instructions for a final City Council vote before Council recesses this summer. The short timeframe came as a shock to the development community and the City’s Village Planning Committees. The draft ordinance was produced in late April and is scheduled for a Council vote June 18.…

By Associated Builders and Contractors The construction industry added 4,000 jobs on net in May, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment has increased by 126,000 jobs, an increase of 1.5%. Nonresidential construction employment increased by 11,300 positions, with growth in all three subcategories. Nonresidential specialty trade added the most jobs, increasing by 4,500 positions, while heavy and civil engineering and nonresidential building added 3,700 and 3,100 jobs, respectively. The construction unemployment rate decreased to 3.5% in May. Unemployment across all industries…

Giving Back 1. Multifamily development, construction and management firm MC Companies recently honored one of its long-time residents. Bess Berk, a resident of The Place at the Fountains at Sun City since 1997, turns 104 in June. To commemorate Berk’s longevity and decades of residency in their community, MC Companies officials presented her with a personal letter signed by MC’s owners and executives, chocolates, flowers and free rent for her birthday month. Awards & Accolades 2. LGE Design Build topped Ranking Arizona’s list of the state’s Top 10 Industrial Contractors for 2025. The remainder are as follows: Willmeng Construction, Clayco,…