Author: BEX Staff

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX The Arizona Construction sector added 1,200 jobs in October, making the industry one of nine sectors showing gains for the month. Arizona’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 3.6%, according to the latest report published by the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. The national unemployment held steady at 4.1%. Last October, Arizona had a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.2%. The national rate was 3.8%. Arizona had a not-seasonally adjusted gain of 24,400 in nonfarm employment jobs month-over-month. “Prior to the pandemic (2010-2019), NSA nonfarm employment gained 27,800 jobs on average in October,” the report states.…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX Four Arizona rail projects are slated to receive a combined total of more than $60.2M in federal funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The funding is allocated through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Rail Administration Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program. The CRISI Program’s Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Notice of Funding Opportunity had nearly $2.48B available. Eligible projects include railway safety technology, capital projects for passenger service or to address congestion or regional railroad infrastructure, relocation and improvements, rail crossing improvements, and connection and service improvements between rail and modes, among others.…

By Associated Builders and Contractors Associated Builders and Contractors has applauded the decision of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, which set aside the U.S. Department of Labor’s controversial 2024 final rule, Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees. The rule changed overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The court found that the Biden-Harris Labor Department’s 2024 overtime rule’s July 1, 2024, increase was unlawful as well as the scheduled Jan. 1, 2025, increase. Specifically, DOL’s final rule increased the minimum annual salary level threshold for exemption…

Giving Back 1. Deutsch Architecture Group is collecting new, unwrapped toys in partnership with The Salvation Army Forgotten Angels Program. The program makes it possible to put presents underneath the tree for children who might not otherwise receive a gift. To donate please mail or deliver a toy to the Deutsch office by Dec. 2 at 4600 E. Indian School Road; Phoenix, AZ 85018. For gift ideas see the TSA DAG Toy Drive Wish List at https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/212F57UXU1AH0. Email cstevens@2929.com with any questions. 2. The Greater Phoenix Chapter of IFMA hosted its annual charity golf tournament at the Arizona Biltmore Golf…

Sales Transactions 1. Transwestern Real Estate Services announced it brokered the $53M sale of a 747-acre property in Buckeye at 19300 West Yuma Road. Transwestern’s Paul Borgesen, Dylan Sproul and Royden Hudnall represented Rovey Family Farms in the sale of the farmland to the Vanderwey Family. Plans for the property have yet to be announced. 2. Cushman & Wakefield announced the firm advised the sale of Paradise Valley Plaza. The three-building, multi-tenant office and medical complex totals 100.2KSF. Located at 5010, 5020 and 5040 E. Shea Blvd. in Phoenix, the property is 95% leased. The complex was acquired by Woodside…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX Oakdale Realty has submitted plans for a 260-unit apartment community near the NWC of Banner Gateway and Pierpont drives in Mesa. The site is near the Banner Gateway Medical Center off Higley Road between U.S. 60 and Baseline Road. The project narrative for the Banner Gateway Residences proposal refers to the vacant 10.4-gross-acre parcel as a “challenging infill site” where the developer plans to create a “well-located residential community with a wide variety of amenities,” adding, “A high-quality, urban scale multi-family community is an excellent use of this vacant, infill Site and will benefit the…

The Prescott City Council Water Issues Subcommittee has voted to recommend approval to the Council for a water request by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for a 300-unit dormitory. The University has requested 34 acre-feet of water for a two-building dormitory totaling 300 units. Prescott’s water budget currently has an availability of 38.5 acre-feet. An appeal was necessary for the request to move forward, according to officials. Two service agreements will be necessary to provide water for the two planned residence halls that will be located on the Embry-Riddle campus west of Willow Creek Road. The proposed allocation includes 28 acre-feet of…

Finding “no viable path forward” for highway construction projects, the Pinal Regional Transportation Authority Board of Directors has voted to suspend operations. The nine-year-old Board is comprised of 11 mayors and city council members from Pinal County who work toward improving regional transportation solutions. A particularly troublesome combination of issues has been improvements to State Route 347 and project funding after the Arizona Supreme Court struck down a voter-approved transportation tax. Maricopa County’s Proposition 479, a continuation of the County’s half-cent transportation sales tax, was approved in this month’s election and provides some funding for SR 347 improvements on the…

By Associated Builders and Contractors Associated Builders and Contractors reported its Construction Backlog Indicator fell to 8.4 months in October, according to a survey of its member contractors conducted Oct. 21 to Nov. 4. The reading is unchanged from October 2023. Backlog fell in every region except for the Northeast in October, reversing the previous month’s trend in which every region except for the Northeast saw an increase in backlog. Only the Middle States have a longer backlog than one year ago. ABC’s Construction Confidence Index readings for sales and staffing levels improved in October, while the reading for profit…

Awards & Accolades 1. Design-Build Institute of America recognized nearly 50 project and team awards at the 2024 Design-Build Conference & Expo. The University of Arizona Applied Research Building won both the 2024 Project of the Year and Best in Design – Architecture. The research building was also selected as a winner of the National Award of Excellence in the Educational Facilities category. The architect was SmithGroup and McCarthy Building Companies was the general contractor. Groundbreakings 2. Abernathy Holdings, in partnership with Gary Tharaldson, has broken ground on three self-storage projects. The projects represent an average of $17.5M in project…