Author: BEX Staff

By Associated Builders and Contractors National nonresidential construction spending decreased 0.2% in May, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.06T. Spending declined on a monthly basis in nine of the 16 nonresidential subcategories. Private nonresidential spending fell 0.3%, while public nonresidential construction spending increased 0.1% in May. “Nonresidential construction spending declined in May, ending a streak of 11 consecutive monthly increases,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “While spending is up more than 17% over that span, manufacturing-related construction has accounted…

Groundbreakings 1. Montezuma Heights Investors, LLC announced it will host a groundbreaking for Montezuma Heights, the new $41M, 144-unit multifamily development on Bagby Drive in Prescott on July 13th. The expected completion date is 20 months from the groundbreaking. MEB Management will be the manager and leasing agent. 2. Construction of a Class A, multi-tenant medical office building is underway at One Scottsdale. Ryan Companies US, Inc. is developing, designing and building One Scottsdale Medical at Scottsdale Road and Thompson Peak Parkway. The two-story 101,136-rentable-SF building is 80% preleased with two national health systems, City of Hope and Exalt Health,…

A planned mixed-use development called Chandler Farms, planned for 18 acres on the SWC of Arizona Avenue and Queen Creek Road would include Modera Chandler—a 374-unit apartment development—and two small retail locations. The area was originally planned for a mall in the late 1990s, but changing development patterns meant it never came to fruition. In 2007, the property was zoned for a four-story building after a hotel project was approved as part of an office and retail plan that was never built because the area could not support the amount of accompanying retail. Project representatives from Mill Creek Residential held…

The $15.3M Arizona budget allocation to improve and expand the Prescott Rodeo Grounds has been temporarily halted pending the outcome of a lawsuit. Howard Mechanic and former Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Ralph Hess—aided by legal advocacy group Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest—filed the lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court alleging the funding violates state law and that the plaintiffs, as taxpayers, would suffer a financial loss due to “the burden for replenishing…wrongful and illegal expenditures.” The lawsuit claims the payment violates the “Gift Clause” of the Arizona constitution, which prohibits public entities from making payments that…

UPDATED on Aug. 21, 2023 – Per our sources, this project has been canceled. By Roland Murphy for AZBEX The Maricopa County Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval for a Comprehensive Plan amendment and rezoning request for a roughly 122.25-acre site northeast of Grand Avenue/U.S. 60 and Rocking Horse Lane in the unincorporated area of Morristown, near Wickenburg. Behavioral health services provider Meadows Behavioral Healthcare wants to build a youth-focused, co-ed behavioral health facility on the location and is requesting “to change the land use designation in the White Tank Grand Avenue Area Plan from Rural Densities to Office…

By BEX Staff for AZBEX The Rio Nuevo Board has unanimously approved investing up to $4.5M to attract an as-yet-undisclosed “internationally known boutique grocery” to the corner of Broadway and Plumer in Tucson’s Sunshine Mile. The site is currently occupied by a vacant Dollar Store and tabernacle, according to the Arizona Daily Star. Tucson developer Marcel Dabdoub presented plans to acquire the entire block at the SWC for a 13.2KSF grocery store and retail outlet. According to Rio Nuevo’s announcement, revenue forecasts for the new store approach $30M/year. Construction costs are estimated at more than $8M. The investment would come…

Road projects planned under Gilbert’s $515M 2021 voter-approved bond are progressing, but construction cost inflation means the funds will only cover 48 of the originally planned 57. In addition to increased construction costs, the uncertain status of the Proposition 400 Maricopa County transportation sales tax renewal means projects that were scheduled for later in the five-year planning cycle could experience additional delays to make sure the top priority projects are completed. Town staff is working to secure additional regional and federal funding, according to Gilbert Public Works Director Jessica Marlow. If the Prop 400 renewal legislation is approved and allowed…

By BEX Staff for AZBEX Rider Levett Bucknall has released its latest Quarterly Cost Report, giving details for the North American construction industry in 14 key markets. According to the announcement, “With data current to mid-Q2 2023, the latest RLB quarterly cost report shows that the national average increase in construction costs was 1.56% over the previous quarter, with Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, and San Francisco experiencing increases over the national average this quarter. Boston, Honolulu, Las Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and Washington DC experienced gains that were less than the national average.” The introduction by RLB President, North America Julian…

Groundbreakings 1. Optima, Inc. has announced construction is expected to begin on the 22-acre, $1B+, 1,330-unit Optima McDowell Mountain Village this summer. Phase I will deliver approximately 210 apartments and another 210 condominiums. 2. Martens Development and its general contracting partner Willmeng Construction broke ground on Mission Park, a two-building, 723.5KSF Class A industrial park at I-10 and Perryville Road in Buckeye. 3. Sunbelt Investment Holdings Inc., along with general contractor Graycor Construction Company Inc., have debuted design plans for and started construction on Phase I of Camelback 303, totaling 516.3KSF. The project initiates SIHI’s 4MSF industrial park in the…

A new $6.3M bridge over Bitter Creek on Broadway Road in Clarkdale could be in place and operational in two years. The existing bridge failed to meet current standards in five areas, according to Town Manager Susan Guthrie, but none of the shortcomings are structural. Key among the difficulties is that the existing bridge is only wide enough for one vehicle to cross at a time. Since the existing bridge is structurally sound and historically significant, the Town plans to keep it in place for pedestrian and bicycle use and to build the new two-lane bridge nearby. The Town will…