Author: BEX Staff

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX Even before Maricopa County voters gave their approval last November for Proposition 479 to continue the half-cent transportation tax previously operated under Proposition 400, the Maricopa Association of Governments had been busy planning and preparing for an expansive set of projects to enhance and expand the County’s vast transportation system. Over today’s issue and Friday’s we will take a look at some of those projects and plans as presented to MAG committees in meetings last month. Today’s coverage will focus on the Prop 479 Freeway Life Cycle Program, as presented May 21 to the MAG…

By Coconino Community College For the first time in 25 years, Coconino Community College will be presenting voters a general obligation property tax bond question. At its regular meeting on Wednesday, May 21, the Coconino County Community College District Governing Board voted to move forward with placing a $100M general obligation bond question on the November 4, 2025 ballot. If approved by voters, the bond would fund a countywide transformation of CCC’s facilities and programming—expanding access to high-demand, high-wage training opportunities across northern Arizona. The estimated average annual tax rate for the proposed bond authorization is $0.25/$100 of net assessed…

By National Association of Home Builders The National Association of Home Builders’ Professional Women in Building Council is working to bridge the skilled labor gap in construction through a new workforce development collaboration with SkillsUSA, a national education nonprofit. The goal is to inspire and mentor the most talented individuals locally and build a robust construction workforce pipeline. SkillsUSA is the national organization for students in trade, industrial, technical and health occupations education. “I’m incredibly excited about the SkillsUSA and Professional Women in Building initiative,” said PWB Council Chair Carrie DeWeese, “because it creates powerful opportunities to inspire and support…

Awards & Accolades 1. Ranking Arizona announced its top 10 architecture companies in Arizona. The first ranking consisted of companies that contained a minimum of eight architects. These companies were: Corgan, Gensler, Orcutt | Winslow, Butler Design Group, CCBG Architects, SmithGroup, Archicon Architecture & Interiors, DFDG Architecture, Allen + Philp Architects and SWABACK. Ranking Arizona presented a separate ranking for companies consisting of a maximum of seven architects. These companies included: Cawley Architects, DAVIS, dpa architects, LGE Design Build, Pinnacle Design, Deutsch Architecture Group, GLHN Architects & Engineers, ADM Group, MRT Design and Ideation Design Group. 2. ECM Technologies was…

Sales Transactions 1. Cushman & Wakefield announced the firm has advised the sale of the 100% leased Sarival Logistics Center industrial project in Litchfield Park. Totaling 1.6MSF, the single-tenant building at 6390 N. Sarival Ave, is fully leased to Logistics Plus, Inc. The property was acquired by EQT Real Estate for $128.2M. Will Strong, Molly Hunt, Michael Matchett, Jack Stamets, and Madeline Warren of Cushman & Wakefield’s National Industrial Advisory Group—Mountain West represented the seller. Cushman & Wakefield’s Mike Haenel, Andy Markham, and Justin Smith, who head leasing services for the project, provided market leasing advisory. 2. MIG Real Estate…

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…