Author: BEX Staff

Awards & Accolades 1. Achen-Gardner Construction received two 2026 Build Arizona Awards from the Arizona Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America in the Municipal Reconstruction category. The honored projects were the City of Chandler’s Detroit Basin/Gazelle Meadows Park Storm System CMAR and the Town of Queen Creek’s Crismon Road Widening – Riggs Road to Cloud Road CMAR. Groundbreakings 2. The McCain Institute recently broke ground on the McCain Library and Museum in Tempe. The facility will be on more than 22 acres, north of Tempe Town Lake. The more than 80KSF facility is being developed in partnership with…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX A requested stipulation change to a 2021 zoning approval could bring a new, four-story, 114-room hotel to the master-planned development area of 29th Avenue & Sonoran Desert Drive in north Phoenix. AZBEX was the first outlet to report on the 29th & Sonoran Desert Master Plan proposal. (AZBEX; Nov. 9, 2021) The original rezoning request for the 40-acre site included plans for 360 traditional apartments, 259 for-rent townhomes and 26KSF of commercial space, which included three restaurants with drive-thrus and a fourth use to be named later. Current documents show the commercial component plan has…

By Associated Builders and Contractors Construction input prices decreased 0.6% in December compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data. Nonresidential construction input prices decreased 0.7% for the month. Overall construction input prices are 2.8% higher than a year ago, while nonresidential construction input prices are 3.2% higher. Prices increased in two of three energy categories last month. Natural gas and unprocessed energy materials prices were up 34.8% and 5.5%, respectively, while crude petroleum prices were down 2.7% in December. “Construction materials prices posted a…

A $32.8M replacement for the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center is gathering momentum. Initial plans call for a single building of up to 29KSF and a parking lot expansion that will replace the existing nine buildings, nearly tripling the available floor space and adding up to 122 parking slots. The project will also add desert landscaping, sustainability features and dedicated walking paths. The nonprofit Friends of Sabino Canyon and the Coronado National Forest are working together on the project. Sabino Canyon Visitor Center Reimagined will include interactive displays, dedicated exhibit space, Forest Service office space, a multipurpose room, and a gift…

Giving Back 1. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Companyrecently announced an opportunity for Apache Junction High School seniors. The program, operated through Grand Canyon University, will provide manufacturing training that could result in employment at TSMC. Starting salaries begin at $55K/year. 2. Achen-Gardner Construction announced its employee-owners supported the Town of Gilbert’s Truck-A-Palooza event on Saturday, Jan. 24. The construction company staffed a Peterbilt 567 Lune Truck, a Ford F550 Mechanic Truck and several tables with gifts and materials to motivate children to learn about construction. Boards & Commissions 3. The Arizona Chapter of the Associated General Contractors has announced its 2026…

Sales Transactions 1. Stockdale Capital Partners purchased Avant at Fashion Center, a 335-unit luxury apartment community in Chandler, for $110.25M. The property was approximately 94% occupied at closing. Steve Gebring and Cliff David of Institutional Property Advisors marketed the property for the seller. 2. The Department of Homeland Security recently purchased a 418.4KSF building at 13290 W. Sweetwater Ave. in Surprise for $70M. RG Surprise AZ LLC, an affiliate of Rockefeller Group, sold the property, which is named Surprise Pointe. The building will be turned into a processing facility that will hold roughly 1,500 beds. 3. Tucson Truck Terminal, also…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX The Arizona House of Representatives and Rep. Gail Griffin announced last week that actions by the House and Senate Joint Legislative Committee of Reference could lead to major changes to Arizona State Land Department policies and practices following a year of controversy and questions about land management and sales practices. ASLD is scheduled to sunset at the end of 2026. The Committee convened Jan. 20 “to conduct an in-depth review,” according to the release. “Following extensive testimony from the State Auditor General, the State Land Commissioner, and stakeholders from across Arizona’s land use industries, members…

The Phoenix City Council has voted in favor of a West Valley light rail extension along Indian School Road and eliminated plans for a route around the Arizona State Capitol. The 10-mile Indian School line could be completed around 2042 and is expected to improve development and connection in the Maryvale area of Phoenix. In approving the Indian School line, Council replaced a two-part plan that would have included a small section around the Capitol and a longer portion along Interstate 10. All the planned routes would have ended at Thomas Road and 79th Avenue. The Arizona Legislature largely opposes…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX As most observers expected, the development opposition political action committee, Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions, has filed a complaint against the City of Scottsdale over a compromise agreement between the City and Axon Enterprise that will allow Axon’s planned Corporate Headquarters and Global Campus development to proceed with a reduced number of residential units included in the plan. Axon’s original plan, which had been approved by the previous Mayor and Council, called for a 400KSF headquarters and a mixed-use campus with approximately 1,900 residential units, retail and a 435-room hotel on 57 acres at…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX Reversing the recent general trend of losses, the Arizona Construction sector gained 1,200 jobs in December, according to the latest report published by the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%. The national unemployment rate dropped to 4.4%, down from 4.5 in November. In December 2024, Arizona had a seasonally adjusted rate of 3.8%. The national rate was 4.1%. Arizona had a not-seasonally adjusted increase of 6,500 nonfarm employment jobs month-over-month. “Prior to the pandemic (2010-2019), NSA nonfarm employment gained 5,600 jobs on average in December,” the…