Author: BEX Staff

The Vistancia master-planned community’s 320-acre commercial and retail destination FIVE NORTH at VISTANCIA is taking shape as the first hot spot in the far North Peoria/West Valley area. Construction of the initial phases is anticipated to begin in early 2024. The initial phases are planned to include a main street restaurant/retail corridor, hospitality, office, healthcare, education, an employment core, and an additional 1,500 luxury mid-to high-density residential units that will reflect the same high-quality and desert-inspired design elements recognized in Vistancia. In addition, an extension of Vistancia’s signature Discovery Trail is planned, offering a linear park connection through the entire property. …

By Rebekah Morris for AZBEX Just four weeks after it was passed, Phoenix City Council repealed a prevailing wage ordinance aimed at construction projects procured by the City. Council members then directed staff with a 7-2 vote to investigate the issue further and return with a new ordinance that was less likely to be challenged in court. Prevailing wage ordinances at a city level would be in direct violation of state statute. In fact, ARS 34-321, section B states: “Agencies and political subdivisions of this state shall not by regulation, ordinance or in any other manner require public works contracts…

Town of Florence and Pinal County are working together to develop the final phase of widening Hunt Highway, along with other infrastructure improvements to improve traffic flow. Pinal plans to continue building the State Route 24 eastward and wants to create a new north-south route connecting SR24 to Florence in the Central Arizona Parkway area. SR 24 currently ends at Ironwood Road. Pinal County has invested $35M in the last five years to improve Hunt highways and Ellsworth Road. Including working on the final phase of widening Hunt Highway to five lanes from Magma Road to Franklin Road. Design is…

Groundbreakings 1. LogistiCenter at Copperwing has commenced construction. The 10MSF industrial property is being developed in El Mirage by a team led by Dermody Properties along with partner Novo Development. Phase I includes two buildings totaling more than 550KSF of Class A logistics space.   2. Legacy at Laveen Village has broken ground. The 172-unit Build-for-Rent project is being developed by Scottsdale Investment Management. The project is located at 35th Ave., just south of Southern Ave. and will be brought to the market in five phases. The first is scheduled to be completed in September 2024.  3. The Arizona Biltmore Golf…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX As more and more people move to Arizona (and as opposition to new development gets more organized and entrenched) the need for advocacy to deliver new housing units, particularly for multifamily, keeps growing. While not a household name to most people outside of the policy and development world, HOME Arizona is diligently working behind the scenes to improve the state’s housing situation. HOME Arizona’s specific mission is educating policymakers and elected officials about the relationship between housing prices, labor availability and economic development. The group’s board of business leaders, former elected officials and economists coalesced…

The City of Maricopa and Thompson Thrift are moving forward with their respective processes to sell 19.05 acres and develop a retail property. Known as Maricopa Station South, the City publicly solicited for bids from developers to sell the land and proceed with commercial development. Thompson Thrift is the successful bidder and has now filed a pre-app to the City for their vision on the land. The parcel is located at John Wayne Pkwy, south of the Amtrak Railroad and was recently part of a larger effort by the city to rezone the area from rural and industrial to commercial…

The Planning and Zoning Commission has recommended a denial to the Flagstaff City Council for Northern Arizona Healthcare’s plan to build an $850M+ healthcare campus near Ft. Tuthill County Park. The mixed decision centered mostly on the sustainability and the cost to provide infrastructure to the new campus. Opponents are pushing the owner to create a carbon-neutral hospital while the Commission noted that the applicant has met the zoning requirements. The issues with sustainability relate to the City’s stated goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. While the project will create an estimated 53,000 new daily trips, Northern Arizona Healthcare…

By Rebekah Morris for AZBEX After delays stemming from the pandemic, it appears that The District at Copper Sky is once again moving forward in conjunction with the Seasons Living at Copper Sky senior housing in Maricopa. However, the southernmost portion of the development may be headed in a different direction after a recent land sale bid opportunity from the City. Shea Connelly has submitted a pre-app for a luxury multifamily development with ground-level retail. The large, mixed-use development is located at the SEC of SR 347 and Bowlin Road in Maricopa. The north phase of the project is comprised…

Phoenix is planning to introduce its first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system along 35th Avenue, which will provide faster, more reliable, and more convenient public transportation options for commuters in the area. The route will stretch 13.6 miles, from the former MetroCenter Mall at Dunlap Ave. at the north to Van Buren St. in the south. It will also stretch east along Van Buren to end at Central Avenue. This first path represents roughly 1/5 of the total BRT planned in the overall T2050. The BRT system will include dedicated bus lanes, traffic signal priority, and level boarding platforms, among…

The City of Mesa is currently considering building a large-scale natural gas plant on land next to the Rogers Substation at University Drive and Stapley Road. The City currently supplies natural gas to residents via city-owned supply. In addition, the City purchased Magma, a natural gas utility, back in 1980 and provides natural gas to a separate and distinct area of the City through this city-owned utility. Mesa operates Magma as a revenue-generating enterprise. Nearby in Queen Creek, the LG lithium-ion battery factory is slated to rely on the City of Mesa to supply their natural gas. Mesa officials are…