Author: BEX Staff

By Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University’s School of Hotel and Restaurant Management is opening the Mesa Workforce Development Center in Fall 2024. The MWDC will offer education and training programs to rebuild and expand the hospitality workforce in Mesa and surrounding communities. The MWDC will provide for-credit hotel restaurant management and hospitality degree programs as well as noncredit credentials, including shorter and more affordable offerings to address the strong demand for workforce solutions in the hospitality industry. The decision to locate the MWDC in Mesa was driven by the long-term economic development opportunities in the East Valley and its…

Ryan Companies is planning a 122-acre build-to-suit industrial park east of I-10 and south of Houser Road along the Union Pacific rail line in Eloy. The Foreign Trade Zone-eligible Southwest Crossing Industrial Park site is located in an Opportunity Zone, and Ryan officials say they are targeting companies involved with manufacturing, distribution/logistics, and sustainability, among others, that are looking for less expensive space than can be found in Phoenix. The company has developed conceptual plans showing 1.9MSF in two buildings of approximately 1.4MSF and 518KSF and another configuration of roughly 1.8MSF in six buildings sized from 407KSF to 120KSF. Leasing…

A new environmental analysis released by the Biden administration shows two possibilities for cutting use of Colorado River water by seven states and several Native tribes. One option favors California and some tribes because of “high priority rights” to the water. The second advocates a more even distribution of cuts among the various parties by mandating cuts on a proportional basis when water levels in target reservoirs reach specific low points. Arizona and Nevada would fare better under the second plan. The analysis looks at how the government can cope with water shortages at Lake Powell and Lake Mead through…

Groundbreakings 1. HonorHealth broke ground this week on an expansion project at HonorHealth Deer Valley Medical Center. The expansion, located at 19829 N. 27th Ave. in Phoenix, will be completed in phases and represents an investment of $170M. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer, with the entire project slated to be completed in 2025.   2. Empire Group of Companies recently broke ground and construction is now underway on its latest Build-to-Rent community in Peoria. Village at Pleasant River, located at 115th Avenue and Happy Valley Road, will include 246 single-family, single-story homes for rent.  3. Salt River Project, Plus…

Plans were announced last week for a 168-room Reverb by Hard Rock hotel to join the $100M, 26-acre entertainment and hospitality development The Sydney on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Palmer Development Group held a groundbreaking for The Sydney last week. The hotel component is expected to start construction in eight to 12 months. Other tenants already on board for The Sydney include Pickle & Social—a restaurant and event space—and Goodsurf—a recreation facility with an on-site surf pool with food, drinks and live music. (Source)

Following a name change, the opposition group Central Arizonans for a Sustainable Economy has apparently also undergone a change of heart and dropped its lawsuit against the South Pier at Tempe Town Lake development. The project is a $1.8B master-planned community with luxury apartments, retail, restaurant and entertainment destinations planned for 12 acres on Vista Del Lago Drive. CASE, now known as “Worker Power,” had filed a lawsuit after the City of Tempe rejected the group’s attempts to place the project on the ballot as a referendum. CASE objected to the lack of on-site affordable housing and the project’s property…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX A proposal from Fairfield Residential may soon bring 390 more apartment units to a 4.6-acre site at the NEC of Rockford Drive and Cameron Way in Tempe. Located in the 2100 Rio Salado Business Park, the site is west of the intersection of the Loop 101 and Loop 202 freeways off Price Road. The location is currently zoned General Industrial and has a Mixed-Use designation under the City of Tempe 2040 General Plan. It is noted as High Density on the General Plan’s projected density map, with a maximum of up to 65 dwelling units/acre.…

The Buckeye City Council approved a site subdivision for Tartesso West High School and rezoning for an 847-unit Build-to-Rent and multifamily development. Tartesso West High School The new high school is planned at the SWC of Thomas Road and 303rd Avenue in the Tartesso West master-planned community, which is bounded by Glendale Avenue, McDowell Road, Sun Valley Parkway and 323rd Avenue. HILGARTWILSON LLC requested the site subdivision, which dedicates land for the project. Among other items, the changes included in the proposal consist of: Extending the Thomas Road right of way, Realigning a portion of Celeborn Drive, Abandoning Encanto Drive…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX Stonelake Capital Partners wants to build a four-building, 514.9KSF industrial development on a 38.9-gross-acre site on the NEC of Pecos and Sossaman roads in Mesa. The Mesa Design Review Board will examine the proposal this week. Stonelake is requesting a design review for the elevations and landscaping and has submitted an alternate compliance request for the materials, parapet and foundation. The largest building in the development will be 245.7KSF. The next will be 107KSF. The remaining buildings are planned for 81KSF each. Maximum building heights will not be taller than 50 feet. The Stonelake Industrial…

Following a name change, the opposition group Central Arizonans for a Sustainable Economy has apparently also undergone a change of heart and dropped its lawsuit against the South Pier at Tempe Town Lake development. The project is a $1.8B master-planned community with luxury apartments, retail, restaurant and entertainment destinations planned for 12 acres on Vista Del Lago Drive. CASE, now known as “Worker Power,” had filed a lawsuit after the City of Tempe rejected the group’s attempts to place the project on the ballot as a referendum. CASE objected to the lack of on-site affordable housing and the project’s property…