Author: BEX Staff

Groundbreakings 1. Empire Group of Companies is preparing to break ground on The Whitney, a 24-story multifamily tower at the SWC of Central Avenue and McDowell Road in Phoenix. Construction is expected to cost $165M, and the tower will contain 328 units and 22KSF of retail space. 2. Construction began Jan. 26 on a 16-mile highway improvement project on US 93 north of Wickenburg. The Arizona Department of Transportation expects construction to continue through spring 2027. 3. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for Phase Two of the Desert Sky Park expansion in Gilbert. The expansion will result in five new…

During a recent Florence Town Council work session, Public Works Director Andy Smith discussed the possibility of identifying a private partner to work with the Town to build a “low-flow,” fair-weather crossing over the Gila River. As envisioned, Plant Road would extend to cross the river at a low-flow crossing to Hunt Highway. The road would ultimately be part of a loop around the Florence core, providing a connection between Anthem and the downtown area and cutting emergency response trips by five miles. There are currently two routes across the river, according to Vice Mayor Cathy Adam, and it is…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX The City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department is requesting a rezoning for nearly 1.5 acres at the NWC of 35th Avenue and McDowell Road in hopes of encouraging residential and commercial redevelopment near public transit. Intermediate Commercial zoning currently covers 0.59 acres of the site, with the remaining 0.84 acres zoned General Commercial. The request seeks to change the zoning under the Walkable Urban Code, specifically to Walkable Urban Code, Transect 5:5 District to allow mixed-use multifamily development. According to the staff report providing information on the request, “The proposal will facilitate the creation of…

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has officially announced the location for its planned 18.85KSF temple in Flagstaff. The temple will be a single-story structure with an ancillary building on 10.43 acres at the SWC of Butler Avenue and Fourth Street in the Canyon Del Rio subdivision. The temple project is still in the planning stages. No groundbreaking or construction timeline has been announced. The Church paid $7.5M for three parcels totaling 10.43 acres in August 2023, records show. All three have highway commercial zoning in place. Houses of worship with fewer than or equal to 250 seats…

By BEX Staff for AZBEX The Pinal County Planning and Zoning Commission has recommended approval of requests from Diversified Partners for a Comprehensive Plan amendment and rezoning for 3.47 acres southeast of Ironwood and Ranch roads in San Tan Valley near the border with Queen Creek. The plan amendment would change the land use designation from Rural Living to Suburban Neighborhood, while the rezone would change the zoning from Suburban Ranch to Community Commercial. According to the submitted materials and a local news report, Diversified plans commercial uses on the site. The nearly 3.5-acre commercial property is adjacent to another…

Awards & Accolades 1. AZRE Magazine recently announced its 50 Commercial Real Estate Leaders to Watch in 2026 as part of its AZ Big 100. The list consists of: Ryan Abbott, Clayco; Annette Anderson, Arizona Escrow & Financial Corporation; Chase Anderson, A.T. Meridian; Todd Baum, Sun Valley Masonry; Brandon Boett, Slabhaus; Duerk Brewer, Matthews Real Estate Investment Services; Walt Brown, Diversified Partners; Lucas Bruxvoort, Industrial Power Solutions; Dan Bueschel, Modigent; David Campbell, PCL Construction; Sean Cooney and Mike Koch, Suncrest Real Estate Development; Kimberly Davids, Arizona Builders Alliance; Courtney Dunlap, Benson Construction; Cooper Fratt, CBRE; Charlie Freericks, Howard Hughes; Andrew…

Sales Transactions 1. Cushman & Wakefield announced the real estate services firm has arranged the sale of Commerce @ 303, a premier 663.4KSF industrial property and adjacent entitled, shovel-ready 32.6-acre development site located at 5215 N. Alsup Road in Glendale. Private equity investor EQT acquired the property from New York Life Real Estate Investors and SteelWave. The transaction was brokered by C&W’s Will Strong, Molly Miller, Jack Stamets, Michael Matchett and Madeline Warren. The asset sold for $104.6M. 2. IndiCap, in partnership with Invesco Ltd., announced the sale of a 566.1KSF industrial building in the Virgin Industrial Park in Glendale…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX The Eloy Planning and Zoning Commission met this week to discuss a proposal that could amend the City’s General Plan land use designation for 338 acres at the NWC of Battaglia Road and 11 Mile Corner from Medium Density Residential and General Industrial to Mixed-Use that would allow development of a broader master plan. The meeting was an initial public hearing. No action was taken. The property owner/developer is I-10 Eloy Eleven Mile Corner and Battaglia Dr 453 LLC, which traces to real estate investor Tushar Modi. CVL Consultants is the planning and civil engineering…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX After much back and forth, the San Luis City Council has approved a controversial townhome development from Comite de Bien Estar at the NWC of Sixth Avenue and Urtuzuastegui Street in the downtown area. Urban Border Townhomes will be a 23-unit development on 3.13 acres of a seven-acre site. The General Plan amendment and rezoning request originally went to the Planning and Zoning Commission, where it was continued twice before finally being recommended for denial in November. The original plan included 54 apartments in addition to the townhomes. City Council approved the request after it…

By The Housing is Healthcare Fund by the Arizona Medicaid Health Plans and Local Initiatives Support Corporation The Housing is Healthcare Fund, established through a collaborative effort among Arizona Medicaid Health Plans, is announcing seven new grant awards to increase the availability of housing across Arizona. Projects in Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix, Prescott Valley and Tucson will receive a total of $2.5M. This collective investment demonstrates the shared commitment of all participating Medicaid Health Plans to address housing needs across Arizona. Since 2020, the Medicaid Health Plans have provided $14.8M through 36 grants, including today’s announcement. The Housing is Healthcare Fund…