Author: BEX Staff

The City of Prescott has announced plans to develop a new 20-acre park located near the corner of Highway 89 and the old Highway 89A corridor. The goal of the Granite Dells Gateway Park is to provide recreational opportunities while also preserving the natural beauty of the Granite Dells area. The planning process is currently underway between the City of Prescott and Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc. Planned amenities include trails, a shaded gathering area, a 3-acre lake, and a natural play area. There has not yet been a discussion on how they will receive funding for the expected $4M project.…

Vestar continues to develop outdoor retail projects in Arizona with two more planned: one in the Verrado area of Buckeye, and one in the south Phoenix area of Laveen. The Verrado Marketplace in Buckeye near Verrado Way and Interstate 10 entails an expected 500KSF of retail space. This marketplace will be home to many shops and restaurants but nothing specific has been confirmed. It is anticipated to open in fall of 2025. The Laveen Town Center will entail around 400KSF of retail space near 59th Avenue and Dobbins Road. Expected retail for this location includes a movie theater, a large…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX The scope of a Planned Area Development request in Surprise, coupled with a degree of neighborhood opposition, is raising complications for yet another long-term development project and adding to Surprise’s growing reputation as a municipality where it is difficult to get responsible growth planning done. A proposed major Planned Area Development amendment in Surprise could change 73.8 acres of commercial/institutional area in the Sycamore Farms PAD to multifamily residential. The revision would change the land use plan, development standards and dwelling unit counts for a one-square-mile area bounded by Cactus Road, Sarival Avenue, Peoria Avenue…

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…