Author: BEX Staff

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX Mayo Blvd. and 64th Street has long been something of a buffer between the trendy retail and residential outlets nearer to Scottsdale Road and the ever-expanding healthcare-related development around the Mayo Clinic to the west. Two recent sets of activity ensure that buffer status is about to change from a zone of separation into one of transition. 64th & Mayo Planned Unit Development Developer JLB Partners has submitted a planned unit development request to the City of Phoenix for a master-planned development on more than 51 acres at the NEC of 64th Street and Mayo.…

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded approximately $172M in federal funds for two Arizona road projects. Of the awarded funds, $146.6M will be delegated to the Maricopa Association of Governments to work on congestion issues regarding the six-legged highway intersection at Grand Avenue, 35th Avenue and Indian School Road in central Phoenix. Funds were awarded through the National Infrastructure Project Assistance and Infrastructure for Rebuilding America programs through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Arizona Department of Transportation reported traffic volumes have increased by approximately 20% over the past decade. Volumes are expected to continue to grow. Improvements…

Staff from the City of Glendale recently presented long-range expansion plans for Glendale Municipal Airport to City Council. Only $10M of City funding is necessary to fund the expansion, called the Eastside Development Plan. The plans include multiple aircraft parking aprons, hangar development and roadways/vehicle parking. The hangar development was not listed as a project item, as Matt Quick of Kaufman and Associates anticipates private development getting involved with construction of the hangars. A new fuel farm on the east side is also expected to be built when demand dictates. The topic was brought up during the Oct. 8 council…

By BEX Staff for AZBEX The United States has a shortage of 4.5 million housing units. Even though construction activity trended downward in 2022 and 2023, it remains greater than it was before the pandemic. Developers are also working toward higher deliveries for improved affordability, as a combination of unmet demand and heightened costs have put new homes out of reach for much of the population. To meet demand needs, builders are pivoting toward higher-density development. Single-family detached housing starts fell 8.9% in 2023 but attached single-family home starts increased 3.2%. Condo starts increased 8.1%. Completions of single-family detached dropped…

Awards & Accolades 1. Arcadia View Lofts in Phoenix was named the Grand Winner of the Build-to-Rent category in the 2024 Multifamily Executive Awards. The property was built by the Net Zero Energy real estate developer MODUS Companies. Groundbreakings 2. Construction has begun on the Buc-ee’s on Bullard Avenue just south of the I-10 in Goodyear. The new 74KSF travel center is anticipated to create more than 200 full-time jobs. Currently, construction is focused on clearing the site for utility-work. The location is expected to open by the end of 2025. Progress Reports 3. Two Tucson public works projects on…

The City of Buckeye released two general obligation bonds to be voted on by residents in November. Question One regards Proposition 494 and asks voters if Buckeye should be authorized to issue and sell $137M in general obligation bonds for public safety improvements. Funding would go toward a new public safety headquarters for the City, as well as modern training facilities and new fire stations in the Westpark and Victory neighborhoods. If approved, the police and fire headquarters would serve as the base for Buckeye patrol, special operations and criminal investigations. It would serve as an emergency operations center that…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX The Arizona Construction sector dropped 1,700 jobs in September, putting it in first place for losing sectors for the month. Arizona’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 3.5%, according to the latest report published by the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. The national unemployment rate dropped to 4.1%, down from 4.2% in September. Last September, Arizona had a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.2%. The national rate was 3.8%. Arizona had a not-seasonally adjusted gain of 29,300 in nonfarm employment jobs month-over-month. “Prior to the pandemic (2010-2019), NSA nonfarm employment gained 28,800 jobs on average in…

A number of Glendale residents are up in arms about plans to revise or demolish a long-standing public library in Murphy Park as part of the Downtown Campus Modernization Project. The City’s preferred plan, at the moment, is to relocate the Velma Teague Library out of the building it has occupied for 53 years to a City-owned primarily retail space two blocks away at a projected cost of $8M. The existing space would need approximately $5M in upgrades to its electrical, plumbing, lighting and HVAC systems to remain in service. Community Services Director Jean Moreno informed the Library Advisory Board…

The Phoenix City Council is upset about recently passed legislation that will shake up municipal zoning regulations. The Arizona Legislature’s actions may force Council to apply less strict controls to Accessory Dwelling Units, or casitas, may create denser housing in parts of the city, and accelerate conversions of aging commercial buildings into housing while bypassing hearings. The focus is HB2720, HB2297 and SB1162, all Republican-driven measures that received some support from Democrats and were signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs. The legislation is intended to address portions of the housing crisis, particularly supply and affordability. The measures require municipalities to adjust…

Giving Back 1. Concord General Contracting sponsored a superhero-themed adoption event at the Nancy J. Brua Animal Care Center. Concord covered fees for every adoption. Three foster-to-adopts were completed and 27 pets were adopted, with three more adoptions pending. Awards & Accolades 2. The Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and its Arizona Minority Business Development Agency Business Center have honored the Arizona Department of Transportation’s work with minority- and women-owned businesses. For the ninth straight year, ADOT has been inducted into the Arizona Million Dollar Circle of Excellence, established in 2012 to recognize entities spending more than $1M annually with…