Author: BEX Staff

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX Continuing what has been the trend for most of the past several months, the Arizona Construction sector lost 1,100 jobs in November, according to the latest report published by the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 4.3%. The national unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, up from 4.4% in September. In November 2024, Arizona had a seasonally adjusted rate of 3.9%. The national rate was 4.2%. Editor’s Note: Due to the government shutdown, an employment report was not issued for the month of October. Arizona had a not-seasonally adjusted…

House Bill 2704, which was passed by the Arizona Legislature and signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs to fund part of the 30-year renovations planned for Chase Field in downtown Phoenix, called for the creation of a governing board to oversee the ballpark updates. That board is now selected, empaneled and held its first meeting earlier this week. HB2704 allows the board to manage a fund with a 30-year timeline that will be supported by a mix of income and sales tax revenues. The legislation proved highly controversial. Some viewed it as a public subsidy for a private sports organization, while…

AIS Infrastructure, a subsidiary of ASRC Industrial, announced in December a $2B package of contracts for border infrastructure work along the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas, Arizona and California. AIS said its BCSS unit, which focuses on border and security-related infrastructure, had been awarded four major design-build contracts by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The $606M Arizona project crosses the Tucson and Yuma sectors. Components include improving existing barrier systems, building new vertical barriers, construction of patrol and access roads, drainage work and infrastructure for integrated security. HDR Design will lead the engineering, and…

By BEX Staff for AZBEX Arizona State University recently issued a recap showcasing its 2025 construction efforts. Given ASU’s extensive project set, the announcement reflects project completions and ongoing efforts across a range of service areas, including technology education, student housing, administration, sports and economic development. The following projects were completed: ISTB 12: Per the announcement, “Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 12, a 173KSF facility located on the Polytechnic campus, now serves as a central hub for robotics, manufacturing and engineering education. Home to the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, ISTB 12 features modern instructional and research labs dedicated…

Groundbreakings 1. Construction on the I-10 widening project, between Gas Line Road and south of Pinal Avenue in Casa Grande, will begin in mid-January. The project is in the Gila River Indian Community. The Arizona Department of Transportation is leading the $267.9M effort, which will add one lane in each direction, build a new Seed Farm Road interchange, widen the Gas Line Road bridge, reconstruct the Pinal Avenue/State Route 387 interchange and remove the Dirk Lay Road bridge. Work is expected to last approximately two years. 2. Construction is moving forward on the new Costco Business Center at the SWC…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX Many times, the first issue of a new year will look back on notable changes and big wins of the last 12 months. Unfortunately, there is one trend that’s casting enough of a shadow on the national and Arizona A/E/C landscape that, rather than indulging in a bit of retrospective whimsy, leads us to ask our readers to sharpen their focus: Opposition to development project is getting more entrenched, better funded, better organized and more broad, and the development community is not responding quickly enough to the change. While evolution in the natural world is…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX Worker Power, a politically oriented non-profit affiliated with California labor union Unite Here Local 11, has lodged three applications with the Casa Grande City Clerk’s Office to press for a referendum on City Council’s annexation and rezoning approvals for a 1,271-acre site between Interstate 8 and Selma Highway. Lucid Motors’ planned expansion may be the centerpiece of the annexation and rezoning. Worker Power is sponsoring the action by a Los Angeles-based political action committee called Arizonans for Responsible Development, according to a recent PinalCentral article. Lucid Motors, Pinal County and the City of Casa Grande…

The Town of Gilbert has found 96 potential transportation projects without funding sources in place. This comes as the projects funded by the Town’s 2021 $515M transportation bond are in the process of leaving the design phase and entering the construction phase. The additional 96 projects reflect $1.3B in necessary funding. Projects range from road widening and intersection improvements to street rehabilitation. The Town also said inflation and increasing construction costs have continued to make maintenance increasingly difficult, let alone expansion projects. The current funding program consists of 41 projects. Typically, once these projects move into the construction phase, spending…

Giving Back 1. Wespac Charities announced a donation of $100K to Habitat for Humanity of Northern Arizona. The announcement coincides with the appointment of Tyler Mark, VP at Wespac Construction, Inc., as the newly named President of Habitat for Humanity of Northern Arizona. Awards & Accolades 2. Mesa Gateway Airport Economic Development & Real Estate Project Manager Alex Smith was recognized as one of Airport Business magazine’s 2025 40 under 40. The award celebrates innovative leaders who drive the future of aviation. 3. B&F Contracting, Inc. announced Kristina Montano and Janessa Murphy graduated from the Arizona Builders Alliance Women in…

Sales Transactions 1. Westcore Properties purchased a 22-acre portion of Mack Real Estate Group’s Mack Innovation Park near Deer Valley Airport for $90.7M. The 22-acre site currently holds three multi-tenant industrial buildings ranging from 62.8KSF to 201.2KSF. Each building is fully leased. 2. JLL Capital Markets announced the $89.9M sale of Fairway Commerce Center, a 450.3KSF distribution facility in Avondale. The asset features a 10-year triple-net lease with the United States Postal Service. JLL represented the seller, Westfield Company Inc. and RGA ReCap Incorporated on behalf of RGA. Fairway Commerce Center is located at 12250 W. Corporate Dr. 3. BlackRock…