Author: BEX Staff

The Punchcard Building, also known as the Phoenix Financial Center, may finally be moving ahead with a long-desired mixed-use campus renovation plan. The 18-story tower and two 9KSF rotundas have been undergoing a series of tenant improvements overseen by developer Ironline Partners, which is operating in partnership with owners The Geddes Family. Renovations have been made to the 7th, 17th and 18th floors at the iconic 312KSF building, and representatives say approximately 200KSF is available for lease. The building, which was once largely used for government office space and resembles a vintage computer punch card on its south side, was…

The Arizona Department of Transportation has officially delivered a grant application through the Federal Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act for an added $300M to supplement the $400M state appropriation signed into law by Governor Doug Ducey earlier this month. That commitment of state dollars made ADOT eligible to apply for the federal competitive grant. There is also $290M previously budgeted, for a potential project total of $990M. Construction is funded in part by Prop. 400, a dedicated half-cent sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004. ADOT is collaborating closely with the Gila River Indian Community and Maricopa Association…

By Arizona Department of Transportation The Arizona Department of Transportation submitted a competitive grant bid that, if awarded, would allocate approximately $65M to speed up already-planned improvement projects on US 93 between Wickenburg and Interstate 40. If the grant application is approved, these competitive funds would be added to state match funding and additional federal dollars, for a potential total of more than $200M for the improvements on US 93, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration. The prospective funding and work would come from an Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It…

Banner Health has submitted conditional use permits and rezoning requests for its Banner North Scottsdale Medical Campus, planned at the NEC of Loop 101 and Hayden Road in Scottsdale. Quoting the project narrative, the specific requests are: A zoning map amendment to confirm the Arizona State Land Department’s allocation of the Commercial Office (C-O) zoning for the Property as allowed within the Crossroads East PCD;A Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to allow a hospital use with helipads in a C-O zoning district pursuant to Section 11.201.A of the Scottsdale Zoning Ordinance; andAmended Development Standards to allow for an increase in the…

Groundbreakings 1. Starting this week, the Arizona Department of Transportation will begin a project along a 22-mile stretch of State Route 260 west of Heber-Overgaard to improve roadway safety. The improvement project includes increasing the shoulder-width on each side of the highway by five feet, making guardrail improvements, extending and improving drainage systems and making pavement repairs. 2. On May 2nd, Concord General Contracting hosted the groundbreaking for Mountain Park Health Center’s new Glendale Clinic. Located near downtown Glendale on 71st and Glendale Avenues, the 27.5KSF facility will serve an estimated 18,000 people each year. Progress Reports 3. Boys &…

The National Association of Homebuilders reports single-family housing starts decreased 7.3% in April to a seasonally adjusted rate of 1.10 million. Overall housing starts, which include multifamily, had an annually adjusted rate of 1.72 million, a decrease of only 0.2%. The report from the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development credited a surge in multifamily starts for the relatively stable overall rate. Starts on apartments and condos were up 15.3%. NASB officials said the lower single-family starts shows a decline in confidence in the sector, attributable to increasing mortgage rates and ongoing supply chain and building…

The Mesa Design Review Board recently discussed a proposal by Child Crisis Arizona for a new headquarters facility on 2.3 acres near Brown Road and Country Club Drive. The 38KSF, two-story structure features a bright color palate and an interior courtyard with covered parking equipped with solar collection canopies, according to the planning staff presentation. Supporting materials say the development will provide administrative offices and serve as a drop-in location for partner organizations. There also will be a donation and volunteer center, as well as prep kitchen for staff and volunteer meals. Architectural Resource Team is the planning firm representing…

After purchasing 19.24 acres northwest of Marana for more than $8M, American Furniture Warehouse plans to build its first warehouse and showroom in metro Tucson next year. Plan specifications are not yet finalized, but the building is expected to be approximately 250KSF, significantly smaller than the company’s other locations in Glendale (534KSF) and Gilbert (630KSF). Company officials have said they plan to add two more Arizona stores, in addition to the Tucson-area location, within the next two years. A third Phoenix location, in a former Costco the company is currently renovating, is expected to open this summer. By the end…

Payson has been growing in population over the last several years and is running out of classroom space for elementary school students. After closing and selling Frontier Elementary School in an effort to save $500K per year on maintenance costs, Payson Unified School District shuffled students into the remaining Julia Randall Elementary and Payson Elementary School facilities. There is currently only enough space to add one more elementary school classroom, even though the District is working to clarify a plan to add more teachers to keep class sizes below the permitted maximum. Since the schools have returned to in-person learning,…

Awards & Accolades 1. Civil engineering firm EPS Group was named Southwest Design Firm of the Year by ENR in its annual look at the Top Design Firms in the region. Some of the recent projects that EPS Group has worked on that helped it post a record 2021 are the Phoenix Rising Stadium at Wild Horse Pass Sports Park in Chandler; the US 60X for the Arizona Department of Transportation in Gilbert, and Bella Vista Farms in San Tan Valley. 2. The Top Architecture Firms have been released for the 2022 edition of Ranking Arizona. Nine Architects or Fewer:…