Author: BEX Staff

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX In a series of three identical 3-1 votes, the Cottonwood Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of a series of requests that will enable the development of a six-building, 252-unit apartment community southeast of the SEC of 12th Street and State Route 89A. Owner and developer William Spring (as Forest Glen LLC) had requested a minor General Plan amendment from Highway Commercial to Residential/High Density, a zoning change from Single-Family/Multiple Family Residential and Heavy Commercial to Multiple Family Residential (R3), and a conditional use permit to exceed standard allowable building heights for his planned Spring…

Fiscal years 2027-2036 could see more than $1.7B in infrastructure projects under the Capital Improvement Plan approved this month by the Gilbert Town Council. Roughly $1.2B of the funding is carried forward for projects already planned and underway, with approximately $540M planned in new funding. Water infrastructure counts as the main planning component, reaching more than $2B over the longer-term planning window. Street improvements and traffic management, municipal facilities, and parks and recreation projects round out the suite. Several major projects were specifically discussed in the May 19 Council meeting as points of focus in the coming year. These include…

Awards & Accolades 1. Scottsdale Leadership celebrated the graduation of Class 40. The yearlong effort targeted professional development, civic engagement and leadership training through a variety of community-based projects. The list of 46 graduates included three that may be of particular interest to AZBEX readers: Samantha DeMoss – Rose Law Group, James Meyer – Illumination Systems and Greg Muir – Arizona School of Real Estate and Business. Company News 2. CCBG Architects has launched a redesigned website as the firm celebrates 70 years of continuous practice since 1956. The updated platform highlights the firm’s portfolio, expanded capabilities and studio professional…

Sales Transactions 1. Two entities tracing to LXP Industrial Trust purchased a six-building, 628.2KSF office campus at Broadway Road and 32nd Street in Phoenix for $103M from Epic Apollo LLC. CLP Riverpoint (4015, 4025 & 4050) LLC acquired three buildings for $51.5M, while CLP Riverpoint (4035, 4045 & 4055) LLC purchased the remaining three buildings for $51.5M. The campus includes one 10-story tower, two six-story towers, two parking garages and a 9.2KSF restaurant space. The property previously served as the headquarters campus for University of Phoenix, which continues to occupy approximately 82KSF at the site through 2031. 2. Belkorp purchased…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX Earlier this month, the Casa Grande Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of a major General Plan amendment and rezoning for a 68.45-acre site near the NWC of Burris Road and Gila Bend Highway. The requests will now advance to City Council. If approved, the land use will change from Neighborhoods to Manufacturing and Industry, and the zoning will go from Planned Area Development (Mixed-Use Development) to General Industrial (I-2). The Copper Creek Village PAD currently in place was approved in 2007 and called for 342 single-family homes and 10 acres of commercial uses. No…

Dignity Health Arizona plans to build an eight-acre healthcare campus with up to 300KSF of functional space as the first company to join the Arizona Cardinals’ 217-acre master plan area at Loop 101 and Scottsdale Road in Phoenix. The Cardinals purchased the site for $136M last year, and the team will begin construction on a $200M, 250KSF headquarters and training complex on 30 acres. Dignity’s development will include services from Barrow Neurological Institute, a sports medicine facility, orthopedics, cardiology, imaging, outpatient surgery, executive health and specialized primary care. The north Phoenix facility will be Dignity’s largest outpatient campus, as well…

With the approval of $6M for planning over the next two years, the Mesa City Council has launched what could be a $300M redevelopment of the Arizona Natural History Museum into a mixed-use economic development showcase. Officials say the museum is not currently fulfilling its potential and have unveiled a concept that includes a redeveloped facility as the centerpiece of a mixed-use development that includes a boutique hotel and dining and retail amenities. The updated facility is planned to increase tourism, private investment and employment opportunities. The current facility is the largest city-owned natural history museum in the United States,…

The City of Mesa is planning to ask residents to approve a general obligation bond to the tune of $285M for public safety facilities and street updates. General obligation bonds must be approved by voters and allow cities to issue debt to fund capital projects. Mesa has an extensive history of asking voters to approve GO bonds and has largely seen success, as voters have not rejected a GO bond request throughout the last two decades. The 2026 bond package is expected to increase secondary property taxes for the median homeowner in Mesa by $54 annually once each bond is…

By Associated Builders and Contractors The national March not seasonally adjusted construction unemployment rate was 6.7%, a 1.3% increase from March 2025, according to a state-by-state analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released by Associated Builders and Contractors. The analysis found only two states—Louisiana and Ohio—had lower estimated construction unemployment rates over the same period; four had the same rate, and 44 had higher rates. All but six states had construction unemployment rates below 10%. National NSA payroll construction employment was 58,000 higher than March 2025, its 12th straight month of year-over-year increases below 100,000. Seasonally adjusted payroll…

Awards & Accolades 1. Site Selection Magazine recently released its annual rankings for 2025. The Amkor Technology semiconductor chip packaging and testing plant was ranked as North America’s top economic development deal. Considerations included capital investment and job creation. Phase I is scheduled to be completed in 2028. Groundbreakings 2. MODUS Companies broke ground on Avala, a 94-unit luxury rental home community at the NWC of 64th and Oak streets in Scottsdale. The project includes a mix of fully detached and shared-wall single-level residences. Completion is expected in fall 2027, with leasing to begin in spring 2027. Progress Reports 3.…