Author: BEX Staff

Giving Back 1. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Companyrecently announced an opportunity for Apache Junction High School seniors. The program, operated through Grand Canyon University, will provide manufacturing training that could result in employment at TSMC. Starting salaries begin at $55K/year. 2. Achen-Gardner Construction announced its employee-owners supported the Town of Gilbert’s Truck-A-Palooza event on Saturday, Jan. 24. The construction company staffed a Peterbilt 567 Lune Truck, a Ford F550 Mechanic Truck and several tables with gifts and materials to motivate children to learn about construction. Boards & Commissions 3. The Arizona Chapter of the Associated General Contractors has announced its 2026…

Sales Transactions 1. Stockdale Capital Partners purchased Avant at Fashion Center, a 335-unit luxury apartment community in Chandler, for $110.25M. The property was approximately 94% occupied at closing. Steve Gebring and Cliff David of Institutional Property Advisors marketed the property for the seller. 2. The Department of Homeland Security recently purchased a 418.4KSF building at 13290 W. Sweetwater Ave. in Surprise for $70M. RG Surprise AZ LLC, an affiliate of Rockefeller Group, sold the property, which is named Surprise Pointe. The building will be turned into a processing facility that will hold roughly 1,500 beds. 3. Tucson Truck Terminal, also…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX The Arizona House of Representatives and Rep. Gail Griffin announced last week that actions by the House and Senate Joint Legislative Committee of Reference could lead to major changes to Arizona State Land Department policies and practices following a year of controversy and questions about land management and sales practices. ASLD is scheduled to sunset at the end of 2026. The Committee convened Jan. 20 “to conduct an in-depth review,” according to the release. “Following extensive testimony from the State Auditor General, the State Land Commissioner, and stakeholders from across Arizona’s land use industries, members…

The Phoenix City Council has voted in favor of a West Valley light rail extension along Indian School Road and eliminated plans for a route around the Arizona State Capitol. The 10-mile Indian School line could be completed around 2042 and is expected to improve development and connection in the Maryvale area of Phoenix. In approving the Indian School line, Council replaced a two-part plan that would have included a small section around the Capitol and a longer portion along Interstate 10. All the planned routes would have ended at Thomas Road and 79th Avenue. The Arizona Legislature largely opposes…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX As most observers expected, the development opposition political action committee, Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions, has filed a complaint against the City of Scottsdale over a compromise agreement between the City and Axon Enterprise that will allow Axon’s planned Corporate Headquarters and Global Campus development to proceed with a reduced number of residential units included in the plan. Axon’s original plan, which had been approved by the previous Mayor and Council, called for a 400KSF headquarters and a mixed-use campus with approximately 1,900 residential units, retail and a 435-room hotel on 57 acres at…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX Reversing the recent general trend of losses, the Arizona Construction sector gained 1,200 jobs in December, according to the latest report published by the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%. The national unemployment rate dropped to 4.4%, down from 4.5 in November. In December 2024, Arizona had a seasonally adjusted rate of 3.8%. The national rate was 4.1%. Arizona had a not-seasonally adjusted increase of 6,500 nonfarm employment jobs month-over-month. “Prior to the pandemic (2010-2019), NSA nonfarm employment gained 5,600 jobs on average in December,” the…

Groundbreakings 1. Empire Group of Companies is preparing to break ground on The Whitney, a 24-story multifamily tower at the SWC of Central Avenue and McDowell Road in Phoenix. Construction is expected to cost $165M, and the tower will contain 328 units and 22KSF of retail space. 2. Construction began Jan. 26 on a 16-mile highway improvement project on US 93 north of Wickenburg. The Arizona Department of Transportation expects construction to continue through spring 2027. 3. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for Phase Two of the Desert Sky Park expansion in Gilbert. The expansion will result in five new…

During a recent Florence Town Council work session, Public Works Director Andy Smith discussed the possibility of identifying a private partner to work with the Town to build a “low-flow,” fair-weather crossing over the Gila River. As envisioned, Plant Road would extend to cross the river at a low-flow crossing to Hunt Highway. The road would ultimately be part of a loop around the Florence core, providing a connection between Anthem and the downtown area and cutting emergency response trips by five miles. There are currently two routes across the river, according to Vice Mayor Cathy Adam, and it is…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX The City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department is requesting a rezoning for nearly 1.5 acres at the NWC of 35th Avenue and McDowell Road in hopes of encouraging residential and commercial redevelopment near public transit. Intermediate Commercial zoning currently covers 0.59 acres of the site, with the remaining 0.84 acres zoned General Commercial. The request seeks to change the zoning under the Walkable Urban Code, specifically to Walkable Urban Code, Transect 5:5 District to allow mixed-use multifamily development. According to the staff report providing information on the request, “The proposal will facilitate the creation of…

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has officially announced the location for its planned 18.85KSF temple in Flagstaff. The temple will be a single-story structure with an ancillary building on 10.43 acres at the SWC of Butler Avenue and Fourth Street in the Canyon Del Rio subdivision. The temple project is still in the planning stages. No groundbreaking or construction timeline has been announced. The Church paid $7.5M for three parcels totaling 10.43 acres in August 2023, records show. All three have highway commercial zoning in place. Houses of worship with fewer than or equal to 250 seats…