Author: BEX Staff

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX Sources with two different firms attached to the LG Energy Solution Battery Plant – a 1.4MSF advanced manufacturing project at Germann Road and Ironwood Drive in Queen Creek – have confirmed to DATABEX research staff that the project has been put on hold. AZBEX was the first outlet to report the plan’s existence in an exclusive feature back in March. (AZBEX, Mar. 18th) The change in status was first discovered in a Wednesday, June 22nd conversation with Blount Contracting, Inc., the grading subcontractor for the development. DATABEX staff was told LG Energy Solution has pulled…

By BEX Staff for AZBEX Despite extensive lobbying from construction trade groups, the Biden Administration has no plans to cut U.S. tariffs on Canadian lumber as part of its efforts to fight inflation. The administration is considering reducing or eliminating tariffs on some other products, notably a range of Chinese goods, but no decision is expected for at least another week. Most Canadian lumber is subject to a duty of 11.64%, which has been one contributor to high prices for building materials, particularly in residential construction. In a June 21st article, Reuters quoted U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen as saying,…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will distribute almost $135M in affordable housing block grants to 20 of the 22 tribal nations in Arizona. Funding is provided via the Indian Housing Block Grant program, which covers affordable housing activities, development and operation on tribal lands. Federally recognized tribes and their designated housing partners are eligible to apply, and funding is available for efforts including housing development, crime prevention and public safety, among others. Arizona tribes awarded IHBG funding in this round are: Ak-Chin Indian Community;Cocopah Tribe;Colorado River Indian Tribes;Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation;Gila River Indian Community;Havasupai Tribe;Hopi Tribe;Hualapai Indian…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX Acadia Healthcare wants to build a 100-bed behavioral healthcare hospital on 12.03 vacant acres at the NWC of Ellsworth Road and Peterson Avenue in Mesa. The proposal was presented before the Mesa Design Review Board in a June 14th work session. Acadia is requesting to opt into the Elliot Road Technology Corridor Planned Area Development and is asking for an Administrative Site Plan Approval and Design Review Approval. According to the project narrative submitted by project representative firm Berry Riddell LLC, City staff has determined the proposed hospital use is allowed under the site’s existing…

Awards & Accolades 1. SRP launched its Business Rebates program in 2009 and the City of Mesa is the first municipality ever to earn the maximum of $300K annually in energy-efficient rebate incentives. The City of Mesa projects that combined to earn the distinction were: Greenfield Water Reclamation Plant Variable Frequency Drives;Falcon Field Airport LED Lighting Upgrade;AZ Labs Central Plant;Brown Road Water Treatment Plant (BRWTP) LED Retrofit – Phase 2, andAZ Research Labs – Preliminary Assessment. Groundbreakings 2. The City of Avondale held a groundbreaking ceremony earlier this month to launch construction on the new Avondale Aquatic Center on the Avondale Civic Center…

After developer Dominium Management made changes to its plan for an affordable housing community in Surprise south of Waddell Avenue and between 171st and 175th avenues, its efforts were rewarded June 16th by the Surprise Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation of approval for its Preliminary Development Plan. The previous plan encountered difficulties with the Truman Ranch Planned Area Development and raised significant organized opposition from nearby residents. The opposition remains in place, but Dominium has scaled back its overall plan back from an original 613 units to a proposed 601 under the PDP. Project representatives said the new plan falls…

Objecting to how a 40-unit development in Old Town incorporates shade, Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega has put a request before City Council to overturn a Design Review Board approval for the project’s site plan, landscape plan and building elevations. The Goldwater is designed as a 40-unit development with 7KSF of commercial area in a 70-foot-tall building totaling 91.7KSF on East 4th Street. Ortega was not a member of the June 2nd DRB meeting, but he attended in his capacity as mayor, questioned staff and project representatives, and expressed concern about the design. DRB approved the requests on a 6-1 vote.…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX Arizona’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.2% from April to May, according to the latest report published by the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. The national rate was also unchanged at 3.6%. In May 2021, the state had a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.4%, and the national was 5.8%. The state had a net loss of 5,500 non-farm jobs over the month. “Prior to the pandemic, nonfarm employment averaged a loss of 6,700 in May (2010-2019),” the report states. Government lost 6,700 in May, fueled largely by losses in public education due to…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX In its June 8th meeting, the Mesa Planning and Zoning Board approved the site plan for a proposed six-building, 962.5KSF industrial development on 65.3 acres on South Signal Butte Road south of Elliot. Located in the Eastmark Planned Community District, the Park Signal Butte proposal is already zoned for light industrial uses, including the warehouse/manufacturing/accessory office uses owner DMB Mesa Proving Grounds, LLC has planned. Because more than 50KSF is proposed for non-residential uses, a major site plan review was required under the Eastmark Community Plan. According to the submitted site plan, the six-building plan…

Like many – if not most – major projects around the country, Peoria’s four-phase Beardsley Water Reclamation Facility Expansion is suffering cost impacts and timeline delays due to ongoing supply chain constraints. Costs for Phase 2A, which includes construction of a new reclaimed water pump station, are running over budget by between 17%-and-20%, and the timeline has pushed from the end of next year to some point in 2024. The Peoria City Council recently approved an amendment to its contract with the builder totaling $21.95M. Peoria Water Services Director Cape Powers said the increases are due to a combination of…