Author: BEX Staff

A 310-unit apartment complex and mixed-use proposal near 92nd Street and Shea Boulevard has earned a 4-3 recommendation for approval from the Scottsdale Planning Commission. 92 Ironwood’s developer – Caliber Companies – sought a general plan amendment and rezoning from commercial to Planned Unit Development Planned Community Development District for the mixed-use project. In addition to the apartments, plans call for medical office and retail space on the 8.5-acre site, located across the street from an Honor Health hospital. Opponents, including those voting against it on the Commission, objected to the project’s density, potential traffic impacts and impacts to neighborhood…

By Skyway Commons, LLC Skyway Commons, LLC has recently closed on 27.9 acres on the NWC of Dysart Road and Peoria in Surprise. At total buildout, there will be 329KSF of office and logistics space across eight single-story buildings available for lease or for sale. Building C, which will be the first building constructed, is a rear-load facility that is 59KSF, has four loading docks, 24’ clear height and can accommodate up to eight users. Construction is expected to start November 2021. The next building under construction will be Building D. This building is also a rear-load facility, nearly 140KSF,…

Voters in the Higley Unified School District will be presented with a $95M bond for building renovations, buses and buying out a lease agreement. According to voter materials, a home with an assessed value of $250K would see an annual property tax increase of $163/year. With interest, the bond would cost $137M at payoff. Voters last approved a measure for HUSD, continuing a 15% override, in 2019. The largest expenditure under the proposed bond would be $32M (33.7%) to retire a 2012 lease agreement under which the district leased two buildings for 40 years at a cost of almost $160M,…

By Associated Builders and Contractors Associated Builders and Contractors has reported its Construction Backlog Indicator fell sharply to 7.7 months in August, according to an ABC member survey conducted August 19t to September 1st. The reading is down 0.8 months from July 2021 and down 0.3 months from August 2020. ABC’s Construction Confidence Index readings for sales, profit margins and staffing levels all fell modestly in August but remain above the threshold of 50, indicating expectations of growth over the next six months. “Both contractor backlog and confidence have begun to fade,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Higher materials…

Groundbreakings 1. Intel launched construction on its two new semiconductor chip factories in Chandler last week. Total costs for the project are estimated as high as $20B. 2. CMC Steel has broken ground on a new $300M micro steel mill at 11444 E. Germann Road in Mesa. 3. Construction is underway on the University of Arizona’s new $99M, seven-story Grand Challenges Research Building, which will house laboratories and flexible research space for cross-campus interdisciplinary programs. Progress Reports 4. Arizona State University hosted a topping out event at the build site for its new Multi-Purpose Arena on September 28th. 5. Chasse…

By Roland Murphy and Rebekah Morris for AZBEX Arizona’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 6.2% in August, from 6.6% in July, according to the latest report published by the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. The national rate decreased to 5.2% from 5.4% in July. In Aug. 2020, the state had a seasonally adjusted rate of 7.0%, and the national was 8.4%. The state had a net gain of 53,600 non-farm jobs over the month. “Historically (2011-2020), nonfarm employment has recorded a gain of 58,700 jobs in August,” the report states. Government had the largest gain of 33,300, due largely…

Two new industrial parks planned near Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport recently earned recommendations for approval from the Mesa Planning and Zoning Board. The Sossaman 202 Industrial Park is a planned combination of industrial and office space on 112 acres at the SWC of Sossaman and Warner roads. The nine-building development is planned in three phases of three buildings each. Phase 1: 130KSF, 163KSF and 194KSF; Phase 2: Three buildings of 88KSF each, and Phase 3: 494KSF, 108KSF and 119KSF. Dibble is the project engineer. The second development, Project Tailwinds, will feature 10 buildings totaling 173KSF on a condo plat. Building sizes…

Improvements to Green Road in Maricopa that will provide access to planned developments and further the goal of a bypass route for John Wayne Parkway should begin in one-to-two years and then take one-to-two years to complete. The key component in the Green Road improvements is a second overpass at the Union Pacific railroad tracks. As planned, the overpass will have three lanes in each direction. City officials said the project cost has not been determined, but developer impact fees will pay for the overpass and other planned improvements. The Green Road project is one component of a larger plan…

A 92-room resort proposed by R.D. Olson Development has begun making its way through the City of Sedona’s approval process. Oak Creek Resort is planned on 11.58 acres on Schnebly Hill Road. In addition to the guest room, the boutique hotel would have a 4.5KSF restaurant, a spa and nearly 4KSF of meeting space. The location in the recently-created Oak Creek Heritage District is currently zoned for small lot single-family. Under the Heritage District plan, developments must be planned to preserve the area as much as possible, meaning buildings must be concentrated closely to maximize and preserve open space. In…

By Barnett Management Company and Slim Chickens The executives of a longstanding Phoenix company, Barnett Management Company, have signed an agreement with fast-growing Slim Chickens to launch 32 restaurants in Arizona over 10 years as their exclusive operator in the state. Barnett Management Company plans to open the first location in the West Valley, with potential sites being near Loop 101 and Northern Avenue, by the end of 2022 and then open two-to-three a year over 10 years across the state including Flagstaff, Tucson and Yuma. They are seeking 1-2 acre lots to accommodate porch dining and three-lane drive-throughs near freeways in high…