Author: BEX Staff

The latest problem facing the stalled construction on the X Phoenix luxury multifamily tower on West Van Buren Street is a series of lawsuits filed by the general contractor and several subcontractors against project owner The X Company. Construction on the second phase of the development was halted abruptly nearly a year ago. The X Company has also been dealing with construction issues at other project sites around the country. After work stopped last September, several companies associated with the project filed mechanic’s liens trying to secure payment for their services. Starting in April, several of those creditors began filing…

By Associated Builders and Contractors The construction industry had 295,000 job openings on the last day of June, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings decreased by 71,000 in June and are down by 119,000 from the same time last year. “Construction industry job openings plunged to the lowest level since March 2023,” said ABC chief economist Anirban Basu. “This sharp decline is at least…

Awards & Accolades 1. Achen-Gardner Construction won the 2024 Public Works Project of the Year Award from the Arizona Chapter American Public Works Association for the Carefree Water Consolidation CMAR project. The award will be presented at the AZ APWA Statewide Conference at the El Conquistador Tucson. Groundbreakings 2. Republic Services Inc. announced construction has started on its new headquarters, a $39.7M, 265.5KSF office project with a $23.1M, 276.8KSF parking garage in Phoenix. Ryan Companies is the general contractor. DAVIS is the architect. 3. The Arizona Department of Transportation announced Improvements at Loop 303 and Grand Avenue interchange have begun…

By South Mountain Community College The Maricopa County Community College District and Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation have been selected as one of 11 community and technical colleges receiving Lowe’s Foundation Gable Grants nationwide. The district, in partnership with MCCF, will receive $1M in funding to support construction trades programs at Mesa Community College, South Mountain Community College and Rio Salado College. “Maricopa Community Colleges have a rich history of training skilled workers, many of whom join our local workforce and contribute to the region’s growing economy,” said Dr. Steven R. Gonzales, MCCCD Chancellor. “Thanks to generous support from the Lowe’s…

Air20 is planning to expand its north Phoenix manufacturing operation to meet demand for its HVAC systems. The company has exceeded $50M in orders overall, and Air20 Cooling LLC has shipped more than $30M in desiccant dehumidification systems. The systems are used in lithium-ion battery facilities, and the company is on pace to fulfill $60M worth of thermal management product orders by year-end, officials say. While lithium-ion battery manufacturers are a core customer base, the company also serves customers in data centers, indoor agriculture, semiconductors and other “mission-critical” environments. Air20 also builds hybrid AC systems that switch from evaporative cooling…

The Pacific Proving Technology Campus at Pecos and Crismon roads and the CyrusOne Data Center at Elliot Road and 96th Street both received a thumbs up from the Mesa Planning and Zoning Commission in its July 24 meeting. The Pacific Proving plan calls for 11 buildings, including nine data halls, a 150KSF office building and a 95KSF warehouse. The Commission recommended approval for a rezoning and general plan amendment on a 6-0 vote. The project will now advance to Mesa City Council for a final decision. CyrusOne’s project seeks to build a five-building campus with 1.43MSF of data centers uses.…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX Even with several members expressing appreciation for the project, itself, concerns about height and location ultimately led the Lake Havasu City Planning and Zoning Commission to unanimously recommend against approving a proposed resort and condominium development in its July 17 meeting. Architect and project planning firm Studio KDA presented the project in an informational session in June before reappearing to request action on a general plan amendment and rezoning request for the approximately 14.1-acre property on Bahama Avenue. The Bahama Ave Resort site lies southeast of Industrial Blvd. and Lake Havasu Avenue, the corner of…

Maricopa Unified School District CFO Jacob Harmon briefed the Governing Board last week about four projects that will be affected under the District’s proposed $70M Nov. 5 bond request. The first project is the new middle school planned in the Sorrento community at a cost of nearly $44M. MUSD spokesperson Mishell Terry said the district will receive additional funds for the school since the location is a donated site, which will also generate approximately $500K in state grant funds. The Arizona School Facilities Division awarded nearly $31M for the 96.7KSF project. Construction on the Sorrento school is expected to start…

By BEX Staff for AZBEX The developers of a rejected hospitality project in Sedona have filed a lawsuit against the City, several officials and leaders of local opposition groups. Oak Creek Heritage Lodge had been planned as a 70-room resort on 11.58 acres. The Sedona Planning and Zoning Commission approved a development review request for the project in April. Afterward, two local opposition groups appealed the approval to the City Council, alleging it did not conform to Sedona’s development guidelines, was not in keeping with local character and posed a potential environmental threat. Council sided with the opponents and reversed…

Giving Back 1. A group of employees from one of Brycon’s Arizona High-Tech divisions recently visited Harvest Compassion Center and donated 168lbs of food. While on-site, the employees unloaded, weighed and processed the donated items. Company News 2. Secure Net Lease has established an office in north Scottsdale to oversee its efforts in the Phoenix and Arizona markets. The company has signed Steve Lowe, previously with Colliers, as Executive VP. Promotions 3. Big-D Construction announced the promotion of Carl McFarland to President of Southwest Office. McFarland joined the company in 2022. 4. Dibble promoted Duane Dana to Senior Project Manager…