Author: BEX Staff

NextEra Energy is planning a new 1,076-acre solar development in Tucson. Through its affiliate Wilmot Energy Center II, LLC, the company paid $14M for the site at Wilmot and Andrada roads. Diamond Venture was the seller. NextEra’s first Tucson solar site, Wilmot Energy Center, began operations in June of last year on South Swan Road. Wilmot Energy Center II is planned as a $314M development that will generate up to 100MW of renewable energy via photovoltaic solar arrays. Both centers will serve Tucson Electric Power customers and feature battery energy storage systems. They are considered key contributors to TEP’s plan…

By Rebekah Morris for AZBEX With the 2024 election cycle well underway, various funding measures for public infrastructure are coming into focus. Many local agencies are scrambling to pass new funding measures to overcome reductions in funding from the state – most notably from the elimination of real estate rental tax that takes effect Jan. 1, 2025. Scottsdale to Request Voter Approval for Sales Tax to Fund Parks – Prop 490 Would Generate $1.5B over 30-Years According to local media reports, the City of Scottsdale is keeping its Prop 490 on the November ballot after a panel of judges forced…

Awards & Accolades 1. MC Residential, the property management arm of MC Companies, announced it received the Housing Heroes Awardfrom the Arizona Multifamily Association. Two MC Residential employees also received awards. Kaelyn Dodds was named Leasing Consultant of the Year and Ciara Hufford received the Community Manager of the Year award. 2. The Design-Build Institute of America has announced its 2024 National Design-Build Project/Team Award winners. The University of Arizona’s Applied Research Building was selected under the Educational Facilities category. The design-build firm was McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., with the architect SmithGroup. The project took 21 months to complete. 3.…

Sales Transactions 1. The Morgan Group sold the Pearl Biltmore for $152M. The Nashville-based Covenant Capital Group is the buyer. Morgan Group originally developed the 472-unit property, which opened in 2021, in a joint venture with Mesirow. 2. JLL Capital Markets facilitated the sale and acquisition financing for Casas Adobes Plaza. The shopping center sold for $51M. JLL worked on behalf of the seller, First Washington Realty. The buyer was not disclosed. 3. Mountain Vista, an 80-acre manufactured home development in Tucson, recently sold for $34M. The seller was an affiliate of the Pegasus Group. The buyer was an affiliate…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX An “age in place” senior living community with nearly 1,000 residential units and 250 assisted living spaces has been proposed in north Scottsdale near the Optima McDowell Mountain Village multifamily community. Owner and developer Erickson Senior Living has submitted a development plan and approval request for Erickson Scottsdale, a “Continuing Care Retirement Community” planned on 57 gross acres approximately 900 feet east of Scottsdale Road on the north side of Princess Blvd. The site is west of the Miller Road alignment and south of the Mayo Blvd. alignment. The conceptual site plan features 967 residential…

Tempe City Council has approved Swire Coca-Cola’s request to build the equivalent of a 16-story production and storage facility on 42.5 acres northeast of Interstate 10 and West Elliot Road. Editor’s Note: AZBEX was the first outlet to report on this project when it was publicly introduced earlier this year. (AZBEX, June 7) The redeveloped Coke plant will now be the tallest building within a 7.5-mile radius stretching to downtown Tempe. A planned area development modification of height standards to 160 feet from 90 was sought. The plant already fits the location’s zoning requirements. Redevelopment is being requested as the…

By Arizona Department of Transportation The Arizona Department of Transportation is preparing to move forward with a project in 2025 that will reconstruct and widen Interstate 10 between Kino Parkway and Country Club Road southeast of downtown Tucson. The State Transportation Board awarded the design-build project to Sundt-Jacobs. At $600M, it will be the largest highway construction project in southern Arizona history. The project will include: Widening I-10 to three lanes in each direction between Kino Parkway and Alvernon Way, and to four lanes in each direction west of Kino Parkway; Reconstructing the interchange at Kino Parkway; Removing the existing…

By BEX Staff for AZBEX Earlier this month, the Tempe Development Review Commission voted 7-0 to advance a strip mall proposal to City Council. Council has scheduled hearings for Sept. 5 and Sept. 19, with a vote scheduled for the second meeting. The development plan for the unnamed retail center features four single-level buildings. The total building area is 27.5KSF, with 11.5KSF dedicated to retail space and the remaining 16KSF for restaurant use. The project site is at 862 East Warner Road, on the NWC of Rural and Warner. The proposed plan contains 235 parking spaces, just short of the…

Groundbreakings 1. Okland Capital and San Tan Development Group announced they have broken ground in phase one of Northside at SanTan Village. Phase one totals 37.2KSF across six different buildings. Okland Construction is the general contractor with Aline Architecture Concepts as the design firm. 2. Peg recently announced construction has begun on AC Hotel by Marriott Scottsdale. The hotel will include 168 rooms with 4KSF of retail space on the ground floor. The adjacent Kimsey building will be preserved to serve as a leasing lobby, fitness room and housing residential units. The hotel and the Kimsey building will share an…

Evergreen Devco is nearly ready to begin work on converting an obsolete office site at the SEC of 48th Street and Alameda Drive in Tempe into a new two-building multi-tenant industrial campus. The Tempe Development Review Commission approved the plan review in February, and Evergreen purchased the site for slightly more than $13M in July. The demolition process for the existing 157KSF building is underway. Once the site is prepared, Evergreen plans to build two speculative industrial buildings totaling more than 171KSF, along with 65.6KSF of outdoor storage space. Evergreen officials say 48th @ Alameda will be targeted toward small-to-medium…