Author: BEX Staff

Awards & Accolades 1. The IPAZ, or Inland Port Arizona, was named the 2023 Project of the Year by the Arizona chapter of the American Public Works Association in Pinal County. The work that was honored included paving former farm roads, widening existing roadways and improving traffic by installing signals at the intersection. Groundbreakings 2. Construction of Ocotillo Bridge, a $112M, 0.85-mile bridge, has begun in Gilbert. The bridge will provide Gilbert Fire Station No. 9 with an improved response time and give more access to Gilbert Regional Park. Construction is expected to be completed in summer 2026. 3. Okland…

Using a $4M grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe plans to build a 3.2KSF worker training facility in downtown Tucson that will prepare tribal members and regional residents for work in the construction industry. The grant will be used both to build the Pascua Yaqui Career Pivot Center and to acquire heavy equipment and simulators for apprentice training with the goal of creating approximately 135 new jobs. Students will be trained for jobs with Sonoran Pueblo Contracting, the tribe’s construction company, and other area partners. Design and engineering work is expected to begin in August.…

By BEX Staff for AZBEX Originally introduced in Chandler’s 2020 Transportation Master Plan, a project that will implement 2.5 miles of protected bike lanes in Chandler continues to move forward. In a presentation last month to the Chandler City Council Connectivity Subcommittee, Senior Transportation Planner Jason Crampton said the preliminary design, public outreach and design components of the project are complete. According to a local news report, Crampton explained that the grant-funded $15M project would also include the need for repaving the roadway. Neither the article nor the presentation materials identified the sources for the grant funding. The materials showed,…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX Arizona’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 3.3% in June, down from 3.4% in May, according to the latest report published by the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. The national unemployment rate increased over the month, rising to 4.1% from 4.0%. Last June, Arizona had a seasonally adjusted rate of 3.8%. The national rate was 3.6%. The Arizona Construction sector added 400 jobs over the month. Arizona had a not-seasonally adjusted loss of 46,300 in nonfarm employment jobs month-over-month. “Prior to the pandemic (2010-2019), NSA nonfarm employment lost 51,600 jobs on average in June,” the…

By BEX Staff for AZBEX A major expansion of the Rainbow Valley Water Reclamation Facility has taken another step toward completion following recent actions by the Goodyear City Council. A local news outlet reported Council passed a contract amendment and development agreement for RVWRF that covers redundancy and peaking factors that were not part of the original 2004 contract and adds $7.75M to the project’s allocated expenditures. The capital improvement project now stands at $50.5M. Goodyear is partnering with Estrella North LLC, an entity of Harvard Investments. Harvard Investments is the owner of Rainbow Valley Ranch, a 1,350-acre parcel planned…

Representatives from Gorman & Company Arizona made a study session presentation to the Casa Grande City Council last week to discuss a potential partnership that would provide workforce and affordable housing and contribute to the revitalization of the city’s downtown. Gorman’s Arizona Market President Sally Schwenn and Development Director Dan Klocke explained Gorman’s goal is to provide quality housing while being a good neighbor in the communities where it works. Gorman has delivered 2,315 units across 27 different developments in Arizona, according to the presentation. There are another 841 units under construction and 1,543 in predevelopment. Schwenn said one goal…

Giving Back 1. Employees from Stevens-Leinweber Construction gathered in June to support Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels, assembling comfort packs, superhero capes, cards and craft kits through a MyCompanyCares event. Awards & Accolades 2. Bettina Hunt of Colliers in Arizona has been named to GlobeSt.’s Women of Influence Class of 2024 in the Broker – Landlord/Agency Representation category. Hunt has more than 24 years of experience and is a member of the Arizona Healthcare Team and a national Colliers Healthcare Fellow who specializes in healthcare real estate. Company News 3. Mancini Duffy has expanded with a new regional office in Phoenix.…

Sale Transactions 1. Cushman & Wakefield announced the sale of The Cubes Building B, a 1.2MSF industrial warehouse building in Glendale. The buyer was an entity connected to BlackRock Realty Advisors Inc. Local news outlets reported the sales price as $128.1M in an all-cash transaction. Will Strong, Michael Matchett, Molly Hunt and Dean Wiley of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller, CRG. The property was leased by Amazon earlier this year. 2. Olympus Property has paid $90.2M for Ocio Plaza Del Rio, a 333-unit luxury apartment community in Peoria. Blackstone was the seller. 3. Institutional Property Advisors announced the $76.5M…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX – BEXclusive Developer West77 Partners plans to build a four-story, 126-room extended stay hotel at the SEC of 91st Avenue and Interstate 10 in Tolleson. The Tolleson City Council approved the site plan request with stipulations for drainage, retention, water lines, screening, landscaping and similar items in its July 9 meeting. The LivAway Suites hotel will be situated adjacent to a recently constructed McDonald’s and Starbucks. The C-2 commercial zoning for the property has been in place for approximately 40 years, according to City officials, and a hotel use is permitted by right. West77 Partners…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX A long-dormant plan to develop a Build-to-Rent community in San Tan Valley is showing renewed activity. Harvard Investments recently announced it sold a 21.8-acre parcel at the NWC of North Gantzel and East Bella Vista roads to NexMetro Communities for $8.3M. The site is zoned for up to 284 Build-to-Rent units on the vacant, entitled land. According to the announcement, “NexMetro plans to develop Avilla Bella Camino in San Tan Valley. Avilla Homes neighborhoods feature single-story, detached homes with open floor plans, 10-foot ceilings, high-end finishings, and private backyards and front porches.” Harvard Investments’ announcement…