Author: BEX Staff

Progress Reports 1. U-Haul International Inc. is in the midst of turning a former Kmart store in south Phoenix into a self-storage facility. As construction is completed within the next year, the 8.74-acre lot will feature services including self-storage units; towing equipment and professional hitch installation; propane; and a U-Haul Re-Use center for used household furnishings, Completions 2. Sundt Construction, Inc. recently completed the APS Four Corners Selective Catalytic Reduction Retrofits. The design-build project added four selective catalytic reduction systems for nitrogen oxide emission control for Units 4 and 5 of the APS Power Plant. The selective catalytic reactors used are the tallest…

By Roland Murphy for Arizona Builder’s Exchange The last vacant parcel in Tempe’s Liberty Center development area may soon be filled with a two-story, 72KSF specialty medical office and headquarters building for Donor Network of Arizona. The Tempe Development Review Commission late last month recommended approval for an Amended Planned Area Development Overlay to reduce required parking and a Development Plan Review for the proposal project at 2010 West Rio Salado Parkway. The proposal was submitted on Donor Network of Arizona’s behalf by Benjamin Ayers of Shepley Bulfinch. The proposal had undergone multiple preliminary reviews and recommendations prior to the…

By Joshua Bowling for The Arizona Republic Microsoft’s secretive metro-Phoenix project, which documents describe as “a five-building technology center,” is set to go before the Goodyear City Council. A brief, 14-minute discussion before the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission included a staff presentation that was light on details. The commission recommended that the council approve the rezone request, which included: Increasing building height from 50 feet to 60 feet. Increasing how much of the land can have buildings. Building with a metal facade. Using chain-link fencing. The applicant’s attorney, Scottsdale-based Jordan Rose, made no mention of the tech giant by name and declined to give…

Sales Transactions 1. Raintree Corporate Center, a two-building, 345KSF office complex located at 8800 and 8888 E Raintree Dr., Scottsdale, has sold for $91.7M. Equus Capital Partners Ltd. sold the complex to an affiliate of Cypress Office Properties and Oaktree Capital. Kevin Shannon, CJ Osbrink, Ken White, Brad Burton and Paul Jones of Newmark Knight Frank Capital Markets represented Equus in the transaction. 2. Toll Brothers, Inc. has paid $60.6M for 258 acres of vacant land in north Scottsdale. The Crown Family was the seller. Nathan & Associates Inc. brokered the transaction. 3. Cushman & Wakefield completed the sale of River Ranch, 6152 W. Oakland Street…

By Roland Murphy for Arizona Builder’s Exchange After a tenacious lobbying attempt to persuade Mesa planners to revise a 30-year-old land use designation that never bore fruit, negotiations with city staff have resulted in a turnaround for developer Bela Flor Communities, LLC. The company is moving with its intent to build its proposed mixed-density residential community Bella Encanta at Hampton Avenue and Crismon Road. A narrative and request submitted in July by Pew & Lake, PLC, on Bela Flor’s behalf sought a change in the designation from Employment to Neighborhood Suburban. As originally proposed, the project would have consisted of…

By AZBEX Staff for Arizona Builder’s Exchange Plans to develop the $200M GrandeVita, a BioCity Enterprise, project in Mesa have advanced. On December 10, the City of Mesa moved forward a plan for the 20-acre, multi-use, campus-style community at Crismon Road and Hampton Avenue. (AZBEX, Oct. 19) Mesa planners previously approved a zoning request for the development in October. The site was approved to be rezoned from Light Industrial to Limited Commercial. According to the proposal, the unique and wide-ranging uses of the property also required the developer to request a Planned Area Development overlay, a Council Use Permit and…

Boards & Commissions 1. AZCREW has named Jennifer Cranston, shareholder, Gallagher & Kennedy, its president for 2019. Other officers for 2019: Cindy Winters, Eagle Commercial Realty Services, past president; Dana McDonald, North American Title Company, membership; Lorna Banister, Ballard Spahr, sponsorship; Lindsey Carlson, Colliers International, programs; Lisa Tinnion, CIS, and Amber Coleman, CBRE, public relations; Francine Moore, Macerich, special events; (Cindy) Winters, legacy; Heather Fox, Wells Fargo, foundation; Terry Martin-Denning, NAI Horizon, treasurer and president elect; and Mara Atwell, VEREIT, secretary. 2. Jennifer Hall, Rose Law Group senior project manager, has been named chair of Paradise Valley Village Planning Committee. Company News…

Awards & Accolades 1. The Arizona Masonry Guild recently presented its Excellence in Masonry Architectural Award to Somerton for its new City Hall building, which opened in 2017. Groundbreakings 2. HonorHealth recently broke ground on its sixth hospital. The three-story, 210KSF HonorHealth Sonoran Medical Center will be built on the campus that currently houses the Sonoran Health and Emergency Center at Interstate 17 and Dove Valley Road in north Phoenix. Progress Reports 3. As the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway advances, bridge girders have recently been installed at two of the 14 planned traffic interchanges, marking the first time on this Arizona Department of…

By Tasha Anderson for Arizona Builder’s Exchange As the end of the year rolls around, it’s customary to reflect on the current state of things and look toward the future to see what possibilities lie ahead. This month’s AZBEX Leading Market Series did just that as attendees gathered at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Tempe on December 6th, to gain insight into the present and future state of the multifamily market. AZBEX President Rebekah Morris began the presentation by giving attendees an overview of just how large and diverse the multifamily market is, using analytics from the AZBEX Database. “Projects…

By Roland Murphy for Arizona Builder’s Exchange Despite ongoing challenges and concerns in various parts of the Valley, the economic growth generated as a byproduct of the Light Rail’s introductions and various expansions have proven impossible to deny. Valley Metro last week released, “Building Communities and Enhancing Lives: A Quality of Life Report,” detailing the positive impacts the program has had over the course of its operations. According to the report and its accompanying announcement, to date there has been $11B of investment and 35,000 jobs created within one-half mile of the 26-mile corridor. Service started with the original 20 miles…