Author: BEX Staff

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX The Rio Nuevo District Board has issued the draft of its proposed Master Plan for January 2024-December 2035. The document is intended to set the planning goals for the next decade of development, redevelopment and revitalization in the Tax Increment Financing District, which the Arizona Auditor General’s Office has referred to as “the most successful TIF in the United States.” TIFs are a public financing method to subsidize economic development and redevelopment for community improvement. The governing body usually diverts future property tax revenue increases in the target area toward economic development goals or public…

By BEX Staff for AZBEX Walmart is the latest retailer with plans for space in the Berge Destination at Gateway master-planned development near Signal Butte Road and State Route 24 in Mesa. Walmart, Inc. submitted a pre-application to the City of Mesa March 27 with plans for a 171KSF store that will also feature an auto care center, fuel station and outdoor center. The company is requesting approvals for its site plan, design review, and special review permits for the fuel center and an on-site medical clinic. The Walmart location will occupy 17.6 acres of the overall 144-acre Berge site.…

By Associated Builders and Contractors The construction industry had 441,000 job openings on the last day of February, 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 increased by 16,000 last month and are up by 32,000 from the same time last year. “The number of open, unfilled construction positions stood at the second highest level on record at the end of February,” said ABC Chief Economist…

The Flagstaff City Council has approved a zoning change that would allow for housing development within the public facilities zone. Flagstaff declared a housing emergency in 2020 and created a 10-year Housing Plan to address it. The plan components have experienced extensive public discussion, but little development has taken place for either affordable or market rate housing. The zoning change is intended to facilitate affordable housing approvals and construction. There are approximately 180 parcels currently zoned as public facilities. Most were originally intended for government buildings, parks and infrastructure. The City owns roughly 40% of the public facilities-zoned land. Northern…

Awards & Accolades 1. ViaWest Group received a CoStar Impact Award for its work to redevelop an existing office headquarters of Insight Enterprises into Sight Logistics Park, a 357KSF industrial space in Tempe. At the request of the City, ViaWest preserved, stored and relocated an artistic sculpture designed by Mark McDowell to be a landmark at the current industrial park. 2. Arizona Forward honored the Scottsdale Civic Center and the City of Scottsdale with a Crescordia Award in Civic Buildings, Structures and Landscape Design. The award is the highest honor given in each category of Arizona Forward’s environmental excellence awards…

In a recent capital improvement project budget work session, City of Chandler Utilities Director John Knudson presented two major projects with current cost estimates of at least $182M over the next several years. The first is a 66-inch diameter pipe sewer project on Price Road. Referred to in the City’s documentation as the Santan Freeway Redundant 66-inch Sewer Line, the project will run a 66-inch wastewater line under the Loop 202 freeway. Temporary bypass lines will be laid out along surface streets during the development. Estimated costs for the project are approximately $41M, of which $29M can be paid with…

By BEX Staff for AZBEX The Chandler Planning and Zoning Commission has recommended approval of a planned area development zoning amendment and preliminary development plan approval request for Irgens Ascend, a two-building planned industrial development on 20.5 acres in the Chandler Airport Center. The proposal covers the two-building first phase of what is planned as a five-building development at Cooper Road and Northrop Blvd. The PAD amendment will allow for a 75.8KSF Floor and Decor showroom, referred to as Building A in the supporting materials. Building A will be slightly more than 35 feet in height and provide 141 parking…

By Associated Builders and Contractors Associated Builders and Contractors and its Florida First Coast chapter have filed suit in federal court to stop the Biden administration’s unlawful scheme to mandate project labor agreements on construction contracts procured by federal agencies. ABC’s complaint asserts that President Joe Biden lacks the legal and constitutional authority to impose a new federal regulation injuring the economy and efficiency in federal contracting and illegally steering construction contracts to certain unionized contractors, which employ roughly 10% of the U.S. construction workforce. ABC estimates the Biden pro-PLA policy will affect at least 180 federal construction contracts valued…

By Rebekah Morris for AZBEX Airport-owned land has taken flight as prime real estate for the burgeoning private aviation and aerospace industries. Development deals are happening from Eloy to Scottsdale, Phoenix Mesa-Gateway to Falcon Field to meet the needs of growing industries. Publicly owned airport land provides a unique opportunity for the public entity to secure a deal to build revenue-generating space and create jobs, while the developer can secure space to operate that allows them to perform activities not suitable for any other property, unless, of course, they are on an airport runway. Why Arizona? Great Flying Weather Arizona…

Rising costs for Peoria’s portions of Northern Parkway have led City staff to redesign portions of the roadway. Northern Parkway is a 12.5-mile connector between U.S. 60 and Loop 303 in the West Valley. While overseen by the Maricopa County Department of Transportation, the $315.8M project—funded under the Proposition 400 transportation sales tax—involves Peoria, El Mirage and Glendale as well. Peoria is partially responsible for two portions of the roadway: 91st Avenue to 99th Avenue and 99th Avenue to the Agua Fria River. Rising construction and development costs have put those two segments at between $25M and $26M over their…