Author: BEX Staff

The U.S. Department of Commerce has signaled that it plans to raise tariffs later this year on imports of Canadian softwood lumber products from the current rate of 8.05% to about 14% following its annual review of existing tariffs. Although the National Association of Home Builders is disappointed by this action, this decision is part of the regularly scheduled review process the United States employs to ensure adequate relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade practices. The Department of Commerce initiated its fifth administrative reviews of its softwood lumber anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders last March and…

By Arizona Commerce Authority BlackStar Orbital Technologies Corporation, headquartered on the Florida space coast, announced the establishment of a new engineering and manufacturing facility in Sierra Vista. Located at Sierra Vista Municipal Airport, the facility is set to be operational by 2026. This facility is poised to be a cornerstone for the development and production of the BlackStar Spacecraft, the company’s spaceplane-satellite hybrid. The BlackStar Spacecraft combines the functionality of a satellite with the versatility of a spaceplane, designed for diverse missions including Earth observation, environmental monitoring, and advanced communication solutions for both commercial and defense purposes. Its capabilities also…

The Town of Clarkdale has produced a Trails and Active Transportation Master Plan after more than a year of development work and is introducing it for the last round of public engagement. Officials will hold an open house Feb. 8 to introduce the plan and solicit feedback. While the plan focuses on the development of the local and regional trail system, representatives point out it is a total transportation plan and also considers street crossings, roadway connections and safely shared use between cyclists, motorists and pedestrians. The plan was created after residents said they wanted easier ways to connect to…

Developer Menlo Equities is proposing the conversion of an Ahwatukee office park into a 1MSF mixed-use data center campus. The company’s vision for the roughly 40-acre East Thistle Data Center site at the SWC of 50th Street and Thistle Landing Drive would include five buildings of approximately 206.5KSF each, as well as a two-acre community park. Planned uses include a data center and office space for research and development. The existing space is mostly vacant and houses four single-story buildings constructed in 1998 as an office park and call center development. Menlo Equities bought the property for a total of…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX While the approval of Arizona’s first Buc-ee’s convenience store was getting all the attention, there was plenty of newsworthy action on the industrial development front in Goodyear as well. The requests for the 75KSF travel center also included a 722KSF, four-building industrial proposal from EJM Development with structures ranging from 143KSF to 203KSF. That plan was mentioned in the Buc-ee’s project without much, if any additional detail in most outlets. Going almost completely unnoticed in the travel center hoopla, however, was a separate EJM proposal for a roughly 51-acre site located two parcels to the…

Gila County received $10.5M for a long list of projects under the American Rescue Plan Act, but little of that money is going to local contractors. In a Jan. 30 meeting, the Board of Supervisors was told the County has spent $9.1M of its allocated funds. Meeting the federal requirements proved challenging for County staff, who had to plan the projects, award the projects and get payment set up on a fast schedule. Those federal requirements, however, are one of the reasons little of the money is going to local contractors, since few are on the federal list of qualified…

By Associated Builders and Contractors National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.4% in December, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.174T. Spending was down on a monthly basis in eight of the 16 nonresidential subcategories. Private nonresidential spending was down 0.2% in December, while public nonresidential construction spending was up 1.4%. “Nonresidential construction spending finished 2023 up more than 20%—the 19th consecutive monthly increase—and will carry ample momentum in 2024,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “While much of that strength is…

Giving Back 1. Valley Partnership has relaunched its ADVOCATES Program. ADVOCATES is a year-long program for young professionals in the development community focused on mentorship, networking, and policy education. The class is made up of 30 professionals aged 35 and younger from different sectors of the development community. The class will interact with each other and leaders in their fields to better understand and appreciate different segments of the development process. Awards & Accolades 2. President, CEO and Chairman of Sundt Construction, Inc., G. Michael Hoover received the Golden Beaver Award at the 68th annual ceremony held by ‘The Beavers,’…

Sales Transactions 1. A two-building portfolio of buildings located at 3925 and 3945 E. Broadway Road in Phoenix has been sold to Government Investment Partners for $17.4M. The seller was The Simone Charitable Foundation. Brian Ackerman of Colliers in Arizona handled the transaction and helped arrange the seller-financing. The two buildings total approximately 137KSF. The 3925 building is 75.1KSF and occupied by the State of Arizona Department of Child Safety and Imani Wellness. The 3945 building is 61.9KSF and is completely leased by the City of Phoenix. 2. Cushman & Wakefield announced the $8.5M sale of Arcadia Views, a 16-unit…

By BEX Staff for AZBEX Big box athletic and outdoor retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods may be planning a new facility with expanded offerings on an 11-acre site near State Farm Stadium in Glendale, according to a recent media report. Dick’s House of Sport combines the company’s standard sports-based retail product sales with enhanced customer experience opportunities, such as rock climbing walls, batting cages, indoor lacrosse and soccer areas, and golf simulators. The company website currently shows locations in nine states. If built, the Glendale location would be the first in Arizona. Records show Dick’s Sporting Goods paid $10.6M for the…