Author: BEX Staff

The City of Apache Junction will pay $4.59M for 76.54 acres of Arizona State Trust Land south of State Route 88 and north of Lost Dutchman Blvd. The City was the sole bidder in the recent land auction. Apache Junction will construct an earthen flood control project called the Weekes Wash Regional Multi-use Detention Facility on the site to reduce flash floods and flood-related losses downstream. The City secured $44.5M in federal funds for the development, which is currently in environmental, historic review with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The 10-square-mile Weekes Wash watershed collects rainwater during storms and sends…

By National Association of Home Builders Multifamily units completed reached 608,000 in 2024—their highest level since 1986, according to a National Association of Home Builders analysis of the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction. For the eighth consecutive year, most (54%) were high-density buildings comprising 50 or more units—a relatively new trend compared to early estimates in the series. Where Are Multifamily Units Being Built? The South accounted for 292,000 completions (48%) in 2024, while the West held 163,000 (27%), the Midwest 87,000 (14%) and the Northeast 68,000 (11%). Completions in the South were weighted toward low-medium density buildings—a reverse of…

Awards & Accolades 1. Green Ideas Building Science Consultants completed LEED certification for three Fox Restaurant Concepts projects at Novus Innovation Corridor in Tempe. Catellus Development Corporation, the master developer, engaged Green Ideas to deliver LEED Silver certification for Flower Child, Blanco Taco Cocina + Cantina and North Italia. Designed by Nelsen Partners Architects & Planners, the restaurants are part of Novus Place, a mixed-use district in the LEED for Neighborhood Development-certified community. 2. Aligned Data Centers announced it is the latest Phoenix-based data center to receive a Green Globes for New Construction certification from the Green Building Initiative. Groundbreakings…

Despite dire warnings from economic development officials, the Phoenix City Council has unanimously voted to approve a modified set of zoning restrictions and a General Plan amendment for data centers. AZBEX has extensively reported on the moves to restrict data centers in Phoenix and other cities in recent issues. (AZBEX: May 21; June 10; June 18; July 2) Mayor Kate Gallego led the push for the restrictions in addition to calling for the State to eliminate development incentives for data centers, referring to the program as “antiquated.” Gallego and other supporters of the new restrictions cited claims the industrial subsector…

Beale Infrastructure Group, developer of the proposed Project Blue data center development in southeast Tucson, is considering two more potential data center projects in the area. That possibility is in the early stages of consideration, according to various sources. One of the potential locations is in Tucson, possibly adjacent to the currently proposed project site. The other is in the Marana area. Earlier this year, AZBEX was the first outlet to report on a broader area specific plan for 290 acres west of Houghton Road. That plan was eventually revealed to be Beale’s Project Blue. (AZBEX, April 30) Project Blue…

By BEX Staff for AZBEX The Apache Junction Planning and Zoning Commission has voted to recommend approval for a major General Plan amendment and rezoning of a nearly 37-acre property near the NWC of Cactus Road and Auto Center Drive for a 65.7KSF order and service management development planned by Sundt Construction. The introduction of the project narrative says, “The 134-year-old firm specializes in transportation, industrial, building, concrete and renewable energy work and is owned entirely by its approximately 3,500 employee-owners.” Sundt plans to build a light manufacturing and administrative training facility on the vacant property, which is currently designated…

By Roland Murphy for AZBEX The Surprise City Council voted unanimously last month to approve The Hampton Group’s request to rezone 295.6 gross acres north of the planned Beardsley Parkway and 251st Avenue alignments from rural residential to a combination of single- and multifamily to allow for future development. Council approved a development agreement for the project in May. According to the project narrative, the western edge of the property sits at the border with the City of Buckeye and the Festival Foothills Planned Community. The properties to the north, south and east of the site are undeveloped, zoned rural…

By Associated Builders and Contractors The construction industry had 245,000 job openings on the last day of May, 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 3,000 last month but are down by 130,000 from the same time last year. “Industrywide labor demand continued to be subdued in May,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “The year-to-date construction hiring rate is lower than in…

The Arizona Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, established in 2021 to give tax incentives to developers of affordable housing, will sunset in December. A bipartisan coalition created the program under former Gov. Doug Ducey, but opponents blocked an expansion plan from moving forward in the State Legislature this year. A total of 31 states and the District of Columbia have LIHTC programs. Arizona is the first state to establish and then terminate a program. Affordable housing advocates say the loss of tax credit incentives will harm affordable housing development in the state. LIHTC opponents said they prefer broader tax cuts…

Giving Back 1. Wespac Construction joined Habitat for Humanity of Northern Arizona to dedicate the nonprofit’s first 10 starter homes in Flagstaff. The project involved more than 200 volunteers and aims to provide affordable homeownership for local families. 2. The ACI Foundation is accepting applications for fellowships and scholarships for the 2026-2027 academic year. A total of 48 awards are available to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing concrete-related degrees in the U.S., Canada or Mexico. Fellowships include a $10K stipend, and scholarships include a $5K stipend. Applications are due by Nov. 1. 3. Gensler volunteered with The Joy Bus on…