Awards & Accolades
1. Multiple Arizona projects were honored in ENR Mountain States & Southwest’s 2025 Best Projects competition. The awards included:
- Best Highway/Bridge Project: Kiewit for I-15 Virgin River Bridge No. 1 in Littlefield;
- Best Health Care Project: Layon Construction for Sage Memorial Hospital in Gando;
- Best Interior/Tenant Improvement Project: Gensler for TikTok USDS Scottsdale Tenant Improvement in Scottsdale;
- Best K-12 Education Project: the CHASSE Building Team for Larry C. Kennedy School-Campus Rebuild in Phoenix;
- Best Landscape/Urban Development Project: Valley Rain Construction Corp. for Ashler Hills Park in Scottsdale;
- Best Manufacturing Project: Hoffman Construction for Fab 52 (Project Eagle) in Chandler;
- Best Renovation/Restoration Project: RSP Architects for the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort Renovation in Scottsdale;
- Best Residential/Hospitality Project: Gensler for The RaRa Room in Phoenix;
- Best Small Project: Jacobsen Construction Company for HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center ICU Renovation in Scottsdale;
- Best Water/Environment Project: Hunter Contracting for Inner Basin Waterline Restoration in Flagstaff;
- Best Airport/Transit Project: Loven Contracting for the Mountain Line Downtown Connection Center in Flagstaff;
- Best Energy/Industrial Project: McCarthy Building Companies. Inc. for Serrano Solar & BESS in Marana;
- Best Higher Education/Research Project: Holder Construction for Arizona State University Wilson Hall in Tempe;
- Best Office/Retail/Mixed-Use Project: Layton Construction for Esplanade in Phoenix, and
- Best Sports/Entertainment Project: Okland Construction for Player 15 Group HQ and Phoenix Mercury Practice Facility in Phoenix.
Groundbreakings
2. A $12.2M roadway improvement project is underway between Green Valley Pkwy. and Crackerjack Road on State Route 87 in Payson. The project is led by the Arizona Department of Transportation in partnership with the Town of Payson. The work includes pavement replacement, ADA upgrades and general infrastructure improvements. Construction is expected to be completed by late 2026.
Progress Reports
3. Construction is roughly 60% complete on LG Energy Solution’s $5.5B battery manufacturing complex in Queen Creek. Completion and the subsequent beginning of production are expected to occur in summer 2026. In response to the project, the Town of Queen Creek rezoned 1,600 acres for future industrial use. A second facility for energy storage systems, originally part of the development, was paused in June 2024 and remains on hold with no further updates.
4. KB Home has opened Entrada Del Toro, a new residential community in Rancho Sahuarita, located at the corner of South Rancho Sahuarita Blvd. and West Calle Caleta. The one- and two-story homes offer up to six bedrooms and are within walking distance of the planned Club Del Toro. Pricing starts in the $270Ks.
5. Northside at SanTan Village Phase One is under construction now, with project completion and tenant grand openings anticipated for Q1 2026. Western Retail Advisors recently announced the development is approximately 60% leased. The project is part of the larger Northside master plan being developed by Okland Capital and San Tan Development Group. At build-out, Northside will total 20 acres with restaurants and retailers, a 134-key hotel, and future mixed-use assets fronting the Loop 202 freeway.
Completions
6. The City of Glendale has completed $42M in renovations to Desert Diamond Arena. The upgrades include new premium spaces and fan-focused amenities. The venue is located at 9400 W. Maryland Ave. and will reopen with two concerts in early August.
7. The City of Flagstaff has opened the new roundabout at Fourth Street, Cedar Avenue and Lockett Road. Cedar Avenue has also reopened following storm drain installation. Pedestrian components and other project elements will continue into the fall.
8. Abrazo Health has completed construction on its new high-tech hybrid operating room at its Abrazo West Campus in Goodyear. The hybrid OR is a nearly $7M investment that combines the sterile environment of a traditional OR with the advanced capabilities of a cardiac catheterization lab. Patient procedures will begin in August.
9. Danson Construction and SPS+ Architects have completed a freestanding seventh- and eighth-grade classroom building at Lake Pleasant Elementary School in Peoria. The 12KSF single-story structure contains eight classrooms. A ribbon cutting was held on July 28 with community members and students in attendance.
10. An upgraded clarifier at the Wellton Water Treatment Plant is fully operational following early project completion by the Town of Wellton and final approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Funding for the project included $1.5M in grants from the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority and the Community Development Block, and a $300K loan. The older clarifier will now be taken offline for repairs.