Awards & Accolades
1. The Arizona Masonry Council celebrated its 33rd Annual Excellence in Masonry Architectural Awards for outstanding masonry design. The ceremony was held at the Scottsdale Resort McCormick Ranch. The project winners and their awards were:
- Copperleaf, Monument and Entry Way Citation Award;
- Wildera, Monument and Entry Way Merit Award;
- Hawes Crossing; Honor Award and Perimeter Walls Honor Award;
- Barney Farms, Perimeter Walls Citation Award;
- Union Park at Norterra, Perimeter Walls Merit Award;
- The Hideaway on Palm, Multi-Family Merit Award;
- Moontower Phoenix, Multi-Family Honor Award;
- Andrus Residence and Modern Sunset, Residential Citation Award;
- Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine and Banner Sports Medicine Scottsdale, Non-Residential Citation Award;
- 94th Street Residence and Breaking Beadle, Residential Merit Award;
- Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Non-Residential Merit Award;
- Onyx in Crown Canyon and Silverleaf, Residential Honor Award;
- Silverleaf, Craftsmanship Award (Residential);
- Pima Animal Care Center, Non-Residential Honor Award;
- Southeast Justice Center, Craftsmanship Award (Non-Residential).
2. The Arizona Chapter of the American Public Works Association has named the City of Mesa’s Monterey Park expansion as its Project of the Year. Terracon Consultants, Inc. served as the prime design consultant and Hunter Contacting Co. served as the construction manager at-risk overseeing construction.
Groundbreakings
3. Overton Moore Properties has begun grading and utility relocation operations on the 690KSF Tempe industrial property The Next Wave. Full construction is expected by the end of November. The architect is HPA Architecture. The general contractor is Layton Construction.
4. Construction has begun for the 162KSF Blue Polymers recycled plastics production facility in Buckeye. The $95M building is expected to finish construction in the second half of 2025. The owner is Republic Services; the design firm is Butler Design Group, and the general contractor is FCL Builders.
5. RED Development joined Fender Musical Instruments Corp. for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Fender Arizona Co-headquarters slated to open in fall 2025 at PV in Phoenix. The development is a part of the more than $2B multi-phase, multi-year redevelopment of the former Paradise Valley Mall. The 77KSF, three-story building was designed by SmithGroup.
6. Construction has begun for the Homewood Suites by Hilton at the SWC of Ellsworth and Rittenhouse roads. The 124-room hotel is owned by HD Management, with FFKR Architects as the design firm and Porter Brothers Construction as the general contractor. The hotel is expected to open Nov. 2025.
7. Demolition at the Casa Grande Mall site at Florence Blvd. and Pueblo Drive has begun. The revitalized mall will have a new EoS gym, a Hobby Lobby and other tenants. Construction is anticipated to be completed mid-2025.
Progress Reports
8. The $1B VAI Resort will add a new conference center with 150KSF of meeting space. The center is anticipated to be available for bookings in the second half of 2026.
9. The Central Arizona College Governing Board received an update on the new Workforce Training Center at the Superstition Mountain Campus. Permanent power should be available once an easement is approved, with power expected to be on Oct. 14. The interior build-out is projected for Oct. 31. A certificate of occupancy is anticipated to be issued by Nov. 19.
10. The Central Arizona College Governing Board recently received information on the Pence Center at the Signal Peak Campus. After the building suffered a roof collapse last year, it has been discovered that the main beam is not to code, so everything from the stage onward must be abated and removed. Duct work near the front also needs removal and replacement. Duct work is anticipated to finish in approximately nine weeks, after which structural engineers are expected to examine the foundation.
Completions
11. The 161-megawatt Babbitt Ranch Energy Center has been completed. The owner is NextEra Energy, Inc. and the general contractor was Blattner Energy. The wind center features 50 turbines.
12. The Central Mesa Sewer Interceptor Rehabilitation will be completed later this month. Project Engineering Consultants was the design firm and Achen-Gardner Construction, LLC was the general contractor for the City of Mesa project.
13. Kear Civil Corporation announced its Fuel Farm Expansion project has been completed at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. The design firm was Kimley-Horn & Associates and the construction manager at risk was Kear Civil Corporation.
14. Chamberlain University celebrated the opening of its new 57.3KSF Phoenix campus. The general contractor was Clayco. The design firm was Lamar Johnson Collaborative.
15. The 28KSF ACT Medical Park recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Chandler facility is near Pecos and McQueen roads and has 24 dedicated private rooms for clinical trials, a research pharmacy and a research lab.
16. KGM Builders completed construction on the new seminary house at St. Mary’s Basilica at 231 N. 3rd Street in Phoenix. The 10.5KSF site included renovations to 24 bedrooms/bathrooms, a dining room, living room, kitchen, an office suite fit with five new offices and a data room. Appliance work was completed in the kitchen and laundry room. The HVAC was updated along with fire sprinklers, a fire alarm system and fire line. KGM also installed new roofing and an updated electrical package. The design firm was Adaptive Architecture.