Flagstaff Retail and Residential Project Begins Construction

Aspen Place at The Sawmill, a $100 million shopping/residential project, broke ground in Flagstaff at the corner of Butler Road and Lone Tree Avenue.
Led by Butler & Lone Tree LLC, an affiliate of Phoenix-based developer The Aspen Group, and assisted by Granite Capital, the project will encompass 155,000 sq ft of restaurants, cafés, shops and services along with approximately 300 single-family homes, lofts, condominiums and live-work units. Homes will range in price from $400,000 to $900,000.

Designed by DFD CornoyerHedrick, the project will have a rustic yet modern look and feel, including tree-lined sidewalks, winding trails and an outdoor amphitheatre.
Anchored by New Frontiers Natural Marketplace, a 24,000-sq-ft neighborhood market, Aspen Place is set to include a mix of local and national restaurants and retailers including Chico’s women’s boutique and Scottsdale-based Wildflower Bread Co.
The first phase of retail space is slated to open next spring, with residential sales targeted for late 2008 and early 2009. Wespac Construction is the general contractor.

Homes & Son Breaks Ground on New Projects

Homes & Son Contractors Inc. broke ground on a distribution facility for Schwan’s Consumer Brands, N.A. Inc. The new facility at 890 N. 71st Avenue will employ over 40 people.

The 20,687-sq-ft center will be the west valley distribution and sales center for 14 Consumer Brands delivery trucks. HGA Architects and Engineers of Minneapolis is the project architect. The Schwan’s Consumer Brands facility is expected to open March 2008 and will replace the 18-year-old depot located in Peoria.

The floor plan consists of an operations room, kitchen and break room, offices, conference room, wading dock, lobby and a 11,400-sq-ft cold storage space. The building will be comprised of tilt-up concrete panels, steel deck, single-ply membrane roof system, glass store-front and a metal canopy.

Homes & Son also broke ground on Medical Office Suites. Located at 21st Street and Thomas, this 14,000-sq-ft, two-building medical complex is expected to open in February 2008.

The project was designed by Scottsdale-based KD Architects LLC. Medical Office Suites will provide office space for several medical professionals who are looking to relocate their offices close to over 10 hospitals in central Phoenix.

SAXA to Build Office Condo and Commerce Center

SAXA (formerly Shea Commercial)  purchased a $10 million, 11-acre parcel at the southeast corner of 100th St. and Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd in Scottsdale -- one of the last remaining vacant parcels in northeast Scottsdale. The site is planned for 55,000 sq ft of office condos and 40,000 sq ft of retail, with a bank pad.

The $26 million project is scheduled to break ground in first quarter 2008 and is planned for occupancy in the fourth quarter 2008. Office condos will range from 2,500 to 20,000 sq ft.

ASU Selects Design Team for Science and Technology Building

JHDR Architecture Inc. and Steven Ehrlich Architects have been selected as the design team for the new Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building IV on the Tempe campus of Arizona State University. The ISTB IV building is planned as a 250,000-sq-ft structure comprised of high technology research, laboratory and office space. Planning efforts indicate an estimated project cost of $140 million. When completed, the facility will house researchers, faculty and staff for the School of Earth and Science Exploration, as well as program areas including synthetic chemistry, environmental engineering and energy research initiatives. As research will be conducted at the nano-scale, the facility will be designed to accommodate sophisticated and high-technology equipment sensitive to vibration and EMI impacts.

The ISTB IV is a fast track design and construction project. It is estimated for completion in early 2010. The university will seek a LEED silver minimum certification.

Summit Builders Begins Laveen Village Retail Center

Summit Builders was awarded the construction contract for the Laveen Village Retail Center, located at the southwest corner of 35th Avenue and Southern Avenue in Phoenix, for Terrazona LLC.

The entire retail center consists of a total of 75,000 sq ft within seven buildings. Office Max will be the major tenant and the project scope also includes 10 acres of site utilities.  Anticipated completion for construction is first quarter 2008. Kurt Reed Associates, of Phoenix, serves as project architect for the Laveen Village Retail Center.

LGE Starts Several New Projects

LGE Design Build has begun construction on 11 new projects this year.
Notable projects include a 468,840-sq-ft office project at Chandler Blvd. and the Loop 101. This five-story class A office project is scheduled for completion in December 2008 and valued at $49.4 million. The firm also broke ground on a Price/Queen Creek office/warehouse project, valued at $38.4 million and covering 374,000 sq ft.

Other starts included the Emerald Center Phase III, an $11.5 million, 159,640 sq ft retail/showroom project at I-10 and Warner in Tempe near IKEA; and Riverside Phase II, a Tempe office project at Priest and the Rio Salado Parkway covering 91,012 sq ft and valued at $8.8 million.

GVSW to Build New Mixed-Use Center in Chandler

Glimcher Ventures Southwest LLC announced its plans and several key tenants of a new mixed-use development, Shoppes at Chandler Heights, on the northeast corner of Chandler Heights Rd. and Arizona Ave.

The $20 million, 19.5-acre project will combine over 100,000 sq ft of retail shops and restaurants. Construction is scheduled to begin in November with completion expected in October 2008.

GVSW is entertaining leases and/or pad sale contracts from Pure Fitness as the anchor tenant along with Brake Masters, Club Del Sol Tanning, Country Kitchen, El Paso Bar-B-Que, Francis & Sons Auto Spa, Hungry Howies Pizza, Meshel’s Salon, Tutor Time and Whataburger. 

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