Vestar to Build Massive Power Center

Vestar Development recently announced plans to build Tempe Marketplace, a $200 million, 1.3 million-sq.-ft. power/lifestyle/entertainment center.

Tempe Marketplace is located just east of the downtown Tempe area at the southwest corner of the Loop 101 Freeway and Loop 202 Freeway. The redevelopment plan for the project site includes remediation of environmental and sub-surface issues currently affecting the property. Several million dollars will be spent in remediation efforts, making the Tempe Marketplace redevelopment the largest Brownfield clean up in Arizona history.

Site clean-up begins late summer 2004 and groundbreaking on the retail center is scheduled for January 2005. The grand opening is expected in late spring 2006.

Upon completion, Tempe Marketplace will include 95 national retailers, entertainment, restaurants and a signature, state-of-the-art, all stadium seated 18-screen Harkins Theatre. HTH Group LLP of Beverly Hills, Calif. is the project designer. The Butler Design Group - Architects & Planning of Phoenix is serving as executive architect for the project.

Council Approves Land Purchase

The Phoenix City Council recently voted to approve a $3.6 million purchase of 2.8-acre site at the northwest corner of Van Buren and Third streets, across the street from the Arizona Center, for the construction of a new, 1,000-room hotel.

The hotel would compliment the Civic Center.

Opus West Breaks Ground

The Phoenix office of Opus West Development recently broke ground on Opus Calendar Stick, a 250,000 sq. ft. Class A office and commercial development on the Salt River Pima Indian Community in Scottsdale.

Opus West will design and construct the project. No construction cost was released.

Urban Retail Project Underway

Summit Builders is underway on construction for Legacy Village, a $6.3 million urban retail development located in South Phoenix at the northwest corner of 24th Street and Baseline Road, for developer Pederson Group, of Phoenix.

Summit Builders will be constructing 116,000 sq. ft. of retail space on the 40-acre retail site. Shop space is being leased by a variety of national tenants. Construction on the buildings is scheduled to be complete in fall 2004. Butler Design Group of Phoenix serves as project architect.

Design Complete on Human Services Campus

BPLW recently completed the working drawings for the Maricopa County Human Services Campus in downtown Phoenix.

DL Withers is building the $23 million, 154,000-sq.-ft. project that includes four different facilities for human services.

The project is the first component of a regional plan to serve 14,000 homeless people in the county.

Firm Announces Several New Projects

LGE Design Build recently announced the signing five new projects that combined represent more than 184,000 sq. ft. The total value of the five deals signed is $12.4 million.

The five projects LGE landed include a 57,000-sq.-ft. combined office and warehouse building for Diversified Builders in Chandler; a 52,000-sq.-ft. distribution center for KB Bargain in Phoenix; United Ornamental Iron's new 41,490-sq.-ft. warehouse facility in Gilbert; Fiesta Commons II, a 23,000-sq.-ft. office project in Gilbert; and an 11,000-sq.-ft. office building for LVM Systems, also in Gilbert.

Work Starts at Brophy Prep

Kitchell Contractors has begun construction on the Virginia G. Piper Center for Math and Science building at Brophy College Preparatory School in Phoenix. Construction will be completed in July 2005. Kitchell is serving as the construction manager/general contractor for the two-story, 42,000-sq.-ft building that will contain 19 classrooms and eight labs. During construction, the school will remain fully operational and the students' learning environment will remain undisturbed.

The architect is Orcutt/Winslow Partnership of Phoenix.

Tempe Architect to Design Project

Tempe-based Architekton was recently tapped to provide design services for the construction of a new community center in Phoenix.

The $5 million community center is planned to feature 45,000 sq. ft. of space for a variety of programs.

Haydon Building Corp. has the construction manager at-risk contract for the project, which is scheduled for completion in early 2006.