Scottsdale Approves ASU Project

The Scottsdale mayor and city council recently voted unanimously to approve the requested zoning for the future site of the $400 million ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center. This decisive action allows for a planned community district, which will include 1.2 million sq. ft. of office and research buildings with supporting retail and restaurants. It also sets the stage for a September meeting of the Development
Review Board when specific site plans and designs will be presented for phase one, totaling 250,000 to 300,000 sq. ft.

Higgins Development Partners and The Plaza Companies are the co-developers of the project with the ASU Foundation, the land lessee. The site at McDowell and Scottsdale roads, formerly the Los Arcos Mall, is equidistant between downtown Scottsdale and Arizona State University.

The architects are Pei Cobb Freed & Partners of New York and the Phoenix office of DMJM. Arizona's Sundt Construction is the general contractor.

Mining Company Plans Construction

Phelps Dodge Mining Co. plans to construct their first ever commercial scale copper concentrate leaching and electrowinning facility its copper mine in Morenci, Ariz.

The company expects the $210 million project to be operational in 2007.

The project will be built in conjunction with a restart of an idled concentrator at the Morenci mine.

Company officials said more than 500 construction jobs would be created.

Ground Broken for 'Green' School

Ground was recently broken on Arizona's first "green" school being constructed for the Agua Fria Unified School District by Adolfson and Peterson Construction.

The $19.5 million project is designed by the Orcutt/Winslow Partnership and is 200,000 sq. ft. Plans call for a completion in July.

New Spa Construction is Underway

Concrete is poured for the new spa underway at The Wigwam Resort & Golf Club in Litchfield Park.

The two-story 26,000-sq.-ft. spa facility is underway by Linthicum. The European-style spa will feature 16 treatment rooms, a lap pool, full-service fitness studio, juice bar, indoor and outdoor patios, a common lounge area, and men's and women's locker rooms. The spa is located between the resort's golf club and main lobby. Construction completion is scheduled by Linthicum by late 2005.

The architect is Oz Architects

Work Starts at Cotton Center

Opus West Corporation has broken ground on Opus Cotton Center Phase II, a 140,000-sq.-ft., two-building speculative office/industrial flex project in the Sky Harbor submarket in southeast Phoenix.

The new phase II buildings will sit on 11.5 acres south of Broadway Road between 40th and 48th streets. Phase II will be located adjacent to Opus Cotton Center Phase I, a two-building, 124,300-sq.-ft. development that is now more than 62 percent pre-leased.

Both phase I and the planned phase II buildings are located within the 280-acre Cotton Center business park, one of the Sky Harbor market's premier master planned commercial areas.

The project architect is Opus Architects & Engineers. The general contractor is Opus West Construction Corp.

Summit to Build Community Office

Summit Builders Construction Company has been awarded the design-build contract for the Wild Horse Pass Community Office Building located at the SWC of 48th Street and Wild Horse Pass Boulevard on the Gila River Indian Community.

The new 3-story, Class "A" office project will encompass 76,000 sq. ft. The $7.2 million building will feature a dramatic two-story lobby entrance with elaborate finishes and a rotunda element extending above roof level.

Summit Builders is currently providing preconstruction services with actual construction scheduled to begin next month. Project completion is anticipated for first quarter 2006. Orcutt/Winslow Partnership is providing the design/build architectural services.

Second Phase Starts in Scottsdale

The Southwest business unit of The Weitz Company, recently announced construction is underway on Phase II of a Class A three-story office building located at 9977 North 90th Street, Scottsdale.

The second phase of the project consist of a 96,583-sq.-ft. steel structure office shell with an EIFS and storefront skin designed by DFD CornoyerHedrick. In addition, a two-story, pre-cast parking deck was designed by Butler Design Group.

Peoria Approves Development