The Arizona Republic
If you’d like to discuss real estate matters, contact Rose Law Group Founder Jordan Rose, jrose@roselawgroup.com
Empire Southwest Expansion
Expanding to add a component rebuild center, Empire Southwest, 1725 S. County Club, carried home a zoning change and sales tax rebate from the December 3rd Mesa city council meeting. Empire, one of the largest Caterpillar dealers and service centers in the U.S., will add employees and 434 solar-covered parking spaces for the expansion. The addition includes a two-story office building, shop and related facilities.
Saemisch Di Bella Architects Inc. is the designer and Porter Brothers, Inc. is the GC for the project. Empire intends a formal announcement in February. Construction will start later in 2013.
With Empire’s 1K employees “deeply involved in local charities,” the city agreed to rebate about half the $16M in sales tax the company will generate through 2023 after opening the new center.
Bridgestone R&D Center
The council approved a rezoning and development agreement for Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC. The pact allows the company to build a research and development center, 6533 S. Mountain Rd.at Pecos Rd. Bridgestone expects to spend $40M on the facility with another $35M possible. The firm says it will provide 32 full-time-equivalent positions, mostly for scientists and engineers making more than $70K a year.
Mesa is providing no incentives for the company, which will pay all development and impact fees. The city is, however, allowing Bridgestone to wait five years before widening Mountain Road, which normally would have been required for a project of this kind.
36 Home Subdivision
The Mesa city council approved a once-controversial northeast Mesa development involving 36 single-family homes on 40 acres at the southwestern corner of Crismon and McKellips roads.
U.S. Development Land LLC worked with neighbors resolving controversies and now have agreements to let the project go forward. The developers at first had sought an increase to 80 lots. That was reduced twice, to the current proposal for 56 homes on the lot presently zones for 36 homes.
