The Dealmaker: 8/15/2017

Letter from legal firm will reopen Mattamy discussion in executive session. (Disclosure: Rose Law Group recently began representing Mattamy Homes on their potential development at Surprise City Center.) “A letter sent to the Surprise City Council from… Rose Law Group on July 26… spurred more talks on the proposed Mattamy Homes single-family development… The council will discuss the matter in an executive session [tonight].” Jordan Rose, founder and president of Rose Law Group: “Right now we are just hopeful —  given the city’s often repeated goals of developing a great downtown — that out of the e-session there will emerge some diplomacy allowing discussions to occur and Mattamy to build a great community in Surprise.” YourWestValley. http://bit.ly/2vFvMYt

Big crowd expected when Casa Grande council discusses Dreamport zoning, taxes. (Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents The Block Sports Group.) “Wednesday, the Casa Grande City Council will consider rezoning nearly 1,500 acres along [I-8] into a planned area development to include Dreamport Villages, a proposed extreme sports park.” (Or as the caption under a MIND-BLOWING rendering in PinalCentral describes it: “A sun-drenched land of rides, attractions and hotels.”) With the large crowd expected, “overflow seating” will be available.” Can’t make the special meeting? Catch it on “Cox Channel 11 in Casa Grande” at 5:30 p.m. http://bit.ly/2fJ3tEF

[LETTER TO THE EDITOR] Town Center Plan update: Your input is important, Cott says. “Several revisions of the plan have occurred since 1994. Each revision and subsequent adoption included extensive public outreach to understand the public’s vision of how [Queen Creek’s] Town Center should develop.” As a way of highlighting the importance of public input, Economic Development director Doreen Cott tracks the ever-evolving Town Center Plan — from its inception in ‘94, to some of the elements included in the “final draft scheduled to go to the town council in October.” In Queen Creek Independent. http://bit.ly/2wNaBDW

Maricopa housing options center of debate at ‘Councilmember on the Corner.’ “[On Saturday] during ‘Councilman on the Corner,’ a public forum held regularly by Councilman Henry Wade,” residents wrangled over the “idea of multi-family housing” in their city. “Some residents argued the apartment and condominium units would bring down property values and attract crime,” while others “who support the idea fired back.” inMaricopa. http://bit.ly/2uZfyaH

Maricopa’s rebound continues with Edison Pointe groundbreaking. “Back in the depths of the Great Recession, Maricopa was… dubbed ‘A Paradise Lost’ by the Wall Street Journal due to all the abandoned home developments. Now this booming city… is once again the state’s fastest growing community… But all that residential growth has come at a high cost”: “[It] is now one of the most underserved communities in the state when it comes to retail and entertainment… Enter Edison Pointe,” which should go a long way in changing that. AZRE. http://bit.ly/2wNqXN8

Challenger Space Center’s building in Peoria has new owner. “The Peoria Unified School District will take over the building… that… housed the Arizona Challenger Space Center… To acquire the building, the district will swap two vacant lots — one on 75th Avenue near Greenway… and one near 89th and Orangewood avenues…” As for the Challenger Space Center, AZCentral reports that it “has not yet secured a new home.”  http://bit.ly/2uLS89t

[VIDEO] 20 Cities in 20 Days: Avondale is a growing community. Segments in this installment of the azfamily news feature include: A trip to downtown Avondale, a stop at Wild Willy’s “haunted” Cantina, plus a look at the big changes underway at Zoomtown USA. (“It’s tough to talk about Avondale without talking about Phoenix International Raceway.”) http://bit.ly/2uZd5NA

Arizona city one of best US places to move before it gets too popular. “Bisbee was one of 15 cities to appear on the list compiled by Thrillist. The lifestyle [site] said it asked dozens of writers to choose from any American city with a population under 70,000 in which to put down roots. Going by the description alone, it’s a wonder Bisbee’s 5,000 or so residents have not seen a flood of U-Hauls pouring into the southern Arizona town.” KTAR. http://bit.ly/2i2Rfr8

Pollack: The economy keeps rolling along. However, the Monday Morning Quarterback warns that without “advancement of the Trump economic and tax agendas… any hope for improving from the current [‘moderate’] rate of economic growth will evaporate.” This week’s “Snapshots” include: U.S.: Unemployment Claims (charted), GDP Expectations, Labor Productivity, Consumer Prices & Credit. AZ: Single Family Listings & Prices – Greater Phoenix & Tucson. http://bit.ly/2i3Vpz6

How to incorporate custom-built homes into a master planned community. “BUILDER recently spoke to Thom Cunningham, vice president of Crescent Communities, about incorporating custom-built homes into a master planned community. It’s a practice that Crescent executes in its Oakland Park community outside Orlando.” http://bit.ly/2vFHeTT

SURPRISE RESIGNATION – District 3’s Williams resigns from Council. “[This morning], Surprise District 3 Councilmember John Williams… submitted a letter of resignation from the City Council effectively immediately. Williams… was re-elected last fall to begin a new four-year team January 1, 2017…Williams noted his decision for resigning in his letter… sent to the City Council and City Manager.” Read it here: http://bit.ly/2x1kmhd

Cameron’s $5M + deals of the day – http://bit.ly/2x18mMR

Republicans making progress on longtime goal for more local control of federal lands. “As the new Republican-dominated House convened in early January, anticipating the arrival of President Trump, the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee declared it time for a ‘paradigm shift” in how the more than 25% of the country that is owned by the federal government is managed. Almost eight months into an all-Republican-led effort, it’s clear that shift is under way.” USA TODAY. http://bit.ly/2x1EO1I

Poll: Protecting the Arizona environment should be given priority, even at the risk of slowing economic growth. “Arizona’s parks, preserves, forests and open spaces are important.” Agree? Disagree? Think they’re very important? Somewhat important? Or do you think it’s a silly question? That was just one of several questions “800 Arizonans” answered in a poll “conducted for the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust in conjunction with The Arizona Republic.” The poll “found overwhelming support for preserving Arizona’s natural resources.” Get the results here: http://bit.ly/2uYPvAk

Western dairymen, alfalfa growers locked in economic survival mode.“Veteran California alfalfa market specialist Seth Hoyt… discuss[es] lower milk prices and their role in efforts by dairymen to push alfalfa hay prices lower.” In this report from Western FarmPress, “Hoyt also touche[s] on what he calls his three ‘Big If’s’ which if they occurred could lead to an increase in alfalfa prices,” with one of the “If’s” being “further expansion of U.S. alfalfa hay exports to China and Saudi Arabia.” http://bit.ly/2wNgYr6

ASU professor says denuclearization of North Korea unlikely without war. “‘If we stick with our strategic end-state being denuclearization, then we’re talking war and limited strikes are not going to take care of the problem if we decide truly we cannot live with a nuclear North Korea,” Scott Silverstone, a senior fellow with the school’s Center on the Future of War, said.” And the “chances of the issue being resolved through diplomatic means”? Silverstone says “slim to none.” Makes you want to jump for joy, doesn’t it? More on this bit of uplifting news at KTAR. http://bit.ly/2wbaQei

Poll after ‘Obamacare’ vote: McCain is more popular with Dems than GOP. “[Sen. John McCain] has a favorability rating of 71 percent with Democrats, according to a Gallup poll out Monday. That number is 20 points higher than the favorability rating he has with Republicans, who give him a 51 percent approval rating.” Any plan to “switch parties”? McCain: “It will be a cold day in Gila Bend.” (Hey, so maybe Sen. McCain has been a closet Dem all along! — or at least since 1963 — because that’s when Gila Bend dropped to its all-time chilliest temp: 10 °F.) USA TODAY. http://bit.ly/2fIH3U0

Arizona congressmen slam proposed VA cuts to unemployability benefit ‘You’ve seen the suicide rate high now? Wait until this happens.’ That’s the reaction of “Chuck Byers, chief service officer for the Arizona chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America” to the “proposed cutting [of] the [Individual Unemployability] benefit for vets once they are eligible for Social Security.”  Meanwhile, in a letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, “Arizona Democratic Reps. Tom O’Halleran of Sedona, Ruben Gallego of Phoenix and Raul Grijalva of Tucson called the cuts ‘short-sighted.’” Cronkite News. http://bit.ly/2vB56K1

The brain cancer that keeps killing baseball players. Four Philadelphia Phillies’ ballplayers “who played at Veterans Stadium, the team’s home from 1971 to 2003 — have died of glioblastoma… the most aggressive and frequently diagnosed form of malignant brain tumor… Phillies from that era are curious, some even unnerved, about whether there is any connection between brain cancer and baseball. In particular, they wonder if there is any association with Veterans Stadium, which was built on marshland and was demolished in 2004.”The New York Times. http://bit.ly/2x1v07N

Trump ‘seriously considering’ a pardon for ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio. “Arpaio, 85, was convicted… of misdemeanor contempt of court for willfully disregarding an Arizona judge’s order in 2011 to stop the anti-immigrant traffic patrols.” On Sunday, President Trump told Fox News, “I am seriously considering a pardon for Sheriff Arpaio… He has done a lot in the fight against illegal immigration. He’s a great American patriot and I hate to see what has happened to him.’” Trump said the pardon could happen in the next few days, should he decide to do so. http://bit.ly/2uMfETH