Apex Motor Club returns to P&Z for new permit. (Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents APEX Motor Sports.) “Fresh off victories in court, the officers of Apex Motor Club were back before Maricopa [P&Z] on Monday seeking a development review permit.” Details on the permit application, which P&Z “staff described as ‘substantially compliant’ with the zoning code,” at InMaricopa. http://bit.ly/2wWvc7Y
See where home prices are jumping the most and what indicators are flattening. “The home price index is up 13.5 percent the past year in Seattle, 7.6 percent in Portland and 7.4 percent in Las Vegas.” However, we wouldn’t have slotted this report on the S&P Corelogic Case-Shiller HPI so far near the top of today’s lineup if it didn’t focus (primarily) on Phoenix. So check out the local data at PBJ. http://bit.ly/2xG9cBI
Millennial home buyers shy away from Ahwatukee prices. “While Chandler and Gilbert are attracting millennials, Ahwatukee is not a primary market to those buyers…” But it’s not just higher home prices that make “Ahwatukee unappealing to millennial and first-time buyers.” See what other factors are at play in Ahwatukee Foothills News. http://bit.ly/2yH0q54
U.S. new-home sales declined in August. “Purchases of newly built single-family homes fell 3.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 560,000 in August… the second straight monthly decline and hitting their lowest level since December. That was below the 591,000 sales pace that economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected.” More on the latest Commerce Department report here: http://bit.ly/2xx9BqN
Labor pain and labor training: A modest proposal. Builder’s John McManus argues for “amp[ing] up the power of attraction… when it comes to bringing fresh young people into the construction trades… by cross-training with an emphasis on tech skills.” http://bit.ly/2xBb3WN
Overcoming the skeptics: Lenda CEO on reimagining homeownership with online mortgages. “What makes Lenda stand out is that it eliminates the middleman in the mortgage process — like TurboTax does with tax filings — to complete loans faster, without paperwork and for less money. HousingWire talks with CEO Jason van den Brand about Lenda, and how the “industry still hasn’t wholly embraced the idea of an online mortgage.” http://bit.ly/2ythQRH
FBI, SEC look into business practices of country’s largest ‘green’ lender. “Investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Securities and Exchange Commission are looking into business practices at Renovate America Inc., the largest provider of energy-saving home-improvement loans, according to people familiar with the matter and documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.” (Note: This piece from the WSJ is subscriber content.) http://bit.ly/2fqfdIW
University of Phoenix phasing out around 20 campuses. According to this Phoenix New Times EXCLUSIVE, the “university will phase out on-campus enrollment and teaching at around 20 locations,” from ‘Washington, DC., all the way over to California.’” http://bit.ly/2wXcr4a
Residents opposing Scottsdale’s Desert EDGE proposal sue city. “At issue: whether or not… voters should have a say in the final decision on whether or not a desert-appreciation venue gets built within McDowell Sonoran Preserve boundaries and a growing fear any project approval can set a precedent for commercial development within protected lands.” Scottsdale Independent has more on the legal action along with a statement issued by McDowell Sonoran Conservancy on why “it doesn’t support the proposal.” http://bit.ly/2wWzHzo
How did Phoenix fare in Avison Young CRE review? “Avison Young has released its Fall 2017 North America and Europe Commercial Real Estate Investment Review.” AZRE has the Phoenix rundown. –> http://bit.ly/2xKuLBr
ASU Sun Devil Stadium renovation costs expected to top $307 million. “Documents presented to the Arizona Board of Regents… ask the board to approve [an additional $38.9 million], bringing the total project cost to $307 million and pushing back the expected completion date… Renovations… were originally projected to cost $225 million,” but a “student athletic building” and “unforeseen site conditions… pushed costs to to $268 million.” Additionally, this AZCentral report has a fascinating time-lapse showing the eight-month rebuild of the stadium’s west side, all crammed into a 2-minute video, which probably cost a pretty penny as well! http://bit.ly/2xFCGzx
NOT EXACTLY $307 MILLION, BUT… Scottsdale spending nearly $1M to rework Giants’ spring training home. “Chris Walsh, the director of the city’s parks and recreation department, said a new half-field would be added, parts of the parking lot would be reconfigured and the original field would be improved.” BTW, what is a “half-field”? Will it mean “ground-rule singles”? Will hitting a double-bagger mean that a player has “touched ‘em all”? Will it also mean having to play with only four-and-a-half players? (Not sure how to get half-a-player, unless, perhaps, “shortstop” is taken literally.) Head to Scottsdale Independent for the full answer. http://bit.ly/2yamwzC
260+ room Westin planned for Tempe. “The [18-story] project will feature between 260-290 rooms, 1,800SF of retail space, 1,400SF of restaurant and 12KSF of conference area. The total planned building area is nearly 277KSF on 0.85 acres… The address, east of Mill Avenue and north of University Drive, had been previously planned for The Standard at Tempe, a 26-story 582KSF mixed-use site with 355 student housing units…” Further details plus rendering of CAI Investments’ proposed project at AZBEX. http://bit.ly/2wVK6QC
Coolidge City Council gives green light for Sunshine Annexation. “The decision brings half of a 257-acre solar farm into the city limits… [But] the move to approve the annexation did not sit well with NextEra Energy, which owns the Pinal Central Energy plant slated for construction along State Route 287 and Sunshine Boulevard.” Coolidge Examiner. http://bit.ly/2fz1G5D
Cave Creek general plan input includes ‘point of contention.’ Desert Rural zoning vs. equestrian lifestyle, i.e., “three Hs — ‘horses, Harleys and hot rods.’” The “common good” vs. “private property rights.” Dirt vs. hard surface roads. The east side vs. the west side of town. Water districts vs. trails. Not to oppugn the accuracy of the headline of this Sonoran News piece, but it seems there’s more than just one“point of contention” included in its recap of Cave Creek’s “final public input session for revising… elements of the town’s general plan.” –> http://bit.ly/2wlIPhg
‘O SAY CAN YOU… PLEASE STAND? – Fulton Homes commercial hits back at NFL players protesting during national anthem. (Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Fulton Homes.) The Tempe-based homebuilder has “joined the debate of NFL players protesting during the national anthem Monday night with a commercial called ‘Stand.’” WATCH it here: http://bit.ly/2xKVUo0
Ducey criticizes athletes taking knee during National Anthem. “Gov. Doug Ducey added his voice Tuesday to those… criticizing athletes who ‘take a knee’ during the Star-Spangled Banner.” Gov. Ducey: “I don’t think the anthem is a time for activism.” And the governor has more to say on the matter, in this report from Capitol Media Services’ Howard Fischer in Arizona Daily Sun. http://bit.ly/2yHt4Tp
Study finds 1 in 5 public school teacher positions unfilled. “The survey released Tuesday by the Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association of 135 school districts and charter schools found that they began the year with more than 7,000 vacancies.” And, in what could arguably be the ultimate example of “We’re done here,” Howard Fischer reports in Arizona Capitol Times that “more than 500 teachers have resigned so far this year, some simply by abandoning their positions and walking away.” (RELATED articles: “Arizona is worst state in nation for teacher pay, friendliness, studies find” at KTAR; “About 18 percent of Arizona schools will get ‘A’ grade under new ranking system” and “526 Arizona teachers have already quit this year” — both at AZCentral.) http://bit.ly/2xxKHY6
Ducey: Immediate health care fix more important than ‘procedure.’ “Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act formally fizzled Tuesday and Gov. Doug Ducey said [Sen. John McCain] and his desire for ‘procedure’ is at least partly to blame… [McCain] based his objections not so much on what was in the Graham-Cassidy plan… but the fact that [Senate Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell was trying to fast-track the legislation with minimal hearings…” McCain’s objections didn’t sit well with Ducey, who “took a slap of sorts at the senator.” In Arizona Capitol Times. http://bit.ly/2wkXrh9
American government lacks young blood. “Today, just 17 percent of federal workers are under 35 years old… And more than a quarter of federal employees are now older than 55… Given the stereotypes about government employees, it’s easy to assume that federal worker protections have led to a vast army of aging-in-place bureaucrats who simply can’t be removed. But [experts in this POLITICO analysis] say the problem is more complicated than that, and more troubling for good governance.” http://bit.ly/2hypbMx
What are cities spending big on? Increasingly, it’s debt. “When citizens think about where local taxpayer money goes, they often assume it pays for things like public safety, snow removal and trash collection — routine operating expenses that come with running any big city.” But as Governing notes in its report (which includes data for Phoenix and other cities): “Many have gotten themselves into a fiscal squeeze paying bills they ran up decades ago.” http://bit.ly/2xxv7M9
