EXCLUSIVE: Breaking – Arizona State Land Dept., Aloravita, Shea, Pulte, Taylor Morrison close Westside deal. (Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Aloravita.) Get all the details in Rose Law Group Reporter. http://bit.ly/2zdpQ9N
Casa Grande panel hears plans for ‘Resort Parkway’ leading to Dreamport Villages. (Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents The Block Sports Group.) “Casa Grande [P&Z] held a public hearing regarding amending zoning for several parcels that would eventually house Resort Parkway, a north-south thoroughfare connecting Dreamport Villages to Florence Boulevard.” Cameron Carter, Rose Law Group partner and director of its Transactional Real Estate Dept., says that “Block Sports has a ‘financial interest in each property’ it is seeking the zone changes on.” For an overview of the recent hearing along with a map of the possible route for the Resort Parkway, click to Casa Grande Dispatch. http://bit.ly/2zewr3F
[OPINION] Why I support Propositions 416, 417 for new roads, freeways (Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents a coalition of property and business owners throughout Pinal County working to bring new transportation infrastructure to the county.) In a “Letter to the Editor” at Apache Junction Independent, Pinal County supervisor Todd House lays out reasons for supporting the two propositions, calling them “a very small price to pay — a monthly cost of less than half the price of a bottle aspirin… for very big benefits for [his] district of Apache Junction, Gold Canyon and parts of San Tan Valley.” http://bit.ly/2ylvc5X
‘BOBS’ FOR PROPS –Two former Casa Grande mayors endorse Pinal road proposition. “[F]ormer Casa Grande mayors [both named ‘Bob’ — Bob Mitchell and Bob Jackson] have come out in support of two propositions designed to provide money for Pinal County roads.” Mitchell: “[T]he county needs ‘more than rooftops’ to get ahead in the economic development arena.” Jackson: “This is a 20-year plan… Setting it in motion now will allow these roads to be built over time.” Casa Grande Dispatch. http://bit.ly/2yNXln5
Supervisor, mayor battle ‘misinformation’ on Prop 416. “During a Maricopa Chamber of Commerce breakfast, [Pinal County Supervisor Anthony Smith and Maricopa Mayor Christian Price] detailed the project’s relevance to Maricopa, including the addition of lanes to State Route 347 and the proposed East-West Corridor.” InMaricopa reports that they also “urged local business owners to ‘solve the problem of misinformation out there’ regarding transportation Propositions 416 and 417.” http://bit.ly/2zdy69W
Western Arizona tribes could lease Colorado River water to areas thirsty for development. “The 4,500 people of the Mohave, Chemehuevi, Navajo and Hopi tribes who belong to the Colorado River Indian Tribes, or CRIT, are hoping to profit by leasing some of that water to the rest of Arizona for the first time.” AZCentral reports, however, that the “plan is filled with complications” both “legal and logistical.” http://bit.ly/2xLftOo
When the sun goes down: Mandalay Homes launches home energy storage project. Last week, real estate developer Mandalay Homes announced a plan to build up to 4,000 ultra energy-efficient homes — including 2,900 in Prescott, Arizona — that will feature 8 kilowatt-hour batteries from German maker Sonnen, as reported in The Wall Street Journal. Tap to Rose Law Group Reporter to read more about what could be the biggest home energy-storage project in the U.S. http://bit.ly/2xJG8Gd
Gosar helping La Paz County with 8,000 acre solar farm. “A bipartisan bill to foster economic development and job creation in rural Arizona has moved forward to a committee hearing, Rep. Paul Gosar said in a statement… This bill, H.R. 2620, will allow La Paz County to buy 8,000 acres from the Bureau of Land Management at fair market value to use for solar energy development.” The Daily Miner. http://bit.ly/2gdZ5KO
Sober-living facility leaving Paradise Valley; home for sale for $1.1 million; Jordan Rose, founder and president of Rose Law Group, weighs in on ‘bad actors.’ “The house, located at 6710 East Fanfol Drive [and currently operating ‘under the auspices of Pinnacle Peak Recovery’], is listed for sale after prompting a complaint from the Town of Paradise Valley and concerns from neighbors.” Phoenix New Times also reports that the “co-owner of Pinnacle Peak Recovery… was previously convicted of an attempt to defraud a bank, raising concerns in the mind of neighbors. The questionable Facebook history of a house manager didn’t help, either.” Jordan Rose: “The number of bad actors we’re seeing across the Valley in this industry is astounding. The good news is that in most cases there are ways communities can either limit these uses to a minimal impact or stop them altogether in residential neighborhoods.” http://bit.ly/2xJ8l4R
House flipping is back and growing in the East Valley. “The volume of flipped homes in the East Valley was up 23 percent between July 2016 and July 2017, which is 3 percent higher than the activity bump in the Phoenix Metro as a whole.” Factors that have brought back flipping, plus areas where “flippers are seeing the highest percentage return,” in East Valley Tribune. http://bit.ly/2kSRnv3
Will Arizona home prices sway Amazon’s search for second headquarters? “Amazon has specified a few key criteria in the search… What the company hasn’t specified is moderate housing prices for the employees it will relocate and the staff it will hire.” But as this report from AZCentral notes, “it’s hard to see how home values won’t factor into the equation… If Amazon does wind up considering housing, a few statistics stand out.” –> http://bit.ly/2gILufi
Hearing on Barrister alley set for next Wednesday. Urban Phoenix Project Director and President Sean Sweat calls alleys “an important feature of downtown Phoenix.” Downtown Devil reports on how the Urban Phoenix Project is “challenging [the city’s] decision from September to abandon the alley [near the historic Barrister Building] for use as part of a Crescent Bay Holdings residential condominium development.” http://bit.ly/2zdcHxj
Local rules and affordable housing options. “So polarizing are granular details of residential development at the neighborhood level, that even people on the same page politically on nearly every value, every social issue, and every economic theme are ready to throttle one another when it comes to conversation about new local housing.” By John McManus in Builder. http://bit.ly/2ztQFr0
Trends in single-family flooring. Home Innovation Research Labs market researcher, Ed Hudson, drills down into the “fluctuating flooring market” — from Carpeting and Hardwood to Laminate and Natural Stone — at Linkedin. http://bit.ly/2wZELUu
Hines to add curb appeal and convenience to 24th at Camelback campus.“As part of the renovation, tenant guests will gain more convenient access to the buildings and be greeted by refreshed landscaping. The circular drive between the two office buildings is being removed to accommodate 16 new surface, 30-minute visitor parking spaces.” More on the “nearly $1 million” makeover in REDNews. http://bit.ly/2zsMDPZ
Phoenix industrial market on pace for another all-time high. <– That, according to “the new Q3 Phoenix Industrial Insight report just released by the Phoenix office of JLL. The last peak came in 2005, when the market absorbed 7.9 million square feet of industrial space during a single calendar year.” Get highlights and access the complete JLL report at REDNews. http://bit.ly/2igWxjz
Gilbert axes Big League Dreams contract as court battles heat up. “The Town Council axed the park operator’s contract… a third of the way through the 30-year deal… The town said the park operator, Big League Dreams Gilbert, mismanaged and improperly maintained the ballpark [at Elliot and Power road].” Here’s the KEY brushback QUOTE, which was delivered in a town court filing: “[Big League Dreams’] business model only works by running the public facility into the ground.” Find out if there’s any more chin music where that came from, in AZCentral. http://bit.ly/2xLknuM
[EDITORIAL] San Tan Valley incorporation. “Some San Tan Valley residents have waited a long time for a chance to become a city and not just a sprawling part of Pinal County. A new state law gives them an opportunity, removing the ability of nearby, less-populated municipalities to block the effort.” PinalCentral applauds backers of the cityhood movement for “taking an intelligent, well-thought-out approach.” http://bit.ly/2ggyVY6
Chamber members hear about development projects in Eloy. “[At a recent chamber luncheon], Jon Vlaming, Eloy’s community development director, presented 10 different projects that will be going on in the city in the near future.” Get details on the projects in Eloy Enterprise. http://bit.ly/2xJkXEm
Council hires Applied Economics as Kingman East interchange project consultants. “City Council voted Friday to approve an agreement with Applied Economics to present a plan to request funding from Arizona Department of Transportation for the Interstate 11 East Kingman Connection Project. The city will make a presentation to ADOT and Gov. Doug Ducey in November requesting $20 million to fund the Kingman Crossing and Rattlesnake Wash interchanges on I-40.” The Daily Miner. http://bit.ly/2hJUhxe
AZBEX Public Works Conference keynote: Federal impact on Arizona.The keynote address of the 2017 AZBEX Public Works Conference featured an open interview between AZBEX Editor Roland Murphy and Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters.” The conversation was wide-ranging, but check out what Peters says about “Arizona’s ability to influence transportation decisions” at the federal level. –> http://bit.ly/2xKdWrE
Most livable: America’s 50 best cities to live in. “24/7 Wall St. created an index of over three dozen socioeconomic measures to identify the 50 best American cities to live in” — and Gilbert nearly cracked the top 10! The rankings in USA Today. http://bit.ly/2yq64ZD
10 best markets for raising a family. “SmartAsset… determined the best cities to buy large family homes by analyzing six main metrics,” and it found that “[h]omes in Arizona may be the best deal for a family’s budget.” (And in this study, Gilbert eeeasily cracked the top 10 — as did two other Valley cities.) Highlights and link to the full SmartAsset report in REALTORMag. http://bit.ly/2gmPqoT
Where are the boomers? Probably in the garage with the grandkids (somewhere in Florida or Arizona). “Sponsored by PulteGroup, Inc., the Del Webb Baby Boomer Survey explored home buying habits of the 55+ buyer… According to the survey, 28% indicated that Florida is their preferred destination for retirement, followed Arizona (11%)”; and they also want that home “to be near their grandchildren with the number one home feature being a multi-car garage with plenty of storage.” Builder. http://bit.ly/2ymjJ6f
Cameron’s $5M + deals of the day – http://bit.ly/2xKjVga
Phoenix ranks 15th among worst cities for traffic. “Los Angeles, which tops the overall INRIX ranking, has 10 of the 25 worst traffic hotspots in America, costing L.A. drivers an estimated $91 billion over the next 10 years.” See where the leading ‘hotspot’ in the Valley is, in Rose Law Group Reporter –> http://bit.ly/2yrQ49u
Arizona, VW to be examined for consumer fraud regarding “clean diesel” campaign. “Attorneys for Volkswagen are telling a judge the firm can’t be found guilty of consumer fraud and fined potentially hundreds of millions of dollars because its now-disproved claims of the cleanliness of the diesel vehicles it was selling were just promotional ‘puffery.’ ” Capitol Media Services Howard Fischer looks into these “new court filings,” in Arizona Capitol Times. http://bit.ly/2kTDGfg
New uranium mines: No simple answer. “The stories about the impacts of Cold War-era uranium mining on the Navajo Nation became highly personal during a [recent] forum hosted at the Museum of Northern Arizona… Among most at the forum, the thinking was obvious: Allowing more mining around the Grand Canyon is opening the door to repeating past mistakes. But as it stands, researchers haven’t yet determined if data from soils, waters and living inhabitants largely supports or refutes such a fear.” Arizona Daily Sun. http://bit.ly/2xJuwTP
Why are more American teenagers than ever suffering from extreme anxiety? “Parents, therapists and schools are struggling to figure out whether helping anxious teenagers means protecting them or pushing them to face their fears.” The New York Times. http://bit.ly/2x11SOp
Arizona urges Senate to rein in unelected bureaucracy. “Arizona has joined a coalition of 13 states in urging Congress to curb the authority of federal agencies to create and enforce regulations… The letter [sent to Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnel] states that the Obama-era executive overreach demonstrates that existing congressional, judicial, and other structural checks on the regulatory state have proven inadequate.” Arizona Daily Independent. http://bit.ly/2kTpdzR
SPEAKING OF ‘OVERREACH’… GOP lawmaker drafts bill requiring journalists to register with police. “[Indiana State Rep. Jim Lucas] is taking aim at journalists for what he says is ‘irresponsible’ coverage, proposing that they are fingerprinted and licensed to practice. ‘If you’re OK licensing my Second Amendment right, what’s wrong with licensing your First Amendment right?’ ” The Hill has more on the bill, which Rep. Lucas says “is really about gun rights.” http://bit.ly/2gmWnqm
Investigating the 10 best journalism schools for undergrads; where is ASU? Find out where ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication ranks among “the ten best journalism schools for students seeking both a great undergraduate experience and to enhance job prospects out of college.” In TESTIVE. http://bit.ly/2zsIiMq
Low-rated, failing schools risk loss of money, have hoops to jump through. “Nearly 200 schools statewide received either a D or F grade under the state’s new school rating system.” Arizona Capitol Times reports that those scores “may leave schools wanting for additional dollars under the governor’s results-based funding plan, which favors high-performing schools, and officials will have to act if they don’t want to lose out on even more.” http://bit.ly/2ztfYJN
[FAKE NEWS] Rose Law Group Reporter wins national award for use of ‘news drones.’ If you enjoy having your leg pulled, check out this piece from Senior Reporter/Writer Phil Riske, who details how RLGR’s use of drones “drew the attention of an international awards committee.” http://bit.ly/2gfpLef
Kellyanne Conway morphed into pennywise on ‘SNL’ and it’s terrifying. “ ‘SNL’ turned Kellyanne Conway into the terrifying villain from Stephen King’s ‘It’ but, of course, with a spin. Kate McKinnon played Conway, or in this horror movie parody, Kellywise.” WATCH ‘It,’ and get the Huffington Post recap, here: http://bit.ly/2yNuNtO
