Zombies rumbling back to life in DWTN PHX. “Two projects [200 W. Monroe St. and Block 24—Residence at Collier Center] that languished at death’s doorstep for years have rumbled back to life, carrying on a pace of downtown development activity that is anything but apocalyptic.” AZBEX. http://bit.ly/2GOTp5c
Van Buren land sold for housing. “Cardinal Capital bought the [‘1.65-acre site on Van Buren and 29th streets ] from CKC Corp… The land was home to an old hotel, which has been demolished.” Deal and development generalities available in this PBJpaywall piece. http://bit.ly/2t84Rar
Fancy living: Scottsdale ranked among top five cities for luxury homes. <— That according to “a recent report from Coldwell-Banker,” which found that “the median monthly inventory list price for single-family homes in the area was $2.2 million, while condos will run closer to $663,000. However, those luxury homes often stay on the market for a while…” See exactly how long, plus access the complete Coldwell-Banker report at KTAR. http://bit.ly/2BTND37
Single-family home sales start 2018 lower. “[S]ales of new single-family homes fell by 7.8 percent over the month of January.” It is “the second consecutive decrease in new home sales” and one which “coincides with an increase in interest rates.” Data charted and graphed, plus info on what a correlation between decreased home sales and increased interest rates may mean — in Eye On Housing. http://bit.ly/2HM6uxv
SmartAsset names the healthiest housing markets for 2018. In finding “the healthiest housing markets in the country,” SmartAsset “considered the following four factors: stability, affordability, fluidity and risk of loss.” Check out the heat-map results for Arizona, in SmartAsset via Builder. http://bit.ly/2EXduWB
8 hot markets for millennials, Gen X, boomers. “Millennial Meccas, Gen X Hot Spots, and Boomer Boomtowns… Realtor.com® found the hottest locations for each age cohort” — and PHOENIX is on fire when it comes to one of these demos. Find out which one in REALTORMag. http://bit.ly/2orLcgL
2018’s Property Taxes by State. “[W]hich states have the largest property tax load, and what should residents keep in mind when it comes to meeting and minimizing their tax obligations? In search of answers, [WalletHub] analyzed the 50 states and the District of Columbia in terms of real-estate and vehicle property taxes,” [and it] also asked a panel of property-tax experts for practical and political insight.” http://bit.ly/2BUdMPb
553KSF distribution center planned. “Trammell Crow Company has submitted a rezoning request [for ‘A1 Light Industrial’] to the City of Phoenix for 37.8 acres on South 59th Avenue south of Lower Buckeye Road to build [the] speculative distribution center project… Zoning staff had several stipulations along with their recommendation for approval.” Why so many conditions? AZBEX. http://bit.ly/2sXSs8N
Caliber buys up buildings to give Downtown Mesa a makeover. “Caliber, The Wealth Development Company purchased 100,000 square feet of property” — “eight historic buildings along Main Street between Country Club Drive and Center Street.” View an aerial of the buildings and find out what Caliber has planned for its “$7.625 million purchase,” at AzBigMedia. http://bit.ly/2EZUNBI
Landmark restaurant Don & Charlie’s could be razed for new Scottsdale hotel. (WHAAAT!?!) • Don Carson has signed a letter of intent to close Don & Charlie’s to make way for a new hotel (Could it really be curtains for “charred baby backs, don’s way”?!) • If the proposal goes through, Don & Charlie’s would close sometime after May 2019 (SAY IT ISN’T SO!!!) • Carson is in negotiations to possibly reopen a smaller version of the restaurant in the new hotel. (Whew.) • The story along with pics of food, at AZCentral. http://bit.ly/2oArTBa
Construction boom across Arizona keeps electrical contractors busy — but they’re short on skilled labor. With the expectation that activity will continue to increase for “another four or five years,” some “industry members are predicting labor shortages and competitive raising rates amid the boom.” Says one business owner on the worker shortage: “There’s no end in sight…” Phoenix Business Journal (Subscriber Content). http://bit.ly/2t3trsO
ULI Trends Day 2018: Inform, inspire, involve. “ULI Arizona’s 13th annual Trends Day, held at the J.W. Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa and titled “Inform Inspire Involve,” highlighted a theme that some of the best ideas to build us up are not just on earth, but are also in the way we think.” AzBigMedia has a recap of the event, which includes a “first quick hit” that “blew away the audience.” http://bit.ly/2oBjvRK
THE HONT FOR WATER – More can be done to address our water problem, it just takes more money. So says Nick Hont, “a civil engineer who was formerly director of Mohave County Development Services.” Hont “wants to put in an injection well” at Kingman’s Monsoon Park water detention basin “to help recharge the Hualapai Valley Basin aquifer.” Kingman Daily Miner reports, however, that “the cost of an injection well to recharge treated wastewater into the aquifer is about $1 million.” And that’s just for starters. http://bit.ly/2ouFTwS
Dodge: January construction starts fall 2%, sign of ‘decelerating expansion.’ Among the factors: A “15% decrease in overall starts for public works projects; more specifically, a 34% plunge in highway and bridge construction.” The “Dive Brief” and “Insight” on this non-slide slip, in ConstructionDIVE. http://bit.ly/2HQhMRr
Flagstaff cabin is the most-wished for property on Airbnb in the state.“Travel and Leisure compiled data provided by Airbnb to list the most-wished forproperties for each state and [a] 2-bedroom, 1970s-era cabin [N.E. of central Flag] was selected as the standout for Arizona.” See it in a SLIDESHOW at KTAR. http://bit.ly/2EZGzVu
Website rates Gilbert as hardest-working city in Arizona. “WalletHub rated the Phoenix suburb No. 24 on a list of 116 American cities where hustle and sweat were a way of life.” How researchers “arrived at their findings” and where other Valley cities popped up on the list, at KTAR. http://bit.ly/2GOXciW
The Satanic Temple files discrimination lawsuit against city of Scottsdale. Today, Dealmaker kicked things off with a report that referenced “zombies.” We now bookend things with a Scottsdale Independent story on some civic-minded devil worshipers: “The Satanic Temple has filed a lawsuit against the city of Scottsdale alleging religious discrimination following the city’s refusal to allow TST to deliver an invocation prior to a City Council meeting.” Needless to say, it’s been a weird news day. http://bit.ly/2CpaJj4
Cameron’s $5M + deals of the day – http://bit.ly/2CMIsP8
U.S. Supreme Court rejects Tucson woman’s argument in gay marriage, child custody matter; “message is clear” says Rose Law Group family attorney Audra Petrolle. “Without comment the justices rejected a bid by Kimberly McLaughlin to deny shared custody of her biological child with Suzan McLaughlin, who she was legally married to at the time of the child’s birth.” By Capitol Media Services’ Howard Fischer in Arizona Daily Star. RLG’s Audra Petrolle on the Court’s “message”: “Same sex couples are entitled to the same rights, benefits, and privileges attendant to marriage as heterosexual couples. Immutable characteristics such as biology are not relevant…” (Meanwhile… “U.S. Supreme Court will take up Mount Lemmon Fire District age-discrimination case.”) http://bit.ly/2EYyAUl
Arizona, 19 other states sue Trump Administration over Obamacare’s individual mandate — again. States contend “‘in a complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Texas… that since Congress repealed the individual mandate’s tax penalty for not having coverage, that means the mandate itself — and the whole health care law — is invalid.” POLITICO. http://bit.ly/2BU83sU
‘Worst trade deal’ could add 63,000 jobs to Arizona economy. “Economists have predicted that if President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to withdraw from [NAFTA, aka one of the ‘worst trade deals ever’] the U.S. could see widespread job losses.” OTOH, one economist concludes that removing “existingtrade barriers with Mexico… could create more than 700,000 new jobs — including 63,000 in Arizona — and add at least $69 billion to the U.S. economy.” AZCentral (In a RELATED item from KTAR: “Tribal leader repeats vow to fight Arizona-Mexico border wall.”). http://bit.ly/2F7gD9E
Candidate’s text messages roil race to replace congressman ousted in sexscandal. An NBC NEWS report on today’s “special election” and the race for a seat vacated by the scandal-ridden resignation of Rep. Trent Franks — and involving “Franks’ hand-picked successor,” Steve Montenegro, a candidate also plagued by scandal. Valley PR heavyweight and political consultant Jason Rose weighs in with these thoughts: “There was a movie once upon a time called ‘Dumb and Dumber’…This is a race that should be called weird and weirder.” http://bit.ly/2BTR9KR
Ducey indicates he’ll try to steer his re-election race away from national themes and Trump. “My job is in the state capitol and the 15 counties in the state of Arizona, not on the East Coast,” said Gov. Doug Ducey over the weekend, at the National Governors Association meeting in WASHINGTON. CNN takes a look at some of “what’s at stake” in this year’s “36 gubernatorial contests.” http://bit.ly/2HR3D6H
Firearms-related deaths increase among Arizona children. “As the nation continued to grieve the loss of 17 high school students in the Feb. 14 mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, Cronkite News took a look into how many deaths among Arizona children involve firearms.” The grim stats here: http://bit.ly/2t4zOwa
