The Dealmaker: 6/28/2018

EXCLUSIVE: Phoenix okays Mattamy Homes plan for Camelback Ranch master-planned community. (Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Mattamy Homes.) Phoenix City Council on Wednesday voted 7-0 to change the General Plan and 6-1 to change the zoning to permit Mattamy Homes to move forward and develop its Camelback Ranch, 199-lot MPC. The development initially faced unanimous opposition, including from two MLB teams. But during months of discussions and negotiations, with Harry Lourimore and Kevin Rust shepherding the project, Mattamy was able to build consensus. Land use attorney for the case, Jordan Rose: “This is exactly what land use cases are supposed to be, the coming together of a variety of interests to make the community better.” Development details, sitemap, plus more on yesterday’s hearing — in Rose Law Group Reporter. http://bit.ly/2IzaArS

Senior facility at Ina Levine campus being considered. “A call for proposals” was recently announced for an “undeveloped 3-acre site” at the SW corner of the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus, located at 12701 N. Scottsdale Road. The RFP came after “a committee made up of real estate and business professionals evaluated different options for that parcel…” Jewish News has the details. http://bit.ly/2Kuhz7q

Yun: Spring was the season of ‘unmet expectations.’ “For the fifth consecutive month, pending home sales dropped in May — a sign that the recently ended spring buying season didn’t live up to the hype…” NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun: “It’s clear the summer months will be a true test for the housing market.” More from Yun on May’s 0.5 dip in REALTORMag. http://bit.ly/2yTwarI

[EDITORIAL] Use of state trust land. Pointing to news of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company’s plans for “a new regional headquarters and other development” in Scottsdale, on a parcel that’s “part of the state trust” and “in a floodplain,” PinalCentral urges folks to be “ready for some of the existing landscape to change” as similar development comes to Pinal County. http://bit.ly/2yMLZ3k

Save the Dells’ group pushes for 500-acre regional park in Granite Dells.With “Arizona Eco proposing a 3,300-home development,” Save the Dells is pushing to protect land “along the Peavine and Iron King trails near the Point of Rocks.” The Daily Courier reports that “[i]nterest in Arizona Eco’s plans has grown since a May meeting that attracted about 400 people.” At the most recent meeting, “more than 1,200” showed. http://bit.ly/2lH3HvZ

One home, multiple elevations. The design team at Professional Builder has put together a presentation showing how “it’s possible to produce multiple elevations for the same floor plan. With just the right amount of material and proportion variations, the facades could be placed side by side… creating varied and appealing streetscapes — and “with no hint of cookie cutter.”—> http://bit.ly/2lFLsXt

Self-storage facility construction begins in Desert Hills. “Grading began on the 17.25-acre vacant lot in Desert Hills about two weeks ago, grabbing the attention of many curious residents who live in the rural area.” But info on the project now underway at 7th and Carefree Highway was hard to come by. So, The Foothills Focusdug up “site plan documents from 2016” for Carefree Crossing. Here’s what it found: http://bit.ly/2lFBJAw

Amazon pays $11.6M for Tucson fulfillment center site. The “79.5-acre site at 6701 S Kolb Road in Tucson” is “within the 767-acre Century Park Research Center.” View the “Concept Site Plan” and get further details on the 1M+ sq.ft. facility at RED News. http://bit.ly/2IDAhro

Dicey proposition. When the Security Building opened at Central and Van Buren in 1928, it was “financed by a 15-person syndicate headed by power broker Dwight B. Heard, publisher of the then-Arizona Republican (and later founder of the Heard Museum). A half-century would pass before it was publicly revealed that the funds Heard’s syndicate used to finish the project came from… a scandalous financing scheme.” PHOENIX magazine. http://bit.ly/2Kqk2D4

Predicting the future of American cities. When it comes to “the question of which city will be the next Seattle,” conventional wisdom says retail is dead, infrastructure is a must, and millennials are changing everything. None of it true, says CBRE’s director of research, Spencer Levy, who bucks such conventional wisdom, characterizing it as overblown, overrated, and overhyped — in Forbes. http://bit.ly/2yQG9xR

Phoenix passes budget after killing it a week ago in light-rail fight. “The Phoenix City Council nearly unanimously approved its $4.4 billion budget Wednesday, three days before the budget is scheduled to take effect and seven days after rejecting the exact same budget.” So, what “has changed in the past week”? AZCentral looks into it. http://bit.ly/2KqxOCt

Goodyear welcomes Laura Kaino to City Council. In a post on its Facebook page, the City of Goodyear rolls out the welcome mat for its newest councilmember, Laura Kaino. Tap on to learn a little bit about soon-to-be (officially) Councilwoman Kaino — when she’ll be sworn in and how long she’ll get to hang on to the seat. http://bit.ly/2yRqqPa

Don’t miss anything… follow multiple winner of the Arizona Republic’s tweet of the week contest, and Senior Partner at Rose Law Group and Director of RLG Renewable Energy Department, Court Rich. http://bit.ly/Court_RichTwitter 

As a supplement to the Dealmaker, we thought you might enjoy these articles!

McSally lone Arizona vote for defeated immigration bill. The Border Security and Immigration Reform Act was “soundly defeated” in the House on Wednesday, 301-121. “Rep. Martha McSally, R-Tucson, was the only Arizona lawmaker to vote for the bill, with the state’s four other Republicans joining its four Democrats in opposition.” State lawmakers discuss what they view as deficiencies in the rejected reform bill in Cronkite News. http://bit.ly/2KdOWzn

Arizona could possibly be in a ‘mega drought,’ expert says. “Randy Cerveny, a climatologist with [ASU], said the state is coming off one of its driest winters in years and that it would take several big winters in a row — along with strong monsoon seasons — to end the drought.” (Also from KTAR: “Phoenix area among worst in nation for air pollution, study finds.”) http://bit.ly/2tEtvwZ

A ‘COMPELLING’ CASE – Supreme Court deals major financial blow to nation’s public employee unions. “[T]he court’s conservative majority ruled 5-4 that unions cannot collect fees from non-members to help defray the costs of collective bargaining. Those fees… violate the free speech rights of those who do not want to contribute, the court said.” More on the court’s rejection of “compelled speech” in USA Today. http://bit.ly/2KsS6eE

School security emerging as gubernatorial issue. “Former Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett is challenging Gov. Doug Ducey in the Aug. 28 gubernatorial primary.” Capitol Media Services’ Howard Fischer reports in AFN on how “it is the issue of school safety — and particularly the question of letting judges take away weapons — which could end up being the key dividing issue.” (RELATED: “Democratic Candidate for Governor David Garcia statement on Ducey’s Safe Schools ‘Tools’ Plan.”) http://bit.ly/2NaCePM

SHOOTER IS YUMAN – Arizona Supreme Court lets Shooter remain on ballot. A four-justice panel has rejected arguments that former lawmaker Don Shooter lived outside Yuma and “failed to meet the residency requirements to run for the district’s Senate seat.” Read more about the ruling, and see what Shooter wrote to AZ Cap Times in a sort of victory text; plus, access this RELATED item from KTAR: “Arizona lawmaker ignores calls to step down over racist comment” — all via RLGR. http://bit.ly/2lFMlPN