The Dealmaker: 8/22/2018

Former council staffer Felicita Mendoza chosen for Phoenix City Council. Congratulations to Felicita Mendoza! who has been appointed to fill the “seat left open by former Councilwoman Kate Gallego… Mendoza, who up until this week was Councilman Michael Nowakowski’s chief of staff, will serve as Phoenix councilwoman for District 8 until at least March.” AZCentral. http://bit.ly/2P2JBsL

Florence Town Council continues to oppose Florence Copper’s ongoing attempts to push through mining operation. (Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Southwest Value Partners in its fight to stop the mine from locating in the middle of the Pulte Merrill ranch family community.) The Town continues to make progress in beating back a mine from locating in the geographic center of Florence, in the middle of a premier master planned community. http://bit.ly/2w3XPSY

Johnson Utilities: Commissioner Tobin wants a search warrant. “Johnson Utilities’ track record for delay and blatant contumacy for the Commission’s Authority should no longer be allowed to prevent the Commission from taking action on its executive and judicial duties.” That’s just a snippet from a letter submitted yesterday by Commissioner Andy Tobin to the ACC. The letter seeks an ”emergency hearing to vote on an emergency search warrant of [J.U.].” Read it in The San Tan Times. http://bit.ly/2ByGWVA

Goodyear to gain more housing in growth area. The Empire Group is seeking to build the Villages at Pebble Creek, “a new high-density gated residential rental community” at Pebble Creek Pkwy. and Virginia Ave. Development details — including how nearby Luke Air Force Base factors in — at AZBEX. http://bit.ly/2OVqctq

Scion of home building family named sales and marketing director. Trent Hancock has been appointed sales and marketing director for  Camelot Homes in Scottsdale. “Hancock is part of the third generation of family members to lead Camelot Homes… [and] has sold homes at Camelot’s communities for the past several years…” More about Trent Hancock, including his ‘indie rocker’ past, in Builder. http://bit.ly/2nYIEWL

These cities saw the biggest rebounds in home prices after the Great Recession. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale is among the Top 20 rebounding housing markets, according to a new report from real estate site Owners.com. Pre-crisis/post-crisis figures for those markets, as well as data for markets that have “rebounded the least,” in MarketWatch. http://bit.ly/2wlAc7w 

Business owners eye hubbub as Hub opens. “[W]ith the imminent influx of almost 600 new residents to the Southside, many businesses are left wondering how the complex’s opening may affect their bottom lines and the [Flagstaff] neighborhood as a whole.” Arizona Daily Sun. http://bit.ly/2BBq5S4

Tusayan Housing Authority adopts guidelines, moves forward on construction. “The banners are hung, a groundbreaking has been held and some concrete plans are coming together for a housing development at Ten X Ranch just a few miles from Grand Canyon’s South Rim.” But the thrashing out of those “concrete plans” first took putting to bed a bit of  “interest in building townhomes.” Grand Canyon News. http://bit.ly/2w6GfxF

Why housing worries keep Americans up at night. “A lot of people lie awake at night, worried about their money, and 29 million of those are especially worried about their housing, according to a new study from Bankrate.” Study highlights in DSNews include a bit of “side gig” advice that, if acted on, just might help worriers get a little more shut-eye. http://bit.ly/2BzL5ZC 

Change in ownership for Lakes, Club West golf courses stymied. “Wilson Gee has to wait a little longer to regain full control of the Club West and Ahwatukee Lakes golf courses.” AFN reports that a trustee sale for both courses has been delayed — the Lakes course due to a “technicality, Club West because the owner filed for Chap.11 BK. http://bit.ly/2wkhltx

Scottsdale modern office plan gets update. “The project plan was originally approved in 2016 and billed as the Shoeman Office Building,” but Stockdale Capital Partners “decided to update the proposal” for the Scottsdale Rd. & Shoeman Ln. project. One noteworthy change? It’s now called “Marquee.” Rendering, plus details on other changes (as well as on features that remain “relatively unchanged”) at AZBEX. http://bit.ly/2wfcKZO

Retail is not dead, boring retail is. With the “science of retail changing at warp speed,” Nancy McClure (First Vice President, CBRE Tucson), looks at how Tucson is “working to keep up” — in RED News. http://bit.ly/2BDenqh 

Arizona State to expand into downtown L.A. at historic Herald Examiner building. The Herald Examiner building was “commissioned by William Randolph Hearst and opened in 1914. The building, shuttered for decades, will be home to a satellite campus of ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and other programs.” L.A. Times. http://bit.ly/2MJ5Lmg

Central Arizona College celebrates completion of 2 major new buildings.(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents TEP CAC.) “CAC paid for the new Student Union and science building with $33 million in bonds the Governing Board approved in early 2016.” Details on both buildings in PinalCentral’s coverage of the ribbon-cutting ceremony. —> http://bit.ly/2wgJ66t

Queen Creek OKs minor changes to three-city agreement for water reclamation plant. The Greenfield Water Reclamation Plant is a “joint facility and partnership” between Queen Creek, Mesa and Gilbert. The plant is “undergoing its third expansion,” and Queen Creek Independent reports that “minor changes” to the “intergovernmental agreement” concern “construction and operation” of the plant. http://bit.ly/2wiQQoy

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