Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Saint Holdings
By Mike Sunnucks | Rose Law Group Reporter
Pinal County is home to two of the most innovative and disruptive deals in the country — Lucid Motors’ planned $700 million electric car plant in Casa Grande and Nikola Motor’s planned hydrogen and electric powered truck plant in Coolidge.
Now, there has just been another 1,000 acres sold in Coolidge north of the Nikola plant for a new 100 megawatt solar energy development.
That is the biggest renewable energy deal for a Pinal region seeing significant growth in the sector.
The deals have all involved developments and land owned by Saint Holdings LLC.
The Scottsdale-based company is one of the largest land owners in Arizona and has been driving major economic development deals in Pinal County.
Jackob Andersen, Saint’s president and CEO, said the company still owns more than 10,000 acres after the solar sale, all in various stages of development.
“We are one of the largest land owners and developers in the state of Arizona,” said Andersen who has personally been involved in bringing big economic development projects to the state and Pinal.
He said the solar development could be running by 2022 “It’s an alfalfa field,” said of the site.
Andersen is no stranger to farming. He’s operated agricultural operations on some the company’s holdings in Arizona. “I understand farmers. I understand how farmers operate,” he said.
That has helped Andersen and Saint Holdings navigate land deals and water issues in Pinal.
Andersen said Saint has kept a low profile but the big deals and continued growth in Pinal County are bringing his company more into the spotlight.
Its holdings include:
- Heritage Arizona: an 11,438-acre development in Coolidge slated for many land uses including commercial, residential and renewable energy developments.
- Saint has also developed the 2,700 acre Inland Port Arizona. The Inland Port has direct railroad access and is modeled after Union Pacific’s hub in Salt Lake City. The Inland port is home to the planned Nikola plant which landed there after originally looking to locate in Buckeye.
- Central Arizona Commerce Park: a nearly 700-acre industrial park with shovel-ready parcels. The Casa Grande development is in an Opportunity Zone offering tax breaks for real estate and business investments. The project Is directly served by Union Pacific railroad. Lucid Motors and Tractor Supply Co. have located at the Casa Grande park.
- The latter involves 360 job at a regional center.
- Andersen said that deal was born in Nashville when he was at their headquarters to finalize contracts or agricultural products and ended up meeting with TSC executives about a western expansion.
