The Dealmaker: 3/15/2019

Private property — rezoning bill takes lopsided loss in the House. A House bill purported to protect private property owners from zoning changes that could affect the value of their property has been defeated 41-18. The proposed change would have made it far easier for small property owners to put a development project into a legal protest situation. RLGR has more on the legislation, and its defeat, with insight from land use attorney Jordan Rose, founder and president of Rose Law Group. http://bit.ly/2FfeKqC

Valley developers begin work on largest planned community in western U.S. Phoenix Business Journal goes “INSIDE THE DEAL” for the “proposed 37,000-acre master-planned community west of the White Tank Mountains,” with a VIDEO report direct from the development site and featuring Mike Ingram, chairman of El Dorado Holdings Chairman, and Jerry Colangelo, partner with JDM Partners discussing how they plan to “jump-start the massive project.” (Subscriber Content). http://bit.ly/2ChLBcj

SkyBridge development launches PHX East Valley into the stratosphere.“The 360-acre, long-term development at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport… is expected to take innovation to a new level and revolutionize the way products are transported from the U.S. to Mexico.” Calling it a “dramatic game-changer,” East Valley Partnership President and CEO Denny Barney likens the impact of SkyBridge to Amazon. “Experts agree with Barney’s lofty assessment.” AzBigMedia. http://bit.ly/2TKIIuM

An Arizona spaceport? This group wants to make it happen. With “1,200” aerospace companies in Arizona “giving out more than $5 billion in payroll annually,” Arizona Spaceport Alliance is “questioning why the state doesn’t follow in the footsteps of the eight states with a spaceport, such as Texas, Florida andCalifornia.” PBJ (Subscriber Content). http://bit.ly/2JpSlv4

Chicago developer makes Phoenix debut with proposed downtown apartments. Look who’s blown into downtown from the Windy City! It’s Noah Gottlieb, CEO of X Social Communities, with plans for the “$100 million,” “616-bed” X Phoenix to be situated on “a full city block” at 200 W. Monroe. Details and 6-image SLIDESHOW in PBJ. (Subscriber Content). http://bit.ly/2JgyZrU

Homeownership may be more affordable than we thought. “Taking issue with the fact that traditional affordability indexes rely on median incomes and median housing costs, researchers at the Urban Institute’s Housing Finance Policy Center delved deeper into the matter.” One of the many headlines emerging from the findings: Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale among MSAs with highest affordability rates. DSNews. http://bit.ly/2F3rP53 

Phoenix economic development subcommittee advances downtown items to council. “The City of Phoenix subcommittee in charge of urban planning and economic development moved a swath of decisions Wednesday regarding the rehabilitation of historic properties and street revitalization plans on to the full City Council.” Downtown Devil. http://bit.ly/2UFfgnc

Mayor Weiers’ address extols city’s virtues. In his recent State of the City address, Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers “praised the city’s achievements, from securing companies like Ball Corporation and Red Bull,” and “extolled the virtues of city council, which he credited with the city’s 180-degree financial turnaround over the past five years.” Glendale Star has the recap. http://bit.ly/2CmwFJY

Flagstaff looks to rehab or redevelop public housing. “With the help of a private developer and changes on the federal level, the city may see upgraded and new public housing units in Flagstaff in four to eight years, and potentially more of them.” Arizona Daily Sun. http://bit.ly/2JgV9um

Rancher built tiny town on a dream. What happens now that he’s gone?“There was once a rancher who built a tiny Western town in the southern Arizona desert… The town population, much of the time, was one.” Then the rancher died, and Cowtown “began to fall apart.” Here’s “the story of Edward J.B. Keeylocko, who created a place that drew people off the beaten path.” AZCentral. http://bit.ly/2O5QDgY 

[OPINION] Here’s the big problem with that March 19 drought plan deadline. “Arizona has less than a week to weigh in on how the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation should step in to prop up Lake Mead… Yet the governor’s office says it hasn’t started preparing comments. And that appears to be the stance every other Colorado River basin state is taking… Why such reluctance to weigh in…? Because they all know it’s a trap.” By: Joanna Allhands in AZCentral. http://bit.ly/2FeuXfQ

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

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