The Dealmaker is a daily note of the day’s top real estate stories served just in time for lunch. Bon Appetit! Subscribe here to receive the Dealmaker to your inbox
PURPA amendment stalls in Arizona; report features tweeted comment from Rose Law Group Co-Founder and Director of Renewable Energy, Court Rich. The Arizona Corporation Commission this week sided with utilities against non-monopoly developers looking to build a significant amount of low-cost solar in the state. One vote made up the difference between 500MW of new solar and the status quo. PV Magazine covers the issue here. http://bit.ly/2WbZT6o
Could Microsoft’s data centers draw other businesses to the West Valley?(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Microsoft.) Now that news is out about Microsoft’s plans for data centers in Goodyear, media focus has shifted to the kind of impact the two facilities might have for the area — and PBJ reporter Tim Gallen is quite upbeat about the economic prospects. (Subscriber Content). http://bit.ly/2vnwc6v
Economy beats expectations, grows by 3.2 percent in first quarter. That new GDP figure heads this Mike Sunnucks’ report, which also includes data for the Valley’s commercial real estate market, as well as a brief look at the latest state job numbers. Rose Law Group Reporter. http://bit.ly/2vo5vPl
MAP: Housing recovery gaps, hot spots. “For the most part, U.S. home prices have recovered their pre-recession peaks. However, some metros’ prices have yet to recover 12 years later.” What’s hot, what’s not in AZ? Pro Builder has the hover-MAP data for 11 cities across the state. -> http://bit.ly/2IM8cmc
The most affordable sustainable cities. “Just three of the cities that top the ranks for walkability, bikeability, and transit and park access also have home prices below the national median.” How do Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa stack up? Redfin. http://bit.ly/2XLsgc0
To Bezos or not to Bezos: That is the question for home builders. “Three timely nuggets of wisdom for new home construction leaders from the Amazon CEO’s annual letter to shareholders.” By John McManus, in Builder.http://bit.ly/2PyiW8h
Amazon offering glimpse of logistics operations in Phoenix, other fulfillment centers. The online retail giant is hosting public tours at 23 of its fulfillment centers in the U.S. That includes one near 51st Avenue and Buckeye Road. Further info on these ‘brick and mortar’ tours in Mike Sunnucks’ report for Rose Law Group Reporter. http://bit.ly/2XJtkgr
QuikTrip case raises hazmat escape concerns. With just one way “in and out” of Foothills Paseo II, there are concerns that a hazmat spill or other dangerous situation at the (proposed) QuikTrip site, “would force residents to climb walls of nearby neighborhoods to try and escape.” AFN. http://bit.ly/2DCegtm
Glendale, Surprise, Peoria look forward to economic growth. Economic development officials — Lori German, Randy Huggins and Daniel Benson(Glendale); Jeanine Jerkovic (Surprise); Kirsten Hall (Peoria) — “joined the Women’s Council of Realtors” recently “to discuss game-changing “developments in the West Valley.” Peoria Times. http://bit.ly/2ZyXl4x
Chandler is the latest Phoenix-area city to update its brand. Here’s why.Glendale made controversial changes to its logo, while Scottsdale nearly bucked the cowboy off its city flag. Now, Chandler is updating its logo and tagline to show that the city is no longer some “sleepy suburb.” AZCentral. http://bit.ly/2W7yhzd
Rio Nuevo offers incentives to lure unnamed company to downtown Tucson. Officials are mum on location details, but “one rumored site” for the yet-to-be-named publicly traded company is a “12-story structure” currently “under development at 75 E. Broadway.” More on the hush-hush deal in Daily Star. http://bit.ly/2UHr8nJ
Cannabis, marijuana, weed, pot? Just call It a job machine. “[A]s new markets open and capital continues to flood in, the cannabis industry has become, by some measures, one of the country’s fastest-growing job sectors.” The New York Times. http://bit.ly/2Dyxj88
A Party Where You Can Dance To The Derby, May 4th! http://bit.ly/2DAPWZ7
As a supplement to the Dealmaker, we thought you might enjoy these articles!
Click here for 2019 Arizona Legislative News
Arizona Supreme Court sides with father in dispute over child’s gender identification; ‘more of a developmental issue,’ says Rose Law Group family attorney, Audra Petrolle. Justice Timmer: “The court must be mindful not to unnecessarily intrude on the sole legal decision-maker’s unshared authority to make major decisions concerning the child’s upbringing, even if those decisions conflict with expert opinion or the court’s own views on child rearing.” • Audra Petrolle tells RLGR: “In my opinion, gender identity is less of a legal issue and more of a developmental issue.” Read Audra’s complete comment along with Howard Fischer’s full AZ Cap Times report here: http://bit.ly/2W6UMo9
CUTTHROAT BUSINESS – Utility owner threatened to cut throat of Florence town manager, police were told. “Documents released Thursday show that Town Manager Brent Billingsley was documenting utility company trucks leaking possibly contaminated materials. What followed, the police report says, was Billingsley getting an expletive-filled call from George Johnson saying he was going to cut his throat.” http://bit.ly/2GAQjDv
If the phone rings, don’t answer. “The seemingly endless stream of robocalls reached a new monthly high of 5.23 billion nationwide in March.” And while phone companies are “testing tech” that would curtail the number calls from such spammers with their scammer spiels, NY Times r
