Plaza Cos. Plans Biomedical Project

The Plaza Cos. acquired three parcels of property located on the northeast corner of 7th and Van Buren streets in Phoenix, completing the assemblage of the necessary properties for Plaza to develop an approximate 270,000-sq-ft mixed use biomedical, physician and research office building.

The property is adjacent to the U of A College of Medicine, TGen, the Phoenix Biomedical Campus and close to future hospital development.

In the fall of 2006, The Plaza Companies responded to a RFP issued by the city of Phoenix to private developers to identify and deliver wet laboratory space critical for the City’s biotech initiatives.

As part of the RFP, the City agreed to provide economic assistance in order to enhance the success of the biotechnology cluster currently growing in downtown Phoenix.

The Phoenix Biomedical Plaza is slated for construction start in late 2008.

Sigma Begins Retail Shops at Stapley Center

Sigma Contracting broke ground on a 4-acre parcel to develop the site work and the first retail building consisting of 14,000-sq-ft at the northwest corner of McKellips Road and Stapley Drive in Mesa. The $2.1 million contract was awarded to Sigma Contracting. The site is owned by Venture Development Group out of Las Vegas, Nev.

The project will take approximately six months to build and expected to be 100% leased when it opens in early 2008. Tenants already committing to the space are Quizno’s and TCF National Bank AZ. The retail space is being marketed by De Rito Partners.

Tempe-based Looker and Cappello Architects designed the project to complement the surrounding subdivision.

SmithGroup Provides InSys Therapeutics’ with New Headquarters

The SmithGroup-designed renovation of an existing industrial/office building at 10220 S. 51st St. will accommodate InSys Therapeutics’ headquarters relocation to Phoenix. Over half of the building’s 22,230-sq-ft floor plate will be occupied by InSys Therapeutics.

The space was originally sectioned into several small office spaces. SmithGroup created a much more functional and flexible space with lobby, conference rooms and office areas while designing a large open laboratory with fixed and movable lab benches, fume hoods, linear equipment areas and specialized laboratory equipment rooms. The lab area will accommodate future expansion.

Saxa To Build $26 Million Offices

Saxa announced its purchase of a $10 million, 11-acre parcel at the southeast corner of 100th Street and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard in Scottsdale. The site is planned for 55,000 sq ft of office condos and 40,000 sq ft of retail, with a bank pad.

The project is scheduled to break ground in the first quarter of 2008 and is planned for occupancy in the fourth quarter 2008. Office condos will range from 2,500 to 20,000 sq ft. The site offers convenient access to the Loop 101 and a variety of North Scottsdale area amenities, including a new retail center. The location is convenient for small to mid-sized business owners who live in Northeast Scottsdale and seek the many advantages of office ownership, such as tax benefits, equity appreciation, financing and the ability to customize size.

Circle West Designs Amaranth Village Center

Montage Holdings of Scottsdale has selected Circle West Architects to design the company’s Amaranth Village Center. The village center will be an integral part of the 690-acre Amaranth master plan community in Goodyear.

Amaranth’s village core will utilize space to augment a welcoming environment and encourage community interaction in the pedestrian-friendly community.

Circle West has already begun the design process by crafting the overall vision for the village center. Stores, restaurants and offices will form a central plaza and distinctive street spaces. The goal is to denote importance and a hierarchy of particular spaces, views, orientation and buildings. 

The master plan of Amaranth will connect the center to the neighborhoods through distinctive streets, walks, open space and landscape systems. Amaranth will encompass 160,000 sq ft of retail with a grocery store plus 400,000 sq ft of office space or other commercial and high-density residential and commercial uses.

Logistics Center Planned Near Luke AFB

CMX is assisting the planning of Woolf Logistics Center, a 1,300-acre light industrial complex with rail service to be built north of Luke Air Force Base. The park is being designed for compatibility with long-term uses of the base. The land, owned by the Woolf family and bordered by Peoria Avenue on the north, 143rd Avenue on the east, Northern Avenue on the south and Reems Road on the west, currently is in the western part of the City of Glendale’s Planning Area. It is planned for annexation into the city next year. According to CMX senior project manager Gregory Smith, PE, CMX began its work last year for the family, represented by owner’s representative Michael Martindale, and is providing master site planning and master engineering for water, sewer, drainage, paving and other infrastructure services. The proposed Northern Parkway is expected to traverse the park.

As part of its efforts, CMX is holding ongoing meetings with Luke AFB and City of Glendale officials regarding the base’s operations and the development of the park.

Opus West Starts New Pima Center Building

Four new leases at Opus West’s Pima Center have triggered the construction of another 135,000-sq-ft building at the site. When combined with the more than 360,000 sq ft of space already completed at Pima Center by Opus West, the announcement puts the Scottsdale, Ariz. campus half way toward its planned 1-million-sq-ft master plan at Via de Ventura and the Loop 101 freeway.

The four leases have put into play Opus West’s plans for another three story, 135,000-sq-ft building that is the second of three Opus West-built, class A corporate buildings planned along the Loop 101 freeway.

Opus West since 2005 has completed more than 600,000 sq ft of office space at the Via de Ventura and Loop 101 intersection. This includes the 363,000-sq-ft completed to date at Pima Center and 250,000 sq ft at the neighboring Calendar Stick class A office campus. At Pima Center, Opus West Construction Corporation is the general contractor. Butler Design is the architect for Phases I and II. DFD CornoyerHedrick is the architect for Phase III. Bill Blake, Craig Coppola and Mark Linsalata of Lee & Associates in Phoenix are the project’s exclusive leasing brokers.

New Arrowhead Commerce Center Building Breaks Ground

EJM Development Co. broke ground on Building 21 in its 110-acre master planned Arrowhead Commerce Center in Green Valley. The property, at 3755 E. Post Rd., is estimated for completion in the second quarter of 2008. Pre-leasing has begun on the property. The 148,000-sq-ft cross-dock building, situated on 20 acres, will offer high image office/warehouse space, divisible to 15,681-sq-ft units featuring a state of the art ESFR fire sprinkler system throughout, minimum 30-ft ceilings, a 61-ft deep concrete truck apron, 9-by 10-ft dock-high loading doors and 12-by 14-ft grade-level loading doors, with access and truck circulation.

LM Construction is serving as general contractor and RGA Architects is the building’s architect. Spencer Pinter of Colliers International is the leasing agent for the property. The Arrowhead Commerce Center began construction in 1996. With the addition of Building 21, EJM has developed more than 1 million sq ft on 100+ acres, with just under 10 acres remaining for future development and build-to-suits. 

Biodesign Institute at ASU Earns Platinum

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University has received LEED platinum certification for Building B, which opened in 2006. This marks the first time a building in Arizona has received the platinum award.

Building A, which opened in 2004, received gold-level certification. The two buildings were constructed separately, but are connected on all levels by glass walkways.

Both facilities were designed by Gould Evans and Lord, Aeck & Sargent. They were built via a joint venture of Sundt Construction and DPR Construction. Certification assistance was provided by Green Ideas.

Environmentally friendly features range in scale from site and urban planning to interior finishes. Overall the project exceeded LEED criteria for use of recycled materials, including aluminum ceiling panels, recycled-content carpet and rubber stairwell flooring. A construction waste management plan reduced landfill construction waste by more than 60%.

Other green elements to the institute include the use of fly ash, reflective roof membrane, irrigation water-collecting cisterns and low-flow fixtures.

The Biodesign Institute’s master plan includes two additional east-west buildings, which will bring the total space to nearly 800,000 sq ft. 

To submit news items or press releases, , email Scott Blair, editor, at scott_blair@mcgraw-hill.com.