Casino Arizona Tops Off

Casino Arizona Resort & Spa, an enterprise of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, topped off of its new 15-story hotel tower. The grand opening is planned for early 2010.

Construction on the project began more than two years ago, commencing with a groundbreaking in September 2006 and has remained on schedule. Once complete, the Scottsdale resort will be comprised of 497 deluxe rooms, an open air spa, eight restaurants and 10 entertainment lounges. The property also will include a 750-seat showroom, a lively 240,000-sq-ft gaming floor, full-service pool as well as more 100,000 sq ft of indoor/outdoor conference space. Chanen Construction is the general contractor and KKFR is the architect.

Designs Begin for Arizona Historical Society Museum

The Arizona Historical Society selected Fentress Architects, with Breckenridge Group as associate architect, as the designer of its new Arizona History Museum. The design process is anticipated to take one year and groundbreaking is planned for 2009. Construction cost is estimated at $50 million.

M.A. Mortenson Company of Phoenix will provide the CM at risk services. Gallagher & Associates of Bethesda, Md., will guide the exhibit development.

HealthSouth Announces Plans to Build New Hospital

HealthSouth Corp. has broken ground on HealthSouth East Valley Rehabilitation Hospital, a new, 40-bed freestanding inpatient rehabilitation hospital located in Mesa.

The facility is expected to be fully operational by late summer of 2009.

The state-of-the-art rehabilitation hospital will offer comprehensive inpatient and outpatient programs. Plans for the 47,500-sq-ft, single-story hospital include all private rooms, a spacious, on-site therapy gym and cutting-edge rehabilitation technologies.

Solterra Senior Living Expands in White Mountains

Ground has broken on a new addition to Solterra Senior Living, located in Lakeside. The new 60-unit expansion will bring the total number of studio and one-bedroom apartments at the White Mountain community to 114.

Much of the new expansion will be devoted to Alzheimer’s care units. Originally opened in 2004, Solterra Senior Living is carefully designed to meet the diversified needs of today’s rapidly growing "baby boomer" population living in the White Mountains.

Owned and developed by Scottsdale-based J-Bar Development and managed by CopperSands Inc. of Phoenix, the community provides permanent residences that offer independence and privacy for seniors.

Designed by Reece Angell Rowe Architects of Phoenix, the new expansion is being built by MT Builders Cos. under the supervision of construction superintendent Bill Bedwell. Plans call for the 60 new units to be completed during fourth quarter 2009.

The community’s studio and one-bedroom units range from a 393-sq-ft studio apartment to a 630-sq-ft one-bedroom design.

New Justice Center Begins in Santa Cruz County

The new Santa Cruz County Justice and Detention Center Complex broke ground. DLR Group in Phoenix designed the complex.

The project will be located adjacent to the existing County Administration/Courts Facility that sits prominently elevated in the hills surrounding Nogales. The project also includes site improvements for circulation and parking throughout the 79-acre site including a new connection to the road northwest of the site.

Other components to the project include visitation areas, food service, maintenance, warehouse, vehicle sallyports, loading dock, impound lot adjacent to the Sheriff’s Office and secure Judicial parking adjacent to the court facility

Santa Cruz County and the associated Jail District are funding the multi-use project via a Jail District bond of $44.6 million and General Capital Improvement funds of $15.2 million.

General contractor CORE Construction anticipates completion of the project in spring 2010.

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