Gilbane, P.B. Bell Launch Upscale 389-Unit M-F Complex in Chandler

By Camelia Bulea, Associate Editor

Gilbane Development Co. and P.B. Bell Cos. have kicked off construction of Almeria at Ocotillo, an upscale 389-unit apartment community in Chandler.

Scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2014, the complex is being developed as part of The Waters at Ocotillo, a 74-acre mixed-use development adjacent to Downtown Ocotillo.

Corporate heavyweights such as Intel, eBay, PayPal and Wells Fargo have generated strong economic growth in the area, the developers noted. “Almeria at Ocotillo will cater to the most discerning of residents, with its high-quality Santa Barbara style design, gorgeous landscape and outstanding amenities,” said Bob Gilbane, chairman and CEO of Gilbane Development.

The gated complex will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom options. The units will feature nine-foot ceilings, granite countertops, walk-in closets, balconies and other features.

Common amenities will include large open spaces with picnic areas and gas grills, two heated pools and a spa, two fully-equipped athletic centers, a children’s play area and splash pad, and lounges with theater room, fireplace and flat-screen TVs.

For more news from Phoenix, click here.

Mark-Taylor, Kitchell to Develop 590-Unit M-F Project in Tempe

By Camelia Bulea, Associate Editor

Mark-Taylor Inc. and Kitchell Development Co. plan to develop a 590-unit multi-family project in Tempe. Dubbed San Sonora, the entire project will cost between $75 million and $80 million, including land and building costs, reported the Business Real Estate Weekly of Arizona.

The developers plan to break ground on the initial 362 units of the project this summer, with opening projected for May 2014. The second phase, which will add 228 units, is scheduled for completion in March 2015. San Sonora’s units will range in size from about 730 to 1,450 square feet.

Designed by Architectural Design Group, a Mark-Taylor affiliate, the property will be located on a 30-acre site near the southwest corner of Warner Road and Priest Drive.

Mark-Taylor and Kitchell purchased the land in two transactions totaling $11.2 million, according to Cassidy Turley, which represented the developers in the acquisition.

Elsewhere in the area, the joint venture is also developing the San Marquis community in Tempe, a 229-unit property, as well as a 383-unit project in Chandler, according to Business Real Estate Weekly.

Rendering of the San Marquis: Kitchell Development Co.

For more news from Phoenix, click here.

Optima Sonoran Village Leads Downtown Scottsdale’s M-F Development Wave

By Camelia Bulea, Associate Editor

Optima Sonoran Village, a multi-family complex under construction in Downtown Scottsdale, recently marked an important milestone. The project’s 210-unit first phase, dubbed Mesquite, is the first in a new wave of planned Downtown multi-family units to reach completion.

Located southeast of 68th Street and Camelback Road, Mesquite is one of five towers that will comprise the Sonoran Village community.  Developed in four phases, the complex will eventually include 571 additional units, noted the Scottsdale Republic.

The project’s contemporary design, characterized by tinted green glass and colorful exteriors, is intended to bring something fresh and exciting to Scottsdale, said David Hovey Jr., Optima vice president and the complex’s architect.

Apartments range in size from one to three bedrooms with 10 floor plans, all offering outdoor terraces. Monthly rents start at $1,200. Amenities include a 19,000-square-foot fitness center with a basketball court, racquetball, indoor lap pool and a yoga studio. The 10-acre property also includes a zero-edge outdoor pool and dog park.

Among the first firms to develop a condominium project in Downtown Scottsdale, Optima completed Camelview Village in 2006. List prices at that property range from $380,000 to $1,430,000 per unit.

Rendering: Optima, Inc.

For more news from Phoenix, click here.

$25M Sports Complex Debuts on ASU West Campus

By Camelia Bulea, Associate Editor

A $25 million fitness center is scheduled for an official ribbon-cutting March 1 on the Arizona State University West campus in Phoenix.

Dubbed Sun Devil Fitness Complex, the 63,800-square-foot facility is the third project to open on the West campus during the current academic year, noted Mistalene Calleroz White, dean of students on the West campus. The complex will join the 365-bed Casa de Oro residence hall and the Verde Dining Pavilion, which opened last August.

The center will offer fitness studios, an outdoor pool, two competition play fields with softball and rugby field overlays, outdoor basketball courts and sand volleyball courts, indoor racquetball courts and a two-court gymnasium. The facility is funded by a student government-endorsed facility fee.

The complex was built by Haydon Building Corp. and designed by Architekton + 360 Architecture, noted the Phoenix Business Journal. American Campus Communities built the residential project and dining hall that opened last year.

Photo courtesy of Arizona State University

For more news from Phoenix, click here.

Dignity Breaks Ground on $44M Hospital in Glendale

By Camelia Bulea, Associate Editor

Dignity Health has broken ground on a $44 million hospital that will rise on the hospital network’s West Valley campus near Loop 101 and Glendale Ave.

The new facility, named St. Joseph’s Westgate Medical Center, is scheduled to open in early 2014; the 60,000-square-foot first phase will include an emergency room, 24 inpatient beds, two operating rooms and diagnostic services.

“The campus is designed to be a model for the nation’s changing healthcare environment and will change as medicine and the community evolve,” said Gregg Davis, the new hospital’s president. Dignity Health envisions a full-service medical center on its 35-acre campus that could eventually offer 200 beds and facilities for community physicians and outpatient partners.

St. Joseph’s Westgate Medical Center will join other three hospitals that Dignity Health operates in the Valley: St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert Medical Centers in the East Valley.

Rendering courtesy of Dignity Health

For more news from Phoenix, click here.