![]() Plans are still being studied for the construction of a visitors center in Albuquerque that will go up on the northeast side of the city at the base of the Sandia Mountain range. More specifically, the project will be built within the boundaries of the 640 acres of the Elena Gallegos Open Space area, which is nestled within the Cibola National Forest. City officials have said that the visitors center, or education center as it is frequently called, will be in response to the increased foot and bike traffic in the open space. That traffic has increased from just under 150,000 visitors in 2010 to over 258,100 in 2020. A feasibility study conducted earlier this year by the Albuquerque-based architectural firm of Dekker/Perich/Sabatini looked at several possible sites within the larger open space area, before suggesting a spot at the northeast corner of Tramway Boulevard and Simms Park Road. The study additionally recommended the construction of a one-story building measuring around 4,800 square feet at that site which would house a lobby, classroom space, offices, restrooms, meeting room, and coffee bar. While public input meetings on the project have already been held, a group called Save the Elena Gallegos Citizens Committee has been formed in opposition to the project. That group asserts that the building of any facility in the area would violate a 40-year-old legal covenant governing the space and restricting construction to such amenities as picnic tables and benches, restrooms, and shelters. A website for the group also argues that proposed center has the potential of causing “very real and serious harm” to the Elena Gallegos Open Space’s ecosystem. By Garry Boulard
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![]() In an effort to quicken the pace of home construction, a number of state agencies and localities are implementing programs to build new modular housing. The Colorado Department of Transportation has just announced plans to spend up to $6.5 million on modular home projects for its large maintenance staff. Those homes will be built along the Interstate 70 corridor, as well as in several mountain towns. The Town of Frisco, in the central part of the state, could see the building of nearly two dozen such structures. The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting on an increase in such construction up and down the state, with one company, Factory OS taking on projects everywhere from South Lake Tahoe to Santa Cruz and Los Angeles. At the same time, the company Oaxaca Interests, based in Grand Prairie, Texas, has announced a new manufacturing plant that will be dedicated solely to making modular homes, with the first such homes scheduled to hit the market by next spring. According to the site Fortune Business Insights, the global modular construction market is expected to reach the $114 billion mark in 2028, up from last year’s $75 billion. The Fortune report also notes that the market is divided into two segments: permanent modular construction and relocatable modular construction, with permanent construction “the largest market share and fastest-growing segment.” Relocatable modular construction, meanwhile, is also expected to see an increase, responding to the need for temporary housing for emergency and relief operations. The market is additionally being helped by today’s technology, notes the site Motley Fool, pointing specifically to the use of 3D printing and robotics in the building of such homes. Those structures cost “10% to 20% less than site-built homes,” and could be seen as smart investments with the advent of “rising home prices and insufficient housing supply.” According to the Charlottesville, Virginia-based Modular Home Builders Association, modular home construction is likely to increase in popularity in the coming years, due to a combination of factors, including affordability, energy efficiency, and an abbreviated construction time. The association notes that an additional advantage for the modular home sector: they can be placed in any number of rural areas, even in the most remote spots, while construction companies are very often confined to building homes “in particular locations advantageous to them and the real estate companies.” By Garry Boulard ![]() Construction could begin sometime next year on the building of a long-planned 2,000-foot taxiway at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The airport is receiving up to $194 million in federal funds for the project made available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Altogether, the project is expected to cost around $260 million, with the rest of the funding coming out of the airport’s passenger facilities charges. Earlier this spring, the project was given a green light by the Phoenix City Council. In announcing the federal funding, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said the new taxiway will make it possible for planes to both land and take off more quickly, contributing to a better aircraft flow. Gallego added that the runway will also come in handy during storms: “Having a bigger, better tarmac will allow us to adapt and have more ability to keep planes flying.” Located at 3400 E. Sky Harbor Boulevard some three miles to the east of downtown Phoenix, the Phoenix airport was opened in 1928 and is the eighth-busiest airport in the country. Airport officials say passenger traffic has jumped by 20% since August of 2021. Responding to that growth, the airport recently saw the completion of the final concourse at Terminal 4, a $310 million project providing an abundance of new retail space, as well as a 24,000 square foot transfer bridge. Preliminary planning for the taxiway project is already underway. An exact timetable for its construction has not yet been revealed. By Garry Boulard ![]() One of the fastest-growing school districts in Arizona is hoping to see passage next month of a nearly $200 million bond that will pay for the construction of two new schools, while also upgrading facilities across the district. The Queen Creek Unified School District is based in the southern Arizona city of Queen Creek, which has experienced a population explosion in the last two decades. That explosion has taken the city from 4,300 residents to now nearly 60,000, largely made up of people moving from Phoenix, which is nearly 40 miles to the northwest. A reporter for the Phoenix New Times visiting the city last fall observed: “It’s hard to miss the signs of rapid growth. Brand-new shopping centers overtake your view as you enter the town. Construction crews and road closures herald new housing developments and infrastructure improvements.” That population growth is reflected in the number of students enrolled in the district’s schools: up from just over 7,000 in the fall of 2016 to the current 12,600. District officials are forecasting that by 2024, total student enrollment will be nearing the 17,000 mark. Not surprisingly, at least nine elementary, middle, and high schools in the district are either currently operating at 90% operational capacity or are expected to reach that point by the fall of 2023. As planned, the bond will also fund upgrades to athletic facilities, as well as cross-district security upgrades. By Garry Boulard ![]() A combination of factors is leading to a perceptible slowdown in the national office real estate market, according to a comprehensive new report just released by the National Association of Realtors. The Commercial Market Insights Report notes that going into the third quarter of 2022, the office sector is struggling: “Although more people returned to their offices, after four quarters with positive net absorption, demand for office space dropped as net absorption turned negative again.” At the same time the “industrial boom continues to show no signs of stopping,” while the demand for multifamily housing remains fairly strong. In fact, industrial sector net absorption is at nearly 425 million square feet as of early fall. Although demand in the industrial sector may have tapered in recent months, says the report, the “volume of industrial space absorbed continues to be double that of pre-pandemic times.” Both Phoenix and Denver are listed among the top ten areas nationally with the strongest industrial sector absorption. Phoenix is seeing 23.4 million square feet net absorption, while the Mile High City’s numbers came in at 12.7 million. Most of the top 10 areas with the slowest year-to-year absorption were on either the East or West coast, although Colorado Springs saw a decline of 429,000 square feet. Although the spending power of consumers nationally has continued to decrease heading into late 2022, retail sector real estate remains strong. In fact, the overall worth of this market sector was up to $383 billion as of August. That figure is a strong 19% improvement over where things stood in the pre-pandemic month of August 2019. This means that net absorption in the retail sector has now been on the positive side for seven quarters in a row, with the quarter ending in September coming in at 23.2 million square feet. “General retail and neighborhood centers have driven the demand,” says the report, “accounting for nearly 90% of the net absorption.” The problematic office sector, meanwhile, is lagging. As of late this summer, some 6.5% of employed persons were still teleworking because of the Covid 19 pandemic. Although this sector saw four quarters on the plus side, from mid-2021 to mid-2022, “demand for office space dropped as net absorption turned negative again.” In a press release accompanying the latest NAR report, it was noted that “inflation, interest rates, supply chain, and geopolitical events are the main factors that will determine how commercial real estate will perform in the following months.” By Garry Boulard ![]() A single unit in one of downtown Denver’s more luxurious mixed-use properties is set to go to auction, beginning on November 17. What is called Unit 200 is in the upscale Beauvallon at the corner of Lincoln Steet and East 10th Avenue and encompasses just over 12,000 square feet of office and retail space. The space was previously used as a fitness and spa facility. The larger 15-story twin tower Beauvallon houses two and three-bedroom apartments, a spacious lobby swimming pool, a European garden, and two open air firepits. Condo units for sale in the building are usually priced anywhere from $500,000 to well over $2 million. The structure is located near the border of the city’s Golden Triangle neighborhood, in an area dominated by recent multi-level office and apartment buildings. The building, which was opened in 2005, is designed in what is described as a modified French Baroque style. That design has not been to everyone’s taste. In 2015, the publication Westword described the complex as “two piles of beige blobs marked by heavy arches,” with the towers “copped by ridiculous domes.” Businesses operating in the retail section of the building include a barbershop, dry cleaner, dental practice, and both coffee shop and restaurant space. The anticipated two-day auction listing is being handled by the Denver CRBE offices, with a minimum starting bid of $350,000. By Garry Boulard ![]() A building once used to house city offices in Farmington, New Mexico is set to be repurposed as a food bank facility. The Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration has announced that it is awarding a $915,900 grant to San Juan College to upgrade space in the structure for use as an innovative food hub. The officially named Harvest Food Hub serves as a marketplace for locally grown and produced food. According to its website, the group makes it possible for “farmers to work together to meet the growing demand for local, sustainable food in San Juan County.” Bulk and wholesale offerings from the Hub are, in turn, sold to area schools, restaurants, and other institutions. In announcing the grant, Alejandra Castillo, assistant EDA secretary, said the funding will “support small businesses and entrepreneurs, creating jobs and promoting economic resilience in New Mexico.” The space to be renovated at 310 W. Animas Street, on the south side of downtown Farmington, measures around 1,600 square feet. A larger portion of the building is already being used for retail purposes by the group, and additionally includes walk-in freezers and coolers. The EDA grant for the repurposing project is being matched by around $230,000 in local funds. If all goes as anticipated, the repurposing work is expected to begin in December, with a general completion date of around spring 2024. By Garry Boulard ![]() A new survey shows that despite the ongoing need for more construction workers, the industry’s payroll has increased by around 292,000 jobs in the last year. Conducted by the Washington-based Associated Builders and Contractors, the survey charts increases in all industry segments, with nonresidential building seeing a gain of 27,000 jobs since September of 2021. Nonresidential specialty and trade contractors saw a jump of nearly 115,000 workers in that same period of time, with residential specialty trade jobs up by 77,500. More modest gains were posted in the heavy and civil engineering segments, with an increase of 39,800 jobs in the last year. Residential building, meanwhile, was up by 33,000 jobs. The numbers were also up in most segments when looked at a month-over-month basis, although in that category the heavy and civil engineer segment saw a slight decline of 500 jobs, followed by a drop of 100 jobs in residential building. In a statement, Anirban Basu, American Builders and Contractors chief economist, noted that “despite elevated compensation costs, employers continue to hire aggressively.” Basu additionally noted that even in the face of a possible recession, “most contractors remain upbeat regarding near-term prospects.” Observing that contractors in general are anticipating increased sales in the coming months, with a rise in employment and profit margins, Basu remarked that the primary challenge facing the industry today is “not insufficient demand for construction services, but rather a lack of access to skilled craft professionals.” By Garry Boulard ![]() One of the classic buildings in a southern Arizona city known for classic buildings is on the market for just under $1 million. The three-story brick Palace Livery building is located at 69 Main Street, on a throughfare dominated by buildings dating to the 19th century. Built in 1909, the structure originally served as horse boarding stable that also sold horses, as well as carriages and funeral hearses. An ad in 1909 for the business in the Bisbee Daily Review promoted a line of “stylish, up-to-date” rigs and “spick and span horses which can make good time.” The 10,000 square foot structure, which in recent decades has been used for retail purposes, still features a massive horse elevator left over from its days as a livery. Built with a neoclassical design, the building also features a tripart façade framed by brick pilasters on stone footers, and three bays of windows. Additional elements include a cornice with fan molding, plaster medallions, and arched windows on the third floor. Like most structures in the defined Bisbee Historical District, the structure has been preserved intact and is currently the home to an antique and art store called Acacia Collectibles. Listed with the commercial realtor Zoned Properties, Incorporated, which is based in Scottsdale, the structure is categorized as a Class C building. By Garry Boulard ![]() A modern 18-story office building in downtown El Paso may soon change hands, with the current owner maintaining space in the structure through a lease-back arrangement. Located at 100 N. Stanton Street, the structure, with more than 379,000 square feet of rentable space, is currently the corporate headquarters for the public utility company El Paso Electric. Completed in 1983, what is known as the 100 Stanton Tower includes loading dock space and covered parking, among other features. Listed as a Class A building, the structure also includes a modern-designed outdoor sitting space. The building was originally owned by the El Paso Natural Gas Company before being sold for $40 million to the California Public Employees Retirement System. El Paso Electric, which began leasing offices on five floors of the building in the fall of 1996, purchased the structure outright in 2008. Listed as the 5th tallest high-rise in the city, the structure was originally called the Kayser Building. By Garry Boulard |
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