Trendsetters

Clubhouse honored with Platinum Award

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has awarded the Seven Desert Mountain clubhouse with the 2019 Best in American Living Platinum Award for best community facility.

The state-of-the-art, 8,900-square-foot clubhouse is a stunning sculpture of steel, stone, masonry, and pocketing glass. Set against a magnificent high desert backdrop with heated patio floors, 40-foot cantilevered hemlock overhangs with evaporative cooling, indoor-outdoor gastropub and bar areas, five fire pits, two fireplaces, and two bocce courts create a family-friendly community gathering place.

“These design features, such as the radiant patio heating and overhead misters, extend the Arizona shoulder seasons so our members may enjoy the clubhouse and golf course nearly year-round,” said Bill Brownlee of The M3 Companies LLC, the project’s developer.

Drewett Works was the architect/designer whose vision was executed by Newman Commercial Builders for developer The M3 Companies. Greey|Pickett served in the dual capacity of land planner and landscape architect/designer.

Local firm celebrates 25 years

Arrington Watkins Architects, a locally-owned design firm built on the foundation of values and performance, recently celebrated its 25th anniversary with a new leadership team. Founded in 1994 by Lynn Arrington and David Watkins, Arrington Watkins embarks on its next 25 years with seven principals that include: • Mike Conder, RA, LEED AP, AIA,

Managing Principal; • Matthew Gorman, RA, LEED AP,

Managing Principal; • Mike Quinn, RA, Managing Principal; • Michelle Diaz, Principal/Business

Manager; • Peter Sangiorgio, RA, LEED AP,

Principal Architect; • Kyle Swanson, RA, Principal

Architect; • Patricia Thornton, DBIA, RA, LEED

AP, AIA, Principal Architect.

“Our focus is to continually get better at what we do,” said Conder, who has been with Arrington Watkins for more than 10 years. “In my role, I help facilitate that; the pursuit of perfection. David (Watkins) and Lynn (Arrington) built a great foundation. Now it’s up to the new leadership to take it to the next level.”

ARRINGTON WATKINS’ PRINCIPALS: (left to right) Mike Conder, Mike Quinn, Patte Thornton, Matt Gorman, Peter Sangiorgio, Kyle Swanson and Michelle Diaz. (Photo credit: David Schacher)

Arrington Watkins is a market leader in the public safety space. It was the architectural firm on projects like the Ak-Chin Indian Community Fire Station, The City of Tempe Apache Boulevard Substation and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Property and Evidence Storage Facility.

Puente tapped to lead ABA

The Arizona Builders Alliance (ABA) appointed Dan Puente of DP Electric as the organization’s 2020 chairman. In his role, he will facilitate discussions with the board of directors, utilize their direction and support to ensure consensus on industry issues and challenges, and help the organization achieve success in 2020.

BOMA Greater Phoenix welcomes Farrell Quinlan as new Executive Director

“The number one issue facing our industry today is the shortage of skilled labor. Dan Puente has proven himself to be a true champion at raising public awareness and creating pathways for the next generation of competent builders,” said Brad Lloyd, the ABA’s 2019 chairman.

In 2019, the ABA led the significant advocacy effort that repealed the sole use of hard-bid on K-12 construction projects. As a result, an estimated $500 million of projects were safeguarded, continuing to protect procurement alternative project delivery methods.

“This year, one of the things I’ll be working toward is increasing our education and workforce development efforts,” stated Puente. “We want to create opportunities for young people to have early exposure to the construction industry by offering numerous opportunities for them to get involved.”

Puente has been active in the ABA for 19 years and is serving his sixth year on the Board of Directors.

BOMA Greater Phoenix welcomed a new executive director in March, Ferrell Quinlan was introduced as the organization’s new leader. BOMA is the industry group that advances the commercial real estate industry through advocacy, influence, and knowledge.

Quinlan formerly served as State Director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business association. While at NFIB he authored landmark legislation reversing “driveby” trial-lawyer abuse of the Americans With Disabilities Act; and created legal protections for independent contractor employment relationships through a declaration of independent business status (DIBS) process.

He replaces Tim Lawless, who left BOMA Greater Phoenix to become President at Commercial Real-estate Executives for Economic Development (CREED).

Quinlan helped make Arizona the first state to require its regulators to offer an opportunity to correct rule violations before issuing a citation or fine. From 1997 to 2007 he served as a vice president for policy development, communications and marketing at the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“I’m humbled and honored to be entrusted by the BOMA Greater Phoenix Board of Directors to be Executive Director during this extraordinarily dynamic time for Arizona commercial real estate,” Quinlan said. “I’m excited to get to work serving our members and advocating for the commercial real estate industry."

Broadstone project to transform Uptown

A new project is being developed near Central Ave. and Camelback Road. The project, developed by Alliance Residential, will be the largest multifamily project in this area of Phoenix. Broadstone Uptown PHX will be built on the site of an abandoned hotel along Camelback Road, just east of 7th Avenue. The project will be five stories on a 4.4 acre site with 280 units. It’s believed this is also the first new, market-rate project built along the light rail northwest of Camelback and Central Avenue, illustrating how the light rail is impacting development.

Jason Morris, partner at Withey Morris, PLC, said that work should begin by year’s end or early 2021. Morris said his team did extensive work getting the support of the neighboring community.

“The neighborhood concerns were primarily traffic related (the fear of new residents cutting through residential neighborhoods to get out to arterial streets or the freeway),” Morris said. “That was addressed by numerous meetings, traffic studies and a commitment to assist in payment for neighborhood traffic mitigation.”

George Pasquel III led the rezoning and land use efforts by Withey Morris on the project. The project was rezoned to the city’s new “Walkable Urban Core” district that encourage transit supportive land uses and pedestrian-oriented design.