Flagstaff & Northern Arizona Development Thread

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NAU will unveil the fresh-faced Ardrey Auditorium on Sept. 15,
featuring new seats, paint and flooring, an updated lobby with
fresh décor and renovated restrooms, improved accessibility,
a new elevator, and a host of new touches.
(render: NAU)


Parking garage opens early; Ardrey unveiling planned
Inside NAU
September 7, 2012

Two high-profile NAU projects are nearing completion. The 1,400-space parking garage on San Francisco Street has opened one month earlier than scheduled. There are still plenty of parking spots available. Visit Parking and Shuttle Services for details on getting a permit for the garage.

Next week is the scheduled Grand Reopening Gala of Ardrey Memorial Auditorium. The $7.5 million facelift adds new life to the 40-year-old venue, including 1,340 new, wider, more comfortable seats.


http://www4.nau.edu/insidenau/bumps/...2/parking.html

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Flagstaff has been awarded a federal grant for a new 25k s.f. structure at the Northern Arizona Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NACET), the first of three Phase 2 buildings on their McMillan Mesa campus:



Previous render of NACET campus build-out.
(courtesy: NACET)


Grant for $4M to fund second incubator in Flagstaff
by JOE FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
September 14, 2012

Flagstaff municipal officials have used some creative grantsmanship linked to the Schultz fire and flood two years ago to jump-start the second phase of the business incubator complex atop McMillan. The city applied for a federal grant aimed at helping cities cope with the aftermath of major natural disasters -- in this case, the fire that scorched 15,000 acres and the subsequent flooding in Timberline and Fernwood. To meet the criteria, the city designed the new incubator building with a secure meeting area that could double as a backup emergency response center if the main law enforcement facility on Sawmill Road is somehow compromised. The gambit worked. On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a $4 million award to the city of Flagstaff for a new, 25,000-square-foot building next door to the existing incubator, the Northern Arizona Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology.

City officials are calling the proposed building, which will include wet and dry laboratories, additional office space and a 5,000-square-foot area for light manufacturing, "an accelerator" that will target graduating start-ups of the business incubator who still need space in town. "This project will provide much-needed wet and dry lab research space for Tier 2 companies, which currently does not exist in the region," said Stacey Button, the head of the city's Economic Vitality program. The business incubator was honored not only once, but twice on Thursday. Gov. Jan Brewer gave NACET, Flagstaff and Coconino County an award for its Project Ignite project. The project leveraged existing infrastructure at NAU to accelerate technology commercialization, worked to help students find internships and educational opportunities and created the incubator's Arizona Core Labs project.

FIRST OF THREE NEW BUILDINGS

The "accelerator" would be the first of three new buildings in Phase 2 planned for the site, with a total of 75,000 square feet dedicated to a science and technology park. The city has identified a total of four funding sources for the entire $7.76 million project, leveraging funding from the state Commerce Authority, Northern Arizona University and a 2004 voter-approved bond for improvements to the nearby U.S. Geological Survey campus. One of the key advantages of adding a building would be to give "graduating" NACET clients a larger space suitable for building prototypes and small-scale manufacturing developed while in the incubator.

The Flagstaff City Council still needs to accept the $4 million grant before work on the accelerator would begin. Currently, plans call for construction of the first building to start in early 2014. The project is expected to create an estimated 300 jobs. NACET has created a total of 203 jobs since it opened its doors in 2008, reporting it has raised $70 million in private capital and the average wage of companies working with the incubator paying $75,000. The city has been looking since 2007 to develop the 9-acre strip of land near Cedar Avenue and Gemini Drive adjacent to the incubator. In 2010, the slow economy caused the initial developer of the planned accelerator, Valley-based The Plaza Companies, to abandon the project. Then, in 2011, Flagstaff-based Loven Construction, which took over the project said it would not move forward, also citing the sluggish economy.

[kaneui]

After years of legal delays, Arizona Snowbowl is spending $18.5M to get snowmaking up and running this winter, with future plans for additional facility improvements:



Snowmaking areas shown in blue.
(courtesy: AZ Snowbowl)


Snowbowl projects on track
by CYNDY COLE
Arizona Daily Sun
September 18, 2012

Arizona Snowbowl is well on its way toward making snow this November, if weather and temperatures allow. The ski area staff and its contractors, estimated at more than 60 workers in all this year, are excavating a 10 million-gallon retention pond for snowmaking on two acres at the top of the Sunset chairlift. They're also connecting reclaimed wastewater lines for snowmaking equipment to the main pipeline now completed across Observatory Mesa and up Snowbowl Road, General Manager J.R. Murray said. Grading on ski trails, completion of the pond, and installing pipe and wiring for the snowmaking equipment are proposed next.

Costs are expected to come to $18.5 million this year, one owner said, including litigation, construction and environmental plans. "We're glad to finally be installing snowmaking and our customers, and the people who enjoy outdoor recreation will welcome having a predictable ski area and ski season," said owner Eric Borowsky. The projects will allow Snowbowl to make snow on 205 acres of the 777 acres the Coconino National Forest permits it to use. This first phase also comes with:

-- a 14.8-mile reclaimed water pipeline from Flagstaff to Arizona Snowbowl

-- 134 acres of grading, thinning and new terrain

-- snowmaking

-- a conveyor-belt-type device to carry beginning skiers uphill

Developments for later years include:

-- a pedestrian underpass

-- a snowplay/tubing facility

-- 400 more parking spaces for sledders/tubers

-- a bigger Hart Prairie Lodge

-- re-aligning chairlifts, adding high-speed lifts

Snowbowl is permitted to use as much as 1.5 million gallons of water per day for making snow. The amount of water Arizona Snowbowl proposes to use for snowmaking in a dry winter would fill an area the size of Buffalo Park with water more than 2 feet deep. The Coconino National Forest land that Snowbowl is permitted to use is bordered by wilderness on three sides. Area tribes and individuals opposed to snowmaking for environmental and other reasons have litigated repeatedly in federal court to prevent this development. Others have conducted hunger strikes, blocked roads or chained themselves to equipment during the past two years in an attempt to block development. The Hopi Tribe has one outstanding objection -- an assertion than snowmaking could harm a rare plant that grows only on the Peaks. The courts have ruled in the Coconino National Forest's (and Snowbowl's) favor in most of the cases, and Snowbowl is legally cleared to build.

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If approved by voters in November, a scaled-down 17-acre public works yard in west Flagstaff could be functional by the fall of 2013:


West Flag new public works home?
by JOE FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
September 30, 2012

Records released Friday afternoon have pinpointed where the city would like to build a new public works yard if voters approve a $14 million bond this November. The city has reached an agreement in principle with local businessman Wayne Thompson to buy a partially developed county island sitting on 16.75 acres on the corner of Kaibab Lane and Thompson Street in west Flagstaff. The total cost to the city is estimated to be roughly $28.3 million, with $15.8 million going to Thompson to purchase the parcel in west Flagstaff. The city is expected to split the development of the property into two phases, taking control of 13.6 acres immediately and then purchasing the remaining 3.15 acres from Thompson a few years later, said City Manager Kevin Burke.

Two years ago, voters rejected a $42 million bond to build a public works yard on a a city-owned 23-acre parcel known as McAllister Ranch off West Route 66. The McAllister property, along with the 7-acre site on which the current public works yard currently sits, would be sold to private developers, and proceeds from the sale would help to pay for the proposed public works yard. The city is also hoping to raise an additional $4 million by re-instituting a $2.50 tipping fee out at the city-controlled landfill.

The current public works yard is considered to be too small for city operations. Some pieces of heavy equipment are stored outside year round, and there are safety concerns for employees who are forced to work on equipment too large to fit in the former horse barn. The public works yard stores vehicles related to street maintenance, snow plowing and clearing operations, drainage maintenance, pothole and street sweeping; residential and commercial trash and recycling collection. It also serves as the maintenance facility for all city vehicles and equipment, including fire, police, streets, solid waste, and water and wastewater department vehicles. If the bond is approved by voters this November, the city could start moving into the west Flagstaff public works yard sometime in the fall of 2013.

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After several years of completing numerous large projects, NAU's 2013-14 Capital Improvements Plan focuses on maintenance and improvements to existing facilities:


Going up? NAU Gets $70M for Elevators, Pathways, and Roofs
By Eric Jay Toll
The Arizona Builder’s Exchange
October 5, 2012

ABOR $375M Capital Budget On Its Way to Legislature
NAU requested $70M for building maintenance and improvements in its 2013-14 Capital Improvement Plan. Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) sent $375M in capital projects to the legislature for fiscal years 2014 through 2016. ASU was approved for $250M in requests and UofA has an OK for $54M that will be bumped after the December ABOR meeting.

Renovation, Safety and Maintenance on Tap for NAU in FY 2014
Approved for $70M, Northern Arizona University plans all its 2013-14 capital spending for building maintenance and improvements for fire safety and accessibility code compliance. All funds are focused on Flagstaff’s mountain campus. Elevator replacements and new roofs are the biggest ticket items. Among the proposed improvements are upgrades to science laboratories, improving campus signage and rebuilding pathways and pedestrian access on campus. It is expected that state appropriations will fund the efforts.


For full article: http://azbex.com/going-up-nau-gets-7...ays-and-roofs/

[kaneui]

Some are saying the $15.7M price tag is too high for a 17-acre parcel near West Route 66 the city wants to buy for a new public works yard:


New Flagstaff Public Works Yard Generates Dissent Ahead of $14M Bond Vote
By Joe Ferguson
Arizona Daily Sun
October 17, 2012

The Flagstaff City Council has taken one of the final steps toward reaching an agreement with the owner of the 17-acre west Flagstaff property that the city has targeted for a new public works yard. The Council decision Tuesday night essentially cements where the city can spend the $14 million bond if approved by voters next month. But the decision was not unanimous. Councilmembers Celia Barotz and Jeff Oravits both refused to accept the offer from landowner Wayne Thompson to sell the site to the city for $15.7 million. Both said they were uncomfortable with the process, with Oravits criticizing staff for not getting an appraisal of the land while still moving forward with negotiations.

City Manager Kevin Burke defended the decision to begin negotiating with Thompson before a full appraisal, noting that the city received only a single proposal -- Thompson's -- for a new public works yard. The city has three ways it can either sell or buy property -- negotiated sales, sealed bids and public auctions. Within the strict confines of the state's request for proposals process, the city essentially has only two options when considering sealed bids: either accept Thompson's proposal at his asking price or reject the bid and start over. An appraisal could identify whether the city is paying too much or too little for the private property, but the Council does not have the authority to change the bid. Thompson's asking price was made without knowing for certain whether the city would receive competing bids from other property owners.

PRICE TAG TOO HIGH

Resident Mark Belsanti, who owns a local real estate firm specializing in commercial property, criticized the process during the Tuesday night Council meeting. He said the $15.7 million price was too high for a public works yard and said the city should have gotten an appraisal. Belsanti said he did not participate in the bid process because he was not aware of the proposal until he read a recent article in the Arizona Daily Sun. The total number of existing buildings on the parcel off Kaibab Lane near West Route 66 is 15, although city officials concede several buildings will eventually need to be modified for city use. The total combined square footage of the buildings is roughly 80,000, although three of the smaller buildings on the western edge of the property are not expected to be under city control for at least five years. The city has opted to split the project into phases in order to postpone some costs.

The new public works yard is expected to house the garbage trucks, street graders, snowplows and other equipment based at the existing public works yard on Mogollon Street. In addition, the city has identified a total of 10 locations where equipment is currently being stored -- from a Phoenix Avenue warehouse to the city-controlled cemetery -- that would eventually be moved to the new facility.

PARTNERSHIPS NOT FEASIBLE

Specific details related to the daily operations of the yard including traffic signs, estimated impact to existing traffic along West Route 66 and entrances into the yard have not been finalized. Burke has previously stated the city has looked at a number of locations for a public works site since he first took office in 2008. Voters rejected the previous bond measure nearly two years ago that would have built a public works yard near McAllister Ranch for roughly $42 million. The city has explored various proposals to partner with other agencies and jurisdictions, but eventually dismissed each of them due primarily to financing and whether they would meet the city's growing needs. For example, the city briefly considered a parcel owned by Northern Arizona University along Lone Tree Road, but the topography proved too costly as a building site.

One final step, the approval of an actual contract between the city and Thompson, will be brought before the Council at a special meeting later this month. Initial estimates suggest the $14 million bond would cost the average homeowner about $35 a year for the next 25 years. The current secondary property tax is $250 a year on a $250,000 house. If approved by voters, the city will not increase property taxes to pay for the bond but instead will sell new bonds only as old ones are retired.

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(photo: AZREMagazine.com)


Amara Resort & Spa Completes $2M Renovation
by Peter Madrid
AZREMagazine.com
October 16, 2012

Amara Resort & Spa in Sedona recently completed a $2M renovation that upgraded the resort’s 100 guest rooms, pool, restaurant, outdoor event space, fitness center, lobby and other areas. One of the largest elements of the resort’s facelift included the addition of a 26,000-gallon infinity pool. The negative edge overlooks Oak Creek with Sedona’s signature red rocks providing a serene backdrop. The year-round pool also features a 12-person spa and three contemporary cabanas. The renovation, which kicked off in 2Q and was completed in September, was done in phases to ensure that the resort could stay open during the construction and that guests were not disturbed during the process. The architect overseeing the renovation was Dana Foley; the pool and courtyard were completed by Creative Environment.

“Amara is widely known and recognized for its chic and modern style and amenities, and it was important to us to keep the resort’s style as fresh as possible,” said Laurie Johnson, director of sales and marketing at Amara. “The resort was originally built in 2003, so the renovations add that perfect contemporary touch that will continually help us stand out to guests who are looking for modern luxury in Sedona.” Each of the 100 guest rooms and suites received a crown molding installation, upgraded bathroom furniture and fixtures, fresh carpeting and new signature bedding décor elements. Many of the resort’s rooms overlook the red rocks and have views or patios over Oak Creek.

Hundred Rox, the resort’s American-fusion restaurant, also received a full makeover including new carpet, tables and chairs, bar cabinets and countertops, and updated art installations. The outdoor area of the restaurant was also updated with soothing water features and romantic fire pits – all overlooking the infinity pool and red rocks. The outdoor event space, most often used for weddings, was relocated to better capitalize on the stunning view. The lobby was also updated with new tile, furniture, modern check-in kiosks, a convenient business center and a gift shop. Amara is a popular destination for leisure and business travelers, with its prime location that is just a 2-minute walk from Uptown Sedona. Amara also features one of the top spas in America, and is the only nationally recognized spa in Sedona that is also open to the public along with resort guests. Amara is managed by Prism Hotels & Resorts.

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Located downstream from the Wildcat Hill sewage treatment plant in east Flagstaff and not far from Walnut Canyon, the 480 acres of Picture Canyon purchased by the city from the State Land Department will be held in conservation as a nature preserve or possible city park:



Picture Canyon and its Northern Sinaguan petroglyphs
(photos: Randy Wilson, Ryan Stevenson)


Flagstaff purchase of Picture Canyon a 30-year dream come true
by JOE FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
October 31, 2012

Donald Weaver saw past the rusting hulks of steel, rotting rubber and scattered piles of trash when he first began surveying Picture Canyon in the late 1970s. An expert on the ancient petroglyphs painted on the canyon walls, Weaver vowed to protect from encroachment not only the rare art but the lush vegetation and the animals that called the unique corridor home. "It wasn't so pretty back then," he remembered. "There were abandoned vehicles down at the bottom of the canyon. There was trash all over the place. There were old tires down there. There was all kinds of stuff."

Weaver finally was able to see his dreams realized as the city completed the final step Tuesday on a multi-decade journey to keep Picture Canyon out of the hands of private developers. The city was the sole bidder for the 480-acre parcel offered by the State Land Department at auction, purchasing the property for just under $4.8 million. In a sea of supporters and city employees, City Manager Kevin Burke donned his Halloween costume from last year -- dressing up as Waldo from popular children's books in order to be seen by the state officials auctioning off the land. He even brought a bright yellow sign just in case a bidding war erupted for the hundreds of undeveloped acres alongside the canyon. The land surrounding Picture Canyon has risen in value since the treatment process at the plant was upgraded to A+, or 99 percent treated, several years ago. The restoration project, which broke ground in 2010, helped to restore the natural course of the stream and enhance the riparian corridor for habitat, recreation and beauty, according to city officials. Burke's props on Tuesday were unnecessary, with the auction lasting less than two minutes.

The city will use a $2.4 million grant from the Arizona State Parks Department and money remaining from a voter-approved 2004 open space bond to cover the purchase price. The city handed over a check worth 10 percent of the total price on Tuesday and will pay the remainder to the State Land Department in the next 30 days. The Land Department, whose auctions benefit education in Arizona, is obligated to get the best price for the land, regardless of use. The city was not, however, able to buy the entire canyon. A small parcel just east of the Rio de Flag Wastewater Treatment Plant and south of a massive APS utility line has been classified as suitable for development. Privately owned parcels with houses already border three sides of the environmentally sensitive tract that the city plans to purchase. A fourth boundary backs up to the city wastewater treatment plant and Interstate 40.

Former Councilmember Nat White can think of only one other property in the 42 years he has lived in Flagstaff that is as important as Picture Canyon: Buffalo Park. The retired astronomer said that although Picture Canyon may not draw as many visitors as the popular park on McMillan Mesa, it is a valuable asset to teach generations about Flagstaff's past while allowing them to experience its natural beauty. For Weaver, whose hair has turned white over the decades since he first saw Picture Canyon, the new park is not for him, but the next generation of residents. "Thirty years of work has finally paid off," he said. "Hopefully by the time I leave this Earth, it will be a major territory for the city's parks division."

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Second time a charm for public works yard
by Joe Ferguson
Arizona Daily Sun
November 07, 2012

Flagstaff voters have narrowly backed a drastically scaled-back plan to move the public works yard to a larger site off west Route 66. Roughly 53 percent of local residents voted in favor of the proposed a $14 million bond Tuesday night, giving the city the authority to continue negotiations to buy a 17-acre parcel with 15 buildings for an estimated $15.7 million. Two years ago, voters rejected a $42 million bond to build a public works yard on a city-owned 23-acre parcel known as McAllister Ranch farther west on Route 66.

Voters also supported a $10 million bond project to pay for the thinning of two forested areas outside the city aimed at preventing wildfires and subsequent flooding. Up to $6.8 million would go to thin 6,060 acres in the Dry Lake Hills areas, with predictive models showing a catastrophic wildfire like the Schultz fire could lead to massive flooding, destroying large portions of downtown Flagstaff, the Southside neighborhood and the Northern Arizona University campus The bond would also pay for thinning around Lake Mary, where a fire could threaten a major source of potable water for the city. Historical averages released by the city state the city gets about 600 million gallons of potable water from Lake Mary annually. Karen Malis-Clark, a retired Coconino National Forest employee, was thrilled the bonds have passed. She said she found it gratifying city residents were willing to back the unique partnership between the city of Flagstaff and the National Forest Service. "I think this demonstrates that city of Flagstaff residents are informed and invested in forest health," she said.

Voters supported the bond proposal for the new public works yard despite the fact it has been plagued by problems for the last two months, leading to two councilmembers refusing to publicly support the current proposal. Councilmember Jeff Oravits went a step further, recently advocating to locals to vote against the proposal. Several landowners have also complained the city did not adequately advertise a land deal potentially worth tens of millions of dollars. City Manager Kevin Burke said he was grateful for support from city resident on both bond issues. "We are extremely appreciative that voters are supporting the city initiatives, both of them solve problems that are important to the community," he said. He said the next step for both bond questions is to finish contract negotiations. Despite months of negotiations, the city did not have a binding contract in place with the owner of the property where the city wants to build a public works yard, Wayne Thompson. The city has an agreement in principle with Thompson, but it is not legally binding. The local resident was the sole bidder to the city's call for proposals to build a new public works yard. The city is not legally obligated to build the public works yard on that site, but several councilmembers have expressed reluctance to consider other sites after publicly identifying Thompson's site as the home for the yard.

[kaneui]

With hopes of an El Niño winter fading, the Arizona Snowbowl plans to begin snowmaking by the middle of December and be open by Christmas to a steady stream of skiers:



Dave Smith of Snowbowl stands in front of several of Snowbowl's new snow guns
with which they will be making snow this year.
(photo: Josh Biggs)


Snowmaking begins at Arizona Snowbowl
by CYNDY COLE
Arizona Daily Sun
December 4, 2012

Arizona Snowbowl proposes to begin making snow by mid-December and to open before Christmas, operating if necessary on a base of 2 or 3 feet of snow made entirely from reclaimed wastewater. This would actually be the second time Snowbowl made snow, after a few days of covering bare patches at the base of chairlifts in spring 2012. It also marks the true beginning of a project that has been appealed and litigated since 2005. There remains one lawsuit, from the Hopi Tribe, asking a federal judge to halt snowmaking once more so that opponents can argue its impact on a rare plant. That judge had yet to rule as of late November.

Snowbowl proposes to line up moveable snowmaking machines in mid-December, laying down piles of snow on one run, then another, and using grooming machinery to spread it around and pack it down. It would open the lower lifts first -- Hart Prairie and Sunset -- before making snow on just one trail on the uppermost part of the mountain, a trail called Volcano. The snowmaking machines resemble large barrels, raised up on three-wheeled stands, making them portable. Around the outermost ring of the barrels are a series of tiny ports where pressurized water sprays out. The pressurized water turns to snow and is propelled farther with a big fan at the base of each barrel. The snowmaking machines hook up to power supplies and to a series of reclaimed wastewater water spigots that Snowbowl has installed along its ski trails -- all completed infrastructure as of late November. Each snowmaking unit has a computer and a small weather station aboard, allowing the units to be programmed to make snow based on the current humidity, wind speed and temperature.


For full article: http://azdailysun.com/news/local/sno...280f5322a.html

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(render: NAU)


Dining expansion project begins at University Union
NAU News
December 14, 2012

Shorter lines and more open seats at mealtime are soon to become common sites at Northern Arizona University. Only four years after a major renovation of the University Union, NAU is responding to a growing student population with a dining services project that will connect a new building to the Union and add 13,000 square feet of space. Temporary fences are up and work has already begun on the $5 million project, which is being funded through a partnership of NAU and Sodexo. Completion is scheduled for August 2013. “The expansion and additional retail area will benefit students by providing additional seating in the Hot Spot, making it easier to find a seat during peak periods,” said Jane Kuhn, associate vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. “A new Starbucks will have a larger service counter, which will improve customer service.” In addition to the Starbucks, which will move from its current location to a larger, more centrally located space, a new convenience store selling pizza will be added. Second-floor dining for the Hot Spot is also part of the project.

Construction over winter break involves utility relocation and work on exterior walls. A portion of the pedway near the project will be temporarily relocated. Ultimately, the bike path in that area will be rerouted and enlarged to allow emergency vehicle access between the Union and Gillenwater Hall. Agnes Drogi, NAU director of Planning, Design and Construction, said that deliveries will take place along the transit spine throughout the project, but she does not anticipate that they will cause “any significant delays or changes in stops.” Drogi said the Hot Spot will remain open during the spring semester and will close after graduation in May. Beginning at spring break, interior work at the Hot Spot will take place to install an elevator and connection points to the new building. At that time, access to the Hot Spot will be moved to a location opposite Pizza Hut. NAU Foundation, through NAREH LLC, has contracted with local general contractor Kinney Construction Services for design and construction. NAU Facility Services is providing project management.

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Construction crews work on the exterior of the new Catholic church on McMillan Mesa
Wednesday morning.
(photo: Jake Bacon)


Catholics get Christmas Eve treat
by JOE FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
December 21, 2012

The first mass inside the new Catholic church atop Flagstaff's McMillan Mesa will take place Christmas Eve. An army of local contractors is putting the finishing touches on the 24,000-square-foot church to prepare the newest addition to the San Francisco de Asis Parish for services on Christmas Eve as well as Christmas Day. Terrence Milligan, a project manager with the parish, said church construction is expected to be completed by the end of January. A planned two-story school, which is under construction, is projected to open in the fall of 2013. The new church is projected to serve all aspects of the local Catholic community's needs for the next 100 years. The pews inside the church will accommodate 1,500 people at a time. The cost for the church and school is estimated at $17 million.

The parish is in the process of selling the St. Pius X Center on Fourth Street after selling the San Francisco de Asis School (formerly St. Mary's) to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. The Valley diocese plans to keep the downtown property and it will not be redeveloped for commercial use, said Father Pat Mowrer. He added that the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel and Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel, both on the National Register of Historic Places, will remain in the parish's control and be used for special events. In total, the parish owns 107 acres on the mesa and the school and church will be built on roughly 14 acres.

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Work on the Twin Arrows Casino and Resort is projected to be finished by late spring or early summer 2013.
(photo: Betsy Bruner)


Twin Arrows casino sets May opening
by JOE FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
February 3, 2013

The month of May cannot come soon enough for Derrick Watchman. The chief financial officer for the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise can't wait to open the tribe's fourth casino near Twin Arrows. "In the middle of May we will open our doors," he said. "We will have a date in 60 days." Although the construction of the first phase of the $175 million casino and hotel complex continues 20 miles east of Flagstaff, the recent focus has been on hiring the hundreds of employees it will need to operate the gaming enterprise around the clock.

Open positions ranged from running the gift shop to the gaming tables, from hotel administration to housekeeping as well as full-time positions in marketing and security. "All told, we will need 800," he said. The job fair held over the past three days at the High Country Conference Center drew large crowds. In addition to bringing proper identification and other documentation, would-be job seekers were also given drug screenings as well as background checks before being offered positions. The casino has a hiring preference for Navajos, specifically mentioning the preference in advertisements. Employees in the Navajo casinos typically earn $24,000, have full benefits, and have the option of employer-paid education, Watchman said.

The Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort, just off Interstate 40, will have nearly 1,089 slot machines, blackjack, poker and Keno tables and 90 hotel rooms when it opens this summer. The resort will have a number of places to eat, including: a steakhouse, an oyster bar, a 24-hour restaurant and a food court. The number of hotel rooms will grow to 200 by next winter as part of Phase 2 of the casino. Other additions for the second phase include a spa area. A former banking executive, Watchman estimates total annual revenues will be slightly less than $100 million. A majority of the profits after operating expenses, a tax paid to the state of Arizona and payouts to gamblers will be reinvested in the Navajo Nation. The Navajo people approved gaming in a 2004 referendum. The Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise was created by the council in 2006.

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Builders ready to get busy
January 25, 2013
by JOE FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun

The sound of hammers meeting nails might once again be heard throughout Flagstaff starting this spring. City officials are cautiously optimistic that two dozen construction projects will break ground this year. They range from small townhome projects scattered throughout the community to two new shopping centers popping up on the east side. The one-page list of potential projects emerged earlier this week during a half-day budget retreat for the Flagstaff City Council as part of a discussion about the city's Community Development division. The document was used to illustrate why the city is projecting a busy building season this year, said the city's planning director, Jim Cronk. The projects in the city document were generated from discussions city officials have had with local landlords, engineers, architects and developers. The projects are all in various phases, warns Cronk, indicating some are preliminary and might not even have signed leases.

Those looking for mentions of a Trader Joe's or an In-N-Out Burger will be disappointed. The document does not list any specific companies, making only vague references to "an outdoor outfitter" possibly coming to town and a new 70,000-square-foot grocery store planned for east Flagstaff. Developers contacted by the Daily Sun were reluctant to discuss future business plans. RED Development, which owns vacant land in the Aspen Place at the Sawmill project, would not comment on future expansion plans despite being mentioned in the document. A spokesperson for the company said it would be premature to comment on future plans.

Several of the projects, however, will require developers to get proper approvals from the city. For example, the city's planning and zoning commission would need to give Campus Crest a conditional use permit for its plans to build another 48 apartments on the empty lots it owns next to the Grove at Flagstaff. Those lots were zoned mainly for single family homes and townhomes, according to public documents released by the city.

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Although the deal is off for the proposed 17-acre purchase in west Flagstaff, the city still has voter approval to spend up to $14M for a new public works yard:


Works yard talks called off for good
February 07, 2013
by Joe Ferguson
Arizona Daily Sun

A $15.7 million deal to buy commercial property in west Flagstaff and turn it into the city's new public works yard is officially dead. A Council majority ignored pleas from a local attorney who asked them to continue negotiations with his father, local developer Wayne Thompson, to sell the 17-acre parcel just off West Route 66. Stephen Thompson told the Council -- without going into details -- that the legal hurdles that had prevented the two parties from coming to an agreement have mostly been resolved. "A successful agreement can be reached," he told the Council Tuesday night. But the Council was largely unwilling to discuss specifics about the secret negotiations in public, including what issues the two sides could not come to terms on. "We know everything we need to know about this piece of property," Mayor Jerry Nabours told Thompson Tuesday night. A six-person majority agreed with a staff recommendation to break off talks with Thompson, which date back to early 2012.

The local developer was the sole respondent to a call for proposals last year to partner in some fashion with the city on a public works yard. The lone holdout on Tuesday night was Nabours, who said he favored continuing discussions. He told his colleagues that he believes the city and Thompson's representatives got sidetracked in December by other issues and believes the two sides can now come to a resolution quickly. However, that was not Nabours' only reason for wanting to continue negotiations.

The mayor said he has been approached by locals skeptical of why the city would want to break off talks with Thompson, suggesting the city was trying to pull a "bait and switch" by advertising one site but with plans to build on another. City Attorney Rosemary Rosales told the Council that although the city's ballot information pamphlet as well as "roadshow" presentations by City Manager Kevin Burke identified the parcel Thompson owns as the future home of the public works yard, the city is not obligated to build there. The only legally binding document -- the language on the November ballot -- does not identify where the city wanted to build a new public works yard, only that it wanted voters to approve $14 million in bonds to fund its construction.

NEXT STEPS

There was no discussion on Tuesday night about next steps, but it is assumed that the city will go back out to the public and make another call for proposals. At least one person, the owner of the Kit Carson RV Park, has stated his interest in selling his property to the city for millions of dollars less than what Thompson was asking for his site. An attorney representing Chris Welsh, the owner of the RV park on West Route 66, told the Council Tuesday night that his client was ready to offer the city a "smoking deal" for the 32-acre site. Welsh at one time said that if the city were interested, he would ask for slightly less than $9 million for his RV park and some adjacent parcels he owns. Other local landowners have also hinted they would be interested in selling property to the city, and the public call for a second round of proposals would not preclude Thompson from making a new offer.

[Sepstein]

Really sad news Cards will not hold training camp in Flag no more. Was a great reason to get outta of the heat and head up north for the day or two! Probably a blow to Flags economy too! Doesn't make any sense was perfect spot for it for 25 year! Must be more revenue or something cause don't get the bubble thing in Glendale sounds lame!

[ASUSunDevil]

Originally Posted by Sepstein

Really sad news Cards will not hold training camp in Flag no more. Was a great reason to get outta of the heat and head up north for the day or two! Probably a blow to Flags economy too! Doesn't make any sense was perfect spot for it for 25 year! Must be more revenue or something cause don't get the bubble thing in Glendale sounds lame!

Absolutely terrible news. I'm shocked that this happened, Between Sarver and the Bidwell's we have gotten pretty damn unlucky with our current pro sports ownership

[kaneui]

Although new construction at NAU has slowed from previous years, there are now several new multi-family projects in the works as the economic recovery continues. (Click on the link below for the latest Flagstaff news.)

[Buckeye Native 001]

Have you had a chance to see everything that's popped up in the last couple of years at Aspen Place at the Sawmill? Its mostly college apartments, an REI (soon to open) and a bank (under construction), but its all a marked improvement over the empty lots that were there for years.

[kaneui]

Made a few updates to the Flagstaff developments list (and Tucson, as well). Just click on the links below.