Flagstaff Development News

[kaneui]

Featuring a 150-room hotel and 37,000 sf of conference space, the new $40M NAU conference center will break ground on Sept. 1:


Conference center nears reality
ARIZONA DAILY SUN
Saturday, May 20, 2006 10:47 AM CDT

Nearly a decade after it was endorsed by a citizens' committee, Flagstaff's long-awaited hotel/conference center now has a ground-breaking date: Sept. 1, 2006. And with a contract signed Friday between Drury Hotels and Northern Arizona University, there is even talk of a completion date: January 2008. "We're hoping everything starts at once," said Lisa Nelson of NAU's Office of Public Affairs.

Drury Hotels will build a 150-room hotel as part of a conference center complex planned for the northernmost point of the Flagstaff campus, near Butler Avenue and Milton Road. The overall project will include about a 37,000-square-foot conference center, which is a joint partnership with the city of Flagstaff, and an adjoining parking garage. NAU will be responsible for construction of the $15 million conference center and garage. The conference center is designed to accommodate between 500 and 800 people per conference, but it has a capacity of 1,500, Nelson said.

The agreement with Drury provides for a 30-year ground lease with two 10-year renewal options for the hotel. NAU will receive between 3 percent and 4 percent of the hotel's annual gross revenue above an annual base rent of $60,000. The Flagstaff City Council already has approved an intergovernmental agreement that sends $2 million toward the conference center. The parking garage will have 400 spaces, with 138 reserved for hotel guests. The Arizona Board of Regents has approved the initiative.

"This is an important step forward for Northern Arizona University and the city of Flagstaff," said NAU President John Haeger in a press release. "The project allows our institution to hold regional conferences on campus and provides opportunities for further development of our School of Hotel and Restaurant Management. It also will serve as an economic engine for northern Arizona."

Missouri-based Drury is a family-owned company with 117 Drury Inns, Drury Inns & Suites and Pear Tree Inns in 17 states, mostly in the Midwest and South. The family-owned chain was recently ranked the No. 1 overall hotel brand by the Market Metrix Hospitality Index, the nation's largest and most in-depth measure of hotel, car rental and airline performance. Drury has entered into partnerships with city governments in the past, but this is the first with a university, according to Dennis Vollink, president of Drury Southwest.

"Flagstaff is a growing, vibrant community," Vollink said in a press release. "We saw great potential with the university and conference center." This is Drury's first Arizona venture, but he added that his company is examining the possibility of expanding into the Phoenix area. The agreement also stipulates that Drury will make annual payments to Coconino County in lieu of property taxes, which would otherwise not be required because NAU is a tax-exempt state institution. Drury also will pay all other applicable state and city taxes.

[kaneui]

The article doesn't state exactly where TGen's new center will be housed, but I suspect it could be part of NAU's new Advanced R&D Building currently under construction:

Advanced Research & Development Building (Spring 2007 completion)




TGen lab to open in Flagstaff
Work with NAU to study diseases

Max Jarman
The Arizona Republic
May. 30, 2006 12:00 AM

A collaboration between Phoenix's Translational Genomics Research Institute and Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff could result in diseases being diagnosed in minutes instead of days. Such rapid diagnosis means that patients could be treated faster and lives could be saved. TGen and NAU announced Monday that they would jointly open a center in Flagstaff this fall to study the genetic makeup of disease-causing pathogens in an effort to develop faster diagnostic tests.

"This is an incredible opportunity for us to improve upon the diagnosis of infectious diseases, which hasn't changed all that much since the techniques pioneered by Louis Pasteur 150 years ago," said Paul Keim, a renowned biosafety expert who will head the center. Keim, who lives in Flagstaff, heads TGen's pathogen genomics division and is a professor of biology at NAU.

The Translational Genomics Research Institute's Center for Pathogen Diagnostics, or TGen North, will use the genomic technology and tools TGen applies to research at its Phoenix laboratories to study biodefense, pathogen diagnostics and microbial forensics. The new facility is an expansion of Keim's efforts to detect and nullify the effects of highly regulated pathogens such as anthrax, plague and tularemia. He is a key researcher in the Department of Homeland Security's anthrax investigation and is working on several projects funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"We're incredibly excited to establish a footprint for TGen in Flagstaff," said Jeffrey Trent, TGen's president and scientific director. "Dr. Keim is unique in the field of pathogen genomics. His work contributes both to the nation's biosecurity work and our efforts to make Arizona a premier center for biotechnology excellence."

The new center is funded by multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Homeland Security and others. Stephanie McKinney, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Flagstaff Economic Council, said, "The launching of TGen North is the first step of what we hope will be a continuing effort to create new jobs in bioscience."

[kaneui]

Over 100 acres on McMillan Mesa, which separates east and west Flagstaff, will be developed into multi- and single-family residential, several business parks, and a few commercial buildings:


111 acres on McMillan Mesa to become homes, business parks
BY J. FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
Monday, June 12, 2006 1:05 PM CDT

One of Flagstaff’s last undeveloped tracts of privately held open space has recently been sold, and the new owner has submitted plans to the city for its development. Local developer Stan Ritland sold his entire property on McMillan Mesa, some 64.8 acres, to the Cavan Opportunity Fund for $6.8 million.

The parcel at the top of the mesa is known for its stunning views of the San Francisco Peaks and long has been sought by open space advocates for preservation from development. The tentative plans call for the development of the southside of Forest Avenue from Turquoise Drive to the entrance of the USGS facility.

Representatives for Cavan have submitted a plan to the city’s design review board to build five separate business parks and several residential complexes in the mesa. Cavan’s plan calls for the development of 111 acres, far exceeding land currently owned by the group. Bill Ring, a Flagstaff land-use attorney representing Cavan, said the group has a tentative agreement with the other primary land holder in the area, Mesa Verde Investments, to develop McMillan Mesa.

According to city officials, the Cavan Group’s plan for McMillan Mesa is very similar to the McMillan Mesa Village Specific Plan, adopted on Dec. 15, 1992. The 111-acre plan calls for 23.4 acres of high density residential (13 or more net dwellings per acre) 8.6 acres of medium density housing (six to 12 net dwellings per acre) and 2.8 acres of single- family housing. The plan also calls for five business parks, for a total of 52.9 acres and 7.6 acres for small-scale commercial buildings.

On Thursday, the city’s design review board discussed Cavan’s plan during its meeting, although both city and Cavan officials agree the plan is in its initial stages. The board discussed several land swaps, although none was agreed to by both sides. The city owns hundreds of acres of undeveloped open space atop the mesa south of Forest Avenue.

In 2004, the city submitted an aggressive plan to buy the property owned by Ritland and Mesa Verde, but voters rejected the $10.1 million bond to acquire the properties. While the city never released how much it was willing to pay for Ritland’s properties during the bond election, it had the property appraised at $2.97 million. The McMillan Mesa bond failed with the voters in the May 2004 election, with 57 percent of voters rejecting the proposed $10 million in bonds. Ritland opposed the bond issue, saying at the time his land was not for sale.

Ritland said he reached an agreement to sell the property to Cavan over a year ago, saying it was difficult to work with the city when the city wanted to buy the property. He said the property closed escrow only two months ago. Neil Cobb, who was a member of the McMillan Mesa Conservation Alliance which sought to preserve the mesa as open space, worked to find private financing in order to preserve open space on the mesa and avoid development of the area. He said the city’s effort in 2004 was little more than window dressing. “The city did nothing,” said Cobb.

Cobb, the director of the Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research at Northern Arizona University, said the development of McMillan Mesa marks the last battles between developers and the city for open space in Flagstaff. The plan next goes to the Open Space Commission at the end of the month.

[kaneui]

The AZ Board of Regents has approved an August groundbreaking for the new 37,000 sq. ft. NAU Conference Center, to coincide with the construction of an accompanying 150-room Drury hotel, all to be completed by January, 2008:


NAU conference center to break ground in August
By J. FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
Saturday, June 24, 2006 8:35 AM CDT

Northern Arizona University got a green light on Thursday when the Arizona Board of Regents approved a plan to build a new conference center and parking facility. The Regents endorsed a plan to finance the construction of the facilities by forming a limited liability company and selling $10 million in bonds. NAU has already set aside $2 million for the conference center, with revenues from Prop 301.

The multi-million dollar project, which university officials hope to start in August, will include the construction of a 37,000 square-foot conference center and 425-space parking facility located at the intersection of Milton Road and Butler Avenue. A hotel will be built adjacent to conference center, but will be funded by Missouri-based Drury Hotels. A contract was recently signed by Drury and NAU, with the organizations agreeing to have the entire complex completed by January 2008.

Rich Bowen, associate vice president for NAU, said the bonds will be repaid of a 30-year period. Bowen said the convention center will lose money during its first five years of operation and the sixth year projections indicate a meager $11,000 profit. NAU has increased their initial economic impact figures for the center from $5 million a year to $7 million a year, citing the increased capacity of the planned hotel from initial plans. The initial design called for 120 rooms in the hotel and updated plans have 150 rooms.

NAU's business plan for the conference center and parking facility won praise from Regent Anne Mariucci, who said she was impressed with the plan. Mariucci, a former president of the Del Webb Corporation, warned NAU officials that the project would "live or die" by the amount of promotion the center receives in the coming years.

NAU officials told the Regents a conference center director would be hired in late July to help begin promotion of the facility. NAU President John Haeger announced during the ABOR meeting, the conference center has already received its first firm commitment, from a group of superior court judges. Lisa Nelson, a NAU spokesperson, said the conference center has also received interest from several other groups for future events.

The convention center project is being built in collaboration with the city of Flagstaff, which has pledged $2 million toward the construction of the conference center, a year after the city council scrapped plans for a $48 million, four-star hotel. The city end its decade-long effort to bring a conference center to downtown Flagstaff after a consultant said it would take about $20 million from the city to attract private investors for the project.

[kaneui]

Conference center cost jumps 25%
By J. FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
7-20-2006

The projected cost of a $14 million conference center at NAU has gone up 25 percent to $17.4 million. But university officials remain committed to building the 41,000-square-foot facility and adjacent parking garage as well as to a January 2008 grand opening. During an update to the Flagstaff City Council on July 10, Northern Arizona University President John Haeger cited the rising costs of raw materials like steel and concrete, seasonal competition in the labor market and a larger facility as reason for the $3.4 million jump in the price tag.

Regents approved NAU's initial $14 million plan in June, allowing the university to sell $10 million in bonds, use $2 million from Prop 301 funds and the $2 million from the city of the Flagstaff to fund the project. But a construction firm tied to the conference center project recently revised the price to $19.5 million. NAU officials have already decided an adjacent parking garage will be built to three stories instead of four to save $2.1 million. In addition to rising costs for the raw materials, Haeger cited an intense demand for labor, saying local construction projects have absorbed most of the construction workers in the area. "We are going to have to import a lot of people from Phoenix to get this project done," said Haeger.

The increase in price is also due in part to a revision in the construction plans, which call for expanding the conference center from the originally planned 37,000 square feet. University officials said the expansion was necessary to ensure the ballroom will be able to accommodate 800 people. The cost of the program will have to be absorbed by the university, as the city's contribution of $2 million is the maximum allowed by city charter without a public vote.

University officials have a number of options to cover the additional costs of the conference center, including value engineering, which allows the university to maximize resources while maintaining quality. "We want to assure the council that we won't sacrifice design," Haeger said. The project may also see minor design changes, the sale of additional bonds and the use of the university's reserve funds to pay for the project.

NAU will need the approval of the Regents for the revised cost of the program before construction may begin. Officials had hoped to start construction of the project in the fall, although they remain committed to having the grand opening in January 2008. In addition to the center and parking garage, a 150-room hotel is to be built by Missouri-based Drury Hotels next to the planned conference center.

[kaneui]

Although it narrowly won a bitterly-fought election last year to overturn the city's big-box ordinance, Wal-Mart is getting no free ride from the city of Flagstaff, which is requiring that its plans for new Supercenter there be revised to preserve more pine trees, adhere to dark sky lighting requirements, include a pedestrian and bike trail, and redesign the building with more "green" materials and to be more compatible with the surrounding neighborhood:


Wal-Mart sent back to drawing board
By J. FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
07/27/2006

During a review of the preliminary plan for Flagstaff's first Wal-Mart Supercenter, city officials suggested Wednesday there were too many necessary revisions for the company to proceed to the next phase of development.

Officials had several concerns about the plans for the 212,000 square-foot store, suggesting current plans could not preserve the 30 percent of existing ponderosa pines, as required by the city's land development code. An aerial photograph of the site next to Outback Steakhouse on Huntington Drive suggested there is a dense patch of trees where Wal-Mart officials plan to build a three-story parking garage.

Wal-Mart executives asked whether the code would allow the trees to be replanted on another portion of the site, but city officials were skeptical whether it would be possible to move the trees. The pines' fragile root system, city officials contend, make transplanting the trees impossible. Ed Larsen, a city building official, said the Pine Canyon development did have some success in transplanting non-native pine trees, but added that only half of the transplanted trees survived.

City officials were also concerned about how the proposed grading of the area for the large two-story store would blend into the neighborhood. Karl Eberhard, the city's urban design planner, said he wanted to see the buildings and site elements blend with the natural topography of the area. He suggested the building may need to be redesigned slightly, saying standard plans used for typical large retail stores would not work at this site.

Other concerns voiced by city officials included providing a FUTS trail, performing a traffic impact study and using ecologically friendly building materials. They also reminded executives of the city's dark sky provisions, telling them all lighting would have to be fully shielded and planners needed to factor in the heavy customer traffic into their calculations for light pollution.

City officials did praise Wal-Mart representatives for the construction of a "green" Wal-Mart in Fort Collins, Colo. They said they hope executives from the retail giant would include aspects of the Colorado store in future revisions to the Flagstaff store plans.

Wal-Mart executives, for their part, asked city officials about the possibility of piping in reclaimed water to the store to use for irrigation. A senior manager for public affairs at Wal-Mart, Keith Morris, set a tentative date of Aug. 30 for a public meeting, although the meeting could be delayed depending on whether the company has to radically change its plan to meet concerns voiced by city officials.

[Cum_infested_Corndog]

Flagstaff cant really grow any bigger then they already are because there is not enough water to support large towns on the Colorado plateau because the soil underneath it is made out of clay which prevent there from being much ground water so any new development will just mean other development will have been abandoned

[SpaceMan1]

Any news on what company or what theme park might be built in Williams?

[kaneui]

^ I don't think it would be any big name like Six Flags, and I seriously doubt if this project will ever get built at all, since most successful amusement parks are built in or around major population centers. Plus, theme park weather at 7,000 ft. is only viable for a few months, so it's hard to believe this makes any sense at all...however, I'll post any news on this if it happens.

[kaneui]

A few smaller Flagstaff projects from http://southwest.construction.com :


Woodlands Village - luxury (?) shopping
(from Mar, 2006)



Glimcher Ventures Southwest (GVSW) has announced five new projects under various stages of development, in addition to the $250 million Parke West project which recently broke ground in the West Valley.

The Scottsdale-based company is extending its developing to Flagstaff with the $20 million Woodlands Village. This project, opening first quarter 2006, is intended to unite luxury shopping with the Flagstaff lifestyle. Woodlands Village is designed to be a pedestrian-friendly shopping center close to Northern Arizona University and the Forest Highlands area. Confirmed tenants include T.G.I. Friday's, Anytime Fitness, eBay, Beauty Express by Regis, Business Partners, Dip N Dots, E.B. Games, Merle Norman and Rosati's Pizza of Chicago.


Summit Builders Begins Pre- Construction Services for Flagstaff Healthpark
(from Feb., 2006)

Summit Builders Construction Company has begun preconstruction services for the Flagstaff Healthpark located at San Francisco St. and Forest Ave. in Flagstaff, Arizona for CAVAN Real Estate Investments.

Located on a 15-acre site, the development will consist of two phases. Phase 1 construction will include three, two-story Class "A" medical office buildings totaling 60,000-sq.-ft. and associated site work. The project scope for Phase 2 construction is comprised of a 330,000-sq.-ft., two-level parking garage providing 1,105 spaces and a 122,000-sq.-ft., two-story medical office building. Patrick Hayes Architecture of Scottsdale is providing architectural services.

Summit Builders is currently providing preconstruction services for Phase I with actual construction scheduled to begin early second quarter 2006 with a fourth quarter 2006 completion. Phase II construction is expected to commence third quarter 2006 with a summer completion in 2007.

[JAB323]

Wow Flagstaff has its own thread.

[kaneui]

Althought no skyscrapers are in the works (the NAU Conference Center hotel may be 5+ stories), here are some of the major development projects around town :


new Cedar Avenue bike and pedestrian bridge




Laboring into fall
By J. FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
September 4, 2006


The familiar orange cones are seemingly everywhere as the summer construction season in Flagstaff continues in high gear. Although the Fourth Street Overpass has opened, there are still a half-dozen major projects still under way. Below is an update on their progress:


FLAGSTAFF RECREATION AND AQUATIC CENTER
FUNDING: Approved in May 2004 bond election. The center, with its two translucent water slides designed to be used in the middle of the summer as well as the dead of winter, will address several recreation needs for the community. The center will have a shallow lap pool, a gym with two full basketball courts and a two-story rock climbing wall. The center is the combination of the $8.6 million aquatic bond and $6.1 million multi-generation center bond. The building, estimated to cost approximately $15.8 million, is still in the design phase, and the city is seeking an additional $600,000 from an APS subsidiary for green energy designs to be incorporated in the building.

LOCATION: The center will be at the foot of the new Fourth Street railroad overpass south of Route 66, on the northeast corner of Fourth Street and Industrial Drive.

ANTICIPATED COMPLETION DATE: Spring 2008.


CEDAR AVENUE BRIDGE
FUNDING: Part of the Flagstaff Regional Land Use and Transportation Plan approved by the voters in May 2002, total funding for Cedar Avenue Bike and Pedestrian Bridge at $865,737, including a portion from outside grants. The controversial bridge, which some have dubbed the "bridge to nowhere," has been criticized for serving only a fraction of the city's population. The bridge is located a quarter-mile east of the entrance road to the USGS complex and Buffalo Park

WHAT IT LACKS: The bridge is nearly complete, although the city is still constructing a fence for the bridge.

ANTICIPATED COMPLETION DATE: September 2006.


EAST FLAG INTERCHANGE
FUNDING: $30 million project by Arizona Department of Transportation

Construction of a "T" intersection at Highway 89 and Country Club Drive and the widening of both those thoroughfares to three lanes in each direction began in late April this year. Anticipated to help with traffic because of the mall expansion. Drivers can expect a mild slowdown in east-west traffic on East Route 66 through the construction zone for the next several weeks.

COMPLETION DATE: Late fall of 2007.


NAU HOTEL/CONFERENCE CENTER
NAU has already begun some of its initial work to build the $17.4 million facility, by gating off the north parking lot. Planned is a 41,000 square-foot conference center, an adjacent parking garage and a 150-room hotel, to be run by Missouri-based Drury Hotels. Students and employees can expect a parking crunch as the closing of the north parking lot, one of NAU's largest, coincides with another lot closure.

COMPLETION DATE: January 2008.


MALL EXPANSION
As heavy construction machines grade the land near the Flagstaff Mall, it's apparent Westcor has two separate construction projects. The area being cleared is a mixed-used retail space adjacent to the mall called the Village at Flagstaff Mall. It will be built in two phases, with one anchor store and several mini anchors which expect to be completed in fall 2007. The second phase, which includes a multi-screen movie theater, restaurants and specialty shops, is expected to open May 2008. The expansion at the Flagstaff Mall is expected to start next spring.


FOURTH STREET OVERPASS
Six years after voters approved the construction of Fourth Street Overpass, the $36.7 million bridge opened last week. The city's first mid-town grade-separated crossing is expected to relieve traffic congestion at Route 66 and Enterprise Road as well as improve access between the Eastside and Continental. In addition, the project frees up valuable commercial space along East Route 66. The overpass opened on Aug. 28 four months before its December 2006 deadline. The crossing was set to open last December, but a title dispute with local landowners stalled construction for several months.


THORPE PARK IMPROVEMENTS
Approved by voters in 1996, improvements to Thorpe Park include complete reconstruction of the four softball fields to tournament quality, full reconstruction of both the north multi-use field and the Duck Pond. The city has budgeted $4.8 million for the improvements, although city officials caution the amount has changed due to a recent approval of a less-bright Class IV lighting system, which is expected to save the city thousands of dollars. The lighting system became a controversy after dark sky advocates contended the Class III lights sought by city staff were too bright.

EXPECTED COMPLETION: November 2006.


AIRPORT EXPANSION PLANS
Improvements to the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport have been ongoing for years, with improvements to John Wesley Powell Boulevard from Pulliam Drive as far as the Pine Canyon Clubhouse now complete. Engineering studies are under way for the planned runway extension, and Airport Manager Mike Covalt said the city has applied for two grants for the extension, worth more than $15 million. A completion date for the runway project has not been set, pending receipt of the federal grants.

[kaneui]

McMillan Mesa, a natural geographic boundary between east and west Flagstaff and one of the largest sparsely developed areas within city limits, is gearing up for more development:


McMillan Mesa Village plan takes shape
By J. FERGUSON
Sun Staff Reporter
Thursday, September 21, 2006

Despite plans to develop hundreds of acres atop McMillan Mesa, the city of Flagstaff has reached a tentative agreement with developers to preserve a significant tract of contiguous open space. A small group of residents and city staffers listened intently Wednesday afternoon as the city's Urban Design Planner, Karl Eberhard, explained how the southeastern portion of McMillan Mesa would contain large, connected parcels of open space.

Several years ago, the city agreed to preserve as open space most of the portion of McMillan Mesa it owns, although officials had not created a plan on how to use the area or where to establish trails or put restrooms. At a joint meeting of the city's open spaces and park and recreation commissions, Eberhard said that city officials and the developers of the McMillan Mesa Village had reached an agreement to swap several parcels of land on the mesa. The amount of land being is swapped is equal in size, but requires city council approval, and will allow both parties to better use the land they already own.

The McMillan Mesa Village project constitutes a 111-acre site, owned by the Cavan Opportunity Fund and Mesa Verde Investments, on the southwestern portion of the mesa. In 2004, the city attempted to buy some the land from then-owner Stan Ritland, but the bid was turned down by voters. In plans submitted to the city, the 111-acre plan calls for 23.4 acres of high density residential (13 or more net dwellings per acre), 8.6 acres of medium density housing (six to 12 net dwellings per acre) and 2.6 acres of single-family housing. The plan also calls for five business parks, for a total of 52.9 acres and 7.6 acres of smaller scale commercial buildings. Eberhard outlined a conceptual plan for the public open space area, which includes several developed trails linking the Sunnyside neighborhood, the Cedar bridge and the planned Catholic church.

The plan calls for Gemini Drive to be extended south from the USGS complex across Cedar Avenue and link with Pine Cliff Drive. Eberhard proposed a "linear event area" along the new part of Gemini Drive where the city could host events like craft fairs. A fence would separate the area from the city's open space.

The combined boards did not vote to approve or disapprove of Eberhard's plan for the mesa. His presentation was well-received by the members in attendance. The McMillan Mesa Village project still needs approval from the city's Planning and Zoning commission before construction can begin, although no date has been set.

Catholic Church project delayed
In a surprise move, the Flagstaff City Council tabled on Tuesday a request from the local Catholic Church to subdivide their planned development on McMillan Mesa. The council unanimously voted to table the request for four weeks, which would have divided the 117-acre tract the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix owns north of the East Route 66 and Enterprise Road. Councilmember Joe Haughey, who seconded Al White's motion to table the request, said the proposal was exceptionally complicated. "Its a jigsaw puzzle," said Haughey.

The council discussed the church's request for several hours during its closed-door session earlier Tuesday, but council members said it wasn't enough time to make a decision. The request would have divided the tract into seven parcels and created a new intersection at East Route 66 and Enterprise Road. A new road from East Route 66 would link up with Ponderosa Parkway, which now deadends atop the mesa.

According to the city's development services director, Jim Cronk, the city was unable to reach an agreement with a nearby business owner whose property is near the proposed Ponderosa Parkway intersection. Without the agreement, the city would have been forced to build a temporary intersection at the East Route 66 and Ponderosa Parkway, which would later have to be changed when a permanent agreement was reached.

The council also heard from another property owner, Mary Nemec, who owns several tracts of land along East Route 66 on both sides of the proposed intersection and adjacent to the church property. Nemec asked the council to help secure easements from both the church and the city to guarantee access to both of her properties.

John Minieri, the director of real property and facilities for the Roman Catholic Church of Phoenix, said he was disappointed by the council decision but noted the project was already behind schedule. Noting construction costs are rising 1.5 percent per month, Minieri said the church had wanted to start building this fall, but will be forced to start building the San Francisco de Asis school and church this Spring instead.

Father Patrick Mowrer of the San Francisco de Asis parish said the church has no plans to build either commercial or residential buildings on the 117 acres it owns on McMillan Mesa. The city of Flagstaff will build a new fire station on church property to replace the existing Fire Station No. 2 located at 2230 E. Spruce Ave. Mowrer said it was possible to develop other parcels the church owns, but he hoped the church could retain them and never develop them.

Until next spring, McMillan Mesa is expected to remain untouched by developers. "Asphalt can't cure when its snowing," said one insider close to the developers of both projects.

[kaneui]

With grant monies approved, the airport's long-anticipated runway expansion to allow jumbo jet service to Flagstaff can move forward:


Runway project wins full funding
By J. FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
September 24, 2006

The last pocket of turbulence for the 1,800-foot extension to the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport has been weathered, signaling a smooth ride for the project after a long, rough storm. Ben Fisk, Flagstaff's public works director, recently announced the city has secured the necessary funding for the runway extension, and the city is in the final stages of hiring a construction manager.

The city recently received two grants: a $1.1 million grant from the Arizona Department of Transportation and a $10.5 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration. The two grants represent more than 70 percent of the runway extension's budget, which is estimated to be $15.9 million. "This is a great accomplishment and step forward for this valuable project," said Fisk.

The extension is vital, said Fisk, as it will allow regional commercial jets and private corporate jets to land in Flagstaff. The runway's current length of 6,999 feet is too short to handle jets. The airport is currently serviced by one carrier, America West Express, which uses a small fleet of turboprops.

There is a strong concern among city officials that as the carrier phases out its fleet of turboprop aircraft, the city would have no commercial service without the runway extension. City officials hope the 1,800-foot extension will also open new commercial routes, adding new destination airports other than just Sky Harbor in Phoenix. The construction of the extension would begin next spring, and would be completed in the fall, said Fisk.

An environmental assessment, which was signed off over a month ago by the FAA regional administrator, had prevented the city from seeking the millions of dollars in federal grants it needed for the project. Pine Canyon golf resort initially opposed the runaway extension because Pine Canyon believed larger jets would be inherently louder. The resort's complaint prompted an extension to the FAA's environmental assessment comment period, which ultimately pushed the project several months behind schedule.

Securing the federal grants this year was the city airport manager's goal for the year. "We have been working very hard with federal and state agencies to put together grants that will fund the project," said Mike Covalt, the airport manager. With the financing secured, Covalt announced he would retire next February. "I didn't want to leave with funding in jeopardy," Covalt said.

[haux]

Wow. That's long overdue for Flagstaff. Expanding the airport is a great idea because the lack of being able to get big jets there was really holding it back. Everyone had to drive to Phoenix to fly anywhere, and flying from Flag is a hassle. Some people who live in the far north have to drive five hours to get to Phoenix.

Also, those two stories were written by a friend of mine. How neat.

[kaneui]

National retailers sign to fill spaces in Flagstaff Mall's 435,000 s.f. expansion:



Construction workers work on the drainage system around the new mall expansion


Best Buy set to join mall
By J. FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
October 4, 2006

Electronics giant Best Buy will be opening a store in east Flagstaff next fall as part of the Flagstaff Mall expansion plan, mall officials announced Tuesday. The 30,552 square-foot store is part of a 435,000 square-foot retail center being built adjacent to Flagstaff Mall.

"We are thrilled with the retailers' response to be included in The Village at Flagstaff Mall's tenant mix," said Terry Gibbons, vice president of peripheral land for Westcor, which owns the mall. "Particularly because their shops reflect the type of shopping that the community has told us they would like to see in Flagstaff."

An anchor store of 105,000 square feet for the first phase of the Village has yet to be announced. That announcement is expected in December, said Lori Pappas, marketing director for the mall. Cost Plus World Market, Linens- N-Things, Shoe Pavilion, Petco, Marshall's and Old Navy were also announced Tuesday as part of the first phase of the Village, which is expected to open next fall. Phase 1 will include a total of 240,000 square feet in retail space.

The announced tenants represent new opportunities for Flagstaff shoppers, saving some a trip to Phoenix for some items, like Old Navy cargo pants or the latest in electronic gadgets. The second phase of the project, slated to begin next year, will include a multi-screen movie theater, specialty shops, apparel boutiques and restaurants. Those are expected to open in 2008.

City officials said they were encouraged by Westcor's announcement. "Working with Westcor's for many years, we are pleased to see they have brought some major retailers to Flagstaff," said Michael Kerski, the city's community investment director.

Westcor contends nearly 500 jobs will be created over the next few years to manage and staff new retail stores and more than 200 temporary construction jobs will be created. Westcor said its estimates of the sales tax revenue generated from new shops is projected to bring in more than $700,000 a year for Flagstaff and more than $400,000 for Coconino County in the first phase of the project.

Westcor has plans to remodel Flagstaff Mall early next year, modernizing the mall's lodge design and resdesigning the mall's parking lot. The remodel plans also include updating the two main mall entryways and expanding the mall food court. Four pads on the mall's perimeter are being added for restaurants, entertainment or banks.

[kaneui]

Wal-Mart faces another round of objections from city planners regarding their planned Supercenter:


City says Wal-Mart Supercenter too large
By J. FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
October 12, 2006

The plans for Flagstaff's first Wal-Mart Supercenter are too big by roughly 50,000 square feet. During a review of the preliminary plans for the Supercenter, city planners told Wal-Mart executives a density calculation found the proposed 212,000 square-foot, two-story store was too big for the 15.6-acre property Wal-Mart owns.

Wal-Mart spokesman Keith Morris characterized the issue as "minor," saying the retail giant received a long list of concerns from the city during its last meeting. "The city has dozens of concerns, and we are still reviewing them all," said Morris. "The size of the store is not a significant issue."

Ironically, Wal-Mart could win city approval for the full 212,000 square-foot store if it builds a second, non-retail building on the parcel, which is located between Interstate 40 and Huntington Drive next to the Outback Steakhouse. Morris said none of the issues would delay the development of the Supercenter. Morris was unable to estimate when Wal-Mart would move to the next phase of the city's development review process.

The city's density calculation is a complex formula, setting a limit for the size of a building corresponding to size of the property, said Jim Cronk, the development services director for the city of Flagstaff. The density calculation is adjusted for various reasons, including the amount of land set aside for trees and how the building will be used, such as mixed-use, commercial or residential.

Cronk said Wal-Mart owns a smaller, 2.6-acre parcel adjacent to the planned Supercenter site, but it was not included in the density calculation per Wal-Mart's request. Labeled by Wal-Mart as a seller's outlet and located adjacent to the Outback Steakhouse, the parcel likely would be developed in the future or sold. The inclusion of this parcel would raise the allowable size for the supercenter, but not to the full 212,000 square feet of floor space, Cronk said.

Cronk said because the city's land development code gives preference to projects with mixed uses, such as retail and office buildings, Wal-Mart could eliminate the city's density concerns if a second, non-retail building was erected on the property Wal-Mart owns.

The list of the problems with the current design are different than the ones reported in late July. Wal-Mart was told in a public meeting by city officials there were concerns their plans would not meet tree-preservation requirements, slope requirements, the use of ecologically friendly building materials and the city's dark sky provisions. Those concerns were addressed in late August when Wal-Mart unveiled a modified plan for the proposed Supercenter during a public meeting.

Last year, Flagstaff voters narrowly overturned at referendum a City Council ordinance that sought to prevent a supercenter from coming to the city by capping building size at 125,000 square feet and restricting the amount of groceries allowed to be sold in a retail store.

[haux]

Ha. It looks like my buddy is on the City Council or planning beat.

A two-story Wal-Mart? That's freaking insane, especially for Flagstaff. I really had no idea the city's businesses were prospering this much. I know it's seeing a boom, but I didn't know it was like this.

Are they planning this for the Wal-Mart on the southwest side of town near all those hotels by the university (where Milton Road meets Interstate 17)? Or is there another Wal-Mart in Flagstaff that I don't know of. I haven't really been to the city in a few years. The last time I was there was in April, and I just drove through.

[kaneui]

^The site for the proposed Supercenter is farther east. If it gets built, I would bet that the current Wal-Mart near NAU will be shuttered, since I doubt Flagstaff could (or would) support two local stores.

[kaneui]

The new Applied R&D facility at NAU, scheduled for first quarter 2007 completion, will be the first platinum-certified LEED building in Arizona:



rendering - new R&D building, NAU


Teaching Tool
NAU Research Facility Demonstrates Green Building Techniques

by Scott Blair
Southwest Contractor
November, 2006

Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff is currently constructing the $21 million Applied Research and Development facility, a 61-000-sq.-ft. collaborative research building located at one of the school's most prominent entrances. The building team will attempt to be the first to achieve a LEED platinum rating in Arizona.

From the beginning, the new Applied Research and Development facility at Northern Arizona University was conceived by the school's administration as a LEED platinum-certified building. But the task was not easy. "Building a LEED project at 7,000-ft. elevation is a major issue," said Mark Wilhelm, principal with Phoenix-based Green Ideas, the green building consultant on the project. "Flagstaff has more freeze/thaw cycles than just about any place in the country. No other platinum buildings have been attempted at this altitude."

Concrete can take longer to cure and glazing can perform differently due to lower atmospheric pressure, Wilhelm added. To date there are less than two dozen LEED platinum-rated buildings in the world, only one of which also includes lab space, according to the U.S. Green Building Council's Web site. The main tenant of the NAU building will be the Center for Sustainable Environments. The center focuses on reducing the ecological impacts of energy use, water, food production, transportation and building.

One of the major issues in the NAU project was controlling the budget in the university facility built with public funds. While going for LEED-certified (the lowest level of designation) doesn't necessarily add significant costs to a project, the project team had to examine what it would take to achieve platinum, the highest rating possible, said Robin Shambach, project architect and principal with executive architect Burns Wald-Hopkins Architects of Tucson, the firm that designed Arizona's first LEED-certified building, the Desert Vista Campus for Pima Community College in Tucson.

"There was some education on the owner as well, as to the cost implications of a platinum building and how that would influence the design and construction phases," Shambach added. With the final budget set at $20.5 million, the firm partnered with London-based design architect Hopkins Architects and San Francisco-based Ove Arup & Partners, the mechanical, electrical and structural engineer. Phoenix-based Kitchell Contractors was selected as the construction manager-at-risk.

The three-story building includes lab space on the top floor, office space on the first and second, and meeting rooms. The Center for Sustainable Environments regularly collaborates with several federal land agencies, which will also lease space in the new building, including the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey.

While originally planned as an 80,000-sq.-ft. building, construction cost escalations resulted in a reduction in size to nearly 60,000 sq. ft. by removing two structural bays during value engineering, according to Marty Olson, project director with Kitchell. Another preconstruction challenge was in finding materials. "One of the LEED platinum requirements is to find materials within a 500-mi. radius," Olson said. "The closer you are able to find those materials the less travel time and fuels are expended in getting that material here."

Finding enough subcontractors in northern Arizona that were experienced in LEED was also difficult. To drum up interest in the project, Kitchell held several subcontractor fairs at NAU to solicit as much local participation as possible. Kitchell and Green Ideas provided LEED training and orientation as needed once subcontractors were selected.

To maximize the opportunity to gain additional LEED points, the building's design called for use of both structural steel and concrete. "If you build a steel building, you are going to get a lot of points on the recycled content, but if you build a concrete building, you'll get points for local/regional content," Wilhelm said. "This building had to be a mixture of the two because we wanted all those points to achieve platinum. So it became a much more challenging design."

Construction began in June 2005 near a prominent entrance to the campus and within a city of Flagstaff detention basin. "If you look at the site plan, the first thing you notice is the large area for the detention basin, and then our building is shaped around that," Shambach said. "The orientation is very critical - it is south-southeast to gather light and allow for some solar heating."

The structural concrete provides solar massing, which helps level temperature swings throughout the day. A three-story gallery space faces the basin, fronted by a gently curving curtain wall system. "The gallery space allows for solar gain and for light penetration, and the actual footprint of the building is long and narrow, allowing for views and daylighting as much as possible throughout the space," Shambach added.

To maximize LEED points for use of recycled content, local materials and as one of four allowed innovation credits, the cement content of the project's concrete was reduced by using 40 percent fly ash, a by-product of coal-fired power plants. "That was a big deal," Shambach said. "It hadn't really been done before in exposed architectural concrete."

There was a possibility that using that much fly ash would create a finish that was too uneven in color or too dark. "We poured a mock-up to see what the concrete would look like for the architect and owner," Olson said. "We had to work around different vibrating techniques to mitigate air pockets that could be exposed in the concrete once the forms were stripped, but all in all it turned out very well. One of our biggest challenges turned out to be one of our biggest successes."

Other significant green building features of the project include a low-pressure under-floor ventilation system, evaporative cooling, natural ventilation and heat recovery via heat wheels and heat pipes. "The users of the building may need to participate more in their own comfort," as opposed to a typically air-conditioned building, Shambach said.

Another innovation was using pervious concrete on the parking lot instead of conventional asphalt pavement. The recently developed product is porous to allow water drainage and to reduce the heat-island effect. "It will be the first pervious pavement in the state of Arizona," Olson said. "It's going to be an interesting product here that will be used as a teaching tool on this project."

The entire building will also perform double-duty as a teaching tool for students and the community. A meeting room will feature a planted green roof, which acts as an insulator and stormwater management system. "The upper floors look down on it and it's a great opportunity to model for the community what a green roof looks like and how it works," Shambach said.

The project inspired Phoenix-based power supplier APS to donate $1 million to help fund the project and to provide solar photovoltaic cells what will supply up to 20 percent of the power for the building. The building will be complete in the first quarter 2007, but it will not be the last green building for the campus. "Through working with NAU, we have developed a campus-wide LEED program," said Charlie Popeck, principal with Green Ideas. "The university is committed to building to the LEED standard."