Flagstaff Development News

[kaneui]

The city is requiring the developer of a proposed Marriott hotel to replant over 500 trees on the three-acre property cut down by the previous owner:



site of proposed Courtyard Marriott hotel


Planners give tentative OK to new Marriott
By J. FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
Wednesday, November 29, 2006

A proposed hotel on the site of the notorious "Chainsaw Massacre" won preliminary approval from the Flagstaff Planning and Zoning Commission Tuesday night. But it will need to reappear before the panel again prior to receiving its building permits. The 164-room Courtyard Marriott next goes to the city council for final rezoning approval. Concerns over the roofline and revegetation of the denuded limestone hillside dominated the discussion, prompting commissioners to attach a long list of conditions to the rezoning, which was approved, 5-2.

Included in those conditions were instructions to the applicant to return early next year for final approval of a redesigned plan with replanted trees and a building height that could go as tall as three stories, as sought by the developer. Commissioner Frank Brandt, after consulting with a forestry expert working at NAU, said he felt the vegetation plan was too ambitious and unrealistic. "It is a daunting task on three acres," Brandt said. "The developer was asked to crowd 504 [trees] on this site." He recommended the developer come back with a new plan that used a variety of trees and vegetation, which was not outlined in plans submitted to the panel.

Chris Bills, president of the South Dakota-based hotel investment company called The Summit Group, promised to work closely with local experts, saying his company worked for 18 months to plan the hotel. Brandt briefly hinted that planting trees would be easier if developers removed their plans for a restaurant on the site, but Bills said a restaurant was vital to the economic success of the hotel. Initially, the Summit Group had hoped to put two hotels on the 6.6-acre site, but it compromised after studies of the site proved that idea unfeasible. "Two hotels were impossible to do," Bills told the panel.

In an effort to appease commissioners' concerns over the height of the building, developers ditched the 'El Tovar' architectural style in favor of a significantly lower roofline. This decision troubled some commissioners, who said they favored a "middle ground" between the new lower roofline and the original lodge style submitted two weeks earlier.

Commissioner Celia Barotz said she would have preferred to see a two-story hotel, but Bills told the commission his plans initially called for a four-story hotel but those plans were scaled back to better blend in with the landscape. "There is no other way to do this than with three stories," Bills told commissioners, adding that the project needs at least 160 to 175 rooms to be economically viable.

Ash Patel, the president of Southwest Hospitality Management, argued against approving the rezoning request, telling the panel it should not factor economic viability into their decision. Patel, who owns four hotels locally, said The Summit Group should not profit from when former owner George Nackard illegally cut down hundreds of trees on the site, noting that when he built the Hampton Inn he could have cut down a few trees to build 5 to 10 more rooms. He said each room was worth $20,000 a year in income. "I played by the rules," Patel said. "You'd be rewarding the act that happened on this piece of dirt."

Patel dismissed concerns his complaint was economically motivated. "I am not afraid of competition," said Patel, noting he has watched hotel ownership routinely change hands in the 16 years he has been in Flagstaff. " I am just interested in fair play." The cutting down of hundred of trees on the site 2 years ago was briefly discussed during the commission meeting, with city staffers admitting the current plans for the site would be difficult to implement if the trees had never been cut down.

Flagstaff City Councilmember Karen Cooper, who sits on the commission, said Nackard's actions were regrettable, but that there was no going back. "I'd rather look at the future possibilities rather than mourn the past," Cooper said.

Developers were quick to point out that Nackard had no role in the development of the land, save for selling them the property for nearly $3.4 million. Nackard pleaded no contest to charges that he illegally cut down hundreds of trees on the site that hindered his plans for a conference center, paying a $9,000 fine. The city council is expected to hear the rezoning request in December.

[kaneui]

Here's a pic from the weatherunderground.com site, showing winter's first dusting of snow just a few days ago on the always photogenic San Francisco Peaks, Flagstaff's scenic backdrop:

[zapotek]

kaneui : i made of this last pictures my wallpaper thanks a lot

[i_am_hydrogen]

I went ahead and stuck this thread.

[kaneui]

On October 16, NAU broke ground for its new 42,000 sq.ft. conference center and 160-room hotel to be managed by Missouri-based Drury Hotels, its first in Arizona:



renderings - NAU Conference Center and hotel


Conference center complex breaks ground on new era of collaboration
Inside NAU
October 18, 2006

The community came together on Monday to usher in a new era of collaboration when Northern Arizona University broke ground on a hotel-conference center complex that will be located on the Flagstaff campus. "I'm delighted to be part of the celebration of a mutual partnership between Northern Arizona University and the city of Flagstaff," said Gov. Janet Napolitano, who spoke during the groundbreaking ceremony in front of the North Union. "It's a win-win situation for everyone, and I hope to give another address not from a tent but from a conference center."

NAU President John Haeger described the complex as an excellent example of a university and community adopting a public agenda. "This was a long time coming," Haeger said, acknowledging former NAU President Eugene Hughes sitting in the front row. "I believe the idea started with Dr. Hughes." Hughes was NAU president from 1979 to 1993.

The hotel-conference center complex is a joint partnership among NAU, the city of Flagstaff, the Arizona Board of Regents and Drury Hotels. A 160-room hotel is planned along with a 42,000-square-foot conference center and adjoining parking structure. Regents President Robert Bulla called the partnership "a unique entrepreneurial effort," adding, "The conference center will be a model of distinction in a highly competitive marketplace. The ripple effect will be realized by all local businesses." Bulla also praised the academic opportunities the conference center will present to students in NAU's Hotel and Restaurant Management program.

Among other guests at the ceremony were Flagstaff Mayor Joe Donaldson, regents Ernest Calderón and Mary Venezia, state Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick and Drury Southwest President Dennis Vollink. Executive Vice President MJ McMahon was master of ceremonies, and NAU voice professors Judith Cloud and Deborah Raymond began the festivities by performing the National Anthem.

"On behalf of the 4,000 Drury employees, I want to say that this is one of the greatest opportunities we've had," Vollink said. "It was a great pleasure to work with (NAU), and the more meetings we had, the more impressed we became that this will be a great partnership." Drury Hotels is a family-owned company based in Missouri with 117 hotels in 17 states. The company recently was recognized in the J.D. Power & Associates North American Guest Satisfaction Index Study as the top chain among "mid-scale, limited service" hotels. The company also has a commitment to "green" building, which will make it a good fit in the Flagstaff community, Haeger said.

The conference center is expected to attract mid-size regional, national and international conferences. Consultants have estimated the economic benefit to northern Arizona to be about $7 million annually.

[kaneui]

From Ayers/Saint/Gross Architects, some earlier renderings of the new NAU Conference Center and hotel under construction:

[kaneui]

The city council has approved a regional plan amendment for Juniper Point, a proposed master-planned community with 1,600 homes, including 5% for affordable housing:



housing mix in Juniper Point neighborhood



Juniper Point mixed-use neighborhood center



Juniper Point wins Council approval
By J. FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
December 21, 2006

A master-planned community that would bring 1,600 new homes to Flagstaff was criticized for having inadequate amount of affordable housing, yet still won City Council approval. Councilmembers, on a 5-2 vote, amended the regional plan for Juniper Point, a 320-acre master planned community located east of Coconino Community College between Interstate 40 and J.W. Powell Boulevard. Councilmembers Karen Cooper and Rick Swanson voted against changing the designation.

The site, which straddles a portion of the Bow and Arrow Wash, is designated in the city's regional plan as a "Planning Reserve Area," and Juniper Point developers want to change the designation to a "Traditional Neighborhood District." Swanson argued the estimated 5 percent of the 1,600 home development set aside for affordable housing was insufficient to meet the needs of the community. "I'm uncomfortable with the 5 percent donation," Swanson said. "Sixteen-hundred (homes) is a big impact, and I need to see the benefit outweigh the cost."

Cooper agreed, noting that while developer adopted several suggestions from the city's affordable housing task force, including smaller lots and eliminating setbacks on some of the proposed units, 90-95 percent of the development will be sold at market rate or more. She also noted the expected $4 million the city will pay in infrastructure costs associated with the development to the other programs. "It might be better spent toward affordable housing," Cooper suggested.

While Cooper agreed with Swanson on affordable housing issues, she also said by approving the project the Council was giving tacit approval to other policy issues never decided. Cooper objected to the Juniper Point plans use of form-based codes, the "Traditional Neighborhood District" and changes to the city's Land Development Code saying the council should have decided on these issues prior to the Juniper Point decision. "I am not comfortable proceeding with this," Cooper said, pointing to several aspects of the plan that have never been considered or discussed by the council. "We are putting the cart before the horse."

Councilmember Kara Kelty, using Presidio in the Pines as an example of poor planning, applauded Juniper Point's developers efforts to work with the community to design the development before bringing it to the council. Reminding the audience that a year ago the council chambers were filled with members of the public frustrated with Villaggio's regional plan amendment, Kelty called the Juniper Point plan a "superior proposal."

An attorney representing Juniper Point, Bill Ring, said the developer would ask the council in the next three months for a change in zoning for the development, the next phase in the development process.

[kaneui]

Actually located in the "Southside" area not generally considered part of downtown, this project would certainly enhance this older neighborhood east of NAU, one of the lower income areas of the city:


Upscale Urban Lifestyle Project Comes to Flagstaff
Southwest Contractor
January, 2007

The corner of Butler and Lone Tree Roads in downtown Flagstaff will be getting an extreme makeover. Butler and Lone Tree, LLC, an affiliate of The Aspen Group, a Phoenix-based investment and real estate development company, is planning Aspen Place at The Sawmill, an upscale retail and residential project.

The 40-acre site, once home to the Stone Forest Sawmill, will be transformed into a pedestrian-friendly lifestyle center with a neighborhood market, restaurants, cafes, shops and services, as well as individual town homes and condominiums. Designs for the open-air center with a rustic modern feel will draw on the history and geography of the surrounding mountain town.

Initial plans call for 155,000 sq. ft. of upscale retail space and approximately 300 condominiums and/or town homes. Preliminary site work at the property is currently underway with a more formal groundbreaking targeted for spring 2007. The first phase of retail is slated to open in fall 2007 with residential sales targeted for spring 2008.

At the center of Aspen Place will be a park area that includes a small amphitheater for musical and theatrical performances. Tree-lined streets with sidewalks, walking paths and bike trails will wind throughout, and landscaped open space will offer natural neighborhood gathering places.

DFD CornoyerHedrick is the architect with Wespac as the general contractor.

[kaneui]

As local observers already know, Flagstaff doesn't rubber-stamp new projects like they often do in the Phoenix area--by a 4-3 vote, the City Council turned down a rezoning request for a 3-story Marriott on a controversial site near NAU:


Council votes down Marriott hotel
By J. FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
January 17, 2007

It seems three major revisions to a proposed hotel were not enough to sway the City Council to approve building on the site of a notorious clearcut in west Flagstaff. The council on Tuesday voted 4-3 against the proposed 164-room Courtyard Marriott, which was to be located on a 6-acre tract on Beulah Boulevard next to the Olive Garden restaurant. Under the current zoning, the site would support a two-story 120-room hotel.

Mayor Joe Donaldson and councilmembers Al White, Kara Kelty and Rick Swanson voted against the rezoning request for the hotel, unconvinced that the 1996 zoning was insufficient to support a new hotel. "A rezoning request needs to have a public good behind it and the public good for this project is pretty dubious," White told the packed room, mostly full of opponents of the project.

The South Dakota-based hotel investment company that owns the land, the Summit Group, had asked the council to rezone the site, to accommodate a three-story, 164-room hotel. Councilmember Karen Cooper, who also sits on the city's planning and zoning commission, said she spent hours considering the fate of the rezoning request. She said she approves the plan, saying the city needs to move past the clearcutting incident. "We need to move on and do the best we can with this piece of property," Cooper said.

Councilmember Joe Haughey agreed, telling the crowded room the argument about destroying the gateway to Flagstaff was insincere. "Things have changed, the gateway for me isn't 1-17," Haughey said. "The freeway interchange has been done since 1996. We need to face that ADOT has changed our gateway."

In the last three months, developers have presented three different designs for the Courtyard Marriott to accommodate concerns raised at meetings of the council and the planning and zoning commission. Along with height, other concerns have included the shape of the hotel's roofline and the revegetation plan for the denuded limestone hillside.

Ash Patel, who owns several hotels locally, argued against the rezoning Tuesday night, saying approving the request was tacit approval of the illegal clearcutting by a previous owner. "Just because the trees were cut, we don't want to reward the criminal act with a rezoning," Patel said. "[The developers] knew exactly what they are getting into when they purchased it." He said his opposition to the project had nothing to do with competition, but a sense of fairness.

Mark Ross, president of the Flagstaff Innkeepers Association, echoed Patel's concerns, focusing his comments on the re-vegetation plan. Noting that the landscaping plan for the barren site had not been approved, Ross asked the council why it was considering approving the zoning plan without it. "That is not normal," Ross said. "Is it really a level playing field?"

Last year, the Flagstaff Innkeepers, representing primarily national chain hotels, placed several ads in the Arizona Daily Sun raising concerns that the new Marriott might negatively affect NAU's new hotel and conference center and that the replanted trees were too small. Currently, there are about 4,600 hotel and motel rooms in Flagstaff.

While developers for the project did not attend Tuesday's meeting, they have defended their three-story design in prior meetings, telling the council the hotel is smaller than originally planned. Chris Bills, the president of The Summit Group, told the city's planning and zoning commission in November that the proposed hotel was not economically feasible at less than 164 rooms.

[kaneui]

FLAGSTAFF DEVELOPMENT/HOUSING REPORT


Housing market cooled; affordability crisis remained in 2006
Arizona Daily Sun
December 31, 2006

The year in housing saw the white hot Flagstaff market cool, but not as sharply as in the Valley. Sales fell by nearly 30 percent and homes stayed on the market longer after unusually high demand in 2005, which had pushed up the median home sales price by 40 percent in one year. The price rise this past year was half that rate, but the median price of a single-family home in Flagstaff still topped out at $482,500 this past summer.

Affordable Housing
Affordable housing stayed the hot button topic in city politics, as voters rejected in May a workforce housing ballot measure. The city hired and then lost its housing manager, and the city council selected a Mesa-based nonprofit over the local nonprofit, Bothands, to administer the city's homebuyer assistance program.

In September, a document distributed at the Governor's Housing Forum listed housing in Flagstaff as unaffordable for teachers, retail workers, nurses, firefighters and waitresses. In the city, voters turned down Proposition 404, which sought to eliminate the need for voter approval of spending more than $1 million on workforce housing. The chamber of commerce and the Northern Arizona Association of Realtors opposed Prop. 404. The council took heat in September when it voted 4-3 to award the city's homebuyer assistance program contract to a Mesa-based nonprofit over the popular local nonprofit, Bothands. The decision upset Realtors and local homebuilders, as Bothands had administered the contract for a number of years.

The council majority said they voted in favor of awarding the contract to Mesa-based Housing Our Communities because the out-of-town nonprofit offered a lower bid and the funds saved could be used to help more homebuyers. The city's new community housing manager, hired to help make Flagstaff's housing more affordable, quit after less than six months. But he lasted longer than the last person offered the job, who turned it down because she couldn't find an affordable place to live here.

Villaggio Montana
Plans for the 1,000-acre Villaggio Montana master-planned community have sat idle since the developers successfully lobbied the city council to amend the regional plan last year. A small portion of the tract, roughly 59 acres, was sold to a third party for development. The 150-unit project, called Camryn Pines, is considered to be a separate development not associated with Villaggio.

Both representatives for Villaggio and the city say the project will remain in limbo until an agreement can be reached on how much the developers will have to contribute toward two new highway interchanges. It is slated to have 3,600 housing units when built out in 10 years.

Juniper Point
Another large mixed-use project, the 1,600-unit Juniper Point, recently won council approval for a change in the city's regional plan. A representative for the 320-acre Juniper Point, located east of Coconino Community College between Interstate 40 and J.W. Powell Boulevard, said he expects to bring a rezoning request to the city council this spring, a likely sign the developer is prepared to begin construction.

Aspen Place
Construction of Aspen Place at The Sawmill, with approximately 300 residential units and 155,000 square feet of retail space, is expected to begin next spring. Located on the corner of Butler Avenue and Lone Tree Road, the retail component of Aspen Place is roughly a third of the size of the current Flagstaff Mall.

Presidio in the Pines
Presidio in the Pines, one of the first developments in the city to blend commercial retail units with housing units, has begun clearing its site for construction this spring. In March, 22 people who bought into Presidio in the Pines filed a lawsuit against the builder, TGC Homes, claiming the builder was reneging on their contracts and purchase prices.


Outside of Flagstaff, Coconino County supervisors killed a bid by a Tucson developer who proposed building a 660-home subdivision 20 miles east of Flagstaff off Interstate 40 at Padre Canyon.

Supervisors also blocked construction on a bird park north of Valle where raptors would fly free, saying it wasn't close enough to the major intersection where Valle wanted to develop. They did approve a subdivision near the Valle airport that would offer 25 homeowners the ability to taxi their planes directly to their homes.

This fall, Flagstaff's first condo-conversion project, the 310-unit The Arbors, came online. The condos were formerly called the Biltmore Pines Apartments at 1385 West University. The developers have set aside $500,000 for down payment and closing cost assistance for qualified buyers who intend to occupy the units year-round. City officials hope the project could be a partial solution to the city's affordable housing crisis.

[kaneui]

$100M Aspen Place Breaking Ground in Q1 2007
GlobeSt.com

FLAGSTAFF, AZ-A 40-acre former sawmill site will be redeveloped into a $100-million retail and high-density residential project, beginning first quarter Q1 2007. Aspen Place at the Sawmill, featuring 155,000 sf of retail, has an estimated two-year build-out period.

Donald L. Meyers, founder and president of the Aspen Group in Phoenix, says national tenants already are showing interest in the project at Butler and Lone Tree roads near the Downtown. "We have corporate approval from Chico's and Coldwater Creek for space and we're in serious negotiation with other regional restaurants," Meyers tells GlobeSt.com.

[kaneui]

Impressive new science lab begins opening to students
Inside NAU
January 18, 2007

Northern Arizona University added another prize to its trophy case of new buildings as the impressive new science laboratory on north campus opened in part this week. For students interested in medicine, dentistry, research or teaching, the new building is where many of them will take their first steps toward their professional careers. "It's so exciting for our students to be able to work and learn in modern, well-designed labs that incorporate the best of lab education facilities," said Laura Huenneke, dean of the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences. When completed, the three-story, $36 million facility will house 90,000 square feet of biology and chemistry research and teaching labs with state-of-the-art safety systems, replacing some of the university's oldest labs.

There are no big lecture halls or other so-called "dry" classrooms in this building, Huenneke explained. Rather, the laboratory building will be segmented in three key areas: teaching and instructional lab space for chemistry and biology, as well as space for specialized research. The chemistry labs are the areas that opened to students on Tuesday, while the biology space, most of which is still being finalized, will be fully occupied after the semester ends.

Finishing touches also are being put into place on the building's biology and chemistry research labs, and users of those spaces are expected to move in around spring break. Huenneke said the research space will house only those who have specialized needs for the most up-to-date laboratories, including ventilation and safety features that the older buildings can't provide. For example, in professor Michael Ketterer's trace metal detection laboratory, visitors might notice the unique lab contains no metal whatsoever. And professor Edwin Lewis' constant temperature room maintains its designated temperature within a degree at all times.

Stephanie Hurst joined the chemistry faculty in August to conduct research on DNA probes and also solar energy conversion, and said she can't wait to get started once she gets settled into her new space. "This is a fantastic facility," she said. Students will also have access to a complete range of modern equipment and instrumentation in an environment built around shared space and common areas that were designed to encourage collaboration between students and faculty, and also between academic disciplines.

Coupled with the cozy café and coffee shop that greets students and visitors, the building's aesthetic design provides a welcoming atmosphere for working and learning. Planners even showed a bit of whimsy by adding scientifically inspired artistic touches throughout the building, including amoeba-shaped designs dotting the floors and metal cutouts accenting the stairwells that could have been inspired by DNA molecules. "The new building incorporates something the old buildings were never designed to do and that is to encourage interaction," Heunneke said. "The casual seating, the common spaces that allow for intermingling between classes, the coffee shop—all these were designed to keep people talking even outside the classroom setting."

Huenneke said there was an intentional focus on creating such an interactive atmosphere. "Increasingly today, science is a collaborative enterprise," she said. "Science is no longer done by some lonely person toiling away in isolation. Modern science and engineering involves teams of people who bring unique perspectives to the table. A building that houses different departments is perfect preparation for an innovation-based economy."

Lectures will still be held in the old buildings, as will many of the required classes, like math, physics and environmental sciences, so students will be moving back and forth between these buildings very freely. "That's how we designed it," Huenneke said. She envisions that such interaction will extend beyond those housed within the new building. "My hope is that all of us on north campus will use this as a place to meet and mingle," she said.

A number of sustainable and recyclable features have been incorporated into the building's design, making it a "green" building by LEED standards, although it is not officially certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. In one example, the sandstone from NAU's Hanley Hall, which was demolished in 2005, was incorporated into the north and west sides of the new building, preserving the legacy of Hanley Hall and the Hanley family while also making good use of recyclable materials. "It's exciting to see the new blended with the old," said Mark Flynn, executive director of Capital Assets and Services. "It's transitional of where we were to where we're going as an institution."

[kaneui]

Additional current NAU construction projects:


More on the way
Inside NAU
January 18, 2007

Applied Research and Development Building
Work is now focusing on the interior of what has been tagged NAU's "signature building," and the 60,000-square-foot, $25 million facility is on track for opening in late spring. NAU is seeking a platinum rating for sustainable design from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental DesignGreen Building rating system.

Dining expansion
A plan to expand the University Union's dining space will add about 200 seats and increase the union's frontline cooking space. Crews are slated to break ground in late spring on the property adjacent to Java.com and the Fieldhouse, connecting the building's addition to both parts of the union. "The project is still in the design phase," said Mark Flynn, executive director of Capital Assets and Services, adding that once it's approved the expansion could be completed as soon as summer 2008.

New residence hall
Construction will begin this semester on a new suite-style residence hall in the heart of campus in the space between the Gateway Student Success Center and Raymond Hall. Flynn said planners are "very active" in the design process, which will likely be a three-story building that could house between 350-400 students in similar suite style as Gillenwater and Raymond halls.

Conference center
Flynn said crews are working "feverishly" on the hotel-conference center complex, and recently completed delivery of electricity to the site. He said "dramatic changes" will begin to take place above the ground now that the foundation work is complete and work can begin on the complex's structures.

[kaneui]

Flagstaff hopes to follow up the construction of a $3.5M technology incubator building this fall next to the U.S. Geological Survey campus on McMillan Mesa with a 200,000 s.f. Science and Technology Park:


rendering - USGS Science & Technology Park



Bioscience growing amid the pines
New facility will foster researchers and startups

Ken Alltucker
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 22, 2007

Flagstaff boasts one of the nation's largest medical device companies, a world-renowned anthrax expert and a soon-to-open satellite office for gene researchers TGen. With these anchors secured, city officials believe this city of ponderosa pines and a live-and-let-live ethos is poised to sprout more bioscience and research startups.

First up is a technology incubator that could provide space for up to two dozen companies and researchers to develop their ideas. Construction of the incubator, funded by a $2.5 million federal economic development grant and $1 million from Flagstaff, will start this fall.

A larger Science & Technology Park will follow with up to 200,000 square feet of office and lab space. The idea is to attract mature startups that grow out of their incubator space or other research businesses. The park will be built by the Plaza Cos. of Peoria and Chicago-based Higgins Development Partners, the same development team that built ASU's SkySong. "Flagstaff has a lot of excellent community resources that we are going to try to leverage to fill this whole project," said Peter Spier, vice president of development for the Plaza Cos.

The Plaza/Higgins development team struck a deal with Flagstaff to build a science and technology park at a 9-acre site next to the U.S. Geological Survey Campus and the incubator building, which will be called the Northern Arizona Technology and Business Incubator. Construction of the larger building will not start until developers land a tenant, but Spier said he is optimistic that proven researchers will find the development attractive.

Among those who will be targeted are the 60 or so Geological Survey scientists and researchers working next door. Many of those scientists will have ideas that they want to develop, and both the incubator and science and technology park will be suited for such research, said Michael Kerski, Flagstaff's community investment director. "It would be right on their campus. There is no place for them to go," Kerski said. "There is a lot of entrepreneurial spirit here. It is just a question of having a place where they can channel that."

Flagstaff ranks among the nation's leaders in one area of bioscience employment, medical device manufacturing. That's largely due to one company, W.L. Gore & Associates, which employs about 1,600 in Flagstaff. Battelle, an Ohio-based technology research and consultant group, ranked Flagstaff No. 3 for medical device employment among the nation's small metropolitan regions. Only Glens Falls, N.Y., and Bloomington, Ind., had more medical device jobs than Flagstaff among all metropolitan regions with 75,000 or fewer private sector jobs.

Among Flagstaff companies that splintered from Gore is Machine Solutions Inc., which makes catheter and stent testing equipment. Former Gore employees Dan Kasprzyk and Thomas Motsenbocker founded the company after their jobs were transferred to Delaware. Machine Solutions employs 70 and plans to hire more marketing, manufacturing and engineering workers this year.

Flagstaff Mayor Joe Donaldson said the new labs will allow more scientists at Gore, USGS or Northern Arizona University to practice their ideas outside of work. "There are scientists that USGS only needs part time. They can't afford to lose these scientists. This will give these scientists an opportunity to continue their own research," Donaldson said.

Phoenix-based Translational Genomics Research Institute expects to move into a small space at Flagstaff Airport Business Park within a couple of months. Known as TGen North, the lab will be the group's Pathogen Genomics Division led by Dr. Paul Keim, an expert in anthrax and other infectious diseases. The group will research how pathogens are important to medicine, public health and biodefense.

All these tools make Flagstaff's economic development officials optimistic that the region will blossom into a research and science hub. "It is a powerful opportunity to recruit companies and attract companies," said Stephanie McKinney, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Flagstaff Economic Council. "We have some wonderful principal investigators at the university. This gives researchers an opportunity to develop a good invention or a research project."

[IRepTucson]

It's nice to hear such positive news coming from Flagstaff. I'm currently a junior in High School, and going to NAU is a high possibility.

[kaz2007]

It's great to hear about all the new development projects in Flagstaff. kaneui you are a wealth of information.

Can anyone tell me more about the redevelopment of the 21 acre site in Flagstaff around the Fourth Street bridge and Route 66?

- What do people think would be the best use of the site?
- Would an entertainment center (ie. driving range, mini-golf, bowling, arcade, day spa, children's playground) be something that people want? What if the entertainment center had some retail (ie. Sports Authority, Golf USA, Borders Books, Dell, Apple)? And some restaurants (ie. sushi, Uno's, nice French or Italian restaurant, Jamba Juice)
- Or would that area be better suited for office space, affordable housing, or a hotel?
- Since the site is near the new aquatics center and the expanded mall, is it a location that people will want to go once it's developed? Or is it an area people are avoiding?
- What's the political climate surrounding it? Is the community excited?
- Are there any downsides to developing that site?

Thanks for any replies!

[kaneui]

^ The new Rec. center site near the 4th St. overpass was rezoned to Public Use from Light Industrial, so I would guess the immediate surrounding area is planned for office and industrial parks, light manufacturing, etc.

The current expansion of Flagstaff Mall will add over 400k s.f. of retail space, so I don't imagine there is a need to add much more retail around town for awhile. (Actually, the city should consider that area for more affordable housing, which is in such short supply in Flagstaff.)

I wouldn't expect anything right away, however, since the growth rate in Flag is generally slow and steady, and obtaining approvals by the various city departments a rather slow and lengthy process.

If you really want to know what the city has in mind, you might contact one of the community development officers at City Hall: http://www.flagstaff.az.gov/.

[Taylorhoge]

cool design

[kaneui]

Extension of the runway at Flagstaff Airport--which will allow jumbo jet travel to the city--is under construction, with an expected December completion:


Airport runway extension work begins
Arizona Daily Sun
03/22/07

Construction of the runway extension project at Flagstaff Pulliam Airport is under way. The project consists of an 1,800-foot extension to the northeast of the runway and parallel taxiway and construction of a new safety area 1,000 feet in length.

The project requires a large amount of earthwork, blasting and rock excavation. Earthwork operations will be conducted in double shifts, approximately 22 hours per day, from April through mid-July. Scheduled completion of the entire project is December 2007.

The airport will remain open and efforts will be made to minimize disruptions to air traffic in and out of Flagstaff during construction of the runway extension. City officials are advising the public to avoid the work area, because it is a large-scale construction operation. Residents who might want to recreate in the area are advised to remain clear of active work areas because dangerous conditions may exist.

[kaneui]

A development plan for the 111-acre McMillan Mesa Village--including 35 acres of high, medium, and low-density housing, 53 acres of business parks, and 8 acres of commercial buildings--is expected to receive City Council approval:


McMillan Mesa development poised for OK
By J. FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
March 20, 2007

Development of McMillan Mesa is expected to move forward tonight, with the Flagstaff City Council expected to approve a request to subdivide the 111-acre parcel and enter into a developer's agreement. If approved, the McMillan Mesa Village project would be subdivided into 11 separate parcels, allowing each to be developed independently after receiving final plat approval from the Council.

The Council didn't say much during its Monday night work session regarding the development, which closely adheres to the McMillan Mesa Village Specific Plan adopted by the Council in 1992. Councilmember Kara Kelty asked whether a proposed land swap between to the developer and city of Flagstaff would affect the developer's agreement, which will require the developer to install oversized sewer lines and a water storage tank in anticipation of future nearby growth. The city is expected to reimburse the developer for the additional cost of oversizing the infrastructure, rather than building to legally required size.

Vince Knaggs, a development case manager for the city, told Kelty the developer, Cavan Opportunity Fund LLC, will install oversized infrastructure regardless of whether the city goes through with the land swap. Knaggs told the Council the installation of sewer lines and the water tank would be part of Phase 1 of the development, and Phase 2 would include construction of planned homes on businesses, and would be determined after the land swap was decided by the council.

The proposed land swap has been reviewed by the city's Parks and Recreation and Open Space commissions, and primarily deals with swapping parcels dedicated for open spaces, Knaggs said. A proposed "linear event area" along the new part of Gemini Drive where the city could host events such as craft fairs hinges on the proposed land swap, Knaggs said after the meeting.

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.

The developers have submitted plans for the public open space area, which includes several developed trails linking to the Sunnyside neighborhood, the Cedar Bridge and a planned Catholic church. The plan will also extend Gemini Drive south from the USGS complex across Cedar Avenue and link with Pine Cliff Drive.

Knaggs said the developers expect to start construction of the infrastructure outlined in Phase 1 this summer.