It’s fair to say that the upcoming Scottsdale elections, as well as the political environment in the city are interesting, to say the least. That’s why we were glad to get our hands on a recent public opinion poll undertaken by the most accurate pollster for the community over the past 20 years.  It surveyed 300 likely voters for the … Read More

Bob Littlefield is Scottsdale’s Bernie Sanders. He says the same thing so many times you start to respect the persistence. And he certainly can be a fun conversationalist when he is not feeling so ornery. Despite losing badly for Mayor in 2016, following a loss for the Arizona House of Representatives in 2014, Bob Littlefield has decided to seek the … Read More

By Recker McDowell — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey wants to invest $60 million to install new broadband and fiber optic cable in rural Arizona. The technology infrastructure would go along the rural corridors of Interstates 40, 17 and 19 as well as in Page, Payson and Bullhead City. The overwhelming majority of jobs being created in Arizona are in Phoenix … Read More

By Recker McDowell — Architecture and design are increasingly important as Scottsdale charts its course on the future of Old Town and other parts of the city. Developers and builders need to offer cool and impactful designs, new projects and redevelopment plans. That is especially true in Old Town and southern Scottsdale where there are redevelopment opportunities and chances to … Read More

By Recker McDowell — WestWorld of Scottsdale has been named facility of the year by the League of Agricultural and Equine Centers. WestWorld hosts top equestrian events including the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show and Arizona Quarter Horse Association events. It also hosts the Barrett-Jackson and its World Greatest Collector Auction. The League honor is the latest accolade for the Scottsdale … Read More

By Recker McDowell — The town of Gilbert has issued a new request for qualifications (RFQ) for a potential new development to anchor the south end of its Heritage District. The East Valley town is looking for development proposals for a mixed-use project on 2.18 acres at Gilbert and Elliot roads. Gilbert is looking for retail and office uses on … Read More

By Recker McDowell — Development, density, height and growth are center stage in Scottsdale as 2020 campaigns for Mayor and City Council ramp up. There are legitimate questions about the growth trajectory and vision for the city including in Old Town Scottsdale. Those discussions and debates can be a positive for the future of the city. What voters need to … Read More

By Recker McDowell — Arizona added 84,400 jobs over the past 12 months, according to year-end employment numbers. More than 80,000 of those new jobs were in the private sector. Arizona’s private sector job growth for the year was 2.8 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Only Utah (3.1 percent and Idaho (2.9 percent) posted better job … Read More

By Recker McDowell — There is never a shortage of the nasty, negative and disparaging these days in politics, the 24/7 news cycle and on social media. So, it was refreshing to see the warm wishes for U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Arizona) when she recently announced her health battles with alcohol dependency. Those included some positive vibes from the other … Read More

Real estate developers are often cast with the black hats. But aren’t they the people who build the homes we live in? Their bulldozers, political maneuvering and redevelopment plans are often contrasted with concerned neighbors, small business owners and the preverbal local townsfolk. It’s the stuff of old ‘Murder She Wrote’ and ‘Scooby-Doo’ episodes. But developers are not actually the … Read More