We weren’t big fans of the Greenbelt 88 multi-family proposal to largely replace a shopping center at Hayden and Osborn with apartments. But the way in which it passed the Scottsdale City Council last night on a 5-2 vote (with Mayor Ortega and Councilwoman Littlefield dissenting) was important and instructive. The majority seemed to get what Scottsdale voters expressed in a … Read More
Mesa Moving Forward with Development, Will Scottsdale’s NIMBYism Lead to Extreme Housing Legislation?
Another day passes, and another story hits the wire about development elsewhere in the Valley, a story of Scottsdale developers unable to build in their own city and focusing their efforts elsewhere. In this case it’s in Mesa again, with a 144-unit mixed use development near downtown. We have spoken at length about the housing crisis in this state and … Read More
The Rent Crisis Hits Low Income Areas – Will Progressives Finally Push for More Housing Options?
Rents are increasing all around the country, but most exorbitantly in Arizona, with three AZ cities in the top 20 for highest increases in rent in the country over the last year. This is nothing new for us here at APG, we’ve been sounding the alarm for a while now. But as time goes on, we wonder what catalysts will … Read More
Guest Editorial: Kid! Get Off My Lawn.
By Mike Norton The “growth years” for Scottsdale long ago ended. From 1970 through early 2000’s, Scottsdale grew steadily. Compared to today, we were a vibrant, comparably young, and thriving community. Family Friendly housing developments and the expansion of superb school networks dominated those decades. Not only were there no complaints about growth, we embraced growth and enjoyed it. From … Read More
Gilbert Moving Forward with Significant Development Plans – What Could Scottsdale Learn?
We often gripe about the lack of new developments in Scottsdale, with reasons ranging from a council that is sometimes antagonistic to such projects as well as the culture of NIMBYism that has befallen our great city. Sometimes we need to see that there is a better way. Enter Gilbert. Gilbert is showing what can happen when you have leadership … Read More
Mesa Gets It, Why Doesn’t Scottsdale?
Regular readers of this blog have no doubt read about our disappointment over the lack of vision and forward-thinking regarding development. One frequent example that we have lamented about is the difficulty that the Ironwood 92 project has encountered as it attempts to make its way through the approval process. A fantastic project that has the unanimous support of the businesses … Read More
Allies, Alignment & Alexander
Once upon a time Jason Alexander and Solange Whitehead were allies. They worked smartly and effectively on the same team to defeat the ill-conceived Desert Discovery Center a few years back. In many ways Alexander’s indefatigable leadership paved the way for Whitehead’s election in 2018. But a split has developed between the two, largely on policy lines. This recent Facebook exchange about a … Read More
Conflict in Scottsdale City Council: Are They Looking for a Lawsuit?
It hasn’t been a big secret that Mayor David Ortega has had a sometimes contentious relationship with a few other members of the city council. That has recently come out in the open even more however, with a recent tift with Councilwoman Tammy Caputi coming to light and with potential stakes including a significant lawsuit. The most recent conflict is … Read More
Guest Editorial: 20 Applicants for Every Vacant Apartment
By Larry Kush I recently read an article in a nationally published apartment industry report called Rent Cafe, which stated that Scottsdale” renters struggled to find an apartment in our city where they met an awful mix of high occupancy rates of 96.3%, and 20 applicants competing for every vacant apartment that on average, stayed available for just 25 days.” … Read More
A Crisis In Part Caused By Scottsdale (But Also One That Can Be Cured By It Too)
If there is one defining characteristic of Arizona, save the desert, it’s our natural disdain for the government telling us what to do. But every once in a while, they feel like their hand is forced and that they need to do something. Well we are quickly hurtling towards that point with rent prices in Arizona. Rent prices have risen … Read More