Homelessness Rises in Scottsdale: How Bad Is It Really?

Much has been made about homelessness in Scottsdale; it was a central platform piece of several people running for City Council and became a talking point of several state legislators. And while the extent of the issue within the city was overstated, the fear that it could spread was an effective one, as shown by the success of the candidates … Read More

Axon’s Strategic Keystone Cops

Sometimes you can make this stuff up.  Bear with us. A number of years ago Axon said it would build its new corporate headquarters in Scottsdale.  It received approval to do so.  That turned out to not be true. Years went by and it returned with a new corporate headquarters plan, this time saying it could and would build it BUT . … Read More

Creative Redevelopment in Paradise Valley: Why Rethinking Old Spaces is the Way

It’s no surprise that Covid changed the economic dynamics of our world in a lasting way. E-commerce went from a dominant economic factor to THE dominant economic factor, millions of square feet of office space have been rendered null and void due to work-from-home and hybrid work policies, and delivery services became ascendent.  One of the bigger questions vexing much … Read More

Scottsdale vs. Arizona Yet Again: The Battle Over Casitas

The loss of local control and the ascendance of centralized control is a frequent issue in local politics, as state level leaders like to flex their muscles and exercise a greater degree of power while municipalities push back in order to better reflect the needs and desires of their constituents. It’s a struggle as old as time, and one that … Read More

Issues Collide: Do STRs Hold the Key to High Housing Costs?

Short-term rentals (STRs) have been a hot political talking point in Scottsdale for years now, as Mayor David Ortega and various city councilmembers have battled onerous restrictions at the state level to better regulate “party houses” and their related nuisances with mixed results. Additionally, the cost of housing has been a massive issue across the entire Valley, as renters have … Read More

Tiny Homes in Scottsdale: Is This the Future of Development?

The price of housing has skyrocketed across most of the country since COVID, and Scottsdale has not been exempt; far from it. As we have stated many times, the best way to push down housing costs is to build more housing (as anyone who has taken Economic 101 will tell you), but with an active NIMBY activist community and a … Read More

Greenlight Communities Brings Desirable Amenities And Attainable Rents To New Community at 16TH Street and Polk

Greenlight Communities, the Valley developer building brand-new budget-conscious communities, is excited to announce the opening of their new Streamliner community at 16th Street and Polk Road in Phoenix. The second Streamliner to begin leasing, Streamliner 16th represents a new wave of attainable housing communities under the Streamliner brand developed by Greenlight Communities. Streamliner 16th is a joint-venture with Stockbridge, a private equity … Read More

Apartment Plans Amount to Cultural Appropriation

It is our belief that more housing options are needed and that development is a critical aspect in keeping the cost of living reasonable for our residents. Also, the concept of “cultural appropriation” has often gotten out-of-control, pushed to absurdity by the excesses of political leftists. But every once in a while these two items intersect, and in this case … Read More