A Big Scottsdale Whoops . . . And Reversal

There’s a helpful rule in political and legal circles:  know the answer to the question before you ask it. Rarely has it been violated more spectacularly than last night, in Scottsdale.  For a redevelopment project called 92 Ironwood that in most any other time would be on a consent agenda.  As a reminder the plan seeks to replace an empty … 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

Scottsdale’s State of the City Address: What We Would Like to See

Scottsdale Mayor Dave Ortega has his first State of the City address coming up next month. Typically such addresses, like you’ve often seen at the Presidential level, are both a celebration of successes (both touted and actual) as well as a declaration of future initiatives. With it being Ortega’s first, after a not-uninteresting first year in office, we are deeply … Read More

Scottsdale vs. the FAA – the Bill for the Ongoing Fight is Getting Bigger

Prolonged legal battles with the federal government are expensive…very, very expensive. And the city of Scottsdale is learning that firsthand as their latest bill has come due in their battle against the FAA over flight patterns over Scottsdale. Recent uncovered records show that the city approved a $175,000 contract for legal representation for this suit last year. The issue dates … Read More

Scottsdale Statistic Of The Day, And A Major Problem

Scottsdale recently received the dubious distinction of being among the top 10 cities in the United States for most expensive rents. “So what”, some may say.  Well, here’s why it matters. A whopping 72% of City of Scottsdale employees now live outside the city because it has become too expensive to live in the community.  That doesn’t just add to pollution and … Read More