UTAZ News: 2008

Thursday, September 11, 2008

I'm Back

It's been a while since I have posted August 1 counts the date that we have had all our new signs, banners, and window signs up.

Monday, June 30, 2008

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Realtor Eblast 06/02/08

Email blast just to Realtor inquiries advertising 3% co-broke

UTAZ™ Awarded Contract for Maricopa Library: Groundbreaking June 3rd

On June 3, UTAZ™ Development broke ground on the Maricopa Grand UTAZ Professional Village™ on the northeast corner of Desert Greens Drive and Smith Enke Road. Additionally, the Gilbert-based commercial developer has been awarded (in a unanimous City Council vote) the contract to build an 8,000 square foot public library—the city’s first—on the site, which will include more than 60,000 square feet of office space in 16 buildings. Offices will vary in size from 1,500 to 8,000 square feet and are expected to be complete in 2009. “There are few buildings of greater, long-term civic value than a first-class library,” said UTAZ™ president and CEO. “We are very honored to be selected for this project and look forward to unveiling a beautiful and much needed new facility next year.” Marciopa Community Services Director Marty McDonald plans to devote an area of the new library to small business, providing educational materials to help owners and entrepreneurs navigate the complications of owning a business, which dovetails with UTAZ™ Development’s core mission: helping small business owners. “We have had great success developing a superior product that allows small business owners to enjoy beautiful office space while realizing the benefits of ownership,” Willett said.

Consistent with other UTAZ Professional Villages™ (there are 36 in all), the Maricopa Grand UTAZ Professional Village™ will feature high quality design, distinctive architecture, abundant front door parking and monument outdoor signage—all designed to increase aesthetics and, ultimately, revenues. The complex will be ideally located adjacent to the Rancho El Dorado master-planned community as well as several community golf courses. The surrounding area has 4,000 existing homes and plans for an additional 4,000 in the near future.

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Library News - Maricopa

Maricopa's first library to grow out of 'dirt field'
By BEN NORRIS, Staff Writer June 02, 2008

UTAZ Development, UTAZ Development plans to build an 8,085-square-foot library — shown in this artist’s rendering — at Smith-Enke Road and Desert Greens Drive in Maricopa.
MARICOPA - Community Services Director Marty McDonald says a library is the single-greatest civic investment a city can make.
Now, after four years of research and planning, the City Council unanimously has approved a location for the city's first permanent public library with a 5-0 vote May 21.

A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday at Smith-Enke Road and Desert Greens Drive.

"Our goal is to be open sometime between December and January," McDonald said. "We're starting with a dirt field. It's going to be a 100 percent new building, our first brick-and-mortar library."

The council awarded the contract to Gilbert-based UTAZ Development, which will be paid $1.9 million for the 8,085-square-foot building.

The city estimates the total capital costs of the new library at $3.2 million and plans to hire an assistant library manager and two full-time library assistants.

Currently, more than 17,000 items are crammed into a 1,550-square-foot converted army barracks, donated in the 1980s and supported by volunteers before Maricopa became a city.

"We have definitely outgrown that location," McDonald said.

He approached the council claiming the city was "grossly deficient" in meeting the minimum standards of staff, book collection and size. The former army barracks, he said, is old and outdated.

McDonald said he wants to devote an area of the new library to small business, providing educational material to help owners and entrepreneurs navigate the complications of owning a business. The new library will also house a history room.

Computer services are going to be expanded at the new location. Currently, four computers are crammed into a space smaller than the average walk-in closet. Two additional computers are in the front lobby.

The bulk of the library's books are packed into one room, where the children's area backs up to an aisle too small to push a wheelchair through.

The new library will be part of a UTAZ development called Maricopa Grand Professional Village. The development will consist of around 80,000 square feet of space.

The library will have 44 parking spots, nearly double the amount needed based on initial projected usage.

The new location will not be the end of library expansion. Within the next five years, McDonald said, the city hopes to open a new flagship library, turning the new library into an extension branch.

©Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Inc. 2008
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19739144&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=6

Maricopa Grand Groundbreaking 06/03/08

News
City breaks ground for new public library
By RuthAnn Hogue
June 03 , 2008

Dreams come true.

Just ask Linda Wilmeth.

Wilmeth was among those in a small crowd on Tuesday who turned out for the official groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the beginning of construction for the new Maricopa Public Library, slated to open in mid December.

“It’s exciting,” she said, wiping away a tear.

Wilmeth, the second employee to serve patrons of the Maricopa Public Library since its adoption by the city in September 2004, has actually been busy taking care of checking books in and out and reading stories to children for more than a decade.

For the past 11 years, she's been located in a donated portable building just east of John Wayne Parkway and north of the railroad tracks at the Maricopa Casa Grande Highway. But even before then, she said, she had already become involved.

“To me, the library is a service to its city,” said Wilmeth, who was visibly overcome with emotion each time she spoke of her years of service and her anticipation for what is yet to come.

The initial program began more as a limited service than an actual facility in 1958 when a few families heard about and took advantage of a Pinal County grant to obtain books to loan to locals.

Mayor Kelly Anderson presented awards to the John and Mary Lou Smith Family, his parents, Oliver and Hermina Anderson, and the Harry and Pat Brock Family, honoring their historical roles in Tuesday’s event.

Martin McDonald, acting director of Community Services, said things have come a long way since then, adding that even when the new library is built on the northeast corner of Smith-Enke Road and Desert Greens Drive, there will still be much room for growth.

“We’re going to take the traditional library concept, shake it up a little bit and do something new.”

McDonald, the first city employee to oversee the library, gave a nod to the Friends of the Library, who have provided much-needed support over the years, to the founding families and, of course, to Wilmeth.

“We’re really excited about doing something very special for the community,” McDonald said. “We’re going to open a beautiful and gorgeous facility.”

When completed, the library in the Rancho El Dorado community will feature 8,085 square feet in a single story, light-filled building with community meeting rooms and gathering spaces, a family place and storytelling area and a computer station.

McDonald said the need for an up-to-date library in a city such as Maricopa is apparent.

“We pride ourselves on having a highly educated population and workforce,” he said.

Anderson, who spoke before McDonald, agreed.

“The facility is not a luxury,” he said. “It’s a necessity of life. Today’s leaders read. And tomorrow’s leaders read.”

For more information on library programs, contact the Maricopa Public Library at (520) 568-2926.
http://85239.com/NEWS/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?mid1=390&&ArticleID=3589&&name=c&&id=1

Friday, May 30, 2008

Mercy Mailer Came in 05/30/08

Went to a strictly Medical List

Email Blast 05/30/08 Maricopa Groundbreaking

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Banner Ironwood Medical Center will break ground June 5 in Queen Creek

Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 12:34 PM MST

Phoenix Business Journal - by Angela Gonzales

Banner Health has set the construction start date for its newest facility, Banner Ironwood Medical Center.

Ground will be broken June 5 for the 24-bed hospital at 37000 N. Gantzel Road in Queen Creek, in northern Pinal County. The 220,000-square-foot center will cost $128 million to build. It initially will include four operating suites for inpatient and outpatient surgeries, as well as imaging capabilities such as X-ray, MRI, CT and ultrasound.

Future expansion of the tower will accommodate up to 86 beds. With a final build-out capacity of 500 beds, the hospital will grow to meet the growing demand.

The population surrounding Queen Creek is nearing 100,000. It is expected to double by 2020.

SmithGroup is the project architect and McCarthy Construction is the general contractor.

http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2008/05/26/daily17.html

Eblast Mercy Point 5/27/08

Friday, May 23, 2008

News Article on azcentral.com

Buildings near Mercy Gilbert slow to fill with tenants

by David van den Berg - May. 21, 2008 12:29 PM

The Arizona Republic

Economic conditions have slowed the filling of developments immediately around Mercy Gilbert Medical Center.

Buildings in The Medical Plaza at Spectrum across Mercy Drive from the hospital were finished in March 2007.

Four practices are operating there now, with three more slated to open within the month, said Jon Willis, senior associate with Willis Property Company, who is marketing the medical plaza development.

The complex is 80 percent sold out, he said. But, with the economic downturn and tightening in lending, filling the remainder of the development is proving to be difficult.

"Lately it's been really slow because the market's terrible," Willis said.

Pediatrics, orthopedic surgery, gastroenterology and ophthalmology practices are there now, with dentistry and dermatology and physical therapy practices and blood and prosthetics labs coming soon, Willis said.

The plaza is competing with several nearby projects for tenants.

Gilbert-based UTAZ Development Corp. has opened Mercy Point Medical Center south of the hospital on Val Vista Drive, and Logan Commercial Advisors is seeking office tenants to lease space in Copper Point immediately across Val Vista from the hospital.

Office vacancy around the medical plaza has forced the company to cut its prices $60 a square foot, Willis said.

While the medical plaza has been open for more than a year, construction is close to being done on most of Copper Point's offices. Work will conclude by mid-July on a spec office building.

. The development's retail building has signage for a Port of Subs eatery and a chiropractor's office.

"It's obviously slower than it has been in the past couple of years," said Phil Wurth, a vice president with Logan Commercial.

Corporate tenants seeking office 10,000-square-foot or larger spaces have expressed interest in the development, Wurth said. Most tenants talking about space in Copper Point are professional not medical offices, he said.

"We thought we'd see more medical," Wurth said. "I think a lot of the medical is there."

UTAZ has brought an insurance agent, obstetrics-gynecology group and a dentist to Mercy Point Medical Center. The development is about half filled, said Kyle LeSueur, a spokesman for the company.

Terri Tobey, the company's senior vice president of business development and community affairs, said he can't help but say the economy has had an impact on the development.

However, she said the company receives calls on a regular basis from doctors and businesses wanting to lease or purchase space.

"We've held off on reducing the prices at Mercy Point," she said. "We consider it one of our crown jewels, if not the crown jewel."