That doesn’t mean each company is actually headquartered in Tucson. That’s still an unresolved issue between the Alliance of Construction Trades, a local contractors trade association, and Garfield Traub Development, the firm responsible for rebuilding the main entrance as well as the city’s planned $145 million downtown convention hotel.
“If you’re a company and you pay taxes for two years in a jurisdiction, you’re considered to be a local company. Title 34 does have a definition of local and that would match our definition,” said Stephen Moffett, division president for Garfield Traub.
 A sign of the times: Foreclosed commercial and residential properties going to public auction. This building, at 56 E. Broadway, abuts the 44 E. Broadway building now set for auction Dec. 15. Roger Yohem photo |
Garfield Traub’s development agreement falls under state law regarding the construction of public buildings. The Alliance of Construction Trades has challenged perceived flaws in the pre-qualification of contracts and procurement process for major construction projects downtown. Specifically, it is at odds with actions by Garfield Traub and its construction companies Turner and Sundt.
According to Garfield Traub, the following companies were the successful bidders for construction of the new main entrance located at the southeast corner of the convention center. The contractors are currently working on the renovation and additional contracts are yet to be awarded.
Office location was defined as the address listed on the bid submissions. The Tucson contractors and the trade work they were awarded are:
AAA Landscaping, landscaping
Double T Signs, signage
Gale Insulation, insulation
Darling Environmental, surveying
D. Tellez Masonry, masonry
J.B. Steel Ventures, structural steel
Madera Mechanical, mechanical
MKB Construction, metal studs, carpentry, drywall, exterior sheathing, stucco, vertical expansion joints, door frames
Northwest Exterminating, exterminating
O’Leary Construction, site work
Penhall Company, demolition
Print Room, reprographics
Schindler Elevator Corp., elevators and escalators
Security Fence of Arizona, fencing
Sturgeon Electric, electrical
Sundt Concrete, concrete
Tucson Commercial Carpet, resilient flooring
United Painting, painting
Waste Management, waste removal
A contract for tile work has not been awarded, although the developers are working to finalize one with a Tucson contractor.
Non-Tucson companies working on the site are:
Charles Court Construction, Phoenix, for caulking, waterproofing, and roof expansion joint
Kovach Construction, Chandler, for metal panels
Shippy’s Rolling Plains, Chandler, for fireproofing
Sprayfoam, Tempe, for roofing
Turner Logistics, Phoenix, for mechanical equipment and lighting
Walters & Wolf Construction Specialties, Gilbert, for the curtain wall
March housing recovery
The latest housing price forecast from First American CoreLogic projects home prices will continue to decline in most markets for the next six months, followed by a rebound in the spring.
Above-average levels of foreclosures, inventories and unemployment will continue to impact many major metropolitan markets during that period, including Southern Arizona.
As the economy continues to improve and these factors improve, the forecast calls for housing prices to bottom for most markets about March 2010 and then turn positive. That would signal the first positive year-over-year price appreciation since early 2007.
Excluding distressed sales, the worst five states for year-to-year prices declines showed Nevada (-20.4 percent) still holds the top spot. Next was Arizona (-15.4 percent), Florida (-14.8 percent), Idaho (-10.9 percent) and Washington (-10.3 percent).
Sundt Mortgage merges
Sundt Mortgage Group, 4810 E. Camp Lowell Drive, has merged with VIP Mortgage Incorporated, Scottsdale, and will now do business under the VIP Mortgage name at a new location, 1640 E. River Road, Suite 208.
Sundt Mortgage, founded in 2003, was led by President Jerry Sundt. He will now serve as senior loan officer for VIP Mortgage. There are 16 employees in the Tucson office. VIP Mortgage has 30 employees statewide.
Condo auction reset
The auction of the 44 E. Broadway building, once slated for 34 luxury downtown condominiums, has been postponed until 11 a.m. Dec. 15. The auction, which will take place outside on the east walkway of the Pima County Superior Court building, 110 W. Congress St., was originally set for Nov. 24.
The property’s trustees, the Phoenix law firm of Jennings, Haug & Cunningham, said Bank of the West, the beneficiary, requested the postponement. The note on the property is $2.8 million.
James LeBeau and a group of investors bought the property in 2005 for about $2.6 million. They invested another $1.6 million in cash and had a $2.9 million loan to renovate the structure.
ADOT building sale
A third building along downtown Tucson’s northern edge in the Historic Warehouse Arts District is set to be sold in early December by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT).
The sales process for the parcel, located at 15-17-19 E. Toole Ave., began last month when the department received a bid for the property. It will be sold to that undisclosed bidder on Dec. 10 at its appraised price of $265,000 unless another offer is made. If that happens, the property goes to public auction on Dec. 11.
The parcel is one of 15 pieces of “excess land” ADOT has been holding downtown since the 1980s. The parcels were bought as right of way for the last leg of the Barraza-Aviation Parkway, which has since been moved north of the Union Pacific railroad tracks.
Two of the properties, at 1 E. Toole and 31 E. Toole, were sold in November. Currently, properties at 119 E. Toole Ave. 450 N. Main Ave., and 546 N. Stone Ave. are being marketed. For information, contact ADOT at (602) 712-7587.
E-mail items for this column to ryohem@azbiz.com. Real Estate and Construction appears weekly.
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