TUCSON, ARIZONA — Mark Irvin has submitted his resignation from the Rio Nuevo Board after 12 years of service. Mr. Irvin’s appointment was made by Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives (Speaker) Kirk Adams in 2010 and Mark has served five different Speakers during his Rio Nuevo tenure.

Speaker Russell “Rusty” Bowers has appointed Tucsonan Mike Levin to the Rio Nuevo Board effective January 11, 2022. Levin is the CEO of the Port of Tucson, an 800-acre inland industrial port southeast of Tucson that manages 2.4 million square feet of industrial space connected by rail to the U.S. and Mexico and federally designated as a Foreign Trade Zone. Amazon chose the Port location when building their distribution center in Tucson. Mike is also on the Board for the Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce. His father, Alan Levin, bought the vacant land near Interstate 10 and Kolb Road and began constructing spurs off the Union Pacific main line to lure tenants. In 2004, Levin opened an intermodal facility for trains to unload containers to tractor-trailers, and the railroad closed its Phoenix site to use the Port of Tucson.

“We welcome Mike to the Board,” stated Fletcher McCusker, Chairman. “We congratulate the Speaker on a wise choice that will add a legacy family with significant real estate experience to the effort to revitalize Tucson’s downtown.”

“Mr. Irvin has been a significant part of the success of the reconstituted Rio Nuevo Board,” McCusker went on to say. “His leadership as an executive officer has helped launch some of the most meaningful projects downtown, including: the AC Marriott, City Park, the Greyhound Terminal, the Monier and Mercado Annex, Caterpillar, and most recently, the $70,000,000 renovation of the Tucson Convention Center. Just recently Irvin led the effort to unshutter the Arizona Hotel, which will soon be a newly renovated Hyatt. He will be missed but his contribution to Tucson’s revitalization efforts will be a lifetime legacy. I wish my friend Mark well and, on behalf of the entire Board, express Tucson’s thanks for a job well done.”

Rio Nuevo Board members are appointed by the Speaker of the House, the Senate President and the Governor due to legislative changes made to the appointment process in 2010. Appointed members serve at the pleasure of the State and have no term limit. Mr. McCusker and Mr. Sheafe are presidential appointments and Mr. Marquez, Ms. Cox and Mr. Hill serve Governor Ducey.

PHOTO: Mark Irvin, CCIM, SIOR, with Mark Irvin Commercial Real Estate Services

Communities Southwest was represented by Land Advisors Organization, which facilitated the closing of the first phase consisting of 327 platted lots of Avion at Ballpark Village.  

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – Land Advisors Organization is pleased to announce it recently helped facilitate the sale of 327 single-family platted lots at the Avion at Ballpark Village, on behalf of Communities Southwest, in a $20.2 million transaction. The 75-acre parcel is part of the first phase of the development, which is located in Goodyear, Arizona.

Land Advisors Organization professionals Greg Vogel, Ryan Semro, Bret Rinehart, Ben Heglie and Wes Campbell represented the seller, Communities Southwest. The buyer was Lennar Arizona, Inc.

The Avion at Ballpark Village consists of 154 acres of residential land zoned for a variety of residential uses at the S/SWC of Estrella Parkway and Lower Buckeye Road. Phase 1 of the site consists of 327platted lots for a single-family residential subdivision. The lot mix ranges from 5,750- to 4,500-square-feet, providing the buyer with a healthy range of options for development. The buyer expects to begin construction in Q1 2022.

“Avion at Ballpark Village is going to be one of the premier communities in Goodyear and Communities Southwest is excited to have Lennar as the first homebuilder in the project,” said Greg Lehmann with Communities Southwest. “It’s been great working with everyone involved in this project—the excellent people at the City of Goodyear, the thoughtful and professional team at Lennar, and the great team at Land Advisors Organization.”

Avion at Ballpark Village will feature a 7-acre private HOA owned Central Park that includes a pool, spa, community gathering pavilion, restrooms, two pickleball courts, ramada, shaded playground and sports field to be built as part of this first development phase. When fully developed, Avion will also feature seven neighborhood parks and a walking trail system running throughout the community. The two remaining phases of the community feature an additional 248 platted lots and a 24-acre residential parcel.

“This was a great opportunity for all the stakeholders involved,” Rinehart said. “Our residential land team was able to assist Communities Southwest with the sale by connecting them with an ideal buyer while helping Lennar continue to grow its footprint in the bustling and growing West Valley. It’s always rewarding when each party in the deal achieves their goals.”

Located in the heart of the growth corridor in Goodyear, Avion at Ballpark Village also offers future residents the benefits of close proximity to major recreational amenities. The city of Goodyear recently developed an 86-acre Recreation Campus that provides residents access to a new state-of-the-art facility, complete with a 30-acre park with softball fields, multi-use plaza, playground, group ramadas and sport courts as well as a rec center and an aquatic center.

Located 20 minutes from downtown Phoenix, Avion at Ballpark Village residents will also enjoy the benefits of the Goodyear Ballpark, which is among the top spring training facilities in the nation and home to the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians. A total cost of more than $108 million already has been invested in the ballpark and surrounding amenities.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – Getting back to the best of times. Understanding the legalities of the “new normal.” The economics of the self-storage industry.

These and other topics will highlight the 22nd Annual Arizona Self-Storage Association Conference & Trade Show Feb. 17 and 18 at We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort, 10438 N. Fort McDowell Road, Fort McDowell, Arizona. The Arizona Self-Storage Association (AZSA) is the trade association that represents the self-storage industry in Arizona.

The conference comprises the Owners and Investors Summit on Feb. 17 and the Operational Symposium on Feb. 18. The annual golf tournament precedes the conference Feb. 16 at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club.

“We are elated to be presenting this conference. It’s been a long time in the making. The last conference was in 2019 so the members are wanting to reconnect and be engaged,” said AZSA Executive Director Amy Amideo. “There are so many reasons to celebrate, however, the main reason is this is AZSA’s 25-year anniversary.

“The program is a great mix of both national and regional speakers. Their topics will assist our owners and managers to continue to evolve, be informed, and entertain. Our vendors are a fusion of new technologies as well as the tried and true. It’s great to be honoring our past while embracing our future.”

AZSA and The BSC Group kick off the conference Feb. 17 with the Owners and Investors Summit. The opening discussion, “Can the Worst of Times Deliver the Best of Times?” will be presented by John Chang of Marcus & Millichap.

Other presentations on the first day include “Understanding the Legalities of the New Normal,” by Scott Zucker of Weissman/Zucker; “Latest on the Economics of Self-Storage” by Chris Sonne of Newmark Valuation & Advisory; and the Legislative Forecast by Barb Meaney and Lourdes Pena with Triadvocates. The AZSA 25th Anniversary Celebration will cap the day.

The Operational Symposium kicks off Feb. 18 with “Why? Understanding Management Summary Reports, Revenue Management and More” by John Manes of Pinnacle Storage Properties and Pinnacle Storage Managers. The final presentation is “My Lost Brothers: The Untold Story by the Yarnell Fire’s Lone Survivor” by Brendan McDonough.

The conference will include vendor/sponsor exhibits.

Registration fee is $140 (early bird) ends Jan. 17; $165 (standard pricing) ends Feb. 12; and $195 (last minute). For owner/operator members; $190 (early bird) ends Jan. 17; $215 (standard) ends Feb. 12; and $240 (last minute) for owner/operator non-members. Register here.