Class A Metro Phoenix development transforms vacant school campus into mid-sized industrial property
PHOENIX, Arizona, (April 2, 2026) – Leading Phoenix-based general contractor Stevens-Leinweber Construction (SLC), representing Merit Partners Inc., has completed and delivered Merit 27 Buckeye, a unique industrial infill redevelopment that is now fully leased in Phoenix’s emerging 27th Avenue Corridor.
Located on 18 acres at the southeast corner of 27th Avenue and Buckeye Road, Merit 27 Buckeye transforms a former and vacant Murphy Elementary School District campus into a modern, two-building, 256,813-square-foot industrial property within a re-emerging commercial area.
The project is supported by a City of Phoenix initiative for ongoing beautification within the 27th Avenue Corridor, designed to add roadway capacity, improve safety and access, and elevate visual appeal through elements such as new sidewalks, ADA ramps, traffic signals, and street lighting.
“Merit 27 Buckeye was an exciting assignment for our team,” said Stevens-Leinweber Construction Executive Vice President Erik Powell. “It highlights Merit’s dedication to delivering all categories of Class A metro Phoenix industrial space, including adaptive, forward-looking developments like this one. It was a great effort that has created a productive new chapter for this strategic land site.”
Before construction could begin, the Merit 27 Buckeye site required six months of extensive demolition and remediation to make the land shovel-ready. This included clearing 12 buildings that had been vacant for several years, cutting back old utilities to the main source, and installing a new water line and meters. In the process, SLC and Merit made the project’s original buildings available to the Phoenix Fire Department for critical hands-on training.
Now complete, Merit 27 Buckeye spans two fully modernized buildings, a 191,227-square-foot Building A and a 65,586-square-foot Building B, at 1515 S. 27th Ave. and 2675 W. Buckeye Rd.
Meeting contemporary standards for efficiency, sustainability, and tenant satisfaction, the buildings feature 32’ to 36’ clear height, 59 total dock-high and eight total drive-in doors, ESFR sprinklers, and generous and secure auto and truck parking. Energy-efficient features include LED lighting, R-38 and R-11 insulation, exterior canopies for heat mitigation, and clerestory windows to increase natural interior light.
These advantages propelled the project to 100% occupancy, with Building A fully leased to Daikin and Building B fully leased to Mazak, Reliable Garage Doors, Hajoca and Impilo Inc.
SLC served as the general contractor for Merit 27 Buckeye. Butler Design Group is the architect. Jackie Orcutt, John Werstler, Cooper Fratt and Jonathan Teeter of CBRE are the project’s exclusive leasing brokers.
Merit 27 Buckeye sits in the heart of Phoenix’s transportation network. It is less than one mile west of Interstate 17, two miles south of Interstate 10 and four miles east of the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, a new 22-mile extension linking the East and West Valleys. Merit 27 Buckeye is also minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and a host of supporting regional airports.