CHANDLER, Ariz. – Willmeng Construction, Phoenix, broke ground on a 617,000-square-foot campus for Orbital ATK, which will serve as the Launch Vehicles Division Headquarters. This is the latest example of how thoughtful vision and planning for mixed-use developments like Park Place by developer Douglas Allred Company, San Diego, Calif., are spurring more corporate relocations, economic development and job creation opportunities along Chandler’s Price Road Corridor.

Located along one of Metropolitan Phoenix’s fastest-growing employment and innovation corridors at the intersection of the Loop 101 and 202 freeways on a 47-acre site at the southeast corner of Price and Willis roads, Orbital ATK’s new multiple-building facility includes office space and 261,000 square feet of state-of the-art manufacturing space, strategically positioned within the campus, scheduled for completion in 2019.

It’s the latest addition by Douglas Allred Company at Park Place, a 180-acre master-planned office/flex space development that will offer a variety of low- and mid-rise office space, executive suites, hotels, conference centers, light industrial parks as well as mixed-use and corporate campus settings. Park Place has fully-leased all of the buildings constructed since the masterplan development first began in 2008, totaling 1.233-million square feet of fully-occupied space.

Known for seeing an area’s potential, in such campus developments in the Valley as the iconic Cotton Center in the late 1990s, Allred President Dave Allred has developed a successful recipe for attracting and quickly securing corporate headquarters such as the relocation of Infusionsoft’s headquarters from Gilbert in 2012 to Park Place and an Orbital ATK campus at Park Place in Chandler.

“Our ultimate vision would always be a world-class headquarters of international status and Orbital ATK’s new campus aids in that goal. The fact that they are going to co-locate in a city that is driving a mecca of technology and innovation is an additional win in welcoming Orbital ATK to Park Place,” Allred commented.

“Orbital ATK’s continued investment in Chandler — and in the Price Road Corridor — is a shining example of our long-term vision for this employment center,” said Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny. “Adding these sustainable, high-wage jobs to the community, along with the research and development that will take place, only solidifies our reputation as the Innovation and Technology Hub of the Southwest.”

“Chandler’s economic development team is very forward-thinking, planned out the infrastructure well, and is just top-notch to work with to achieve the long-term vision for Park Place and this innovation corridor,” Allred said.

President of Willmeng Construction, James Murphy, said, “Dave and the team at the Douglas Allred Company have a laser focus to strategically create appealing and unique campus environments, the business acumen to assemble the land, and the ability to successfully negotiate leases that are mutually beneficial at a speed that is truly unparalleled in the market.”

“They approach each new development as a long-term hold, which means that quality and sustainability are the priority throughout design and construction,” Murphy added. “Willmeng is honored to begin another challenging and successful project with Douglas Allred Company and Balmer Architectural Group to accomplish this significant milestone as a team.”

Rich Straka, vice president and general manager of Orbital ATK’s Launch Vehicles Division, said he is looking forward to expanding the company’s business in Chandler. “The launch vehicles we design and manufacture here are instrumental in providing cargo to the crews on the International Space Station, launching satellites for space and earth science, and in defending the nation. This new campus allows Orbital ATK to continue to execute on these vital programs for our country.”

In 2017, Orbital ATK hired 250 employees at its Chandler facility. The company has plans to fill 200 open positions this year and eventually expand its Chandler workforce by at least another 50 employees over the next year and a half.

Since the Price Road Corridor was first identified as a major employment area through city planning and development documents in 1982, the Maricopa Association of Governments reports, approximately 540 businesses have set up operations in the area, accounting for more than 36,000 jobs. Douglas Allred Company was a pioneer in this envisioned area, investing in more than 72 acres of land in 2007 at what is now known as Park Place.

Today, Price Road Corridor is known for its prime location, infrastructure and access to highly-skilled and educated workforce, which make it a hotbed for leading-edge companies involved with advanced business services, aerospace, life sciences, sustainable and high technology research and

Mark Krison and Brad Anderson at CBRE are the brokers for the project.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA — With an office in Tempe, a Washington-based software company was looking for another location in the Valley that would offer walkable amenities to its employees. It found such a location within downtown Chandler’s urban redevelopment area.

NAI Horizon Senior Vice President Laurel Lewis represented the buyer in the $1 million sale of a 6,725-square-foot Chandler office building at 398 S. Arizona Avenue. Faithlife Corporation purchased the former grocery store from C.J.S. of Arizona LLC.

“With tech companies looking for urban cool along with the adaptive reuse trend, this was an ideal location for Faithlife,” Lewis said. “The buyer’s philosophy is ‘be the change, not wait for the change.’”

Faithlife Corporation is headquartered in Bellingham, Wash. It also has a 20,000-square-foot building in Tempe. It provides Bible study software along with a line of resources for Christian living, according to its website.

“It’s exciting to see this type of investment and office development convert an existing building into a new use in downtown Chandler,” Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny said. “Downtown Chandler has become the epicenter for entrepreneurs and technology companies and this new facility validates our efforts to bring high-wage jobs and creative minds to a dynamic area of our city.”

The City of Chandler continues to look to its past for inspiration for new designs that fit its image as a high-tech community. The goal is to create an urban environment that is pedestrian friendly with architecture and character that is unique. This includes the creation of strategically placed parking structures, covered pedestrian walkways, striking historically inspired architecture, historic preservation and uses that will complement the community and marketplace.

Faithlife’s building will be two blocks from Chandler City Hall, entertainment, and restaurants. It is half a mile from the Loop 202. Faithlife will use the facility for software developers and sales.

PHOENIX – At an event called “Elevating Chandler’s Economic Future” this week, the unfinished local eyesore of Elevation Chandler was razed by Hines, a privately owned international real estate firm. Chandler Viridian, a mixed-use development, is to rise in its place. The event included Chris Anderson, managing director and local city leader for Hines, and Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny.

Hines has been working on Chandler Viridian, located on the northwest corner of the Loop 101/Loop 202 interchange and adjacent to the Chandler Fashion Center, for nearly two years due to the significant legal complications related to the incomplete Elevation Chandler project on site. With the legal process regarding the site now complete, Hines was able to remove Elevation Chandler to build Chandler Viridian.

Chandler Viridian, a mixed-used development, will include a luxury multifamily complex, a six-story modern brand hotel, a central plaza with 250,000-square-feet of Class A office space, and retail options along with a pedestrian promenade to the Chandler Fashion Center. Chandler Viridian is located in the heart of the Chandler retail entertainment district and is the last available site adjacent to the Chandler Fashion Center.

“After following through with our commitment to remove the unfinished Elevation Chandler structure, Hines is thrilled to move forward with Chandler Viridian, an exciting mixed-used development that promotes walkability with a pedestrian promenade to the Chandler Fashion Center,” Anderson said.

“This is a great day for Chandler residents and I’m glad that we can finally begin looking towards the future on this site,” Tibshraeny said. “This is a signature intersection for our city, and Chandler residents deserve to have a quality project located there.”

Alliance Residential of Phoenix is developing the Class A multifamily property at Chandler Viridian. Apartment construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2015.

Construction on the horizontal infrastructure for the commercial properties is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2015. The hotel, office and retail projects will begin construction later in 2015 and into 2016.

RSP Architects of Minneapolis serves as the architect of record for Chandler Viridian. A general contractor has not been selected.  CBRE has been hired to market the Class A office space and DeRito has been hired to market the retail sites.

Hines has developed and/or owns several other high-profile projects in the Valley, including:  24^th at Camelback, a 302,000-square-foot Class A office tower located at 2375 E. Camelback Road in Phoenix; 24^th at Camelback II, a 307,000-square-foot office building located at 2325 E. Camelback Road in Phoenix; Renaissance Square, a 965,000-square-foot, two-building office complex located at 2 N. Central Ave. and 40 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix; Kierland One, a 175,000-square-foot office building at 16430 N. Scottsdale Road in Phoenix; the 600,000-square-foot Glendale Multi-Purpose Arena at 9400 W. Maryland Ave. in Glendale; and U.S. Airways Headquarters, a 382,000-square-foot office building at 4000 E. Sky Harbor Blvd. in Tempe.

The firm’s historical and current portfolio of projects underway, completed, acquired and managed for third parties includes 1,317 properties representing more than 541 million square feet of office, residential, mixed-use, industrial, hotel, medical and sports facilities, as well as large, master-planned communities and land developments. Currently, Hines manages 391 properties totaling 161-million-square-feet, which includes 89.1-million-square-feet for third parties. With offices in 115 cities in 18 countries, and controlled assets valued at approximately $28.2 billion, Hines is one of the largest real estate organizations in the world. Hines is also a world leader in sustainable real estate strategies, with extensive experience in LEED^®, ENERGY STAR^®, BREEAM, Haute Qualité Environnementale and DGNB green building rating systems.

Visit www.hines.com for more information.