by Peter Madrid | Mar 10, 2017 | News & Updates

Valley Partnership’s signature event is its annual community project.
Phoenix, Ariz., March 10, 2017 – Valley Partnership named Brett Hopper, Development Consultant at The OPUS Group, as its 2017 Chair. The commercial real estate industry group also named new board members representing Pederson Group, Land Advisors, Hines, City of Phoenix, and Macerich.

Brett Hopper
“Valley Partnership’s mission is powered by the collaboration of some of the best minds in our industry,” Hopper said. “As Valley Partnership’s 2017 Chair, I look forward to drawing from the expertise and experience of my peers on the Board to help guide our mission of advocating for responsible development.”
“Valley Partnership’s mission of creating stronger, viable communities and economic growth through responsible development is only as good as our leadership team,” said Valley Partnership CEO and President Cheryl Lombard. “Under Brett’s leadership and the guidance provided by our Board members, 2017 will be an exciting year for Valley Partnership as we continue to create opportunities for our industry and the community at large.”
2017 Valley Partnership Officers:
- Brett Hopper, The OPUS Group, Chair;
- Todd Chester, WDP Partners, Vice Chair;
- Jill Hegardt, DMB Associates, Treasurer;
- Tim Brislin, Harvard Investments, Secretary;
- Jay Kramer, Fennemore Craig, General Councel;
- Molly Ryan Carson, Ryan Companies US, Past Chair.
2017 Valley Partnership Board of Directors:
| Chris |
Anaradian |
Town of Queen Creek |
| Lisa |
Atkins |
Arizona State Land Department |
| Rob |
Bassett |
Pederson Group |
| R. Chapin |
Bell |
The P.B. Bell Companies |
| Ryan |
Cochran |
Kitchell |
| John |
Creer |
ASU University Real Estate Development |
| Brandon |
Dillingham |
Hines |
| John |
DiVall |
Liberty Property Trust |
| Mari |
Flynn |
Ashton Woods |
| Andrew |
Gasparro |
Evergreen Devco |
| Molly |
Greene |
SRP |
| Dean |
Jones |
Fidelity National Title |
| Jim |
Kenny |
El Dorado Holdings, Inc. |
| Heidi |
Kimball |
Sunbelt Holdings |
| Bryce |
Lloyd |
First/Bank |
| Mike |
Martin |
APS |
| Rusty |
Mitchell |
Luke Air Force Base |
| Garrett |
Newland |
Macerich |
| Carolyn |
Oberholtzer |
Bergin, Frakes, Smalley & Oberholtzer |
| Michele |
Pino |
Land Advisors |
| Paul |
Rhodes |
Vestar |
| Derek |
Sorenson |
Quarles & Brady |
| Alan |
Stephenson |
City of Phoenix |
by Peter Madrid | Mar 10, 2017 | News & Updates
PHOENIX, ARIZONA (March 13, 2017): NAI Horizon Senior Vice President Denise Nunez represented the seller in a $1.8 million entitled land sale for the construction of a self-storage facility at Desert Foothills Parkway and Marketplace Way in Ahwatukee.
Nunez, with NAI Horizon’s National Self Storage Investment Group, represented Scottsdale-based 1784 Capital Holdings LLC.
“This parcel of land had been vacant for 32 years,” Nunez said. “A hidden gem, it will serve well as a community self-storage project that will benefit from the expansion of the 202 just south and the extension of Chandler Boulevard to the west of this location.”
In September, the Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee voted 9-1 to recommend a city planning commission approval of a self-storage facility to be built on the 2.38-acre piece of land. At the time, approval was given for a 104,000-square-foot facility to include three floors (one of them below ground).
The buyer, Moncap, LLC of Scottsdale, was represented by Matt Rinzler of Insight Land Investments.
by Peter Madrid | Mar 8, 2017 | News & Updates
PHOENIX, ARIZONA (March 8, 2017): NAI Horizon represented the landlord in a long-term lease at West 101 Business Center at 1840 N. 95th Ave., in Phoenix.
NAI Horizon Senior Vice President Tyler Smith represented ViaWest Group of Phoenix in the lease of 18,000 square feet of the 118,000-SF building.
“Southwest Network is expanding and relocating to West 101 Business Center from the Garden Lakes area in the Southwest Valley,” Smith said. “The new location is a good fit for this growing company.”
The tenant is Southwest Network, an Arizona non-profit organization. It was represented by Michael Waxman of Levrose Commercial Real Estate.
by Peter Madrid | Mar 8, 2017 | News & Updates
Phoenix, Ariz. – KatzDesignGroup recently served up three restaurant interior projects in bustling Downtown Phoenix ranging from a fast-casual eatery at CityScape to an upscale Italian dining establishment at Collier Center.
“With urban centers becoming part of the live, work, play trend, Downtown Phoenix is right in the mix,” said Principal Beth Katz. “Restaurants are a playing a big part in creating the new culture of downtown. KatzDesignGroup worked with these three unique restaurants all within three blocks of each other creating custom-branded spaces.”
The projects include:
>> Yogi’s Grill, CityScape, 1 E. Washington St., 1,200 square feet: Phoenix-based KatzDesignGroup designed the first of the newly branded Yogi’s Grill – Teriyaki & Roll fast casual restaurants, this one at CityScape. The 12th of the franchise brings in a newly branded interior with a variety of unique materials.
The counter has a combination of granite and “burnt” wood. Millworker URI Construction repurposed pieces of salvaged wood for several weeks to create the mixed wood panels in the 250 SF dining area. The next location at Rivulon in Gilbert is scheduled to open in February.

Yogi’s CityScape
“During demolition, we found plumbing running through a wall we were planning on removing,” Katz said. “Our contractor (One Way Construction) had to modify the front counter within hours to keep the project on track.”
>> Mancuso’s Restaurant, Collier Center, 201 E. Washington St., 8,700 SF: Katz partnered with Pasadena Ave. Design to create Bob Mancuso’s next venture. The space celebrates the restaurant’s 35-year Phoenix history with family heirlooms and photographs. It also is inspired by Northern Italian cuisine and design.
The restaurant features a custom map of the town in Northern Italy where the Mancuso family lived as a backdrop for the new host area. Mancuso’s can accommodate large parties in Downtown Phoenix.
>> Noodle Bar, Orpheum Lofts Building, 114 W. Adams St., C-103, 2,700 SF: Katz worked with chef Marco DiSanto to design a restaurant as an authentic mix of his Japanese and Italian heritage. The team went with authenticity vs. fusion, Katz said. The space features locally made custom metal light fixtures described as “organic and noodle-ish.”
Other design features are Italian tiles, bento box counters, artist-inspired visual graphics, and the graphic branding by AWE Collective. Partner architect was Michael Hall; Bill Plesher of Landmark Kitchen Design provided additional design. General contractor was De Novo Construction.
“The space is in a historic building with an HOA,” Katz said. “Utilities were difficult to access as the space was not built for a restaurant space.”
by Peter Madrid | Mar 8, 2017 | News & Updates
PHOENIX, ARIZ. (March 7, 2017) – Grady Gammage Jr., a real estate and zoning attorney and founder of Gammage & Burnham P.L.C., will be honored with the Award of Excellence from NAIOP Arizona at the 2017 Best of NAIOP on March 30 at the Arizona Biltmore.
The NAIOP Award of Excellence recognizes an individual who has made a significant, positive impact on the office and industrial commercial real estate market in Arizona over a period of not less than 15 years, along with direct volunteer contributions to the chapter.

Grady Gammage Jr.
“As one of the foremost zoning attorneys in the state, Grady has been a tremendous resource for our members for literally decades,” said Tim Lawless, president of NAIOP Arizona. “His expertise and sense of humor make him a perfect advocate for the commercial real estate community before public entities and we are proud to recognize his long record of service to the industry.”
“Forty years of watching Phoenix grow has been endlessly fascinating. In that time, the commercial real estate market has evolved into making this one of America’s most distinctive cities,” said Gammage, who has served as master of ceremonies for past Best of NAIOP events. “NAIOP has been a critical part of increasing the sophistication of real estate development. The NAIOP awards have raised the bar for the aesthetics and quality of our built environment. I’m proud to be a part of this year’s awards.”
Gammage is a part-time professor, a practicing lawyer, an author, a real estate developer, and a former elected official. In his academic role, he is a Senior Fellow at Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute, the Kyl Center for Water Policy, and a Senior Scholar at the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability. His work focuses on urban growth and development. He also teaches at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and at the W.P. Carey School of Business.
As a lawyer, he has represented real estate projects ranging from master planned communities to subdivisions to high-rise buildings. He served on the Central Arizona Project Board of Directors for 12 years, and was president during a period of turbulence when the CAP was suing the federal government over the cost of the canal.
As a real estate developer, he built an urban, mixed-use project in the City of Tempe, Studios 5c. The 25,000-square-foot office/retail building was developed in 2000. It won three architectural awards and was honored by Valley Forward and the City of Tempe. His book, “The Future of the Suburban City: Lessons from Sustaining Phoenix,” was recently published by Island Press.
Gammage’s individual awards include the Wright Spirit Award, Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy; Richard Ely Distinguished Educator Award, Lambda Alpha International; “One of the Ten Most Influential People in the History of Arizona Commercial Real Estate” by AZRE Magazine; Valley’s Most Admired CEO’s and Executives, Phoenix Business Journal; and Lawyer of the Year, Land Use, Best Lawyers in America, 2010 and 2014.
His civic activities include Advisory Board, Kyl Center for Water Policy; Advisory Board, Center for the Study of Race and Democracy; Board of Directors, Celebracion Artisticas de las Americas; Board of Trustees, Arizona State University Foundation; Board of Directors, Aquila Municipal Trust; Board of Directors, Aquila Funds Trust; and Gammage Scholars Selection Committee, Arizona State University.
Gammage is also a moderator and presenter at Valley commercial real estate events for Urban Land Institute, Valley Partnership, Arizona Green Chamber of Commerce, Lambda Alpha International, Commercial Executive Magazine, Arizona Association for Economic Development, and the SRP Economic Forum.
by Peter Madrid | Feb 22, 2017 | News & Updates
Thirteenorth Grille will host its monthly Charity Guest Chef Night on Feb. 26 with a spicy New Mexico dish on the menu to benefit at-risk kids in Arizona.
The menu: New Mexico red chile enchiladas, pinto beans, Spanish rice, a choice of soup or salad and flan for dessert. Peter Madrid, owner of MadridMedia and a native of New Mexico, will serve as the guest chef.
“I grew up eating red and green chile for pretty much every meal,” Madrid said. “When you live in New Mexico, either one is on the table for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My grandmother, mother, and sisters made the best red chile enchiladas – with a fried egg on top. I am also thrilled that Gabriel’s Angels is the charity of choice. I can’t think of more worthy organization; kids and dogs, that says it all.”
Each year Thirteenorth Grille sponsors the charity event January through October.
“I am excited to have Peter cooking the food that he grew up eating,” said Lawrence Macias, co-owner of Thirteenth Grille. “It’s going to be a great night benefiting a great cause.”
Proceeds will benefit Gabriel’s Angels, which provides healing pet therapy to more than 14,600 abused, neglected and at-risk children in Arizona. The event is scheduled for Sunday, February 26, 2017, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Thirteenorth Grille, 1301 E. Northern Ave. Cost is $22 person; reservations can be made by calling (602) 795-1397.