Pinal County Project News

[phoenixwillrise]

What ever became of Phoenix Mart, The Electric Car Factory, the Auto Racing Facility and last but not least the next Disneyland? How is it even possible a city could have so many pipe dreamers show up in one place? What is up with that?

[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by phoenixwillrise

What ever became of Phoenix Mart, The Electric Car Factory, the Auto Racing Facility and last but not least the next Disneyland? How is it even possible a city could have so many pipe dreamers show up in one place? What is up with that?

All big visions that need someone to put up the cash to make them happen. From a couple months ago:

https://www.pinalcentral.com/casa_gr...03f3b17a8.html

I think Casa Grande is attractive to a certain class of projects--cheap land, at the intersection of two major interstates, between two substantial metros. And Casa Grande seems to be willing to give fairly substantial incentives. But eventually the projects have to find funding. And I imagine that the type of proposals they're getting--start-ups with big ideas--take a long time to fund if they're funded at all.

[nickw252]

Originally Posted by phoenixwillrise

What ever became of Phoenix Mart, The Electric Car Factory, the Auto Racing Facility and last but not least the next Disneyland? How is it even possible a city could have so many pipe dreamers show up in one place? What is up with that?

The Lucid Factory appears to be moving forward, albeit at a slower rate than anticipated. This article below is from last week:

Lucid Motors factory in Casa Grande drives closer to a reality

After more than a year since its initial announcement, Lucid Motors announced on April 25th that production of vehicles in Casa Grande, Arizona will begin in two years.

The city was left in limbo for approximately 18 months as Lucid sought to secure $700 million in Series D funding. The two-year time frame comes from the estimated time and cost it will take to begin producing the Lucid Air model at the Casa Grande facility.

The electric car manufacturer secured an extension on the option to buy the land needed for the factory in mid-April. Pinal County Manager Greg Stanley said the county would potentially be the buyer of the 500 acres Lucid has chosen for its factory and then lease it to developers short-term.

Series D funding comes after the previous phases of funding such as raising seed capital followed by Series A, B and C. Typically C is the final round, but for companies looking to raise more capital and gain more investors, another round of funding can be implemented. Richard Wilkie, director of economic development for the city of Casa Grande, said Lucid Motors’ facility would add to the city’s growing reputation,

“(Lucid) helps draw more interest to other companies that may not necessarily be related to the automotive field, but because you have these types of high-quality jobs that would be created,” he said.

Lucid Motors has been short on cash in the past, but delays have not negatively impacted the city financially, Wilkie said.

“These types of projects take time, they don’t happen overnight,” he said. “This is next generation collector’s vehicle, they have autonomous technology in it, it is the wave of the future.”

The city is ready to go, Wilkie said. “If they came in tomorrow and provided us plans, we’d be ready to go.”

The initial announcement to build a factory in Casa Grande came with a proposal of approximately 2,000 new jobs and a new curriculum for the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Program at Central Arizona College.

The year-long program has been designed for graduates to enter the workforce immediately in areas of advanced technology, said Advanced Technology Division Chairwoman Kristen Benedict. Since the announcement of the partnership with Lucid Motors, “we’ve seen a growth of the program by 1,300 percent,” Benedict said regarding the number of applications from students for the Advanced Technology Manufacturing Program alone.

“We’re seeing an alignment amongst the state on curriculum and all the colleges on the Sun Corridor will be offering the same curriculum,” she said.

Even with the delay of Lucid’s arrival, Benedict said she does not see wavering in the students’ interest desire to be in the program. The program is applicable to other manufacturing industries, which means the program’s need will not go away either, according to Benedict.

Stanley expressed the city’s eagerness and excitement for Lucid’s arrival saying it could potentially reduce long work commutes for many residents. “The county’s workforce is about 170,000, about 50 percent of that workforce travel outside of the county to places like Phoenix and Tucson,” he said.

“The economic benefits will be tremendous,” Stanley said.

“We have over 25 health-care related specialists in the community, we’re the health-care hub of Pinal County,” he said. “We have advanced manufacturing; we have Hexcel, which is an international company—they’ve been in the community over 40 years.”

Hexcel is one of the largest producers for the commercial aerospace industry and is among some other large corporations in Casa Grande like Frito Lay and Abbott Nutrition.

Wilkie said the proximity to the Interstate 8 and 10 as well as two major airports—Phoenix Sky Harbor International and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway—puts the area in a good position.

“That’s what makes us so enticing for these large, Fortune 500 companies to put distribution centers,” he said.

According to Wilkie, Lucid Motors could prompt more residents, new housing and a growth in food, entertainment and retail sales.

“You see a direct benefit with the jobs being created,” he said.

https://azbigmedia.com/lucid-motors-...-to-a-reality/

[biggus diggus]

Lots of guys with big dreams and shallow pockets try to make their dreams a reality in Casa Grande because land is cheaper, I think they realize later that they're going to lose a lot of money or realize that even though the land is cheaper they still can't afford it.

There's also a finite amount of developer hype to sell houses.

[Obadno]

I also think Casa Grande suffers from a 20 year old idea of massive suburban growth that has decidedly changed into (while still sprawly) much slower outward expansion than before 2008.

Back in the early 00's everyone thought Phoenix and Tucson would grow into each other with un-ending Socal style sprawl within 20 years.

Well, that clearly isn't going to happen for way more than 20 years even from now.

[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by Obadno

I also think Casa Grande suffers from a 20 year old idea of massive suburban growth that has decidedly changed into (while still sprawly) much slower outward expansion than before 2008.

Back in the early 00's everyone thought Phoenix and Tucson would grow into each other with un-ending Socal style sprawl within 20 years.

Well, that clearly isn't going to happen for way more than 20 years even from now.

I thank my lucky stars that the Gila River reservation exists--sprawl stretching south from Chandler to Casa Grande would be depressing.

It's too bad that Casa Grande doesn't have the territorial history of a place like Prescott. If it had developed a little more a little earlier it could be a pretty cool waypoint between Phoenix and Tucson. As it is, the few historic buildings they have (other than the High-School-turned-City-Hall) are not much to look at, and the pockmarked suburban subdivisions almost irrationally bug me when I drive through. I did have a good meal at Big House Cafe once though.

[azsunsurfer]

Originally Posted by muertecaza

I thank my lucky stars that the Gila River reservation exists--sprawl stretching south from Chandler to Casa Grande would be depressing.

It's too bad that Casa Grande doesn't have the territorial history of a place like Prescott. If it had developed a little more a little earlier it could be a pretty cool waypoint between Phoenix and Tucson. As it is, the few historic buildings they have (other than the High-School-turned-City-Hall) are not much to look at, and the pockmarked suburban subdivisions almost irrationally bug me when I drive through. I did have a good meal at Big House Cafe once though.

Also I had no idea until recently how gang infested CG is. It reminds me of the Hemet/ San Jacinito of the Inland Empire in CA.

[sh9730]

Wow - Haven't checked on this board for a bit - and then read this one - most of it is reasonable and I will provide updates - but let's get the last comment above out of the way....CG is NOT gang infested by any stretch....

As for the projects - yes they are all delayed more than expected - but none are dead yet either - here are updates:

LUCID MOTORS - This one IS still moving forward and we hopefully will be hearing some next step definitive news soon. As a matter of fact some other projects are in the works that were "contingent" upon the real likelihood of Lucid moving ahead - and THOSE projects are moving ahead in the back channels.

Attesa (Racetrack) - Also still in real development - the latest though is the land may (likely will) be annexed into the city of CG to allow for some better infrastructure, as well as tax options that the county cannot provide. In the meantime they are moving ahead. Here is their latest public announcement - just a couple of weeks ago:

https://goldencorridorliving.com/att...rings-eternal/

Phoenixmart - This one is a toss up. The good news is they have been cleared from their FBI investigation and that should help with investment efforts. They DO have some of that in process, AND they do still have all sorts of plans under review with the city etc.

They also just recently gained approval for some upgrades and zoning variances for the old Outlet Mall they also own along I 10 south of town and they claim we should see some real activity there before years end.

On the other hand - they have some liens, lawsuits, and tax issues that they must resolve quickly, or things will go downhill fast.

Dreamport Villages (Amusement Park) - another toss up - though they claim things are still moving in the background. Water approval may be an issue here - and ADWR is not being very cooperative with Pinal County applications now.

As for CG overall (but not really big project or SkyScraper related so I will be brief) - Homebuilders are back in town at a gaining pace - the NEW mall along I 10 has a new owner and they are being VERY aggressive with attracting new tenants to some of the abandoned suites/buildings in that center. AND there are several other projects "in the works" that are not ready for public release yet.

Hope this helps.

[azsunsurfer]

Originally Posted by sh9730

Wow - Haven't checked on this board for a bit - and then read this one - most of it is reasonable and I will provide updates - but let's get the last comment above out of the way....CG is NOT gang infested by any stretch....

As for the projects - yes they are all delayed more than expected - but none are dead yet either - here are updates:

LUCID MOTORS - This one IS still moving forward and we hopefully will be hearing some next step definitive news soon. As a matter of fact some other projects are in the works that were "contingent" upon the real likelihood of Lucid moving ahead - and THOSE projects are moving ahead in the back channels.

Attesa (Racetrack) - Also still in real development - the latest though is the land may (likely will) be annexed into the city of CG to allow for some better infrastructure, as well as tax options that the county cannot provide. In the meantime they are moving ahead. Here is their latest public announcement - just a couple of weeks ago:

https://goldencorridorliving.com/att...rings-eternal/

Phoenixmart - This one is a toss up. The good news is they have been cleared from their FBI investigation and that should help with investment efforts. They DO have some of that in process, AND they do still have all sorts of plans under review with the city etc.

They also just recently gained approval for some upgrades and zoning variances for the old Outlet Mall they also own along I 10 south of town and they claim we should see some real activity there before years end.

On the other hand - they have some liens, lawsuits, and tax issues that they must resolve quickly, or things will go downhill fast.

Dreamport Villages (Amusement Park) - another toss up - though they claim things are still moving in the background. Water approval may be an issue here - and ADWR is not being very cooperative with Pinal County applications now.

As for CG overall (but not really big project or SkyScraper related so I will be brief) - Homebuilders are back in town at a gaining pace - the NEW mall along I 10 has a new owner and they are being VERY aggressive with attracting new tenants to some of the abandoned suites/buildings in that center. AND there are several other projects "in the works" that are not ready for public release yet.

Hope this helps.

Oh really....?

https://www.pinalcentral.com/casa_gr...14d759e0d.html

https://www.pinalcentral.com/casa_gr...6924f95c4.html

http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/3...no-gang-member

[sh9730]

Originally Posted by azsunsurfer

Oh really....?

https://www.pinalcentral.com/casa_gr...14d759e0d.html

https://www.pinalcentral.com/casa_gr...6924f95c4.html

http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/3...no-gang-member

Yes - really - a complete exaggeration on your part - I could do a similar search for every area in the Phoenix metro - SOME gang activity is everywhere - that is a big difference than "infested".

As for these articles in particular:

#1 - this is for ALL of Pinal County - it barely mentions Casa Grande specifically.

#2 - yes, there are SOME gang members in CG - as there are in virtually every city and town in the country. What gang activity (especially violence) there is in CG is limited mostly to gang on gang issues (as was the case in this incident), and in some very limited areas of town.

#3 - this incident occurred in SELLS - a town about 50 miles from CG. It only had a CG byline because that is the Border Patrol station that covers Sells.

[sh9730]

At least one of the projects mentioned in this post got a major boost today - 1 Billion+ funding obtained with a major chunk of it going to the CG facility. :

https://www.azcentral.com/story/mone...ry/1337346002/

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by sh9730

At least one of the projects mentioned in this post got a major boost today - 1 Billion+ funding obtained with a major chunk of it going to the CG facility. :

https://www.azcentral.com/story/mone...ry/1337346002/

I think this pretty much garuntees it now gets built, and Nikolai is for sure being built getting built only about 20-30 mins outside of casa grande these two projects will bring major employment and wealth into the region finally

[combusean]

It's bizarre seeing Arizona grow an auto industry.

Looks like they might have picked the site because of its rail access. It will be quite the site seeing freight trains full of cars being loaded and rolling around.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by combusean

It's bizarre seeing Arizona grow an auto industry.

Looks like they might have picked the site because of its rail access. It will be quite the site seeing freight trains full of cars being loaded and rolling around.

Yeah between the self driving cars (which have a supply chain for Radar/LIDAR/Software/optics etc etc) and these new electric plants which will have some serious industrial supply chain its a nice new little sector for the state to diversify with.

Needless to say the 5 "C"'s we had to learn in school are totally out the window.

[Classical in Phoenix]

Press clipping on Lucid.

https://lucidmotors.com/stories/cons...ction-20191106

[nickw252]

Lucid Motors released today an update, announcing that construction of its production facility at the Casa Grande, Arizona is underway!

https://insideevs.com/news/380833/lu...izona-factory/

[Classical in Phoenix]

Slow thread day; here's a tweet on the Lucid groundbreaking.

NOW Arizona Gov. ⁦@dougducey⁩ & Sonora Gov. Claudia Pavlovich at groundbreaking for new ⁦@Lucid_Motors⁩ electric-car plant in Casa Grande AZ #12News https://t.co/SaRRGwL0Ex

[xymox]

Originally Posted by Classical in Phoenix

Slow thread day; here's a tweet on the Lucid groundbreaking.

NOW Arizona Gov. ⁦@dougducey⁩ & Sonora Gov. Claudia Pavlovich at groundbreaking for new ⁦@Lucid_Motors⁩ electric-car plant in Casa Grande AZ #12News https://t.co/SaRRGwL0Ex

Which will open first - the Lucid Plant or the Pier?

[Mr.RE]

Originally Posted by xymox

Which will open first - the Lucid Plant or the Pier?

my money is on Lucid!

[Obadno]

We might need to change the name of this thread!

http://azbex.com/attesa-submits-fina...-pinal-county/

Danrick Builders has announced the design of its primary international road race circuit has been finalized and site plans submitted to Pinal County to initiate permitting. All land use entitlements are secured and construction of the new track, Arizona International Raceway @ Attesa will begin immediately upon county approvals.

Attesa is Danrick Builder’s master-planned motorsports, entertainment and advanced technology research community located 43 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The 2,355-acre property is within the metro Phoenix area just south of Casa Grande, and an hour from Arizona’s second largest city, Tucson. Attesa is an anchor of Pinal County’s burgeoning advanced technology corridor in central Arizona.

“The Phase 1 pro track will be 16-turns and 2.65 miles long,” said Dan Erickson, Managing Partner, “built to Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) standards with multiple configurations and significant elevation changes. Phase 2 will expand the pro circuit to 4.25 miles and add a high-performance driving school and skid pad, closed-course off-road track plus testing facilities for manufacturers, racing teams and aftermarket suppliers.”

“Arizona International Raceway @ Attesa will also have a membership club including clubhouse, private garages, residential opportunities, an RV park and more.” he added. “When finished, AIR will have three different circuits, all able to be used at the same time, each able to be raced in both directions. This is important as there are half dozen amateur Arizona sports car and motorcycle racing organizations that need a permanent home track.”

“The racers demand options and different track layouts. We’re going to deliver.” Said Erickson. “And we’ll be the only other track besides ISM Raceway, a NASCAR oval, that is permanently zoned for racing. Our club members and guests will have no worries about sound restrictions, hours of operation or losing an investment due to a cancelled use permit.”

England’s Apex Circuit Design Ltd is the award-winning, internationally recognized facility (track) and destination design firm responsible for the new complex at Attesa. With a primary focus on the design of FIA and FIM approved circuits, both temporary (street) and permanent, Apex has worked on more than 140 projects on six continents and boasts over 20 operating facilities for Formula 1, MotoGP, World Rallycross, karting and other types of racing. They are working hand-in-hand with Attesa’s local engineering partner, HILGARTWILSON, on design and construction documents.

The track is being carved from flat farmland and a massive amount of dirt will be moved to create the desired elevation changes to maximize the fan and driver experience. The state’s largest earthwork contractors estimate it will take six months just for site work and grading, as more than a million cubic yards of dirt will have to be excavated. “That’s enough to fill up every pro sports stadium in Arizona plus all the college stadiums,” Erickson said.

Danrick Builders applied for a Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA) in spring 2016 and the entitlement process was completed in January 2019, but groundbreaking has been delayed by a hold on certificates for an assured water supply needed to subdivide in Pinal County.

Conceived as a place for people to live, work and play, Attesa will feature single family homes, townhomes and apartments, industrial/commerce space and a concert/public event venue in addition to the racetracks. Ultimate plans include a luxury resort hotel and convention center, a retail and entertainment district as well as an airpark and private airport with FBO services, domestic utilities and public safety facilities.