General Phoenix Metro Discussion Thread

[combusean]

Originally Posted by Obadno

It cannot be overstated how much this moving up of the timeline for Work from Home and Remote Work is going to be a lifeline for the, so called, "Flyover States"

It might on the surface not seem like a lot but even just a few people making 6 figures being able to work remotely from small towns and cities can make a massive impact in those communities.

Everything from my end says that Bay Area salaries will be adjusted to local economies so there's that.

The best estimate I heard was from none other than Bill Gates who jived with what I had been thinking all along--1/3rd of tech office jobs will go remote for the foreseeable future.

I can't stand working from home myself, but the concentrations of wealth and mental prowess in a few cities like SF and elsewhere aren't good for America. SF was completely full before the nightmare of COVID and if there's one good thing I'm happy about is to see this money and brainpower distributed to where it can do some good when it comes to tech equity, especially in the actual flyover states like anywhere from California to Chicago and points southeast that could use the local investment and money.

The tech/capitalism/gentrification scene got old af in the Bay and while I'm not happy why things moved on, I'm glad that it did to let this place breathe again in time.

Cut the froth off the Bay's pot and let Phoenix and everyone else enjoy it. Maybe Phoenix dodged a bullet being bypassed by dinosaurs like HPE and Oracle, hopefully better jobs are on the way.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by combusean

Everything from my end says that Bay Area salaries will be adjusted to local economies so there's that.

The best estimate I heard was from none other than Bill Gates who jived with what I had been thinking all along--1/3rd of tech office jobs will go remote for the foreseeable future.

I can't stand working from home myself, but the concentrations of wealth and mental prowess in a few cities like SF and elsewhere aren't good for America. SF was completely full before the nightmare of COVID and if there's one good thing I'm happy about is to see this money and brainpower distributed to where it can do some good when it comes to tech equity, especially in the actual flyover states like anywhere from California to Chicago and points southeast that could use the local investment and money.

The tech/capitalism/gentrification scene got old af in the Bay and while I'm not happy why things moved on, I'm glad that it did to let this place breathe again in time.

Cut the froth off the Bay's pot and let Phoenix and everyone else enjoy it. Maybe Phoenix dodged a bullet being bypassed by dinosaurs like HPE and Oracle, hopefully better jobs are on the way.

There is a bottom limit to paying for a cost of living difference. I’ve worked for companies where people jump to the Bay Area for a few years only to come back, and while taking a actual pay cut they still came out relatively ahead.

The diffusing of higher skilled jobs out of the coasts will be the same, they just won’t be able to pay a software engineer less than 75k or 80k a year even in a very inexpensive town.

[xymox]

Originally Posted by combusean

Everything from my end says that Bay Area salaries will be adjusted to local economies so there's that.

<snip>

Cut the froth off the Bay's pot and let Phoenix and everyone else enjoy it. Maybe Phoenix dodged a bullet being bypassed by dinosaurs like HPE and Oracle, hopefully better jobs are on the way.

RE: pay - unfortunately that's not playing out that way. At least not here. While companies rooted in the Bay are now recruiting heavily for remote workers across the country and offering slightly less compensation - its still significantly higher than the avg tech salary for most people's regions. Trying to hire people for my team - we've had to push our compensation up way above PHX average to keep local people on the team from running away to Google, FB, and to attract net new. Depending on what tech you work with, salaries here have adjusted - while not matching the Bay Area 100% - I'd say right now they are close to 85/90% depending on who you work for - vs the 50/40% discount it used to be. Those who don't adjust up are just going to wind up with the bottom of the barrel in terms of talent.

I too was a bit disappointed Oracle/HPE didn't choose PHX - but they have zero ties here so it would have made little sense. And you're right - they are dinosaurs - not the vibrant cutting edge tech startup type. I'd much rather pick up someone like Uber/Doordash who is at odds with CA laws and has a presence/history here. GPEC claims they have some 'major HQ announcements' on the horizon - so can't wait to see who it is.

[xymox]

Some details on Amazon’s growth in AZ that past year - 12 new facilities (one per month) came online in the Phoenix area - with more scheduled for 2021. A 90k sqft Tech Center expansion will be part of 100 Mill in Tempe bringing an additional 500 software engineering roles. Per population - AZ is Amazons ‘most active’ market.

https://azbigmedia.com/business/brea...on-in-arizona/

[xymox]

This article runs down all the major development projects slated to go up across the PHX area this year. Notably it states that Astra will begin construction ‘late summer/early fall’.

And looks like the big lagoon park in Glendale should start soon as well - needs to be ready/operational for the Super Bowl.

https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/...-to-watch.html

[MMDelon]

Looks like Phoenix will not be slowing down on development projects in Downtown Phoenix. Astra is by far the biggest groundbreaking ever in Phoenix. Hopefully that project will push taller projects Downtown.

[xymox]

Not quiet sure where to put this (should we have a thread for TSMC and related?) - but at least 3 suppliers for TSMC are going to follow them here to the Phoenix area. This is setting up the north valley to become a pretty significant hub for semiconductor manufacturing and related tech. How long before Apple announces an R&D facility near all this? Who else will follow?

https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/...suppliers.html

Three Asian companies have reportedly announced plans to establish facilities in Arizona to supply Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.'s forthcoming plant in Phoenix.

Taiwanese media reported that Chang Chun Petrochemical Co. Ltd., United Integrated Services Co. Ltd. and Mirle Automation Corp. each announced late last year that they intend to follow Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE: TSM), which makes silicon chips for Apple Inc. and several other major technology companies, and expand into Arizona.

These companies — a chemical supplier, a manufacturing facility builder and an engineering company — are among the first to release their plans to do new business with TSMC in Arizona. The Phoenix Business Journal couldn't immediately reach the three companies and independently verify the report.

TSMC bought over 1,000 acres of land in north Phoenix in December to build a $12 billion factory starting in 2021 and create a projected 1,900 jobs. One Arizona business leader previously said the TSMC arrival “will make Phoenix a hub for semiconductor manufacturing.”

Chang Chun Petrochemical Co. Ltd., which is headquartered is Taipei, Taiwan, is a chemical supplier that creates resins and plastic additives. United Integrated Services Co. Ltd., which is headquartered Taipei, Taiwan, is an engineering consultant that builds out manufacturing facilities including clean-rooms and HVAC systems. Mirle Automation Corp., which is headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, is an engineering company that helps set up automation processes and solar cell equipment in factories.

While he was not familiar with the prospect of these three specific companies coming to Arizona, Steven Zylstra, the president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, said he has talked with a current TSMC supplier about the possibility of working with other suppliers as they look to set up shop in the state.

“The wheels are starting to turn around this,” he said. “It will make us one of the nation's hubs for semiconductor manufacturing.”

It's currently unclear where these three suppliers would locate in the Valley, but it seems likely they could land at any of three locations in north Phoenix that the city has designed as potential sites for suppliers of TSMC.

Roughly 219 acres of state land, a portion of two of the designated supply sites, are set to be sold in an Arizona State Land Department auction on March 10. The two noncontiguous sites are at the southeast corner of 19th Avenue and Alameda Road, the southeast corner of Seventh Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Road, and east of the southeast corner of Seventh Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Road in Phoenix. The minimum bid has been set at $53.9 million.

[Mr.RE]

https://azbigmedia.com/real-estate/s...ld-horse-pass/

Sunbelt holdings selected for the 10 million SF development of Wild Horse Pass. The masterplan includes space for a "Theme Park/Water Park". Wasn't Disney looking to build a project in this general vicinity or near casa Grande? I wonder if that could still be in the works...

[biggus diggus]

No, disney wasn't going to build a theme park in arizona. Neither was six flags. These rumors have been around for decades. Lots of guesses how they start but I don't give them enough credence to want to figure it out.

[ASU Diablo]

Originally Posted by Mr.RE

https://azbigmedia.com/real-estate/s...ld-horse-pass/

Sunbelt holdings selected for the 10 million SF development of Wild Horse Pass. The masterplan includes space for a "Theme Park/Water Park". Wasn't Disney looking to build a project in this general vicinity or near casa Grande? I wonder if that could still be in the works...

Maybe I can be more helpful...

It wasn't Disney but the Block Sports Company and its proposed $4B amusement park was named "Dreamport Villages" and supposed to be near Casa Grande like you said. Assuming this is dead in the water.

https://www.abc15.com/entertainment/...in-casa-grande
https://www.abc15.com/news/region-ce...ng-any-day-now

[combusean]

There was also the Decades park which was themed around classic rock. I really loved the concept.

Speaking of TSMC, here's a facility for one of their suppliers. Phoenix is not known as a petrochemical town and I'm really hoping they don't go north. Heavy, dirty industries like this should be in CG or West Phoenix to support it.

https://goo.gl/maps/TYKHJmJPARXMRzHFA

[xymox]

Originally Posted by combusean

There was also the Decades park which was themed around classic rock. I really loved the concept.

Speaking of TSMC, here's a facility for one of their suppliers. Phoenix is not known as a petrochemical town and I'm really hoping they don't go north. Heavy, dirty industries like this should be in CG or West Phoenix to support it.

https://goo.gl/maps/TYKHJmJPARXMRzHFA

Just goes to show how poorly the City of Phoenix is when it comes to planning land use. That whole north part of the city they can’t sort out what they want to do. They are trying to set it up as a ‘new Scottsdale’ with the homes in the North Gateway Villiage - then put the refuse transfer station right up against $500k homes (and this was in 2010). Now they do something similar with this - USAA sets up the ‘luxury’ homes around its campus and City of Phoenix allows dirty industry to setup shop less than a mile away.

Granted the TSMC thing is a great opportunity and came seemingly out of nowhere - but take a little time to evaluate these things and choose appropriate locations.

I do expect this to cause a massive boom in the north valley - over the next 10 years that whole part of town will be unrecognizable.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by xymox

Just goes to show how poorly the City of Phoenix is when it comes to planning land use. That whole north part of the city they can’t sort out what they want to do. They are trying to set it up as a ‘new Scottsdale’ with the homes in the North Gateway Villiage - then put the refuse transfer station right up against $500k homes (and this was in 2010). Now they do something similar with this - USAA sets up the ‘luxury’ homes around its campus and City of Phoenix allows dirty industry to setup shop less than a mile away.

Granted the TSMC thing is a great opportunity and came seemingly out of nowhere - but take a little time to evaluate these things and choose appropriate locations.

I do expect this to cause a massive boom in the north valley - over the next 10 years that whole part of town will be unrecognizable.

If we want a well rounded economy we need to accept a level of ugly industry.

That being said the city gobbled up tons of space in decades past assuming it would sprawl out forever in an LA fashion. Yes they do not have a plan, the three northernmost "villages" are essentially empty arbitrary creations and the furthest north part of the city is just unorganized space with no designation LOL

[biggus diggus]

Submitting an offer today on a small building on 13th ave and Roosevelt, that's not the interesting part. The interesting part is thy sent me their memorandum and one page has a list of under construction housing, the only one I don't recognize is The Society Phoenix. What is The Society Phoenix?

[Mr.RE]

Society Phoenix is the Co-living high-rise project on 2nd ave/ Van buren by Social Communities/PMG.

[biggus diggus]

X Phoenix?

[combusean]

To be fair, I don’t believe they’ve chosen the land for that petrochemical plants. TSMC is just fine for the area. Building chips tends to be a fairly clean process— the only pollutant an Intel plant in Chandler emits is drinkable water, it’s high wage and will cause that area to boom like Motorola did for the SE valley.

[xymox]

Originally Posted by combusean

To be fair, I don’t believe they’ve chosen the land for that petrochemical plants. TSMC is just fine for the area. Building chips tends to be a fairly clean process— the only pollutant an Intel plant in Chandler emits is drinkable water, it’s high wage and will cause that area to boom like Motorola did for the SE valley.

For sure - Desert Ridge has a Sumitomo facility on its doorstep and that’s been fine. I’m mostly concerned about petro-chemical stuff going up in the Deer Valley Airpark. That seems like it should be much further out of town.

I’m eager to see how TSMC attracts other tech organizations/offices to that part of town. But I also want to get a place built in northern Peoria before it arrives.

[PHXFlyer11]

Originally Posted by biggus diggus

X Phoenix?

Yes, it was renamed Society if you recall. I think they were planning to use the X Phoenix brand for another building further north.

[biggus diggus]

No, I don't recall, but thanks for letting me know.