Phoenix area water restrictions won’t affect commercial development
On the outskirts of metro Phoenix, some new housing developments won’t get approved due to a lack of water, but in those same fast-growing areas, commercial development is moving forward unhindered. That’s because the new restrictions apply only to new housing developments that rely solely on groundwater, and not to commercial development like industrial buildings or shopping centers. But that does not mean commercial builders aren’t taking notice, said Suzanne Kinney, president and CEO of the Arizona chapter of NAIOP, an advocacy group for the commercial real estate industry. … Kinney said the outskirts of the Valley, including cities like Buckeye, Queen Creek and into Pinal County, have become popular for large-scale industrial development because there are larger parcels available for buildings that demand bigger footprints.