Waymo acquires 5,458-acre proving grounds site in $220M deal
Waymo has acquired a massive proving grounds site near Phoenix in a $220 million deal that emphasizes the autonomous ride-hailing company’s growing commitment to the metro. The property – which stretches 5,458 acres around 211th Avenue and Dove Valley Road – is in the far northwest portion of the City of Surprise, bordering Wittmann. Chrysler formerly used the site to test its vehicles, then Apple reportedly used it for its own autonomous vehicle testing. The acquisition…»
Microsoft scoops up 100 acres to expand Phoenix data center holdings
Tech giant Microsoft made its latest data center land play with a deal to add 100 acres to its Arizona holdings. Microsoft paid more than $131 million for the land in Goodyear near Citrus and Indian School roads from Chicago-based First Industrial Realty Trust in a deal that was recorded on May 29, according to Maricopa County property records. The 100 acres Microsoft purchased are next to the company’s more than 150-acre data center campus that’s under development. For…»
Central Phoenix high-rise begins construction on key intersection
A 24-story mixed-use development that will bring both apartments and retail to Central Avenue and McDowell Road has begun construction. The development, called the Whitney, is led by Scottsdale-based Aspirant Development, the development arm of Empire Group. The project will include 328 luxury apartment units and 22,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, designed for restaurants or stores. About 4,500 square feet of retail space will be at the base of the tower, with the…»
‘America’s Top 50 New Boomtowns’ includes 7 Arizona cities
SmartAsset‘s newest study, “America’s New Boomtowns,” evaluated 400 U.S. cities to identify the 75 most booming municipal economies in the U.S. and seven Arizona cities were among the Top 50 boomtowns in the country. Cities were ranked based on five-year growth in labor force size, housing inventory, and GDP. Economic growth can change a city quickly. An influx of new residents and expanding business activity creates visible momentum, even as rapid change brings new…»
Pending Activity Blooms as Existing-Home Sales Hit Highest Level Since December
The spring 2026 housing market continues to prove much more resilient than previous years. The increase in pending home sales that sparked “cautious optimism” in April did indeed materialize into an increase in existing-home sales in May, according to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). NAR’s Existing-Home Sales report saw sales grow 3.2% to a rate of 4.17 million in May, up from the essentially flat 0.2% increase seen in April. NAR Chief…»