BUCKEYE, AZ-Thanks to assistance from the local town council, Sun State Builders has obtained permission to build a 450,000-square-foot speculative industrial building. According to a press release, the process was "fast tracked" in attempts to develop space that will meet growing demand in the West Valley.

With this approval, the building at Apache and Yuma roads can be available for occupancy in six to eight months, which is six months ahead of a traditional schedule. As of now, Sun State has tapped Stein Koss and Tom Louer, principals with Lee & Associates Arizona, to find a tenant. Winton Architects Inc. is the architect of record.

Buckeye's "fast track" and "open for business" philosophy come at a good time for the area. Many of the large blocks of industrial space have been gobbled up, with smaller users coming in to take the remains. This means businesses coming into the area wanting large blocks of space have been frustrated. According to one report, many businesses have been skipping Arizona for Texas, which has a shorter period of time getting buildings out of the ground. That could change, however, especially if Buckeye's fast-track philosophy becomes the norm.

In unrelated news, but also taking place in the West Valley, Macy's Inc. announced it would expand its order fulfillment center in Goodyear, AZ to accommodate continued sales growth as part of the company's omnichannel strategy. The company is expected to invest more than $35 million to expand its current 600,000-square-foot facility by an additional 360,000 square feet. The Goodyear fulfillment center currently employs more than 500 full-time-equivalent associates. With the expansion, employment is expected to grow to more than 625 full-time equivalents.