New Office Building May Cost $74 Mil or More

PHOENIX–Maricopa County, which is home to Phoenix and its surrounding suburbs, plans to begin construction on a $75-million administration building in Downtown in less than a year.

The 500,000-sf office project, called Plaza de Maricopa, will be built on a four-block site bordered by Fifth and Seventh Avenues and Jefferson and Jackson Streets. The site will be just south of the soon-to-be-opened Federal Courthouse.

“Downtown Phoenix is experiencing a healthy revitalization thanks to a project like the Federal Courthouse, city of Phoenix Courthouse, the Phelps Dodge Building and Collier Center, not to mention the redeveloped warehouse district,” says Bob Yantzer, of Plaza de Maricopa, a senior project manager. “We’re looking forward to contributing to that energy, with a building that makes a strong statement for Maricopa County.”<P?Since 1980, more than $2 billion of private and public sector funds have been invested in the Downtown Phoenix project including America West Arena, Bank One Ballpark, Rouse's Arizona Center, Herberger Theater, Orpheum Theatre, Phoenix Civic Plaza, and countless residential projects, restaurants and bars.

Ryan Companies is under construction on a new corporate headquarters for Phelps Dodge, and Opus West is scheduled to complete construction on the Collier Center, which will house the regional office of Bank of America.

Construction is set to begin in January 2002 and scheduled for completion in December 2003. The new building is expected to relieve the county of more than $800,000 annually in lease payments.

The Phoenix office of Langdon Wilson Architecture Planning Interiors won the contract to design Plaza de Maricopa.