PHOENIX—Wood Partners will break ground inOctober on Alta Steelyard Lofts, a 301-unit luxury apartmentcommunity in downtown Chandler that will add distinctive rentalunits to the employment-dense, rapidly developing “Silicon Desert”core.

With a particularly urban feel in both architecture and densitycombined with convenient access to employers and entertainment,Alta Steelyard is designed to appeal to millennials who areflocking to Chandler for employment opportunities with technologycompanies such as Motorola, Orbital Sciences, eBay/PayPal andIntel, which is finishing construction on a $5 billionmanufacturing facility and employs 11,000 highly paid workers inChandler. Thanks to an influx of high-tech companies, the city'spopulation grew by 51% from 2000 to 2013.

Todd Taylor, Wood Partners development directorfor Arizona and Nevada, tells GlobeSt.com, “Therehas never been, historically, an apartment building with anelevator in Chandler. The majority are two- and three-story gardenstyle apartment buildings. This is a four-story product consistentwith the amenities offered. Alta Steelyard Lofts is going to bringan entirely new look to multifamily housing in the city of Chandlerand the greater Southeast Valley. We feel there is a meaningfulblank spot in terms of walkable urban infill offerings in the area,and this is a tremendous match relative to all the high-tech andemployment density here.”