The Recap

This week in the Valley, Mesa considers a $30 million makeover of its convention center and amphitheater to stay competitive in attracting events and boost downtown business. Meanwhile, Cave Creek is getting a new indoor pickleball facility, and The Vig has announced its next location at the revamped Paradise Valley Mall. Over in Phoenix, new tax increases are funding big moves in public safety and affordable housing.

Out west, Verrado Marketplace in Buckeye continues to take shape with major retail tenants and more than 1,500 jobs on the horizon. Greenlight Communities received approval for over 900 apartment units nearby, while Andretti Karting gears up for its Glendale launch. And in Avondale, Better Buzz Coffee just opened its newest shop, and a long-awaited Extra Space Storage project is finally underway.

On the market side, inventory keeps climbing, seller confidence is starting to slip, and the Cromford® Market Index shows a renewed acceleration toward buyer-friendly conditions. Active listings have reached their highest level in years, and although prices are holding for now, the path ahead looks more uncertain without a major shift in demand or interest rates.

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East Valley News & Developments

🏓 The Picklr Expands to Cave Creek with New Indoor Facility

Pickleball fans in North Scottsdale and Cave Creek are getting a new hotspot. The Picklr, a Utah-based chain backed by former NFL QB Drew Brees, will open a new 20,909-square-foot facility at Terravita Marketplace in late 2025. It’ll feature eight indoor courts, tournaments, leagues, and a social atmosphere tailored to the area's active, high-income demographic. This marks The Picklr’s fifth Valley location and part of a broader trend as pickleball continues to explode across Arizona.

🍸 The Vig Joins PV Mall Redevelopment with Retro-Inspired New Build

The Vig is the latest local favorite to join the 100-acre PV Mall redevelopment. Set to open in 2026, the new location will blend 1970s mid-century modern design with outdoor Arizona-room-style dining. The Phoenix-based restaurant group is excited to serve the reimagined Paradise Valley neighborhood, which will also include Whole Foods, Sephora, Life Time Fitness, Harkins, and Fender’s corporate HQ. Another Vig location is also set to open in Mesa later this spring.

🏨 Mesa Eyes $30M Overhaul of Convention Center & Amphitheater

Mesa is exploring a major revitalization of its aging convention center and amphitheater to stay competitive in the Valley’s booming event space market. Two proposals—one scaled-back, one ambitious—include features like expanded lobbies, immersive LED lighting, shaded outdoor event areas, and VIP hospitality upgrades. City leaders and consultants believe these changes could double convention traffic and bring much-needed foot traffic to downtown businesses. Funding discussions are still underway, but the city sees it as a key piece in boosting economic impact and hotel performance.

🏨 New Extended-Stay Hotel Planned Near Greenfield & Baseline

A 126-room LivAway Suites hotel is coming to Mesa’s Greenfield and Baseline corridor, part of West77 Partners’ $100M investment in Arizona. The project, replacing a previously approved dual-branded hotel plan, will rise four stories and feature shared parking and outdoor amenities—but no pool. This is one of several new LivAway Suites popping up across the Valley, with locations already under construction in Tolleson and Glendale.

📈 Phoenix Sales Tax Hike Approved to Fund Firefighters & City Services

Phoenix just raised its sales tax to 2.8% to help fund citywide upgrades—including hiring 130+ firefighters to reduce long emergency response times. The move is part of an $11.5 billion capital improvement plan aimed at roads, water infrastructure, and public safety. At the same time, the city is expanding affordable housing efforts and considering a Right to Counsel program for renters facing eviction. While many residents see this as a much-needed investment, others are worried about the long-term cost and whether the city can afford these big plans amid looming state budget cuts.

West Valley News & Developments

☕ Better Buzz Coffee Opens in Avondale with Banana Cream Cold Brew

Better Buzz, the trendy San Diego coffee chain, has opened its fifth Arizona location in Avondale. Located near Gateway Pavilions, the new shop features its signature “Best Drink Ever” and a limited-time banana cream cold brew topped with a vanilla wafer. The space includes a drive-thru and patio, designed for everything from business calls to casual meetups. With more locations on the way, Better Buzz is making a serious push into the Valley’s coffee scene.

🏁 Andretti Indoor Karting & Games Opening in Glendale This May

Glendale’s entertainment lineup is leveling up. Andretti Indoor Karting & Games is opening its second Arizona location near 99th Ave and Bethany Home Road on May 29. The 98,000-square-foot facility will feature multi-level electric go-karts, VR, laser tag, over 100 arcade games, and a full bar and restaurant. Over 200 positions are now open, with starting pay from $11.70 to $16 an hour and full benefits for full-time staff.

📦 New Storage Facility Coming to Avondale After Long Delay

After nearly 30 years of inactivity, a 2.3-acre site at Indian School and Osborn roads will finally be developed into a 564-unit Extra Space Storage facility. The project faced delays and expired permits but is now moving forward, with completion expected by the end of June. The facility will include over 110,000 square feet of storage space plus office space.

🏙️ Buckeye Approves 934-Unit Housing Project with Commercial Space

Greenlight Communities has received the green light for a major mixed-use development in Buckeye that will bring over 900 apartments and new commercial space to Verrado Way and Van Buren Street. The project includes both market-rate and workforce housing, plus 5.7 acres of commercial land and 6.7 acres for city infrastructure. It’s part of “The Landing,” a larger 2,100-acre area envisioned as Buckeye’s future hub for housing, jobs, and entertainment.

🛍️ Verrado Marketplace Will Bring Target, Harkins & Shake Shack to Buckeye

Construction is underway on Verrado Marketplace, a massive 500,000-square-foot open-air shopping center expected to open in spring 2026. The $275 million project will include Target, Safeway, Harkins Backlot, HomeGoods, Ross, Marshalls, and more than 50 restaurants and shops. The center will feature “Sip & Stroll” areas for adults to enjoy beverages while exploring. Anchored within the larger Verrado master-planned community, this development will bring over 1,500 new jobs to the West Valley.

🏡 Real Estate Trends

 📉 The Market Is Slipping Back Toward Buyers

Active listings continue to surge in the Phoenix metro, jumping from 20,000 to nearly 25,000 in just 11 weeks — the fastest start to any year in the last decade. As a result, sellers are starting to lose confidence, and it’s showing: list prices have already begun declining, a rare move this early in the year. If the trend continues, expect contract and closing prices to follow in the coming months.

Meanwhile, builder incentives are still high, and demand, while improved slightly, isn’t keeping up. This excess supply is pushing the market further into buyer-friendly territory. Unless mortgage rates drop significantly, pricing will likely need to adjust downward to balance out inventory.

🔻 Cromford Market Index Update

The latest Cromford® Market Index data shows an acceleration in the market’s shift toward buyers. Fourteen out of the 17 tracked cities saw deteriorating conditions for sellers over the past month — a reversal from the slowing trend we’ve seen since mid-February.

Tempe (-11%) and Queen Creek (-10%) are the steepest decliners, while Avondale (+11%) and Glendale (+6%) are the only significant gainers. Nine cities remain in a seller’s market, but none are strongly favoring sellers, with Chandler at the top with a CMI of 140.5. Five cities — Surprise, Queen Creek, Buckeye, Maricopa, and Goodyear — are firmly in buyer's market territory.

📊 Foreclosure Watch: Slow But Steady Climb

Pending foreclosures in Maricopa County have climbed to 1,300 — the highest level since mid-2020. While that’s still low compared to pre-pandemic norms (1,800) and far below the 2009 crisis peak of 50,000, the upward trend is worth watching. If it continues, we could see 1,500–1,700 pending foreclosures by year-end.
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🌵See You Next Week in the Desert

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