Westcor has spent nearly a decade planning the Palisene mixed-use project on the Scottsdale-Phoenix border. But two other developers may have a say in those plans.
A 112-acre parcel of state trust land, on the southwest corner of Scottsdale Road and Thompson Peak Parkway in Phoenix, is drawing attention in advance of its auction, tentatively scheduled for early autumn.
State Land Commissioner Mark Winkleman said Wednesday that the Thomas J. Klutznick Co. and DMB Associates have expressed interest in the property.
“But, you never know until you have the actual auction,” Winkleman added.
Bidding will open at $32 million, but the winner must pay for the necessary infrastructure — which carries an estimated price tag of $67 million.
Competition for the land is an unwelcome development for Westcor. Its plans for the 2,200-acre Palisene show the property up for bid makes up a large part of the community’s eastern side.
“We can’t really control what other developers do,” said Scott Nelson, Westcor’s vice president for development. “We’ve got to continue to march forward.”
DMB is interested — but hasn’t yet committed to bidding — because it owns land on the other side of Scottsdale Road, said Karrin Taylor, the company’s vice president for entitlements.
That property is the site of One Scottsdale and the future headquarters for the Dial Corp.
“It’s a very important piece to us, so we are watching the efforts of the State Land Department with great interest,” Taylor said.
Meanwhile, the Klutznick Co. views the land as a potential complement to its development of CityNorth answered the Desert Ridge masterplanned community, two miles to the west.
“We are interested in any mixed-use land to be auctioned by the Arizona State Land Department,” company vice president Daniel Klutznick said. “Our primary interest is in the northeast Valley, since we’ve been involved in the community for more than two decades.”
Mike Branom, Tribune
