City Grill

Kathey Wagner 
CEO
EPS Group Inc.

While a major slowdown in industrial and manufacturing markets will cause an overall decline in project starts in 2023 and 2024, other markets should stay healthy. Due to strong population growth, Wagner says the Phoenix area is still enduring a housing shortage. At the same time, however, the area’s housing market is going through a “reset,” or slowdown, after a boom period.

“There’s a lot of high-rise housing going in” in the city’s downtown sector, she says. Additionally, she points out that the growing bedroom community of Casa Grande is experiencing a mix of residential development and large industrial plant projects moving forward.

Additionally, the issue of water resources is only growing in importance, Wagner says, noting recent indications that the federal government may become more involved with issues surrounding the Colorado River. “There are some restrictions being put in place,” Wagner says.

In another sign of the area’s population growth, the city of Phoenix recently hired PCL Construction to lead a $46-million rehabilitation of its 91st Avenue wastewater treatment plant in Tolleson.