The weekly blog posts may have fallen by the wayside while we were busy working on the 2014’s Best Projects awards — including an Excellence in Safety winner —  but that doesn’t mean the construction industry in the southwest has slowed down whatsoever. While we were busy recognizing the best of the best of 2014, contractors all over the region have been busy working projects that could be the best project of 2015, here’s what going on in the industry around the Southwest.

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I spoke with Jeff Perelman, senior vice president and chief growth and strategy officer for Sundt just before deadline on the last print issue — Best Projects — about several executive departures at the firm. As can be seen in the Nov. 10 print issue, Randy Nye and corporate director of administration Richard Condit have retired and Ron Stuff has been hired as chief legal officer and chief compliance officer. Perelman related that what might be perceived as an exodus was more a factor of finding a great candidate in Stuff and that Nye and Condit were merely looking to phase into retirement. He also said in reviewing its business, Sundt has created a national projects group that will bring all staff who will regularly relocate to disparate parts of the country for national clients onto a single team under the leadership of Wayne Einbinder.

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In Phoenix, Halloween held a big treat for a consortium of business owners who came together for the signing ceremony on their new project the International Financial Center at Pier 202. Hong Kong based China International Development Investment Corporation Limited (CIDIC), its partners and U.S.-based TrendEx Holdings, LLC formed the Pier 202 Development Company LLC to develop the $1.4 billion project. This comes after the Aug. 20 approval of the sale of the property by Tempe City Council.

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In news from downtown Phoenix, Arizona State University has broken ground on a $129 million Sandra Day O’Connor College of law building at the Northwest corner of Taylor and First streets on Nov. 13

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In Tempe, Ariz., Hayden House Tempe LLC and Douglas Wilson Cos. have decided that the historic Hayden house that recently saw its 58-year tenured inhabitants Monti’s La Casa Vieja close up shop will continue to be restaraunt. Plans are in motion to transform the restaurant into a more modern “Sam Fox-type concept.” The restaurant will acts as the anchor to the planned $200 million 280,000-square-foot office tower, that will go up directly next door to a 274-room Kimpton hotel. They intend to begin construction by mid 2015 and have the restaurant open by 2017.

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Later this month there is going to be meetings regarding future improvements to the Loop 101 in Northern Phoenix and Scottsdale. The improvements will include new lanes, along Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) between I-17 and Princess Drive, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. Construction is expected to begin until 2021. For more information on times and locations, vist http://www.azdot.gov/media/News/news-release/2014/11/05/november-public-meetings-scheduled-for-loop-101-widening-study-in-north-phoenix-scottsdale

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Down south in just outside of Tucson, Ariz. Simon broke ground on their Tucson Premium Outlets in Marana, Ariz. The multi-million dollar project is going to eventually act as a home to more than 90 stores that will provide quality brand name merchandise at a reasonable price. Simon is hoping for an opening in the fall of 2015. This project will anchor Marana Center, a 170-acre mixed-use commercial center located on the south side of Twin Peaks Road between I-10 and Linda Vista Boulevard. The development is being managed by Vantage Partners.

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According to Arizona State University Director of the Center for Real Estate Theory and Practice at the W.P. Carey School of Business, the housing market in Arizona will not see any significant upturn until next year. After the housing crash, Phoenix-area home prices shot up from September 2011 to last summer. This year, prices leveled off and then rose somewhat. The median single-family-home price went up 5 percent from last September to this September – from $198,997 to $209,900. Realtors will note the average price per square foot rose 7 percent. The median townhome/condo price went up 15 percent.