Sunbelt Holdings: A Puzzling Predominant Portfolio from a 90's-Era Controversy
After all these years it's the biggest entire 10-acre city block open-space eyesore here in 'The Old Donut-Hole' in downtown Mesa. The former site of the high-grossing source of sales tax revenues for the City of Mesa - a car dealership, Brown & Brown Chevrolet Auto Nation that got way too many sweetheart-deals from City Hall and provoked public anger when 40 people in mobile home parked got displaced by the city to build a three-storage garage . . . Sounds familiar with Mesa Royale somehow .... So now what?
There's some background history from three years ago to get updated on that follows farther down. Demolition of the site started in June 2017 (last year), continuing for months removing metal buildings scattered all over until the original showroom building at the NEC Main/Hibbert Streets finally got torn down using bulldozers, with a hazmat removal crew from Alwyn in protective gear and containers of contaminated materials removed and transported from the site. That was that . . . resolving years of controversy?
Here's some of that story from two years before that some people wanted told their way:
Mesa recoups $2 million from '90s-era controversy
Maria Polletta, The Republic | azcentral.com Published 5:00 a.m. MT June 8, 2015
"As Mesa's last downtown auto dealer works to tie up the loose ends surrounding its exit, the city has received a $2 million payout nearly 20 years in the making.
The payment is essentially a delayed reimbursement for money spent in 1996 to buy, clear and remediate two-plus acres on the north side of Main Street near Hibbert. Brown & Brown Chevrolet for decades had been selling a steady spate of cars across the street — making it one of the city's sales-tax darlings — and Mesa wanted to help the enterprise stay in town and expand.
The city's approach at the time prompted heavy backlash, first because it forced about 40 people out of their homes, and again when Mesa sold the parcel to Brown & Brown for a token $1. . . The dealership initially promised to build offices, display space and a parking garage on the property to boost business. Ultimately, it followed through only on the garage. . . [In 2014]AutoNation Chevrolet Mesa announced plans to move and sell its Main Street property.
"Once we knew the property was on the market, we did make some inquiries and ask questions about the cost, but we felt the price they were asking was too high," City Manager Chris Brady said. "I do believe that they're actively working with a group interested in the property, but I can't say who it is."
". . . State Sen. Bob Worsley and his wife, Christi, who are seeking to build a musical performance and education campus, had said last year the dealership site and parking garage would be a perfect fit for their project. But they were not the only party interested in the site, according to Mesa officials. . . "
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< A perfect fitthat The Worsleys can't get financed. No consolation prize.
". . . City e-mails, which also avoid naming the prospective buyer, indicate the individual or group is "interested in working with City to develop all of the property including the lower level of the parking garage. . . ." >
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Blogger Note: This is the top property in the map above, it's over 3 acres on the north side of Main Street. Space for 1,4000 cars.
Two years and nine months ago this post was published here
12 January 2016
Transit-Oriented Development in New Urban DTMesa > Sunbelt Holdings Mixed-Use Urban In-Fill Project Gains Ground
Hey! This is probably the biggest news for the regeneration of the New Urban DTMesa in a long time. Didn't see anything at all from the news room for The City of Mesa. The purchase of the whole city-block on Main Street-First Avenue and Sirrine-Hibbert was rumored for a couple of months, but now has been confirmed by Business Real Estate Weekly per an email sent one day ago . . . pardon me for getting excited about this somewhat low-key BREW headline. SUNBELT PLANS MIXED-USE PROJECT ON FORMER CHEVY DEALERSHIP SITE IN MESA It is hot news . . . Here's a link to the news from BREW http://brewaz.com/hot-news/sunbelt-plans-mixed-use-project-on-former-chevy-dealership-site-in-mesa/
The year before - 2014 - and a year later 2016 - mainstream media reporter, Gary Nelson was writing about the Worlsleys' plans that didn't turn out to be "the perfect fit" after all.
By that time Christi Worsley was getting a little bitter saying that, "It's a myth that if you would built it, they will come."
So what other trick does conservative Republican Mesa Mormon Mega-Millionaire AZ Senator Bob Worsley have up-his-sleeve here in downtown Mesa for 2018? He's now getting hotter gambling some-of-his-own money in rampant real estate speculation for personal private gains while holding public office. A luxury hotel!
< Here'sthe latest of his pet projects that he took some heat from the public at a City Council meeting when it was revealed he was the wizard-behind-the-scenes for a group grabbing-up 10 commercial properties on Main Street. This one again involves a city-owned parking lot. Price tag: $130M _________________________________________________________________________
For that matter, so does another one more proposal from another developer somehow involve another city-owned parking lot used by the Mesa Municipal Court Building on 1st Avenue. It's adjacent to The Pomeroy Parking Lot @ 300 Main Street. Developer Tony Wall, who says he's already earned a billion-buck$ in school construction projects, has his eyes set on building THE GRID: two 4-story apartment-towers atop the existing three-story existing garage, wrapped with row-homes + a mixed-used commercial building on Main Street. He can't find financing for that either, even after two rounds trying to lure anyone who's got $20,000,000 or even 20% for his $60M project. _________________________________________________________________________ As it turns out, the "we can't say who it is" was John Graham's Sunbelt Holdings that scooped-up 100-200 East Main Street, the entire 10-acre city block between Centennial and Main Street (west to east) and Main Street/1st Avenue (north to south). John Graham also owns State Farm Insurance that reaped a whopping of $983-million windfall from a triple-net lease- back of their holdings around Tempe Town Lake.
He's currently got four big real estate deals and projects going on around Tucson*, as well as developing Mesa Elliot Technology Center** in suburban east Mesa along the Elliot Road Tech Corridor.
Just outside "The Inner Loops" near The Hawes Road Exchange
Please note its close proximity to a number of new master-planned communities and the new Signal Butte Water Treatment Plant.
There's millions in taxpayer-money invested in the infrastructure for both industrial/commercial and residential economic development. Plans for the site-location of State Route 24 have recently been given the go-ahead - this all creates a network of new "boomburgs" in the expanding rapid growth of east Mesa as you can see >
SIHI Properties
Sunbelt Investment Holdings Inc. (SIHI) offers a range of high-quality properties in the most exclusive markets in the Southwest. SIHI’s portfolio consists of 20 well positioned neighborhood and power shopping centers and over 1,700 acres of prime development sites zoned for retail, office, residential, industrial, and mixed use in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
At SIHI, we have an eye for detail and are committed to maintaining the highest operating standards.
How Arizona Businesses Are Becoming More Inclusive
By Christina EstesPublished: Thursday, July 12, 2018 - 2:18pm Updated: Friday, July 13, 2018 - 10:13am
"Some Phoenix area business leaders are vowing to push the next governor and legislators to amend Arizona’s anti-discrimination laws. While several cities have ordinances that protect people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender from discrimination, there is no state law.
That distinction, along with our state’s history and national reputation, were the focus of a panel discussion held late last month. The panel was part of the 2nd Annual LGBTQ Business Summit, organized by ONE Community — that’s a business coalition that supports diversity, inclusion and equality.
The panel included representatives from a variety of sectors. They were pretty candid. One of the most open panelists was John Graham. He’s president and CEO of Sunbelt Holdings, a real estate developer . . .
He has turned over the former Brown & Brown/Auto Nation site (one of two acquisitions owned here in downtown) to his son, Justin Graham. As of July 28, 2018 this is about all we know that - at least what's been said in public: Mesa Morning Live Featured Guests David Short, Tony Wall, and Justin Graham Developer Tony Wall says 'he's feeling the body heat coming to downtown Mesa. . . "
Blogger Note: Please take the time to watch and see what these two developers, and David Short from The Downtown Merchants Association have to say. There's been no ground-breaking on the Sunbelt Holdings site after the 45 days mentioned - or 90 days later.
Could what Justin Graham has in mind look anything like this?
“For more than 30 years, Sunbelt Holdings has been dedicated to adding ... with pride to see it come to life,” said John Graham, CEO, Sunbelt Holdings LLC.
“When complete, the project will feature approximately 2 million square feet of Class A office space,” Sunbelt Holdings President and CEO John Graham said, ...
It was a surprise the other day to see this AVAILABLE FOR SALE sign posted by Sunbelt Holdings on the bottom 0.42-acre 18,000 Square-Feet storage lot located at the south side of First Avenue.
After all these years it's the biggest entire 10-acre city block open-space eyesore here in 'The Old Donut-Hole' in downtown Mesa. The former site of the high-grossing source of sales tax revenues for the City of Mesa - a car dealership, Brown & Brown Chevrolet Auto Nation that got way too many sweetheart-deals from City Hall and provoked public anger when 40 people in mobile home parked got displaced by the city to build a three-storage garage . . . Sounds familiar with Mesa Royale somehow .... So now what? 
There's some background history from three years ago to get updated on that follows farther down. Demolition of the site started in June 2017 (last year), continuing for months removing metal buildings scattered all over until the original showroom building at the NEC Main/Hibbert Streets finally got torn down using bulldozers, with a hazmat removal crew from Alwyn in protective gear and containers of contaminated materials removed and transported from the site. That was that . . . resolving years of controversy? 
