That's exactly what not one but two different East Valley Tribune Staff Writers did - used the word flock as in "firms flock to region" in 2018 and "firms flocking to Mesa's tech corridor" once again in 2019.
To cover all over with small particles.
In these two particular cases it was (1) pouring jobs, and (2) data firms that were doing the flocking. . . or was it transcribing dictation?
Speed-writing and doing just what they were told as staff writers for the corporate-owned Times Media Group, the mass communications conglomerate who owns, operates and publishes the East Valley Tribune
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Way too much fun!
THANKS GUYS!
an opportunity to be a PUNDIT today
- One from Staff Writer Jason Stone
- One from Staff Writer Jim Walsh
Jobs pouring into East Valley as firms flock to region Image Caption: (Tom Sanfilippo/Inside Out Aerial) Park Place on the Price Corridor in Chandler is one of the mega-employment centers attracting large firms with high-paying jobs.
A recent report from the East Valley Partnership said the region’s six communities – Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Queen Creek and Apache Junction – added a total of 4,589 jobs from January through June this year.
“It’s fun to be mayor when the economy is doing well,” Mesa Mayor John Giles said.
"The investment and manufacturing sectors are seeing the biggest job growth in the region, followed by technology and financial services.Local economic and government leaders agree there’s not just one reason big companies are either relocating to the East Valley or expanding here. They say it’s a combination of low taxes, low regulations, space to expand, good weather and some forward thinking.
“Plus, people who move here actually like it here,” said Denny Barney, president and CEO of the East Valley Partnership and a Maricopa County supervisor.
“Businesses want to be here,” Barney said.
“Aside from a stable tax policy, we have affordable housing and a good quality of life.”
“And the single biggest factor is we have an educated workforce that’s ready to be deployed.”_________________________________________________________________________
This Year 2019
Bill Jabjiniak, Mesa’s economic development director, said the boom is no coincidence and represents eight years of planning to lure the high-tech companies and their high-paying jobs to Mesa.
“I would tell you this is a vision that started eight years ago,’’ Jabjiniak said, saying it was back then that he and his colleagues started assembling the infrastructure vital to data centers.
Jabjiniak listed the three critical elements that laid the groundwork for what is happening today:
The relatively cheap power from the Salt River Project, because electricity is the biggest cost to data centers is a big draw . . .
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| Note: The difference from the image used by Jim Walsh in his "Special to The Tribune |
With streamlined zoning approval, it eliminats months of delays. Mesa created a tech corridor zoning overlay, allowing tech companies to “opt in’’ to the special zoning available and to have plans approved administratively. . ."
(self-certified that is for that expedited streamlined process)
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Public oversight is assured because the City Council must approve a development agreement with the companies before construction begins.
“I think it’s starting to blossom. It’s growing before our eyes,’’ Jabjiniak said. “I think there is more to come.’’
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BLOGGER NOTE: Do all these quotes and 'he said(s)' sound a lot like they are dictated or transcribed - with all the misspellings exactly reproduced??
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" He said the streamlined process “makes it easy for businesses to continue to invest.’’ . . .
Arizona’s climate and geography, free of hurricanes, significant earthquakes and other natural disasters, also make the state appealing for data centers, Jabjiniak said.
“You think, ‘why Arizona?’ It’s because of its stable environment,’’ Jabjiniak said.
He said the need for lightning-fast data is burgeoning in a society revolving around cell phones and computers.
The data centers, typical emploing fewer people working for a host of companies, are anticipated to rent space in The Union, a large office complex planned for west Mesa.
Evan Balmer, a Mesa city planner, wrote told the city’s Board of Adjustment that Raging Wire anticipates employing a maximum of 747 employees at build-out, a justification for reducing the number of parking spaces required from more than 2,000 to 796.
The Board of Adjustment approved Raging Wire’s request on Oct. 2.
Jabjiniak acknowledged that data centers create fewer jobs than other industries, but said the tech corridor growth will still contribute to a significant increase in high-paying jobs in Mesa. . . Eventually, if all the data centers are built, they would create thousands of good jobs, he said. . .
He listed the other communications companies that have bought land in Mesa as CyrusOne, EdgeCore, Edgeconnex and Digital Reality.
EdgeCore has built a 1.2 million square-foot building in the corridor and touts tax incentives it received to pick Arizona on its website. . . .
Martin praised Mesa for having the foresight to create the right mix of infrastructure to attract data companies.
He said the location near Apple and the planned Google data center is not as important as power from SRP.
“We are all there because of the infrastructure in place. All data centers need to be built where there is reliable and inexpensive power,’’ Martin said. . .
OK What about the water??
. . .that's the most precious commodity here in the desert and The East Valley - it's not mentioned, left out!
He said the 102-acre site, which was quietly re-zoned in April and May, also appeals to him because it is off the road and should be conducive to a high level of security – another requirement for data centers.
> Martin declined to discuss his financing for the facility or to name potential tenants, but he said he hopes to begin construction by the end of 2019.
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Peter Norris, a Boston architect who designed the Raging Wire facility, said he designed the buildings with the corridor’s surroundings in mind. . . he also said the buildings are designed for speedy construction to be responsive to market forces.
“Buildings like this go for hundreds of millions of dollars,’’ Norris said. “What we have developed so far is a prototype. The quicker you can build a building, when there is a need, there is an advantage. It’s very competitive.’’
