VOLUME 13 ISSUE 6
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DAM(N) THE VERDE: HOW PARADISE VALLEY’S IRRIGATION DREAMS FLAMED OUT HOLDING BACK CAVE CREEK WASH: A MULTIPLE-ARCH DAM MASTERPIECE FROM DIAMOND’S TO DILLARD’S TO DEMOLITION: RETAIL LIFE AT PV MALL BILL MARRIOTT JR. TALKS BUSINESS, FAMILY, AND THE CAMELBACK INN RESORT ROBERT T. EVANS AND HIS ADOBE CONSTRUCTION IN PARADISE VALLEY
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MARK COCKRILL CONTRACTING: A PIPELINE FOR SUCCESS IN ARIZONA
THE RESORT THAT BROUGHT LOVE TO PARADISE VALLEY: JOHN GARDINER’S TENNIS RANCH DNG CONSTRUCTION REFRESHES PHOENIX’S ROADRUNNER PARK
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Reading the Book of Betsy Bowers Luke Christmas story Ed Dobbins before opening gifts
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Brian Kassalen Luke M. Snell Doug Sydnor Tom Yount
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Arizona Contractor & Community (ACC) magazine is published bi-monthly (Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/June, July/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec). ACC is a professional publication designed for the contracting industry, engineers, architects, equipment rentals, suppliers, and others interested in Arizona and its history. Content including text, photographs or illustrations may not be reproduced without the written permission from the publisher. The publisher does not assume responsibility for unsolicited submissions. ACC reserves the right to reject any editorial and advertising material and reserves the right to edit all submitted content material. Arizona Contractor & Community Copyright © 2024 All rights reserved.
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CONTENTS Contributors - Betsy Bowers & Tom Yount From The Editor: Where the Mariott’s Vacation: Camelback Inn Resort - Douglas Towne Construction Around Arizona: Projects • People • Practices Back When: Phoenix’s “Bahama Mama” House Douglas Towne The Resort That Brought Love to Paradise Valley: John Gardiner’s Tennis Ranch - Douglas Towne Dam(n) the Verde: How Paradise Valley’s Irrigation Dreams Flamed Out - Ed Dobbins Holding Back Cave Creek Wash: A Multiple-Arch Masterpiece - Ed Dobbins From Diamond’s to Dillard’s to Demolition: Retail Life at Paradise Valley Mall - Tom Yount Mark Cockrill Contracting: A Pipeline for Success in Arizona - Billy Horner Saluting Arizona’s Builders: Ernest “Ernie” Mohamed Douglas Towne Old School Equipment: International Barber-Greene Travel Plant - Billy Horner Building on the Past: 1955 - Road Mix in Arizona - Billy Horner Architect’s Perspective - Robert T. Evans: Exploiting Adobe - Doug Sydnor, FAIA Digging Through the Archives: Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation - Billy Horner Bid Results Advertising Index
Front Cover Paradise Valley billboard, 1961. Article on page 48 Image Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community
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CONTRIBUTORS
BETSY BOWERS ARTICLE ON PAGE 41
B
THE MISSION OF AZUCA ARIZONA CHAPTER OF NUCA IS TO BE A RESOURCE FOR THE UTILITY CONSTRUCTION AND EXCAVATION INDUSTRY IN ARIZONA; AND TO HELP IMPROVE THE OPERATIONAL PROFICIENCY AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF MEMBER COMPANIES THROUGH TRAINING, SAFETY, EDUCATION, INFORMATION, ADVOCACY, NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES AND SUPPORT. TEN
TOM YOUNT ARTICLE ON PAGE 62
B
etsy Bowers serves as the orn in Chicago, Tom moved Executive Director of the EPS to Scottsdale a year later Industry Alliance (EPS-IA), the and has lived in the Paradise leading North American trade Valley Village area for most of association for the expanded his life. He had little interest in polystyrene (EPS) industry, a local history until he encounrole she has held since 2012. At tered the Williams Family-Cross that time, the Alliance of Foam Cut Cemetery at Van Buren and Packaging Recyclers (AFPR) and 47th Place in 2017. Since then, the EPS Molders Association his passion for Phoenix history (EPSMA) consolidated into a has taken him from the top of joint industry trade group cov- the Luhrs Tower down to the ering a broader scope for North remains of the Joint Head Dam American EPS manufacturers. along the Salt River. Previously, Bowers headed His younger years were the EPS Molders Association and filled with skateboarding and the Alliance of Foam Packaging drumming in local bands. Tom Recyclers, representing North is still drumming and collectAmerican manufacturers of EPS ing cymbals. He most recently insulation building systems and recorded with the local “Thrashtransport packaging. As direc- Punks” Conflict Resolution at tor of Environmental Affairs for Villain Recording, a long-estabthe Polystyrene Packaging Coun- lished Phoenix studio. cil, she focused on EPS life cycle Tom has a longtime interanalysis, toxicity evaluations, est in military aviation and baseand recycling infrastructure ball and is an avid music collecdevelopment. tor. Turning his curiosity and Bowers’ leadership has research ability in a new direcextended globally, representing tion has made him a great addiEPS-IA in 33 countries and col- tion to the Phoenix history comlaborating with corporations like munity, where he has made Samsung, SONY, and Walmart. many knowledgeable friends. Her strategic approach, marked The group regularly meets at by careful planning and execu- local historic locations, sharing tion, has fostered collaboration information and playing spirited among industry stakeholders, games of Phoenix trivia. Tom government agencies, and envi- mainly focuses on canals, water ronmental advocates. Under systems, and historic buildings, her guidance, EPS-IA attained but he is interested in all things accreditation with the UN Valley history-related. Environment Programme and Often, you’ll find Tom out founded the Global EPS Sustain- on the hunt for the perfect carne ability Alliance. asada tacos; his current favorite Bowers is an active member is Tacos Jalisco on 68th Street in of professional associations and Old Town Scottsdale. Or he’ll be studied Public Relations at the relaxing at home with his wife, University of South Florida. Flu- Rhonda, and their two spoiled ent in Portuguese, she resides in rotten Boston terriers. Annapolis, Maryland. NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2024
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Image Courtesy of Pomona Library
EDITOR’S COLUMN:
WHERE THE MARIOTT’S VACATION: CAMELBACK INN RESORT DOUGLAS TOWNE
W
hen billionaire J. Willard “Bill” Marriott Jr. goes on vacation, he has his pick of more than 1,597,380 rooms in 8,785 properties in 139 countries. But each spring, when it’s time to celebrate his birthday surrounded by his large family, he chooses to return to his beloved JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa, nestled within the Town of Paradise Valley. And he’s done so for the past 50 years, a testament to his enduring connection to this place. “My family grew up vacationing at the Camelback Inn,” Mariott told me during an interview at the resort in 2018. “You just can’t duplicate our memories here, no matter how fine the hotel or how exotic the destination.” Mariott, who is 92, is at an age when most corporate executives have opted for a permanent vacation. But he remains the executive chairman and chairman of the board of Marriott International, Inc., and travels to visit with associates and appraise facilities. In 2012, he retired as the CEO after nearly 50 years of company leadership. During his tenure, Marriott transformed a restaurant chain into a global hotel empire. The Camelback Inn holds a unique allure for the hotelier. Marriott first stayed TWELVE
at the resort with his parents, J. Willard and Alice Marriott, as a 16-year-old in 1948. He recalled it being a quiet place with a lot of horses. His dad loved to ride, though the equestrian enthusiasm didn’t carry over to Marriott. “I wasn’t much for horses,” he says. “I was a city boy.” Marriott, who grew up in Washington D.C., got his thrills when he was allowed to take the family car out alone for a spin. “I remember the big dips in the road leading
to the Inn,” he said. “When you got going fast, you could get the wheels off the road with enough lift. I’d never done that before.” A few years later, Marriott found himself back at the Camelback Inn while attending the University of Utah in the early 1950s. Despite being assigned a makeshift room, the humble accommodations didn’t hinder his fun. “The hotel was full, so they put a cot in a tiny, 8-foot-by-12-foot room by the pool that they normally used to store outdoor furniture,” Marriott said. “I had a great time here on spring break. I dated a Above: Camelback Inn, 1938. Below: J. Willard Marriott Sr. with wife Alice and son J. Willard “Bill” Marriott Jr. (l-r) at the Camelback lnn, 1970s. Image Courtesy of Camelback Inn
NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2024
Image Courtesy of Author
Left: J. Willard Marriott Sr. with wife Alice, daughter-in-law Donna, and son J. Willard “Bill” Marriott Jr. (l-r) at the Camelback lnn, 1970s. Above: Author with a portrait of Bill Marriott Jr. and his father, J. Willard Mariott Sr. 2024. Below: Camelback Inn, 1938. Image Courtesy of Camelback Inn
Miss Phoenix, and that was a pretty good deal.” He graduated from college and served in the Navy before joining the family business. Hot Shoppes restaurants were an outgrowth of an A&W root beer stand his parents had started in Washington, D.C., in 1927. Marriott’s introduction to the hotel industry began when his family purchased property in Arlington, Virginia, for a food preparation facility. A company executive suggested the location was better suited for lodging, and they opened the 365-room Twin Bridges Motor Hotel in 1957. Marriott succeeded his father as company president in 1964 and opened its first resort three years later. Meanwhile, the Camelback Inn was started in 1936 by Jack Stewart and financed by John C. Lincoln. After 30 years as a posh celebrity retreat, Stewart offered the hotel for sale in 1967. Marriott visited the resort and tried unsuccessfully to decrease the $2.7 million asking price. He phoned his father for advice, who told him not to buy it, it was too much money. “I was having breakfast the next day at Mountain Shadows Resort, and the hostess came to the table and said that my father was on the phone,” Marriott said. “I picked up the phone, and he said, ‘Do what you damn well please!’ and hung up on me. So, I took it as that was a go, and we bought it.” Marriott enjoyed reminiscing about his youth and the early days in the lodging industry, going as far as to describe our conversation as “a lot of fun” in the easy-going ARIZCC.COM
voice that masks his age. However, the nostalgia only goes so far. He’s similar to his beloved Camelback Inn, proud of his past but more interested in staying relevant. When asked about the phenomenal growth of the Marriott brand during his tenure, Marriott demurred, referring to a lesson he learned long ago. He was a low-ranking Navy officer when President Dwight D. Eisenhower visited his family’s farm in Virginia in 1954. The guests were deciding whether to go quail hunting on a bone-chilling day when Eisenhower abruptly turned to him and said, “What do you think we should do, Bill?” “Here’s a retired five-star general who is now the president asking me what we should do?” Marriott, still seemingly
incredulous, said. “And I got to thinking, that’s how we won the war. With the tremendous egos he had to work with like Montgomery, de Gaulle, and Patton, he got them on the same page by understanding what they wanted, what was important to them, and how to make it all work.” Marriott applied the same question in his company, using it to get better information. “I found a lot of CEOs think they know it all, and they don’t get their people on the same page, and that’s not good,” he said. “You don’t make good decisions when you’re in a vacuum by yourself. You need to get the team to participate, and you do that by asking, ‘What do you think?’”
Image Courtesy of Pomona Library
ARIZONA CONTRACTOR & COMMUNITY
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NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2024
Projects . PEOPLE . PRACTICES
DNG CONSTRUCTION BRINGS NEW LIFE TO PHOENIX’S ROADRUNNER PARK
“T
he most unusual facet of this project was the amount of junk discovered upon draining the lake at Roadrunner Park,” says Dominic DeMark, the president of DNG Construction, about the recent renovations his company performed at the park in north Phoenix. There isn’t an itemized list of all the stuff the contractor found in the lake bed after it was dry, but at least it’s safe to assume that no bodies were discovered stuffed into barrels, which has occurred as ARIZCC.COM
CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA Projects
CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA
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Lake Mead recedes near Las Vegas. Perhaps, A ccording to DeMark, Roadrunner Park that’s to be expected, however, as Roadrun- underwent significant work on its two-acre ner Park was built on a former landfill site. lake, restrooms, and parking lot. The lake The Phoenix-based contractor started work at the park at 3502 East Cactus Road in spring 2023, and the project held its ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 10, 2024. Due to the added scope of work, the $4 million project ended up being $7 million. “The most challenging part of the project was that during construction, the park remained open,” says DeMark. “It’s one of Phoenix’s most active parks, plus it has featured a local farmers market every Saturday for the last 35 years.” ARIZONA CONTRACTOR & COMMUNITY
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Back When
PHOENIX’S “BAHAMA MAMA” HOUSE DOUGLAS TOWNE
I
n the spring of 1963, a unique group of 21 “congresswomen” from Phoenix gathered, not in Washington, D.C., but at the Lantern Inn, a well-appointed restaurant and cocktail lounge in Maryvale Shopping City. They embarked on a collaborative journey to create a woman’s “dream home.” The “Phoenix Congress on Better Living,” a pioneering event sponsored by McCall’s Magazine and John F. Long Homes, marked a shift in the male-dominated field of architecture. Long provided a platform for women to shape a home, from the floor plan to the materials, design, and lighting. Local architect J. Frederick Fleenor then brought their vision to life in a home that Long’s company built. The “Bahama” home, located at 30th Street and Topaz Circle north of Dreamy
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Draw, was completed in July 1963 for $14,990. Long’s construction team was often under the critical eye of these “congresswomen,” who regularly stopped by to inspect their progress. “This is a house with romantic quality: the handsome pierced concrete screen shielding the entrance court and doorway creates a secret garden,” read a McCall’s article in the April 1963 issue. “Front porches were fine in horse-and-buggy days when lots were wide and streets treeshaded, but now it’s nice to have protection from the buzz and sound of traffic.” It’s unknown if this Bahama model home survives, but its legacy lives on. Long used many of its features in his Candlelight houses, including those at 59th Avenue and Indian School Road. The company, now called John F. Long Properties, continues in commercial and residential development in the West Valley. Meanwhile, McCalls, which
was the third most popular magazine after Reader’s Digest and TV Guide in 1963, ceased publication in 2002 after 129 years.
Image Courtesy of The Arizo na
Republic
Above: McCall’s feature on the “Bahama” house along with Long’s Moon Valley Gardens and Paradise Valley Oasis residential tracts, 1963. Below: John F. Long with McCall’s “Phoenix Congress on Better Living” at the “Bahama” house construction site at 30th Street and Topaz Circle in Paradise Valley Oasis, 1963. Image Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community
ARIZONA CONTRACTOR & COMMUNITY