Art Walk a feast for the eyes / P. 18
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
INSIDE
This Week
NEIGHBORS .........20 Scottsdale couple plan Christmas event for pets.
BUSINESS ............... 28 Airpark business just sketches surface.
OPINION................... 29 Scottsdale leader Bill Walton honored.
NEIGHBORS ........................20 BUSINESS .............................28 OPINION ..............................29 SPORTS ................................30 ARTS ..................................... 33 FOOD & DRINK...................36 CLASSIFIEDS .......................39
Cardinals honor Saguaro's Mohns / P. 30
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Sunday, December 8, 2019
No poverty, but so what? City decided BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor
W
hen the federal government announced the opportunity zone program in 2018, its stated goal was clear: to bring investment into impoverished communities using tax incentives as a carrot to attract investors. But internal city emails show Scottsdale city staff recommended downtown Scottsdale’s inclusion in the program
even while acknowledging the area is not impoverished. “Yes, your property is definitely not in a poverty zone,” Josh Utterbeck, Scottsdale’s Economic Development specialist, wrote to a downtown property owner in April 2018, according to emails viewed by the Progress. Two months earlier, the city’s Economic Development Department recommended Gov. Doug Ducey nominate the area for opportunity zone status.
That property owner previously expressed skepticism to Utterbeck when told his property qualified for opportunity zone incentives. Those incentives allow investors in approved zones to defer taxes on capital gains from investments in the zones – and potentially avoid taxes on appreciation – if they hold the investment for five to 10 years.
Council approves Staying positive massive plan for Southbridge
see OP ZONES page 8
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor
T
he Scottsdale City Council narrowly approved Southbridge Two on Dec. 4 following a spate of last-minute changes meant to address community concerns. Those changes were enough for at least two city council members who were on the fence – Mayor Jim Lane and Councilwoman Suzanne Klapp – to give thumbs up in the 4-3 vote. The approval, which included zoning changes and the sale of a city-owned parking lot, paved the way for the massive 10acre development currently redeveloping a significant portion of existing low-slung retail space in downtown Scottsdale’s 5th Avenue shopping district and replace it
see SOUTHBRIDGE page 16
Andrew Bloom REALTOR®, Senior Partner Andrew@BVOLuxury.com VOTED #1 SCOTTSDALE REAL ESTATE TEAM FOR 2018
Coronado High School is in the midst of a rejuvenation with a principal who is accentuating the positive and inspiring students to pick up their game as these students are doing with experiments in the Advanced Placement biology class. For a closer look at how Principal Amy Palatucci is turning things around, see page 10.
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