Apache Junction is paying more than $670,000 to create a 22-acre master plan for a library, police substation, maintenance yard and a park in the southern area of the city.
The Apache Junction City Council on Sept. 16 voted unanimously as part of a consent agenda with other items to award a contract to Arrington Watkins Architects LLC in an amount of $645,446 plus a contingency of $25,000 for a total not to exceed $670,446.
The contract master-plans and programs the city campus south at Ironwood and Horton drives, which is south of Elliot Drive, Capital Improvement Program Manager Trina Harrison told council Sept. 2.
“The complex will include a library branch, a police substation, a park with a lake and a maintenance yard that is shared by public works and parks,” she said. “With the growth of our city, these services are now needed in south Apache Junction.”
A request for qualifications solicitation was released April 9 and was closed May 21. Five responses were reviewed by seven city employees and three firms were selected to be interviewed, she said.
Arrington Watkins Architects LLC was the highest ranked firm, she said.
The master plan and programming project should be completed by March 2026, Harrison said.
The project is planned and funded in the city’s budget, City Manager Bryant Powell said.
“This is super huge guys,” he said. “This is really awesome and I’m so excited to be at this point as city manager and working with staff ... and all of our departments who are very excited to provide these services to the south.”
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines, https://www.yourvalley.net/civility-checklist/.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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