Architect’s Perspective: Globe: Where Copper Was King
by Doug Sydnor, FAIA The mining town of Globe, Arizona, has a notorious early history of saloons, gambling halls, brothels, murders,...
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- Jul 22
- 1 min
Back When: Phoenix's Favorite Portal
Douglas Towne While the Phoenix population figure has skyrocketed since the photo was taken in 1974, the unique window to view the former...
- Jul 8
- 4 min
How an Old Bridge and an Artificial Geyser Created Two Arizona Towns: The Genius of Lorne Pratt
By Douglas Towne There were no textbooks on land development in Arizona when Lorne Pratt was tasked with marketing two new communities in...
- Jul 7
- 4 min
Lorne Pratt: Arizona’s Hollywood-Connected Developer
By Douglas Towne Most fathers in the 1950s taught their sons how to throw a curveball or catch fish. Lorne Pratt, who helped create...
- Jul 6
- 1 min
AZ Master-Planned Communities Issue Released
In the 96-page Jul/Aug issue of Arizona Contractor & Community magazine, we focus on planned communities, starting with the state’s first...
- Jun 29
- 3 min
Oval But Not Forgotten: Manzanita Speedway
Douglas Towne Before the Valley hosted major league teams in luxurious stadiums, local sports fans reveled in homegrown competitions...
- Jun 17
- 2 min
Old School Equipment: The Buffalo-Springfield Roller Company
Douglas Towne Construction machinery not only moves mountains, it can become a part of pop culture. One equipment line, the...
- May 6
- 1 min
May/June Issue Released
In the 96-page May/June issue of Arizona Contractor & Community magazine, we focus on two “Papago” places vital to Phoenix. We trace how...
- Apr 13
- 2 min
Editor’s Column – Creatives Ignite a Copper Town Rebirth
by Douglas Towne “Go West, young man,” was the prudent advice journalist Horace Greeley gave Americans looking for economic opportunities...
- Apr 1
- 2 min
Phoenix’s “Cunning” Shopping Center: The Magical Mall Called Chris-Town
John Bueker When Eugene “Jim” Cunning passed on in 2020 at the age of 86, the sad event did not garner much local attention. But it...
- Mar 16
- 2 min
Around the Globe in 18 Holes: Phoenix’s Classic Miniature Golf Courses
John Bueker Who got the ball rolling by creating the Valley's first miniature golf course is open to debate, but we know that Phoenix...
- Mar 4
- 1 min
ACC Magazine Releases 50th Issue Spotlighting Medical Facilities and Their Builders/Designers
Like another Valley publication, Arizona Contractor & Community Magazine decided to spotlight the medical field for our March/April...
- Mar 1
- 2 min
Editor’s Column – Eating Away at the Term, “Buffet”
Douglas Towne The theme for this issue is “Leisure,” so it seemed only appropriate to write a column that wouldn't require too much work....
- Feb 17
- 1 min
Phoenix "Slides" Into the Future
Douglas Towne A mystical magic carpet experience, a la Prince Husain of "One Thousand and One Nights" fame, was available for 15 cents...
- Jan 24
- 2 min
Architect's Perspective: Celebrating the McDowell Sonoran Preserve's Trailheads
Doug Sydnor, FAIA Scottsdale residents realized their quality of life was under threat in 1991. The pristine McDowell Mountains, a...
- Jan 18
- 2 min
Del Webb “Constructs” A Good Life: His Baseball and Sun City Adventures
Douglas Towne Few in the construction industry have such a rags-to-riches story as Delbert “Del” Eugene Webb. A few years before the...
- Jan 6
- 1 min
Jan/Feb 2022 "Leisure" Issue Released
To kick off 2022, we decided to kick back with an issue devoted to leisure featuring Del Webb giving Joltin Joe DiMaggio some batting...
- Dec 28, 2021
- 3 min
The Wild Ride That Created Castles n’ Coasters Amusement Park
Tom Pickrell You see it coming while driving along I-17 in Phoenix near the Dunlap Avenue exit. A bright green and white superstructure...
- Nov 5, 2021
- 1 min
AZ Contractor & Community Magazine Digs Into State's Mining Heritage for Nov/Dec 2021 Issue
What's crazier: using atomic bombs to mine copper, a ginormous salt mine under a city, extracting iron from a giant *sandbox* or...
- Nov 1, 2021
- 3 min
The Heart of Phoenix: Three Iterations of the Hotel Adams
By Douglas Towne Great hotel nicknames are usually the result of innovative marketing campaigns or are obvious, such as San Diego's Hotel...