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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 16, 20222 min read


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 4, 20221 min read


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....
Mar 1, 20222 min read


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...
Feb 17, 20221 min read


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 24, 20222 min read


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 18, 20222 min read


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...
Jan 6, 20221 min read


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...
Dec 28, 20213 min read


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 5, 20211 min read


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...
Nov 1, 20213 min read


Taking Phoenix to the Next Level: Porter’s Western Wear Store
By Douglas Towne Downtown Phoenix was the city’s commercial district until the 1960s, and one unique store stood out. The business, which...
Oct 26, 20212 min read


Paul Brock: Digging Deep Into Gunnison Contractors and the Man Who Built It
Jeff Kronenfeld Paul Brock was one of the biggest names in underground contracting in the Valley during the 1960s and 1970s. His company,...
Oct 20, 20212 min read


Serious Accomplishment: The Life and Legacy of Architect Kemper Goodwin, FAIA
James Logan Abell, FAIA Jumping on rail cars to travel from Los Angeles to New Orleans in search of work, this man was no ordinary 1930’s...
Oct 18, 20212 min read


Architect’s Perspective: Melverne Coats Ensign – An Inventive Architecture
Doug Sydnor, FAIA Growing up in Phoenix, I noticed some innovative architecture created by an unknown individual. Many years later, I...
Oct 14, 20212 min read


Level and Plumb: The Masonry of Marion J. Evertsen
Tom Pickrell Marion John Evertsen was a prominent masonry contractor in Phoenix for more than 30 years, starting in the 1950s. Largely...
Oct 6, 20212 min read


Air Entrainment in Concrete
Luke M. Snell, P.E. An inspector recently contacted me regarding some concrete loads that exceeded air-content specifications. The...
Oct 5, 20212 min read


Building on the Past 1969: Chrome-Plated Expansion
Aircraft Plating Co. was flying high in 1969. The firm, founded in 1963 at 1313 South 26th Street, was having a new 20,000 square-foot...
Sep 29, 20212 min read


Old School Equipment: Caterpillar’s J621 Paddle Wheel Scraper
Buddy Escapule In 2017, I took my father and sons to Casa Grande to examine a 1971 Caterpillar J621 paddle wheel scraper for sale. The...
Sep 28, 20212 min read


Digging Through the Archives: Vance Grubb III
William Horner According to Vance Grubb III, nothing tops a great job in construction except going into business for yourself. A...
Sep 22, 20212 min read


Digging Through the Archives: Sinagua Paving
William Horner Philip Chesley has encountered some unforgettable people while working in the paving field, including a man wearing gold...
Sep 8, 20212 min read
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