The world’s first Atari Hotel will be built in downtown Phoenix, Atari Hotels and Intersection Development announced earlier this month. Described by developers as the “first truly playable hotel,” the nearly 90,000-square-foot building near Central and Roosevelt Street will include concert and esports venues and a sportsbook, as well as retail and restaurant space. “Our goal was to fuse architecture with interaction. … A tower defined by motion, responsive surfaces, and a frame that glows with its own
Innovative Arizona companies to watch in 2026 include health‑tech pioneer Solera Health, data‑sharing leader Datavant, climate‑tech firm Persefoni, prop‑tech disruptor Lessen and CX maestro Nextiva — all redefining healthcare, sustainability, real estate operations and customer experiences in Arizona’s booming innovation economy. Here are 15 of the most innovative Arizona companies to watch in 2026 Accuracy CPA: Accuracy CPA delivers personal, strategic accounting — empowering clients, especially
Through market volatility, changing policy and economic pressure that affected businesses and individuals alike, the biggest lesson from 2025 was the importance of building economic resilience. While given industries were affected differently by — or found opportunity in — these economic factors, a resounding agent of change across the economy was the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). Looking back at top themes and financial trends from this year can help business owners filter emerging trends and shed
The new 2026 CMBS and commercial real estate CLOs outlook from Moody’s Ratings might strike some as more upbeat than expected. The document suggests that despite delinquencies remaining high, a combination of continued economic growth and falling short-term interest rates—in some global regions—“will support borrowers’ ability to refinance their commercial real estate loans in 2026, leading securitization performance to improve in the U.S. and Europe.” “We expect leverage to rise next year, exposing large loan
There are already so many great places to eat in Phoenix, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for new restaurants to add to the Valley’s roster. Fueled by the Maricopa County’s growing population, several new retail and mixed-use developments that need tenants, and Valley diners’ growing tastes, Phoenix appears to be one of the country’s most desirable markets for local and out-of-state chefs and restaurateurs to expand and open new concepts in 2026. Over the next 12 months, plenty of new restaurants are
There are a number of questions facing Arizona lawmakers and the governor as they think about a budget for the fiscal year that starts in July. Among them: the impact of changes to some social safety net programs, including SNAP and whether to incorporate federal changes — like no taxes on tips — into state law. All of that would impact the amount of money the state has to spend — and on what. There are also questions about Arizona’s economy overall as we enter the new year. George Hammond, a research professor
A new ranking of America’s fastest-growing affordable suburbs is giving a better idea of just how influential the Phoenix Metro is on the national stage. Four Metro Phoenix suburbs — Maricopa (#9), Buckeye (#15), San Tan Valley (#16), and Goodyear (#26) — rank among the fastest-growing and most affordable suburbs with home values under $500,000. Using data from Zillow and the U.S. Census Bureau, the study highlights suburbs with strong population growth and home values under $500,000. States like
Physical stores continued to dominate spending during the first seven weeks of the holiday shopping period. Holiday retail spending increased 4.2% year over year across all payment types, including cash and check, according to preliminary data released by Visa. The data, which excludes sales from auto dealerships, gas stations and restaurants, is not adjusted for inflation. The report, from Visa Consulting & Analytics, tracked retail sales activity over a seven-week period beginning Nov. 1, using a subset of
Economic improvement in the United States will continue in 2026, say the nation’s purchasing and supply management executives in the December 2025 ISM Supply Chain Planning Forecast, formerly known as the Semiannual Economic Forecast. Revenues are expected to increase in 16 of 18 manufacturing industries and 16 of 18 services-sector industries. Capital expenditures are expected to increase by 3 percent in the manufacturing sector (after a 3.5-percent increase in 2025) and
Some of the biggest projects around Phoenix made major strides in 2025. Those developments are sure to capitalize on this past year’s advancements by making more important leaps in 2026. From the city’s burgeoning Loop 101 corridor in the north to its most southern reaches, Phoenix is seeing significant growth that will deliver much more needed housing. It will also offer additional retail and corporate office space for more commercial and economic activity. Here are the developments that are continuing
Affordability issues are increasingly front and center, with politicians including New York’s mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, and President Donald Trump offering possible solutions.Photo: MarketWatch photo illustration/iStockphoto, Getty Images. Decades of flat wages for lower- and middle-income Americans followed by years of quickly rising costs have brought the nation’s affordability crisis to a head. Consumers are no longer dealing with isolated instances of higher
PHOENIX, AZ (December 29, 2025) – With over $34 billion in new investment, nearly 28,000 projected new jobs, and major wins across semiconductors, aerospace, AI, broadband, and more, 2025 delivered a year of record-breaking growth for Arizona. Now, as economic momentum surges statewide and new technologies unlock unprecedented possibilities, Arizona is forging ahead. “2025 was a transformative year for Arizona,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority
More than 9 million acres in Arizona are held in trust; when Arizona became a state in 1912, the federal government set aside nearly 11 million acres of state trust land. That land was to be held in perpetual trust, and money raised from the sale or lease of it was to go to 13 beneficiaries — mostly public schools. More than half of the states were granted land to help fund education
Cooling, not cracking: That’s the state of the United States economy in late 2025 as we head into the new year. The U.S. Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers (all items) rose 2.7% over the year in November and 0.2% over the September to November period. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics did not collect survey data for October due to the lapse in appropriations. Thus, there will be no
Artificial intelligence reshaped the venture capital market in Arizona and across the country in 2025 as startups with AI-related platforms spurred an increase in overall deal count and captured the lion’s share of funding deployed throughout the year. Although fundraising and startup exits have yet to
Downtown Tempe has undergone dramatic transformations in the 21st Century, evolving from a college-centric nightlife hub to a bustling employment district. It used to be known as one of the only downtowns with any semblance of life after 5 p.m. because of its music and bar scene. But to some, downtown Tempe lost its character and charm as it transitioned into a big-box retail destination and then a corridor catering to college students.
The National Multifamily Housing Council’s (NMHC’s) quarterly survey of leading construction and development firms in December finds apartment starts remaining relatively stable compared with three months ago. According to the survey, conducted between Dec. 4 and 15, 43% of respondents reported starts to be relatively unchanged, while 25% said their firms started fewer projects and 26% started a greater number of projects.
A Taiwanese semiconductor industry supplier recently broke ground on the first phase of a multimillion dollar ultrapure chemical manufacturing campus in Casa Grande. KPPC Advanced Chemicals Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of the Kanto Group, began construction Dec. 19 on the first phase of its manufacturing campus at the Sonoran Valley Industrial Park. The first phase of the project represents
The U.S. economy expanded at a strong clip in the third quarter, just before the federal government shutdown likely derailed growth and hiring. Gross domestic product increased at a 4.3% annualized rate last quarter, the Commerce Department said Tuesday, Dec. 23. The reading is the first estimate of third-quarter GDP, and was delayed by the shutdown. GDP estimates are revised as additional data
Debt maturities in the U.S. affordable housing sector are set to climb steadily over the next decade, but a new Berkadia report drawing on Yardi Matrix data suggests the wall of expirations is more likely to test the system’s resilience than trigger a broad wave of distress. The findings point to rising refinancing risk in select metros and under certain capital structures, even as the combination
Office fundamentals remain challenged despite modest improvement in vacancy, according to the latest Yardi Matrix national office report. Physical occupancy failed to increase, demand stayed weak, and employment across office-using sectors remained flat. Loan maturities are also adding pressure, with roughly half of outstanding office debt set to mature in the coming years, much of it originated
With a week left until Christmas Day, holiday sales are trending upward from last year. New analysis from Salesforce indicates that during the first 45 days of the 2025 holiday season (Nov. 1 and Dec. 15), global online sales have risen 7% year over year, reaching a total of $1.033 trillion from $849 billion. In the U.S., online sales are up 4% year over year to $238 billion. While average selling price has increased
Developers are closing on vacant land to prepare for a shortage of multifamily housing units as existing supply dwindles over the next couple of years. On Dec. 17, an entity related to Houston-based Hines paid $16.6 million in cash for 14.6 acres in Peoria, according to Tempe-based real estate database Vizzda LLC, while Los Angeles-based Sunstone Two Tree closed on 21 acres in
The National Multifamily Housing Council’s (NMHC’s) quarterly survey of leading construction and development firms in December finds apartment starts remaining relatively stable compared with three months ago. According to the survey, conducted between Dec. 4 and 15, 43% of respondents reported starts to be relatively unchanged, while 25% said their firms started fewer projects and 26%
Seasonal cooling is finally seeping into the housing market after an unseasonably active fall, according to the latest market report from Zillow. Price cuts from sellers dropped back to normal levels from near-record highs; a rare instance of buyers losing a bit of leverage in a year when many housing trends moved in their favor. “Affordability is still a hurdle for home