Giant Mack Innovation Park Rolling Along Article originally posted on HERE on July 13, 2023 The Mack is back. A year after Mack Real Estate Group paid $125 million for 124 acres of state land put up for auction in north Scottsdale, more plans have been submitted for the Mack Innovation Park – the biggest commercial project to hit the city in years. The initial Mack Innovation Park proposal was for 11 buildings combining for 1.2 million square feet of industrial space. According to Holly Walter, a city spokeswoman, ”The Mack Innovation Park is one of the largest master planned light industrial spaces in the city.” Walter confirmed this is the largest industrial project to land in Scottsdale over the last decade. The sprawling land currently occupied by cacti and scrubby bushes is on the north side of the Loop 101 between Bell and Pima roads. Mack Real Estate Group, which describes itself as “an integrated developer, operator, investor and lender with offices across major markets of the United States,” says its planned campus in booming North Scottsdale “will fill a sorely lacking market need and provide employment opportunities in the area.” An “updated proposal” shows a slightly adjusted Mack plan on the table for the Development Review Board. A public hearing on the project has yet to be scheduled. According to the submission, “A smaller, roughly 29-acre portion near the southeast corner of the overall auctioned site is zoned Planned Regional Center, but is not subject to this Development Review application and there are no plans to develop that section of the property at this time.” Promising “high-quality building design and layout,” the Mack submitted a rough plan for the first four buildings totaling roughly 400,000 square feet. The location means there are plenty of hurdles to leap, but the Mack says it is sailing along as “the proposal meets and exceeds numerous stated goals of the General Plan, the Greater Airpark Character Area Plan and the Scottsdale Sensitive Design Principles.” Rather than the type of eye-glazing space most people imagine an industrial project would be, the plan enthusiastically lays out “an inviting and contextually appropriate development” – citing the great architect Frank Lloyd Wright as a prominent influence. When initial plans were revealed three months ago, neighbors posting on social media were not impressed. “Welcome to the new LA,” Paul Flood groaned. “Sadly developers rule in Scottsdale,” Sara Winter added. After attending a March 31 public meeting sponsored by the developer, Julie Glessner said she was upset over a proposal to rezone from industrial to mixed-use. “Once rezoned to mixed-use, they would then have to fall within mixed-use restrictions, which could include thousands of apartments,” she said. “Their proposal included luxury high end condos, apartments and senior living.” The DC Ranch Community Council “is closely monitoring the Mack development,” spokeswoman Chris Irish said.