Author name: Tom Evans

After annexing miles and miles of land out as far as Cave Creek and Carefree, and buying a ranch to give all that acreage an assured water supply, the city of Scottsdale is coming back to a focus on downtown.

Like young people all over the country, local millennials are voting with their feet to be in ?downtowns and urban spaces.? ?They seem to prefer what the Valley has a reputation for destroying: history.

The new year is shaping up to be a big one for SkySong, the Arizona State University Scottsdale Innovation Center, on the McDowell Road corridor.

Construction is progressing on SkySong III, a 145,000-square-foot building that will be located along SkySong Boulevard, just southwest of the complexÂ’s signature shade structure. The $32 million building will be ready for occupancy in August.

In addition, SkySong VI, also four stories, is expected to be under construction before the end of the year.

SkySong, The ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center is off to a strong start in 2014, with a new addition and significant construction progress on its third office building.

SkySong, The ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center will kick off the holiday season on a high note. Literally. Construction of SkySong 3, the third commercial office building at the project, will reach a significant milestone in the next few days as it will be “topped out,” meaning the structural steel in the construction building will reach the building’s final height. SkySong 3 will be approximately 62 feet high at its parapet, and approximately 76 feet high at the top of the mechanical elements.