APACHE JUNCTION, AZ — Apache Junction plans to build a new police substation, a branch library, and a community park with a fishing lake. On August 4, the city council reviewed the design contract for the Apache Junction City Services Expansion, an agreement worth up to $5.8 million with Arrington Watkins Architects, LLC. No vote was taken. Instead, the contract will go on the council’s September 1 consent agenda, a group of items voted on together in a single vote unless a councilmember pulls one for separate discussion.
The facilities will be built on 22 acres south of US 60 at Ironwood Drive and Horton Drive. Design is expected to take about 12 months, and construction is planned for 2027 through 2029.
What Will Be Built at Ironwood and Horton
The 22 acres are part of the larger 6,600-acre Superstition Vistas area that Apache Junction annexed in October 2021. Developer D.R. Horton transferred the parcel to the city at no cost through a development agreement, setting it aside for municipal use. Capital Improvement Plan Program Manager Trina Harrison presented the plans, which include:
- Police substation. A 25,000-to-27,000-square-foot building housing patrol operations, with secure and unsecured parking, fleet support, a large multipurpose community room, and community interface spaces. The police communications center, including 911 dispatch, will also move to the new building.
- Branch library. A 15,000-square-foot library with a smaller physical collection than the main branch. It will offer flexible multipurpose rooms, a regionally themed children’s area, a teen area, and an adult area.
- Community park and fishing lake. Plans call for walking paths, baseball fields, multipurpose fields, basketball and volleyball courts, a themed children’s playground, restrooms, and ramadas. The project’s geotechnical proposal sizes the park at roughly 12 acres and the urban fishing lake at 1.43 acres.
- Parks maintenance building and yard. A 5,500-square-foot office building, plus a yard for equipment and materials shared with Public Works.
Arrington Watkins, a Phoenix architecture firm, will design the entire site, including every building, the park, the lake, parking, and civil infrastructure. According to Harrison, having one firm handle the whole project “will give this site a more cohesive look and feel.” The firm’s recent work includes the City of Phoenix Police Headquarters, the Mesa Gateway Branch Library, the Surprise Asante Public Library, and Gilbert Regional Park.
How the Apache Junction City Services Expansion Budget Breaks Down
City staff estimate the City Services Expansion will cost the city about $67.9 million. However, the total estimated project value is roughly $85.9 million once developer contributions are counted. The table below shows each piece, including contracts council has already approved.
Apache Junction City Services Expansion Budget
| Project phase | Timeline | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Master plan and programming (closed out) | Sept. 2025 – June 2026 | $670,446 |
| Project and construction management, planning stage (closed out) | Feb. 2025 – June 2026 | $49,025 |
| Project and construction management, design and build | April 2026 – June 2029 | $2,664,301 |
| Soft costs: utility designs and permits, geotechnical, outreach, sports-field elements | Current budget year | $300,000 |
| Design and construction administration (the current contract) | Sept. 2026 – June 2030 | $5,805,795 |
| Contractor preconstruction | Oct. 2026 – Aug. 2027 | $603,250 |
| Construction | 2027 – 2029 | $49,163,743 |
| Soft costs: plan review, specialty furniture for 911 dispatch consoles and library stacks, office furniture, appliances, specialty equipment, exercise equipment, arts contribution, move costs, audio visual, IT, security cameras, access control, other project costs | Projected | $8,651,000 |
| Total estimated city budget | $67,907,560 | |
| Park and fishing lake, built by the developer | $11,000,000 | |
| Land conveyed by the developer | $7,000,000 | |
| Total estimated project value | $85,907,560 |
The projected soft costs cover items the city needs that fall outside the design and construction contracts, such as furniture, IT equipment, and moving costs.
Why the City’s Bill Is $18 Million Lower Than the Project’s Value
The gap between the city’s $67.9 million bill and the $85.9 million total project value comes from developer contributions. First, D.R. Horton conveyed the 22-acre site at no cost as part of the development agreement, and staff value that land at $7 million. Second, the developer, not the city, will build the park and fishing lake at an estimated $11 million. “So already, we’re $18 million ahead that we’re not having to pay,” Harrison told the council.
Public Comments: America 250 Marker and Data Centers
Two residents spoke during the call to the public on topics unrelated to the expansion project.
Karen Konfederak, representing the Apache Trail Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, asked council to discuss accepting and placing a bronze America 250 marker donated by the chapter. The marker commemorates the men and women who fought for American independence from 1775 to 1783. The Daughters of the American Revolution is a national service organization for women 18 and older who can prove lineal descent from a Revolutionary War patriot, and its Apache Trail Chapter is based in Apache Junction. City Manager Bryant Powell said staff will put the request on an upcoming agenda.
Donna Carr, an Apache Junction resident, urged the city to pursue a ballot measure banning data processing centers from purchasing state trust land or other land for development. She said some data center companies are suing cities and towns that oppose them, with one lawsuit exceeding $300 million, and that voter action has stopped centers elsewhere, including an area of California. In response, Councilmember Peter Heck asked for clear information on the issue, noting sharply divergent opinions about data centers. Mayor Wilson appeared to respond that any such ballot measure would need to come through the state legislature.
