Harder Development

12/12/2025

The AIA Arizona Metro Phoenix Ideas Competition is inviting architects and designers across the country to submit visionary concepts for major redevelopment projects including the soon-to-be-vacated Phoenix Police Headquarters at 7th Ave & Washington.

The Phoenix Community Alliance Central City Planning & Development Committee helped spark this moment by leading an early design workshop with the City of Phoenix, encouraging conversation around how this site could serve as a critical connector between City Hall and the State Capitol.

We’ve got our own ideas about what we'd like to see in a future RFP, but right now, we're excited to listen. There’s real value in seeing how designers from all over interpret our city and reimagine what’s possible.

✨ If you're a designer or architect with a vision for Phoenix, now’s your chance:

🔗 Submit here: https://arizonaaia.submittable.com/submit
📰 Read more: https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2025/10/14/downtown-phoenix-redevelopment-projects-rfp.html

Phoenix is aiming to find developers to turn city-owned sites into new affordable housing and mixed-use projects.

12/10/2025

We want to be the new home for a local business! 🏡

Flexible Space for 1-2 Suites (Up to 1,925 SF Available) ✨

Ideal for Creative Professionals, Retail, Boutique, Art Organizations, Artists, Nonprofits, Real Estate or other small business who want a locally owned and managed space in the Roosevelt Historic District (3rd Ave and McDowell) near Downtown Phoenix.

Comment SWEET for listing or DM me. Spread the word!

11/17/2025

We’ve opened the doors at 335 Commons — two modern suites designed for local businesses.

• Suite 2: 1,021 SF
• Suite 3: 904 SF

Walkable to excellent coffee, retail, Hance Park, and the Light Rail. Locally owned. Thoughtfully restored.

Learn more →

'),$(this).closest(".sk-horizontal-wrapper").prepend(''),$(this).nextAll().addBack().each(function(){$(this).closest(".sk-horizontal-wrapper").find(".sk-fake-track").append('')}),r){let t=$(this).find(".section-background img").attr("data-src");$(this).closest(".sk-frame").css("background-image",'ur...

11/13/2025

Tomorrow is Gensler's Phoenix 2050 Design Forecast! We're excited to be on the panel with some of Phoenix's brightest leaders. A big thank you to Gensler for organizing what’s sure to be a dynamic conversation about the future of our city.

There are still a few tickets left, join us if you can!
https://www2.gensler.com/Gensler-DFL-Phoenix2050-Panel

10/30/2025

The Arizona America250 Commission has launched our new website! It marks the start of our state's commemoration of our nation’s 250th anniversary.

I wrote a blog to highlight the many ways you can get involved with this statewide movement:
👉 https://buff.ly/SwGaOW4

Thank you to our community partners and sponsors for helping make this historic celebration meaningful for all Arizonans. I’m so excited to share this moment in history with you.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of America’s founding in 2026, I’m excited to share that the official website for the Arizona America250 Commission is now live! This moment isn’t just a national milestone, it’s a call to every Arizona community, organization, and individual to reflect, ...

10/27/2025

It is the State Historic Preservation Office’s (SHPO) pleasure to be a part of the launch of the inaugural Year of the Arizona’s Heritage Preservation Youth Council (HPYC). The HPYC is student-organized and student-led and represents a unique opportunity to learn about the state’s history, engage with policy-makers and ensure the future of the places that matter.

Apply by November 7th to be a part of the nine-student council which is set to launch in 2026.

Click here to learn more and apply: https://azstateparks.com/AZHPYC

07/08/2025

Did you catch that the City of Phoenix has been working on zoning for data centers? 🖥️ Thoughtful growth requires a plan and data centers have become integral to our growth. I applaud the City for taking a smart, inclusive approach that involved our Village Planning Committees and the public.

Fun fact: the Downtown Code has a special provision for substations! When the code was written, the City and its utility partners anticipated the need for more energy infrastructure. But they also knew that dropping a substation in the heart of a walkable, vibrant downtown would pose challenges- so they required that at least 50% of the exterior be public art.

That’s why, when you're strolling along Roosevelt, you'll see a substation wrapped in murals, decorative concrete and public art installations. Infrastructure and creativity- very Phoenix!

Phoenix has joined Chandler in voting to adopt new regulations aimed at data center development. 'We just want to be more intentional about where they go...'

06/14/2025

The leadership behind the Central City Planning & Development (CCPD) Committee just got stronger!

Phoenix Community Alliance's oldest advocacy Committee recently recruited the expertise of long-standing Board of Directors Mark Stratz and Ashley Harder as its new Committee Vice Chairs. Both bring unique Downtown perspectives from different industries.

Mark Stratz is a seasoned real estate broker with more than 27 years of experience. The real estate veteran has a deep knowledge of the Downtown community, land development, and commercial real estate. Stratz was recently announced as the incoming President of the Scottsdale-based Land Advisors Organization and as a national executive leadership team member. He will further strengthen and expand the firm's profile, which is the nation's ninth-largest land brokerage firm.

Ashley Harder is a Principal with Harder Development, a commercial development business prioritizing real estate development with historic preservation and adaptive-reuse integrations. For 15 years, the Downtown resident has spearheaded many small-business projects. A sample of these includes an adaptive reuse of the historic Carline Center into a commercial property and efforts to integrate public art into the future APS Grant Street Substation. Harder currently serves as the History, Heritage & Historic Preservation Subcommittee Chair on the Arizona America250 Commission, which she was appointed to by Governor Katie Hobbs.

The Vice Chairs add to the Committee's already robust leadership of Matt Seaman and Brian Cassidy to showcase all the projects transforming the Central City.

04/28/2025

Only 40 more days until the Light Rail opens the South Central/Downtown Hub Extension! 🚊

The culmination of multiple regional voter approved ballots and bonds to garner $1.34B of infrastructure investment, June 7th marks a major achievement for Phoenix. The new line features eight new stations, 14 new trains, a 110 space park-and-ride at Baseline & Central, enhanced bike lanes and walkways, and over 550 new trees bringing much needed shade to South Phoenix.
Our favorite investment from the expansion has got to be the 18 new public art installations created by mostly local artists!

We snapped a pic of this transfer station with a glorious Phoenix rising by Isaac Caruso which is our sweet new view from our S. Central Ave property in the Central Park Neighborhood. Connecting community through storytelling, creativity and modern infrastructure has been a whole new way of community building that we’ve had the privilege of learning from and being a part of for the APS Grant Street Substation Project through .

It’s exciting to see our city’s investments taking shape and we can’t wait to ride the rail on June 7th and check out all the art and infrastructure we’re welcoming to the city! 🐦‍🔥🌳🚊

04/26/2025

From A ↔️B! The Valley is growing and Valley Metro Rail is growing along with it. The South Central Extension/Downtown Hub opening will also introduce our first TWO-Light rail system:
🔵 A Line: Gilbert/Main St-Mesa ↔️ Downtown Hub-Phoenix
🟠 B Line: Metro Parkway ↔️ Baseline/Central Ave-Phoenix
Starting June 7, riders will be able to transfer between two lines.
Learn more: https://www.valleymetro.org/how-to-ride/two-line