Last Thursday night, the Cornerstone Building Foundation recognized the Town of Marana with its 2016 Owner of the Year Award. This honor acknowledges Marana’s commitment to a forward-thinking planning strategy and its high quality service to the building community.
The Cornerstone Building Foundation was established over 20 years ago to foster strong cross-sector relationships for members of the construction industry. Its founder, Robert Hershberger, aimed to recognize annually a “Dream Team” of members across the building community. This year, Marana is proud to be part of that “Dream Team.” In addition to its annual awards, the Foundation also provides scholarships to support students pursuing careers in the design and construction industries.
Marana Planning Director Ryan Mahoney and Building Official Benny Sanchez accepted the award on behalf of the Town. “We’re honored, especially given the list of past winners, to stand among giants,” says Mahoney. “We’re all helping the Town of Marana to improve our services. Our work with the construction industry helps the whole Town improve and grow.”
This year’s award was presented to the Town as a result of Marana’s efforts to partner with Vintage Partners and Simon Properties in their construction of the new Premium Outlet Mall at Marana Center. From initial planning to its final ribbon cutting, this project took slightly under two years. Marana helped facilitate this rapid pace by designating a plan reviewer to serve the builder on site. This ensured that builders could alter their design quickly and efficiently, without having to wait for a lengthy review process.
The Owner of the Year Award also honored Marana for its strong working relationship with the residential building community. The Dove Mountain neighborhood, in particular, has experienced significant growth over the past several years, and Marana has collaborated closely with developers and builders to keep pace with this demand. These relationships serve Marana residents, both present and future, in powerful ways.
The Cornerstone Building Foundation also recognized six other honorees at their annual awards banquet: Architect of the Year- Swaim Associates; Consultant of the Year- Monrad Engineering; Contractor of the Year (large projects)- Concord General Contracting; Contractor of the Year (small projects)- Kittle Design and Construction; Professional Service of the Year- Ronstadt Insurance; Subcontractor of the Year- Flooring Systems of Arizona; Supplier of the Year- Arcadia, Inc.
As Marana grows, the Town is constantly exploring how to innovate and offer the highest quality service to residents and businesses in the community. This award recognizes these efforts, and pushes the Town to continue that commitment.
