What do you get when you combine people plus politics plus development plus drama in Arizona? You get a unique, informative and entertaining podcast called “Dirt to Development.” The podcast, co-hosted by Withey Morris partners Adam Baugh and Jason Morris, provides a behind-the-scenes look at some of the biggest developments in Arizona – along with the people, politics, developers and neighbors that make it all happen. Listeners will hear insane stories and insights from industry experts, local developers and intriguing community personalities. After years of sharing these hilarious and irreverent stories over dinners and drinks, it’s time for Arizona to hear its own story told by those who build it.
“When you think of how development occurs, there are a lot of ingredients that go into developing a building site and different components and people have to come together to pull it off,” said Baugh. “Every shopping center, every community development has a story behind it. Many people don’t realize what goes into taking a cornfield to a master-planned community or taking an old infill property to an adaptive reuse in Arizona. These are the stories we want to tell.”
Through storytelling, the podcast will deliver Information, education and amusing anecdotes covering a variety of topics including: how to work with neighbors, how to balance the role of politics in a case, strategies for land use cases, and tips and insights on how to achieve successful entitlements.
“We have a really good team and that’s part of the reason for this podcast,” said Morris. “The idea of being able to share not only some of the stories of our cases, some of the craziness behind the scenes and how this industry works – but also giving people insight into where this market is going, what we’re working on and the types of projects we’re seeing in the fastest growing city in the country – and the fastest growing county in the nation. We not only have the stories we’ve told, but the stories yet to be told.”
Baugh is a land use and zoning attorney at Withey Morris. He is an experienced problem-solver with a talent for removing obstacles that impede development. Baugh helps landowners and developers succeed by finding ways to say yes when cities say no. He regularly appears before neighborhood organizations, planning commissions, city councils and appellate hearings to advocate and obtain land use entitlements, business approvals and liquor licenses.
Morris is a founding partner of Withey Morris. Throughout his career, his practice has been exclusively in land use, planning, zoning and administrative law. His experience in the field includes all levels of entitlement throughout the state. His expertise has been critical to state legislative efforts surrounding land use over the past two decades and his cases include many of the area’s most significant and notable developments.
For more information, and to listen to Dirt to Development, click here.
For over 20 years, Withey Morris PLC has been Arizona’s leading land use and real estate law firm. Its dynamic team combines experience in land use entitlements, real estate transactions, government affairs and lobbying with the sharp legal insight needed to handle every aspect of the real estate development process. Withey Morris represents commercial, residential, industrial, master-plan developers and landowners in virtually every corner of Arizona. Prestigious publications routinely rate its attorneys among the best land use and real estate lawyers in Arizona. These publications include Chambers USA — America’s Leading Business Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America® and Super Lawyers. Martindale Hubbell, a noted authority in rating U.S. law firms and attorneys, gives the firm an AV rating, the highest ranking. Withey Morris’ mission is to help build its clients’ visions by guiding them from the drawing board through city hall to project completion.
