A new podium apartment project is underway in Old Town Scottsdale. Mill Creek Residential broke ground Nov. 5 on Modera Old Town, a 190-home community on East Indian School Road that will keep an existing mid-century modern building on the site and turn it into the leasing office and amenity space (via Mill Creek Residential).
Mill Creek's groundbreaking release puts the project at 7110 E. Indian School Road. An Oct. 20 announcement from its partner, Chicago-based Origin Investments, described a 2.03-acre site at 7120 E. Indian School Road, so the exact address is worth confirming with the city. Mill Creek says the site is close to Scottsdale Fashion Square and Loop 101.
The building is a podium design with controlled-access garage parking and private EV charging. Origin's release breaks down the unit mix: 73 one-bedrooms, 101 two-bedrooms and 16 three-bedrooms, averaging 1,076 square feet. Mill Creek lists nine-foot ceilings, 42-inch soft-close cabinets and full-size washers and dryers inside the homes, and Origin adds luxury vinyl plank floors, kitchen islands and roller shades.
The amenity list is long: a resort-style pool and spa, outdoor kitchen and deck, fire pit, clubhouse, game room, coffee bar, pet spa, 24-hour fitness center with a yoga and Pilates studio, coworking space, package lockers, and bike and cold storage. The standout is the existing Kimsey Building, which Mill Creek describes as a mid-century modern structure. Neither release gives its history or names the architect for the reuse.
Timing depends on which release you read. Mill Creek expects first move-ins in late 2028. Origin's October release targeted completion in mid-2029.
The project is an Opportunity Zone investment. Origin said Modera Old Town closes out its Opportunity Zone Fund III and is its 22nd opportunity zone development, and Mill Creek's 12th. It's the second project between the two after Modera Higley Commons, a 276-unit community in Gilbert.
"Old Town Scottsdale is one of the most desirable living destinations in the Phoenix metro," said Mark Sanford, Mill Creek's vice president of development in Arizona.
Neither release names a general contractor, architect or construction cost. The City of Scottsdale's case and permit search requires a direct lookup, so those details weren't available for this story.
Why it matters for Contractors
This is a big-builder project, but a podium job running into 2028 or later in the middle of Old Town still needs a lot of trades: concrete work for the podium, framing above it, waterproofing, drywall, cabinets and countertops for 190 kitchens, flooring, painting, low-voltage and EV charging, and pool and landscape work. Small shops usually get onto jobs like this through the general contractor's bid list, so once the GC is known, register as a subcontractor and watch for bid packages. The Kimsey Building reuse is a different kind of opportunity for renovation-minded crews that handle older commercial buildings. To find the GC and permit details, call Scottsdale's planning line at 480-312-3111 or search the city's case records under the project address.