| NEWS | Mike Madriaga Home from p 15 homes is tied to wood flooring since many contain pesticides used to protect the wood from critters when traveling in the ocean. There are plates mounted on the outside of the container — similar to a plate mounted in a vehicle’s doorjamb — that read “timber component treatment,” followed by how and when the floor was treated. “For the pesticide, it can either be sealed off or completely removed,” Crosthwaite said. “We typically seal it completely off. There is no possible way human beings could contact anything toxic from a container we build. Also, there are extensive compliance manuals by the Arizona Department of Housing that we have to adhere to.” The duo also added doors in the middle to make the apartments one-bedroom units rather than studios. Before the pair began collaborating in 2020 — since 2006, Bleak’s family bought, sold, leased, and customized shipping containers. Crosthwaite has more than 20 years of experience in construction, although his passion is more along the ornate side of the design spectrum. “The first thing people ask us is: “Can we get a permit on these?” Crosthwaite said. “Absolutely, you can.” “A very savvy developer from the East Coast” is a partner in the project through the company declined to name the indi- vidual for this story. “He moved here and was having a hard time finding anybody that could get on his level conceptually, then he saw the builds on the website and called me,” Crosthwaite said. “Typically in that kind of project, we would also sell him the containers, but he Luke Crosthwaite (left) and Josh Bleak discuss plans for shipping container apartments. bought them used from Long Beach like five years ago and was just sitting on them,” Bleak said. “He bought those for probably $2,500 apiece back then; now, a new 40-footer is $9,000. Since the pandemic started, container prices have risen 50 to 100 percent. Shipping those containers from Long Beach to [Arizona] cost between $1,000 to $1,500 per unit.” It should take about seven years to recoup the investment at $1,000 per month with minimal upgrades or repairs required. At $1,000 rent, it’s still $295 below the median rent for one-bedroom apartments in the same area, according to Zumper.com data. “As far as shipping container housing, Phoenix has three already-developed ship- ping container projects,” said Eric Jay Toll, communications manager for the city of Phoenix in a recent email. The existing projects are the Containers on Grand, The Oscar, and The Churchill, all of which are considered “high-end” projects. “The first two are fully occupied apart- ments, and the latter is a commercial development. A fourth project is under development,” Toll said. Because the pair in Apache Junction is using steel from shipping containers as a structural shell, they save up to “75 percent” of the lumber needed in traditional construction, eliminating the usage of wooden floor joists, exterior sheeting, truss systems, and other wooden components. How long will they last? “With the right paint maintenance, 1000 years here in Arizona because of our climate,” Crosthwaite said. “It’ll outlive us for sure, and we’ll have something to be remembered by.” 17 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES MARCH 24TH– MARCH 30TH, 2022
