For the last 75 years, Kitchell has played a vital role in shaping Arizona’s built environment. One of its most defining projects was the construction of the Maricopa County Government Complex in the early 1960s—a transformative development that centralized county services, modernized infrastructure, and set a new standard for public buildings in Arizona. Today, Kitchell continues to collaborate with Maricopa County, reinforcing a long-standing partnership built on trust, innovation, and excellence.

A Vision for Progress
In May 1961, Maricopa County voters overwhelmingly approved an $11 million bond to construct a state-of-the-art government complex in downtown Phoenix. The goal was to replace aging, scattered facilities with a modern, efficient hub for county operations. The two-block site between Jefferson and Madison Streets, First and Third Avenues, was selected as the foundation for this ambitious project.

Kitchell, already recognized for its expertise and commitment to quality, was awarded the contract. The firm was tasked with bringing the vision to life—on time and within budget.

Building for the Future
Ground was broken on December 20, 1962, and the project was officially completed in December 1964. The complex included four distinct buildings, designed to integrate seamlessly into a unified governmental center:

The Six-Story Administration Building – A 130,000-square-foot facility consolidating key departments like the Board of Supervisors, County Manager, Elections, Planning & Zoning, and the Treasurer’s Office.

The Nine-Story Superior Court Building – Housing 13 superior courtrooms, a law library, and offices for the County Attorney and Clerk of the Superior Court.

The Four-Story Sheriff’s Office and Jail – A 94,000-square-foot, maximum-security facility designed for efficiency and safety, including an underground tunnel to securely transfer prisoners to courtrooms.

The Supervisors’ Auditorium – A uniquely designed 5,500-square-foot structure with a six-vaulted shell roof, offering seating for 252 people and serving as a public meeting space for county hearings.

Innovation and Engineering Excellence
Kitchell’s approach to the project incorporated cutting-edge construction techniques to maximize durability, efficiency, and long-term usability. The precast concrete wall panels (totaling 200,000 square feet) helped create a uniform, modern aesthetic while ensuring structural integrity.

To handle the scale of the project, construction required:

• 3,410 tons of reinforcing and structural steel
• 23,000 cubic yards of concrete
• 140 miles of electrical wiring
• 1,400 tons of air conditioning systems

By the time the complex opened in January 1965, it was the most advanced governmental facility in the state, designed to meet Maricopa County’s needs for decades to come.

A Partnership That Endures
The Maricopa County Governmental Complex was more than just a project—it’s success led to Kitchell’s long-standing collaboration with Arizona’s public sector. This effort laid the foundation for future government developments and reinforced Kitchell’s reputation as a leader in complex, large-scale public sector construction.

Kitchell’s legacy of delivering transformative projects continues, shaping the communities where we live and work. The Maricopa County Government Complex remains a cornerstone of that legacy, a project that not only met the needs of its time but helped define the future of government facilities in Arizona and beyond. And with Kitchell still working alongside Maricopa County today, that tradition of excellence continues.

It was one of those quintessential spring days in Phoenix, Arizona—early March 1948. The sun gleamed in a vibrant blue sky, and the air carried the sweet scent of orange blossoms. To Sam and Betty Kitchell, a young couple driving west in search of opportunity, Phoenix looked far more inviting than the snowdrifts they’d left behind in Newbury, Massachusetts.

For Sam, the move westward was a defining moment, but it was Betty who planted the seed. “Our third child, Jon, had just been born, and the oldest wasn’t even three yet,” Sam recalled years later. “Betty looked up from her hospital bed and said, ‘Since I’m going to be raising a family and you want to be in construction, let’s get out of New England!’”

Sam, a World War II Navy veteran and Amherst College graduate, was ready for a fresh start. After serving as the skipper of a sub-chaser, he worked at a prefab housing company that went bankrupt. At 27, he was eager to move forward—and westward.

Initially, Phoenix was just a stopover on their way to California, but the city’s economy and sunshine proved irresistible. Locals welcomed the Kitchells with open arms, even if some quipped, “Too bad you didn’t come right after the war when things were really booming!” Despite that sentiment, the Valley of the Sun was still growing. Between 1940 and 1950, the population had surged by 75 percent, and the 1950s were set to double that growth.

Sam landed a job writing specifications and supervising construction projects for architect Ed Varney. Within a year, he was back in his preferred field as an estimator for J.R. Porter, a local building contractor.

But Sam’s entrepreneurial spirit truly took flight in late 1949, when Navy veteran and Harvard Business School graduate James B. Phillips offered to loan him $10,000 to start a construction company. On January 18, 1950, Kitchell-Phillips Contractors, Inc. was born in a modest two-room office above a steel fabricator south of downtown Phoenix.

Sam ran operations and estimating, Jim handled finances, and Betty took on the role of unpaid secretary. For three months, the fledgling company had no income—until they secured their first competitive bid: a Safeway supermarket.

That first year, the company built its foundation on relationships, securing school projects in Pinal County and additional Safeway stores. The focus on client relationships became a cornerstone of Kitchell’s long-term success. By year’s end, Kitchell-Phillips had posted $800,000 in sales and a $12,000 profit—a modest return, but an impressive 60-percent return on investment.

Challenges came quickly. Six months after founding the company, the Korean War halted civilian construction. Pivoting to military projects, Kitchell-Phillips won a $900,000 contract to rehabilitate the Tank Training Command at Camp Irwin in California. “The bid had 365 unit prices,” Sam recalled. “I handed it in, caught my breath, and heard someone say, ‘The lucky guy getting this job doesn’t know it’s just the tip of the iceberg.’”

The Camp Irwin project doubled in size during construction, reaching nearly $2 million. It kept Kitchell-Phillips busy into 1952 and solidified the company’s resilience and resourcefulness.

What began with a leap of faith, a borrowed $10,000, and a shared vision between Sam, Betty, and Jim grew into a legacy of innovation, collaboration, and success. Today, Kitchell stands as a testament to their determination and the spirit of opportunity that brought them west all those years ago.