By Madeline Bates | Daily Independent (abridged)
Tempe Mayor Corey Woods and Rio Salado College faculty director Ken Wilk were joined by Sundt Construction’s Eric Cylwik and 3D house entrepreneur Zach Mannheimer to discuss affordable housing with the Tempe Chamber of Commerce on Thursday morning.
The four discussed the issues of affordable housing that is impacting Tempe and communities across the country as prices rise and wages are being stretched to cover the cost of living.
“What you’re asking for is an inexpensive place to live, but it’s not inexpensive to build and we need to find better ways to make it so that costs aren’t as big of an issue,” said Cylwik.
Mannheimer, the CEO of Alquist 3D, has finished 3D-printed concrete homes in the southeast and plans to come to Arizona. He explained the process and that this innovation not only creates jobs, but also the ability to quickly make housing and commercial buildings. Alquist is one of three companies in the U.S. that is 3D printing buildings.
Alquist has a training program that can help anyone interested in 3D construction learn the basic concepts or learn a new trade that is less physically demanding.
Wilk, once a construction worker himself, said that with the rise in the trades and community college participation, students are often eager to get to the more complex areas and will often get frustrated, leading them to leave the industry.
Woods said one of the biggest issues in Tempe and many American communities is that some residents don’t want to see change, and are often excited to hear about new projects until those projects are in the neighborhoods where they reside.
The Tempe City Council has approved numerous housing projects in 2026, including an affordable housing complex called Dorsey Station, expected to create a 10,000-square -foot grocery store on the property to fill the need for a grocery store in the area.
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