Tempe Development Thread

[desertdj]

Even though we knew that it was going to happen for a while, this is still kinda sudden....

Harkins to close Centerpoint theater Sunday
Sarah McLellan
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 4, 2008 05:05 PM

The Harkins Centerpoint movie theater will close its doors for good Sunday.

The closure of the downtown Tempe theater near Mill Avenue and Sixth Street is the first step in redevelopment plans for Centerpoint on Mill.

The redevelopment project will revamp seven acres of the approximately 24-acre property in three phases over the next 10 years.

A new breakfast restaurant and a hotel headline the additions. 7th Heaven Eatery will open on Mill Avenue this summer and is the restaurant's third location in the Valley.

The restaurant, which currently has locations in Phoenix and Chandler, will offer a breakfast menu all day in addition to sandwiches, salads, burgers, international specialty dishes, smoothies, beer and wine.

The development of a major hotel with about 250 rooms and a 40,000-square-foot health club available for public use is also in the works, according to a press release.

The redevelopment plans also include a new plaza with retail and restaurant opportunities along with residential spaces.

This project does not affect Harkins Valley Art Theater, located further north on Mill Avenue.

Harkins decided to close the Centerpoint theater because of new theaters that have opened up in the surrounding area recently. Harkins opened a new multi-plex at Tempe Marketplace, near McClintock Drive and Loop 101, last year.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=3259946

[sundevilgrad]

Damn, I'm going to miss those theaters... The Tempe Marketplace is an absolute atrocity and is the main reason for the demise of the theater. I still can't believe Tempe leaders approved that horrible, suburban, new-age strip mall so close to Mill Ave. and the lifeblood of the city...

[KEVINphx]

I really don't think I can express how angry this makes me, especially considering I don't recall hearing any plans by the developer to include any sort of theater:hell: :hell: :hell:

[loftlovr]

It will be a long time before I come to grips with the decision to remove one of the main attractions to Mill Avenue.
Having that theater there was one of the most functional aspects of Mill Ave.

very sad day... :(

[Vicelord John]

I went to that theater once. It was a piece of shit.

small screens, not stadium seating, etc.

go to AZ center if you're so fucking concerned about where the theater is and stop whining.

[bwonger06]

i wont miss the theatre too much. Its crummy and I would rather watch movies at the cine capri. I liked the idea of changing it to something similar to camelview but i guess it was not meant to be.

They still have valley art downtown but i wish they could expand the place a little more to some more indie movies.

[Upward]

The issue isn't whether the Centerpoint is a nice theater (by the way, the expectation that EVERY theater has to be stadium-style is peculiar to Phoenix; no other city has such a large percentage of them). The issue is that there's no longer a theater (except for the one-screen Valley Art) in walking distance of the hub of Tempe's nightlife. Now you have to drive around to have dinner and a movie and a walk down Mill (unless you happen to want to see what's playing in the Valley Art), and that's undeniably a step backward for Tempe.

[exit2lef]

Mixed feelings about this. On one hand, going to the movies seems kind of quaint in the age of widescreen TVs and Netflix. Sure, I like to go out, but I prefer live events that require physical presence and face-to-face interaction (plays, concerts, etc.). With today's technology, movies can be as enjoyable in the home, if not more so, than in a theater.

On the other hand, this development confirms two conclusions I've reluctantly reached: 1) Harkins gets a lot of praise for being a locally based movie theater company, but if often seems to have turned its back on the core of the metro area. Increasingly, Harkins just seems to want to build new theaters in the outermost reaches of sprawlopolis while letting AMC concentrate on the Central Phoenix market. 2) As noted above, it was amazingly bad planning for the City of Tempe to allow Tempe Marketplace to go forward. It's an unpleasant, tacky experience of big box stores, chain restaurants, and huge parking lots that will bake in the summer -- but many will choose it over Mill due to exaggerated tales of parking woes Downtown.

[ciweiss]

It seems like DT Tempe is starting get rid of entertainment. This is to bad. I was hoping they could turn this theater into an eating/drinking theater like they have in Portland, OR. If you have been to one of those McMenamins it is a great place. You can catch a classic movie like bladerunner or star wars and drink a pitcher of beer and eat a burger. They bring the food to your table while you watch. And getting in was a doller or two. That is a fun place if you get up there.

A Dave and Busters might have been a good option for this area. The school kids could walk to this and enjoy. Seems odd to move the entertainment away from the area.

ps. Bladerunner is playing in the art theator on mill.

[exit2lef]

Bladerunner is playing in the art theator on mill.


Blade Runner closed January 3. Juno is now playing at Valley Art. I'm sorry I missed it. Blade Runner is one movie I'd like to see again in a theater, and Valley Art is so much nicer than a multiplex surrounded by parking lots.

[combusean]

Growing up, the Harkins was only worth going specifically as part of a night on the town at Mill. Today it feels half of that part of downtown is gone and the theater is history too. Tempe to its credit has several well capitalized developers concentrated rather than Phoenix's which run all over the place, so while I sorta miss Mill's yesteryear there's a striking chance the plans will of this project as well as a few select others will be worth it.

[loftlovr]

I went to that theater once. It was a piece of shit.

small screens, not stadium seating, etc.

go to AZ center if you're so fucking concerned about where the theater is and stop whining.

I know you have been called this over and over, and it does little good- but you're an asshole Vandercook. Go to AZ Center in Downtown Phx instead?
Instead of a theater in Tempe when I live close by?

The point is that Mill Ave is losing its theater. Just like how maybe you'd feel if the AZ Center theater was removed.
Everyone has a right to their opinion. It is very easy to hide behind your widdol computer and insult everyone. Ever tried just being friendly?

Think before you post.

[HooverDam]

Mixed feelings about this. On one hand, going to the movies seems kind of quaint in the age of widescreen TVs and Netflix. Sure, I like to go out, but I prefer live events that require physical presence and face-to-face interaction (plays, concerts, etc.). With today's technology, movies can be as enjoyable in the home, if not more so, than in a theater.


As a film major, I must protest! :P Cinema is a social experience, or as one of my professors always said "film is a group hallucination." I find movies, especially comedies, infinitely more enjoyable with a good size crowd.

I agree about your criticism of Harkins. Being both a lover of film, an a lover of urban life in the Valley, I've often dreamt of ideas for urban theaters in the Valley.

For instance, with Phoenix's large Hispanic population, does anyone think there could be a market for a theater that showed Spanish language films? I'd think in an area like that around 16th St/Roosevelt (or wherever the densest population of Hispanics is), a small cineplex of perhaps 4 screens that specialized in Spanish films would do well.

I also wish Phoenix had something comparable to LA's "New Beverly Cinema" (http://www.newbevcinema.com) which is a revival/grindhouse theater. The old Jewish Synagauge at 333 E Portland would be perfect for a usage like this. A single screen theater that did late night showings Thurs-Sun, and did double features of related revival films (i.e. show "Omega Man" and "Soilent Green" one week).

I'd also love to see a regular art theater in downtown Phoenix (there has been rumor of a "Sundance" theater in Jackson St). A place that showed films like "Juno," "The Savages," etc would be a welcome addition to the Central City. Its a bit of a joke that a metropolitan area of our size only has 2 art house theaters. It would be amazing if a theater like this could be housed in a rehabbed version of the old shell of a church on the NW Corner of Monroe and 3rd Ave (this would also help make Monroe a really cool corridor). The parking lot directly North of the church could perhaps house 2 additional screens (though I suppose that wouldn't leave any room for parking, unless a deal w/ a nearby garage could be worked out).


I would also like to see less super megaplexes (places with 16+ screens), and more 'neighborhood theaters' with 4-10 screens. I suppose thats been determined to be an unprofitable model, but I think more theaters with fewer screens that are integrated better into their neighborhoods (i.e. not set back into Tempe Marketplace like abortions) would be fantastic. Perhaps some of these could be 'dinner and a movie' style theaters, which Phoenix also seems to be lacking in (there is something like it in a strip center in Scottsdale, but they don't show first run films or old classics, they show the stuff thats at the $1 theaters).

When I was in St Louis there was a great neighborhood theater called the Hi Point Theater which also had an adjacent bar and music venue that was a great point of pride for the neighborhood and really gave its area a sense of place (something that most of the Valley lacks).

Anyway, enough of my derail...back to Tempe stuff. Feel free to steal my million dollar ideas (or just give me the money to make them happen :P)

[tempedude]

The Harkins CenterPoint theater has been a key element of downtown Tempe for some time now, I am sad to see it go. :(

I thought that it should have remained. Albeit, maybe renovated and incorporated back into the new CenterPoint plan. But with the new Harkins theaters at Tempe Marketplace, that is probably asking too much.

[exit2lef]

As a film major, I must protest! :P Cinema is a social experience, or as one of my professors always said "film is a group hallucination." I find movies, especially comedies, infinitely more enjoyable with a good size crowd.


In an ideal world, I'd agree. I have great memories of a group adrenaline rush when as a kid I saw movies like "Jaws," "Star Wars," and "Aliens" in crowded theaters. Unfortunately, these days the theater experience is often so unpleasant that Netflix seems the better choice. Putting aside issues of sprawlish multiplexes vs. charming neighborhood cinemas, movie theater behavior and cleanliness sometimes seem like a lost cause. It's bad enough to have to listen to people in the audience talking on cell phones or to one another, but when the theater isn't even clean, it's pretty gross. The last time I saw a movie in a theater -- at an AMC in Ahwatukee -- there was popcorn all over the seats from the last audience. None of the slacker staff had bothered to clean up between shows.

I like all your ideas for smaller cinemas, but I don't know how viable they are. I'm glad to hear that repertory cinema is still alive in L.A. I didn't know it existed anywhere after the legendary Thalia closed in New York. One small bit of hope: The Phoenix Art Museum has a nice film program (www.phxart.org/events/eventsfilmmore.asp). That might be an option for serious film buffs.

[sundevilgrad]

Vandercook - AZ Center doesn't even compare. Not to mention I live in 85281.

[Vicelord John]

Loftlovr and sundevilgrad,

There is a mighty nice theater at Tempe Marketplace. My point about AZ Center was that if you want an "urban" theater, you still have one that is a gazillion times nicer than centerpoint. TM, has that new harkins which kicks ass as well.

If this were a decent theater, I could understand the crying about it closing, but it wasn't, it was a piece of shit! I watched Kicking and Screaming there on a date once and thought I was going to get herpes/hepatitis/everyotherstdknowntoman just by walking in there.

/end rant.

and yeah, I'm an asshole, what of it? I wasn't calling you out, so don't get your panties in a twist. I was simply making a point that why cry about something closing when you have something 100000 times better within 5 minutes?

[KEVINphx]

The fucking point is not that there is a theatre within a short drive, why would someone on an urban forum not understand frustration with removing a movie theater from the core of a city? Sure, I can drive to Tempe Marketplace, but why would I want to get back in my car when there are shops, restaurants and bars all around me downtown.... the get in my car to see a movie? The theater was cheaper too for tickets until about 4-6 months ago, so the price reflected the quality of the theater.

[wissundevil06]

The whole matter is there was not a huge demand for the cinema. When you don't have a huge demand, then you will find that people will try to invent new ideas to attract more people in hopes that a new idea will spark new interests.

[THannay]

7th Heaven is terrible and overpriced. There's one here at the Esplanade and I don't think anyone would be sad to see it go.

[Locofresh55]

Loftlovr and sundevilgrad,

There is a mighty nice theater at Tempe Marketplace. My point about AZ Center was that if you want an "urban" theater, you still have one that is a gazillion times nicer than centerpoint. TM, has that new harkins which kicks ass as well.

If this were a decent theater, I could understand the crying about it closing, but it wasn't, it was a piece of shit! I watched Kicking and Screaming there on a date once and thought I was going to get herpes/hepatitis/everyotherstdknowntoman just by walking in there.

/end rant.

and yeah, I'm an asshole, what of it? I wasn't calling you out, so don't get your panties in a twist. I was simply making a point that why cry about something closing when you have something 100000 times better within 5 minutes?

I think there should be an initiation where you get 5-10 nasty posts from Vandercook and your reaction will determine whether or not you pass. I say let the man be a prick....it keeps us entertained.

[andrewkfromaz]

I don't think losing Centerpoint will be the end of the world. I just hope they tear it down/get working on whatever is going in its place in short order.

Mill Ave. will have a theater again someday, just wait and see. It may not be as convenient as Centerpoint was, but hopefully it'll be a lot nicer.

[loftlovr]

I am open to all arguments and I can see other points of view-

But how much would a decent remodel have cost for that theater?

Tempe Marketplace is very cool (I know I will take heat since it is a suburban idea) but it is damn convenient and has so many cool places and the college students are eating it up.... And yes- the theater there is very nice.

But when I used to live at The Vale in Tempe, my favorite thing to do was to hop over to Mill and walk around, shopping, eating and always ending in a movie. Kind of like the Esplanade theater to the Biltmore area. Convenient.

Now I'd have to go to Tempe Marketplace which requires a drive and a shopping mall like experience. It removes me from the organic Mill Avenue experience.

I will get over it- I just really liked that feature and amenity for Mill.

It looks like most disagree with me but maybe not if you lived within a mile...

[Don B.]

I can see both sides of the argument. I myself have been to Centerpoint a half dozen times and I thought it was a decent movie venue. Not the best, but certainly serviceable, and it helped make DT Tempe walkable. I can certainly see where losing these theaters hurts downtown Tempe.

On the other hand, once Tempe Marketplace was proposed and built, I knew it would be the death knell for Centerpoint. It was too small to economically compete with Marketplace, and Harkins is in the business of making money, not running a charity operation. I wish they would take more chances but perhaps they are missing the boat on this one, and thus leaving an opportunity for someone else more creative to step in.

Certainly, getting in and out of Marketplace is a cakewalk compared to the relative zoo of Mill Avenue. As a commuter student to ASU from 2001 to 2004, I spent way too much time sitting in traffic in Tempe and fighting my way through the narrow congested streets because Tempe is deliberately trying to make it hostile for automobile drivers, not to mention fighting and paying the plethora of parking tickets Tempe issued during my tenure there. I just got back from San Francisco and traffic there makes Tempe look like Apache Junction, so everything is relative, I suppose.

It is what it is, though. Life is too short to dwell on it. Let's move on. Perhaps another theater will come along when Tempe builds up more. :)

--don

[HooverDam]

I wonder if down the road AMC will attempt to open a theater on/near Mill, I don't think they have a theater anywhere near there.

[exit2lef]

I wonder if down the road AMC will attempt to open a theater on/near Mill, I don't think they have a theater anywhere near there.

Wouldn't surprise me. AMC seems more comfortable with urban theaters in which customers park in a garage or on the street -- like its current theaters at Arizona Center and the Esplanade. Harkins, on the other hand, seems to like sprawl and surface parking these days. Besides Arizona Center, the closest AMCs to Tempe are central Mesa (Stapley & US60) and Ahwatukee, so a Tempe site wouldn't compete with existing theaters. If only AMC could match Harkins in terms of customer service, movie selection, and theater cleanliness.

Basically, I see it as the following:

Harkins = good theaters in mediocre locations
AMC = inferior theaters in better locations

[Phoenix22]

When are they building the Le Meridien hotel in Tempe?

[PhxSprawler]

When are they building the Le Meridien hotel in Tempe?

I thought it was already under construction, but could be wrong. Their web site (http://www.starwoodhotels.com/corporate/new_star_props.html?regionName=all&brandCode=MD) claims it opens in August, 2009.

[andrewkfromaz]

http://www.haydenferrylakeside.com/images/HFLMasterPlanwithlabels_001.jpg
http://www.haydenferrylakeside.com/images/LeMeridienRendering_000.jpg

[Phoenix22]

I thought it was already under construction, but could be wrong. Their web site (http://www.starwoodhotels.com/corporate/new_star_props.html?regionName=all&brandCode=MD) claims it opens in August, 2009.

Thanks,

I did not know that was the Meridien building

[tempedude]

Currently...the Bridgewater and the Edgewater along with office tower I and II, and the parking structure with the loft offices are constructed. No signs of the Meridien as of yet. I would have thought that they would have begun construction by now, but have heard nothing about it for awhile.

[wissundevil06]

Saw something new. The inside "inside" of Lumina has been fenced off.

[HX_Guy]

That's horrible about the Harkins on Mill. Really the only time I ever go (went) to Mill was to catch a movie then then walk to one of the nearby restaurants on Mill to grab something to eat and sort of get my "urban" fix. With the theater gone, I don't see going to Mill much if at all anymore.

[exit2lef]

That's horrible about the Harkins on Mill. Really the only time I ever go (went) to Mill was to catch a movie then then walk to one of the nearby restaurants on Mill to grab something to eat and sort of get my "urban" fix. With the theater gone, I don't see going to Mill much if at all anymore.

I agree, but one positive note is that Valley Art is still open. In fact, I decided to go to Valley Art this past weekend despite my earlier words about not going out to the movies much anymore. Harkins is at least keeping that theater in good condition.

[azsunsurfer]

Yes it is unfortunate that the theater is gone now but I believe that if a full cineplex returns to Mill in the future it should be like that of what they have done in Hollywood's redevelopment, an archlight, which is a very highend movie theater. I know it is not student friendly but based on the demographics they are trying to lure I think it would work best. Also does anyone know what is going on with Office tower three at hayden?

[Phoenix22]

Currently...the Bridgewater and the Edgewater along with office tower I and II, and the parking structure with the loft offices are constructed. No signs of the Meridien as of yet. I would have thought that they would have begun construction by now, but have heard nothing about it for awhile.

I would have thought so too.
for some resaon Tempe is going so slow on the projects.
I read about a lot of project, but I don't see them except for centerpoint.

I don't know what happen with ONYX tower, the pier 202, and a lot more.

Someone posted a status on those projects last year, and I think that by now, some of them would have been in Construction, but nothing yet, including the Le Meridien

I think Glendale is moving faster, even the dodger stadium spring training facitliy is under construction, very soon it will be Main street, viall villagio, Zanjero district, Westgate is going fast.
and much more

[JAHOPL]

Tempe gives OK for Monti's towers
Garin Groff, Tribune, January 11, 2008

"Tempe finally approved plans for three towers next to the historic Monti's La Casa Vieja on Thursday.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/106338

Graphic: See the location and layout of the building
Video: See a video of the history of Monti's La Casa Vieja in Tempe
View a slideshow of the building

The City Council unanimously approved the 1.1-million-square-foot hotel and condo project following months of controversy and changes to the proposal at Thursday night's meeting.

Tony Wall of Scottsdale-based 3W Companies said he will first build a hotel along Mill Avenue while restoring the historic La Casa Vieja. He said he would later build two condo towers rising 257 feet.

The first version of the plan would have placed a 300-foot tower directly above the historic La Casa Vieja, which triggered preservationists to blast the plan. The adobe structure likely would have crumbled during construction, critics said, or at least be obscured by piers supporting the tower.

Wall then backed the tower away from the adobe structure and won praise from former critics though neighboring landowner US Airways called for a "good neighbor height" of 225 feet. Tempe's elected officials had blasted the airline as a bully for refusing to agree to various concessions offered.

La Casa Vieja was built in 1871 by Tempe founder Charles Trumbull Hayden. The house also served as a general store, boarding house and community gathering place. It's the Valley's oldest continuously occupied building, often called the most significant historic structure in the metropolitan area."

257 feet would be about the same height as the shorter of the two Centerpoint towers.

[desertdj]

Here is the wordy-er version of the story...

High-rise Monti's project unanimously approved
Dianna M. Náñez
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 11, 2008 09:45 AM

Generations of Monti's La Casa Vieja-goers wearing yellow "Save Monti's" stickers on their chests flooded Thursday's Tempe City Council meeting.

The group of about 50 supporters packed council chambers and erupted in emotion when the council unanimously approved redevelopment of the property that includes the historic stucco building that houses the restaurant, making way for three high-rise towers restricted to a maximum height of 257 feet each.

The new construction will be set back from and surround the existing stucco structure.

Michael Monti, flanked by his wife Christen, nearly 1-year-old daughter Sofia and 82-year-old mother Shirley, showed signs of stress after a months-long battle. His eyes welled with tears as he expressed relief following the meeting.

"Every single occasion in my life was in some way celebrated at Monti's - my wife and I were married there," he said. "It's a legacy for my family. I didn't want Monti's to just fade away."

Monti and his business partner Eddie Goitia hope to begin restoration of the original adobe structure and retool the courtyard area for outside dining and music within the next eight months.

The vote put an end to a fierce clash between US Airways and developer Tony Wall of 3W Companies over buildings heights, making way for an approximately 1.1 million-square-foot hotel, condo and commercial project at the intersection of Mill Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway.

Wall said the deal brokered between the parties was "the best thing for Tempe."

"Fifty years from now what's on that corner is going to be the same as what's on that corner today," he said. "The next step is to take our design plans to the Design Review Commission."

Wall said he expected to have plans ready within the next 60 days.

Monti said he and Goitia chose to sell the property to Wall because the developer agreed to preserve the historic structure, which Monti's father Leonard purchased in 1954. Leonard Monti died in 1997.

Monti said the approval of the project provides financial freedom for his and Goitia's families from a waning restaurant market. They will continue to operate the steak house under a lease agreement.

The adobe structure was built as Charles Trumbull Hayden's family home in approximately 1871. It is thought to be the oldest continuously occupied structure the Valley and is the birthplace of former Senator Carl Hayden, according to the Tempe Historical Museum.

The building is a link to the past for many longtime Tempe residents. Councilwoman Shana Ellis told the audience Thursday that she and her sister once worked as waitresses at the restaurant and Mayor Hugh Hallman said his father worked as busboy at the site before the Monti family purchased it.

Some now consider the historic building key to the revitalization of downtown Tempe.

Wall said the lot is a gateway into the Mill Avenue District for people living and working in the new businesses and residential developments on the banks of Town Lake.

The project seemed stalled after a contentious council meeting last month.

US Airways claimed Wall's proposal to erect buildings up to 325 feet tall could jeopardize flight operations. Attorneys for US Airways lobbied the buildings not exceed 225 feet. However, the Federal Aviation Administration wrote a letter stating that buildings up to 300 feet would not pose a threat to aircraft navigation.

A legal protest filed by US Airways last month triggered a super-majority vote requirement at the Dec. 13 council meeting, meaning six of seven council members had to vote in favor of the project in order for it to be approved. Fearing he did not have the votes, the developer asked that the vote be postponed until Thursday's meeting.

Paul Gilbert, an attorney for the developer, said the airlines and his client had met several times since last month's heated row.

When Gilbert went before the council Thursday he said he had the support of US Airways this time.

The deal will allow Wall to erect a 257-foot building; a 252-foot building and a third building that will not exceed 257 feet.

Airlines attorney Stephen Earle donned a "Save Monti's" sticker when he approached the council Thursday. The sticker highlighted the airlines about-face on the project and drew laughter.

Following the meeting, Earle said as a 30-year resident of Tempe he was pleased to see an end to a battle between neighboring local businesses.

"The time we had to work on (the deal) let the parties focus on what they needed, not what they wanted," he said.

Gilbert said Wall gave a number of concessions to see the development approved.

"In my opinion he didn't have to give up what he did, but he did to it to make it a success," he said.

Nobody at the meeting spoke out against the project.

[Phxbyrd211]

I think it's horse crap that the FAA allowed 300' and US Air still tried to block that and force them in 257'. Has the FAA ever been considered a libertarian, free-wheeling institution?

[PhxSprawler]

I think it's horse crap that the FAA allowed 300' and US Air still tried to block that and force them in 257'. Has the FAA ever been considered a libertarian, free-wheeling institution?

It seems like U.S. Air should have scrapped their plans and built their addition to 301' if they were concerned about aesthetics. I thought their gripe was over the safety of their planes, not a plea for a "good neighbor" policy because they share a city block.

[Phxbyrd211]

I usually pull for US Air but this whole debacle makes me hope after we come out of the recession Gordon puts together the sweetest deal in history to lure Southwest to Phoenix so it can stomp on their heads.

[desertdj]

Business says goodbye after 35 years in Tempe
Another sign of Mill Ave officially losing it.


Dianna M. Náñez
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 11, 2008 01:45 PM
Those Were The Days, a beloved downtown Tempe bookstore, is closing after 35 years of business.

Victor and Vicki Linoff's eclectic books and antiques store will begin closing immediately and selling off merchandise at a discount.

The Linoffs' sent out a written statement Friday thanking their loyal customers and letting them know that "the decision to close was extremely difficult . . . after three-and-a-half decades, it is now time to shutter the store and move on to other things."

Those Were The Days is located at 516 South Mill Ave.

[vertex]

^^^Damn, 35 years. I wonder how much the rent is going to increase after they move out. Will another home-spun business be able to afford to take its' place, or will we see another chain?

[JAHOPL]

A bit more info. Looks like there are plans for the owner to renovate the space and lease.

Longtime Tempe antique shop closes on Mill Ave

David Woodfill, Tribune, January 12

Those Were the Days!, a 35-year-old antique store and fixture in downtown Tempe, closed its doors today.

Vic Linoff, co-owner of Mill Avenue’s longest-operating retailer, said it was time for him and his wife to move on to the next phase of their lives.

“This was not an easy decision to come to,” he said. “You reach a point in life were you still have a lot of ideas – and my brain never stops going – but you slow down in terms of energy.”

Linoff said he and his wife, Vicki, will maintain ownership of the 101-year-old building, but will lease the store’s space to a new independent business owner.

“We would like to provide that opportunity that was provided to us,” he said.

He said he won’t lease the shop to a national chain because he wants to offer incubator space for another upstart business owner to gain a foothold in the downtown area. Nor will any restaurants open in the space, Linoff said, because he feels there area already too many eateries downtown

The couple’s plan for the building includes a new courtyard in a back alley that will link the historic structure to several future shops spaces. The duo also plan to remove additions to the building that aren’t part of the original architecture.

[HX_Guy]

We'll see...

It's happened more then once that a building owner says they will hold on to a building and not give in to a national retailer only to change their mind later when they see the money they can make.

One instance that comes to mind is the Trombetta Bros. warehouse in downtown Phoenix. They didn't sell out to any chains, but they bought the building, saying they would move their company there because the warehouse was such a great and important structure...only to see it listed on MLS a couple months later at a much higher price then they payed for it.

[PhxSprawler]

I may be alone here, but that would be a great place for Tempe's first "alternative" bar.

[KEVINphx]

I may be alone here, but that would be a great place for Tempe's first "alternative" bar.

elaborate

[sundevilgrad]

elaborate

I think he means something that isn't like The Library, Rula Bula, Mill Ave. Cue Club, Fat Tuesday's, etc., etc... Maybe something like a nice wine bar?...

[PhxSprawler]

What I really mean is that the nightlife in Tempe is primarily aimed at sports fans and horny heterosexual college students.

The Mill District is noticeably missing wine bars, Latin clubs, jazz clubs, and gay bars (which is what I was referring to by "alternative").

[KEVINphx]

What I really mean is that the nightlife in Tempe is primarily aimed at sports fans and horny heterosexual college students.

The Mill District is noticeably missing wine bars, Latin clubs, jazz clubs, and gay bars (which is what I was referring to by "alternative").

I see, I would have just said GAY BAR lol but yeah, I definitely agree! Too many sports and hetero bars for sure.

[PhxSprawler]

Light-rail could spark Apache Blvd. renewal
Kerry Fehr-Snyder
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 12, 2008 07:01 AM

In five years or so, light-rail commuters may be able to drop off their dry cleaning, pick up groceries and grab a cup of coffee at a train station near Apache Boulevard and Dorsey Lane in Tempe.

The area, dominated by cars, is expected to be reborn as a "walkable area" where stores front the street and cars are relegated to a back parking lot.

At least, that's the vision of Tempe planners and others who promote transit-oriented development that draw mixed-use residential or commercial projects along the 20-mile starter light-rail line that begins service in December. The question planners need to answer, said Arizona State University planning professor Ruth Yabes, is "What kind of mixed-use development is necessary to have a thriving system?"

Yabes led a group of students in ASU's architecture and environmental design college last year to study transit-oriented development along the Camelback corridor for Phoenix. The corridor is bounded by Colter Street on the north, Seventh Street on the east, Pierson Street on the south and 22nd Avenue on the west.

The class recommended, among other things, that Phoenix:

• Change the current zoning along the corridor to include mixed-use developments.

• Increase parking and parking garages with ground-floor retail and business space at light-rail stations.

• Incorporate varying height and density of one to 20 stories to promote pedestrian traffic and train ridership.

• Include transitional spaces to blend large-scale development with residential areas to create a "step-back" effect.

• Create plazas, courtyards, urban parks, public art and other public spaces that form a sense of community.

• Implement affordable housing policies and encourage a mixture of income and race/ethnicity.

• Install speed bumps, traffic circles and other traffic-calming devices, while expanding bike paths.

• Enhance streetscapes by planting trees and landscaping and adding benches.

The study, which was finalized in December, is similar to what Tempe is paying a private consultant to do. The Tempe study has not yet been released.

Yabes, who lives in Tempe, said the planning class attempted to set the stage for what is known as transit-oriented development around an expensive public project.

"Cities have to make commitments" to make light-rail projects attract riders and shoppers to nearby commercial developments, Yabes said.

"If the feds (federal government) are kicking in that amount ($1.4 billion), the whole system is probably worth $4.1 billion."

To be sure, there has been $4.2 billion worth of commercial development proposed or being built around the starter line's 28 stations, according to an informal review by city planners and the Metro.

"What you want in terms of businesses are the kinds of things that get you out of your car," Yabes said.

She said that most people will walk five to 10 minutes, although 10 minutes "is pushing it, especially in Arizona's hot summer."

What's tricky is meshing high-rise commercial developments with pedestrian-friendly areas and residential neighborhoods.

"People don't want office workers looking into their backyards," she said. "Even if they don't sunbathe nude, they want the option."

In Tempe, light-rail finally may transform Apache Boulevard into a more attractive area, Yabes said.

"Apache is kind of interesting in that regard because it's surrounded by single-family homes," she said. "If Tempe can be accused of having a red-light district, it's on Apache between Price and McClintock.

"They've been trying to redevelop Apache for years. I think this is finally going to be what kicks it in."

Don Cassano, chairman of the Tempe Transportation Commission, said he already sees Apache transforming and property values rising with light-rail development.

Cassano said he's toured light-rail systems in Denver, San Diego and Portland to see what kind of businesses work best around light-rail stations. They include dry cleaners, florists, shoe repair shops and coffee shops, he said.

"It's going to be the kind of stuff that's more service oriented, the grab-and-go businesses," he said.

Tempe adopted a transportation overlay district three years ago to encourage more pedestrians around light-rail stations, said Jyme Sue McClaren, Tempe's deputy public works manager.

"No car washes, auto-related uses are restricted, no drive-throughs, no (plant) nurseries," she said.

Instead, the city is encouraging the building of dry cleaners, coffee shops, retail stores, day-care centers, bookstores, service-oriented businesses and "things that you may see on Mill Avenue, like pedestrian-scale restaurants, neighborhood grocery stores," she said.

Stores also should front the sidewalks and parking lots should be placed at the side or back of a development, McClaren said.

Jack Wierzenski, director of economic development and planning for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit System, said most developments around light-rail stations have increased property values.

"There's a perception that bad things are going to happen, and bad things never happen," he said.

Ram Pendyala, an ASU professor in civil and environmental engineering specializing in transportation systems, agreed and said that he expects to see a variety of mixed-use projects with apartments, condos and businesses "that cater to people's personal errands."

He said that successful light-rail systems foster a reciprocal relationship between riders and businesses.

"It's definitely a two-way relationship there, definitely a synergy there," he said.

[sundevilgrad]

Wow, that's exactly what Phoenix needs to do...

[andrewkfromaz]

"People don't want office workers looking into their backyards," she said. "Even if they don't sunbathe nude, they want the option."
Classic Ruth quote. She is hilarious and I loved her and (most of) the classes I had with her. Was this project the junior planning studio? Sounds much better than my junior studio, and they did a pretty good job as well.

[PhxSprawler]

:previous: That is a classic Ruth quote! I loved her too, although the planning subjects she taught were horribly boring topics.

That area of Apache is very interesting. It has never been very attractive between Rural and Price, making it a prime area to show what TOD overlays can do for a city.

[loftlovr]

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=3284980

Tempe photos posted.

[andrewkfromaz]

Yeah I think Apache is a real opportunity area for TOD, certainly we can expect some drastic changes over the next few years, provided Tempe's zoning and development procedures work for the corridor.

I think Ruth's comment about NIMBYism over-simplifies the situation. I believe Tempe residents in particular realize that high-rises next to a single-family residential district is simply bad urbanism, nude sunbathing or not. The concept of a buffer, of less-intense uses transitioning towards more intense uses, is not only more friendly towards us nudists, (I slay myself) but towards a whole host of other users.

[tempedude]

January 19, 2008 - 4:50AM
ASU powers forward with solar plans
Ed Taylor, Tribune

With its bright sunny location and hundreds of thousands of square feet of flat rooftops, Arizona State University wants to move into solar energy in a big way.

The university has received seven proposals to solarize large portions of the Tempe campus, a project that eventually could provide up to 15 percent of ASU’s electricity needs.

Thursday was the deadline to submit proposals, and ASU officials had not yet had a chance to study them in detail by Friday. The plans will be submitted next week to a selection committee, which will make a decision on which plan to accept, said Dave Brixen, assistant vice president, capital and facilities services.

He said the university plans to move quickly on the project. ASU officials see it as a chance to stimulate the solar industry in Arizona, demonstrate what can be done on a large scale and serve as a model for other institutions.

“What is important to us is to take a comprehensive approach to energy issues, not just in research but having operations that reflect the same goals,” said Dr. Jonathan Fink, director of ASU’s Global Institute on Sustainability.

ASU officials envision a project that would be among the largest solar efforts in the state. They believe there is sufficient space on flat rooftops and parking garages at the Tempe campus to generate between 4 and 7 megawatts. A solar power farm operated by Tucson Electric Power near Springerville produces about 4.6 megawatts.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/106952

[hi123]

Any renderings of what is being built here?

http://members.cox.net/cweiss72/air1.jpg

[sundevilgrad]

I believe that will be the 10-story building that US Air is building. I think there is a rendering way back in this thread...

[hi123]

Ok thanks , I'll try to find it. Also have le meridien or the mosaic started real construction yet?

[sundevilgrad]

No.

[vertex]

Ok thanks , I'll try to find it. Also have le meridien or the mosaic started real construction yet?

:haha: :haha: :haha: :ahhh: :ahhh: :laugh: :laugh:

[desertdj]

Mosaic did a press release today---
I know that they are just trying to hype up the project and make some more sales so they can start construction but at least you know they are shooting for a 2008 ground breakin lol! We'll see if that can hold up!

MOSAIC Brings Urban Living to Downtown Tempe

Print article
Refer to a friend
2008-01-23 13:50:26 - With its plethora of trendy restaurants, hip nightlife, cultural arts, museums and offices, and the 2008 Super Bowl, the city of Tempe is the true epitome of the coveted "Urban Living Lifestyle."


Tempe, AZ,Jan,23,2008 -- The distinctly, urban, and up and coming city of Tempe, AZ has quickly become one of the most sought after destinations in the Southwest. With its plethora of trendy restaurants, hip nightlife, cultural arts, museums and offices, and the 2008 Super Bowl, the city of Tempe is the true epitome of the coveted "Urban Living Lifestyle."

Within
the heart of the thriving city will be MOSAIC, an urban, 23 story mecca encompassing 239 sprawling residential units, including 50 sleek city flats, 6 elegant town homes, 174 Tower Condominiums, and 9 luxurious penthouses each tastefully designed with the truly stylish and trendy, urban professional in mind. From the modern lines, plush décor, and stellar wood finishes, MOSAIC will truly be a landmark for luxurious and relaxed, urban living.

Developed by Kowallis Mackey LaMar Development LLC, the renowned team who have helped define the 'gold standard- in vertical, mixed use projects, MOSAIC is set to break ground in 2008. Featuring a rooftop terrace for residents to relax and enjoy the resort-style pool and offering breathtaking views of the city skyline, KML Development and MOSAIC will offer residents both fun and function in their own backyard compliments of their state-of-the-art spa, outdoor barbeque, outdoor fireplace, and resident lounge with big screen plasma TV, plush lounge seating, game table, private dining, and catering kitchen.

Of note, the Development is proud to be the first ever condominium development in Arizona to house a Whole Foods Market and Café within the building. The prestigious brand, which is the world's largest retailer of natural and organic brands, will offer residents the convenience and luxury of organic and locally grown produce, top quality meat and seafood, fine wines, a nationally recognized specialty cheese selection, and a wide variety of earth-friendly products right at their doorstep.

The esteemed Whole Foods Market will feature fully-functioning, wood-fired pizza kitchen, gourmet deli, bakery, sushi bar offering the freshest seafood and trained Sushi artisans, Coffee Bar/Café where guests can begin their day, and prepared meal section offering pre-made, gourmet meals.

For the individual who wants more, MOSAIC in downtown Tempe is designed to give them exactly that. From the convenience of the in-house Whole Foods Market to ease the hustle and bustle of the everyday, the convenient location in the heart of all of the action placing residents just steps away from the office, the shops, or even the nightclub, and the luxuriousness of an onsite-concierge service and top of the line amenities, Mosaic will truly give residents everything they want.PressRelease Distribution By PressReleasePoint(www.pressreleasepoint.com)


For further inquiries, please visit: www.mosaictempe.com/

MEDIA CONTACT:

Kia Zalewski
Americas Media Group
Miami, FL
united states
306-856-1981
kia@americasmediagroup.com
www.mosaictempe.com/


Contact Information:
Americas Media Group



Contact Person:
Kia Zalewski
media person
Phone: 306-856-1981
email: email

Web: http://www.mosaictempe.com/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Press Information:
Americas Media Group

[JimInCal]

I like how they claim the Super Bowl for Tempe. The PR group is from Miami; what do they know. :sly:

[KEVINphx]

What the hell is up with the sentence structure in that article?!

:
Within
the heart of the thriving city will be MOSAIC, an urban, 23 story mecca encompassing 239 sprawling residential units, including 50 sleek city flats, 6 elegant town homes, 174 Tower Condominiums, and 9 luxurious penthouses each tastefully designed with the truly stylish and trendy, urban professional in mind. From the modern lines, plush décor, and stellar wood finishes, MOSAIC will truly be a landmark for luxurious and relaxed, urban living.

[jvbahn]

It's almost as if it were written in German then translated using Babelfish.

[desertdj]

lol i just skimed through it before but yeah that is pretty bad. they should hire me for their P.R.!

[sundevilgrad]

I'm not holding my breath for a 2008 groundbreaking. After all, didn't they have their official "ground breaking" ceremony in September 2007?

[tempedude]

lol i just skimed through it before but yeah that is pretty bad. they should hire me for their P.R.!

haha yes they should. Whoever wrote that needs a lesson in grammar.

Can you say really long run on sentences?

[PhxSprawler]

I'm not holding my breath for a 2008 groundbreaking. After all, didn't they have their official "ground breaking" ceremony in September 2007?

They sure did! I believe they even mentioned their September groundbreaking in the December U.S. Airways in-flight magazine. I'll scan and post their ad the next time I fly- if they are still advertising in February.

[tempedude]

A fine crisp January morning looking towards downtown Tempe from the Mill Ave. bridge.

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/6452/0124080848up7.jpg

[desertdj]

That project designed by Bruder on the S.E. Mill & University would be offically dead since that was where they were planning to move the business school.

New business, nursing buildings approved

by Daniel Newhauser
published on Friday, January 25, 2008


advertisement
Two key proposals were unanimously approved on Thursday that may result in the expansion of ASU facilities both in Tempe and Downtown Phoenix.

At its Jan. 24 meeting at UA, the Arizona Board of Regents, the governing body of Arizona's public universities, gave ASU consent to proceed with preliminary planning for a new 370,000-square-foot, $150 million building for the W.P. Carey School of Business in Tempe. The site of the building will be where tennis courts are currently located, north of the Student Recreation Complex.

"We need a new set of facilities [with] better classrooms, better learning environment, better social environment for the students to hang out," said ASU President Michael Crow. "Also, the school's bigger, so there's more space for the faculty and staff."

Carey School Executive Dean Phil Regier said the lack of improvements to the business school during the last two decades have put them at a competitive disadvantage.

"We want to be a world-class business school and we need facilities that display that," Regier said.

He said the current structure is too small and is cramping students, professors and researchers.

Regier said he hopes to break ground on the new school within two years and move in within four.

However, for planning to be allowed to continue beyond its initial stages, $50 million will first need to be gathered from private and business donations, said Ernest Calderón, regent and chair of the Capital Committee.

"Every time Dr. Crow has said he's going to raise the money, he's done it," Calderón said.

Crow said the likelihood of finding the donors is high, but added, "We're not there yet."

The remaining $100 million in building costs will be split between ASU and the business school itself. Money will likely be drawn from out-of-state ASU student fees and MBA night school student tuition, said Calderón.

However, Crow said undergraduate tuition will not be affected.

The Regents also approved the lease of space in Phoenix to erect a new 84,000-square-foot building for the College of Nursing and Healthcare Innovation.

"There's a nursing shortage," Calderón said. "So that's a good thing to have."

What is set to be the third nursing school building in Phoenix will make use of the last of the 2004 bonds allotted to expand ASU to its Downtown campus — a total of $19 million.

That money, however, would have only provided for a three-story building, Crow said, and the city of Phoenix preferred that a higher structure occupy their downtown real estate.

To compromise, Phoenix has put up an extra $10 million to finance the construction of two extra floors. In exchange, the city plans to lease out the top floor to non-ASU tenants.

After the nursing school has expanded to a sufficient number of students, Crow added, ASU will occupy the final floor.

The building is set to open in 2009.


http://www.asuwebdevil.com/issues/2008/01/25/news/703266

[vertex]

Why the hell doesn't ASU dip into that half-billion dollar endowment to help fund the business school construction, rather than charge the students even more?

[PhxSprawler]

:previous: Agreed! WP Carey students already pay a $250 per semester premium fee to be in the program.

[vertex]

Ouch!

[ciweiss]

Wow - things have really slowed down. Looks like the new building at Hayden Ferry is finally done. They are putting in the finishing touches (Landscaping etc.) It will be interesting to see when they start the next building as well as the hotel. I thought they were going to break ground on that Q1? They continue to clear the US Air property so that is coming along nicely. Since the forum has slowed down a bit I thought I would make things interesting by putting in my Mosaic groundbreaking prediction. Or I should say when we will actually see a crane out there... hmm. I'll guess May... But I'm an optimist

[combusean]

^ I actually saw digging equipment and big piles of dirt moved yesterday for Mosaic, and the site didn't look near the joke it did a month ago. It could actually be happening.

[vertex]

^Oh, another ground breaking? What is that now, 4, maybe 5? I'm losing count.

Btw, I go to that Starbucks at Hardy and University about 3 times a week. I haven't seen that Mosaic sales office open once since I got back. Must be keeping banking hours...

[tempedude]

I say forget Mosaic. We should turn the site into a mud wrestling park (its already a muddy lot) and then invite Tempe12 to hold an annual mud wrestling contest featuring their cute co-ed models. :P

www.tempe12.com

[PhxSprawler]

:previous: Great idea! Our metro could be the mud-wrestling capitol of the world with all of our empty dirt lots in urban settings.

[Tempe_Duck]

Hello everybody,

I have been lurking here form some time and now I actually have something to contribute...well ask as meaningfully question. I was walking to class today at the Brickyard and noticed there was a sign for a zone change (at least i think it was a zone change, the big red one) over by the Jack in the Box and the cyber Cafe. It mentioned something around 1.2 million sqft with 3 building, hotel, residential, and commercial. Does anybody know something about this?

Thanks

[tempedude]

Hello everybody,

I have been lurking here form some time and now I actually have something to contribute...well ask as meaningfully question. I was walking to class today at the Brickyard and noticed there was a sign for a zone change (at least i think it was a zone change, the big red one) over by the Jack in the Box and the cyber Cafe. It mentioned something around 1.2 million sqft with 3 building, hotel, residential, and commercial. Does anybody know something about this?

Thanks

Hi and welcome to the board. Follow the link I have posted below, I hope it answers your question. Unfortunately there is not a rendering provided, but I think I have seen one around here somewhere of what it is supposed to look like. The rendering may be buried pages deep on the thread, but not totally sure.

http://www.tempe.gov/maps/DevProjectDetails.aspx?LocationID=44e317ae-c148-4927-99e0-226d2ab20d4c

Follow this link to see more information about projects in Tempe.
http://www.tempe.gov/maps/Map.aspx?Map=MillAve

[PhxSprawler]

Hello everybody,

I have been lurking here form some time and now I actually have something to contribute...well ask as meaningfully question. I was walking to class today at the Brickyard and noticed there was a sign for a zone change (at least i think it was a zone change, the big red one) over by the Jack in the Box and the cyber Cafe. It mentioned something around 1.2 million sqft with 3 building, hotel, residential, and commercial. Does anybody know something about this?

Thanks

Welcome to the forum!!! The plans quoted on the Tempe dev web site for this project haven't been updated in a few years. I don't recall ever seeing a rendering, but I know many people (including myself) are upset they tore down Long Wong's so prematurely.

[tempedude]

Speaking of Long Wong's...that reminds me...I forgot to mention...the southwest corner of University and Mill and the adjoining properties where the dry cleaners and the last location of Long Wong's is completely razed now. It looks like they are about to begin construction of the new CVS Pharmacy. Like that really excites me...yiippeee :rolleyes:

But anyway that eyesore of a corner will at least get spruced up. Anyway, this was just an update about what is going on at that corner because it has been discussed here before.

[Tempe_Duck]

Welcome to the forum!!! The plans quoted on the Tempe dev web site for this project haven't been updated in a few years. I don't recall ever seeing a rendering, but I know many people (including myself) are upset they tore down Long Wong's so prematurely.

Thanks for the info. It makes sense that it has been a while since the site was updates, there isn't even a date on the sign. I agree with you on Long Wong's being torn down so early and then their new place get hit with the same thing. Do they have any plans to open up again on or near Mill and campus?

[Phoenix22]

anything new on Tempe Project.

I think everything has stop in Tempe.

NO pier 202, no Le meridien, no Onyx, no Westin.

I guess they might even cancel some of those project.

I think Glendale has more project starting soon than Tempe

[sundevilgrad]

The 7th and Mill project has been floating around for a while...

I knew this was coming: Tempe continues to get taller! Another set of skyscrapers proposed on the old Long Wong's site across the street from Borders (7th St. & Mill).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/Azndragon837/Skyscraper%20Page%20Pictures/OldLongWongsSite2.jpg

High-rise proposed on former Tempe bar site

By Garin Groff, Tribune
February 9, 2007

On what is now a gravel lot on Mill Avenue, the dilapidated but beloved Long Wong’s bar helped elevate local bands like the Gin Blossoms to national acts. Now, a developer wants to boost the image of the former bar site by building an 18-story hotel and two 25-story condo towers.

Paragon, a Las Vegas-based developer, unveiled plans this week for a project that would become the fifth in downtown Tempe with buildings of 18 or more stories.

The hotel would feature a spa and fit- ness center on its second floor, allowing those in the facility to overlook Mill Avenue — and letting people on the street see people working out.

The fitness center would be open to guests, condo owners and the public. That component would be combined with housing, stores and restaurants that would line the street level and create a mix of uses that are rarely found in a single development, project architect Mike Rumpeltin said.

“There are very few projects like this in the country,” said Rumpeltin, of RSP Architects, Ltd.

Paragon hopes the city will approve the project this year. If that happens, the company plans to start construction in July 2008 and open the project two years later.

The $225 million development would run along Seventh Street from Mill to Myrtle avenues, where it would back up to an equally tall tower at the University Square project that includes a hotel, offices and condos.

The project has been a decade in the making.

Las Vegas real estate investor Mario Sanchez bought the Long Wong’s site on Mill about 10 years ago, said John Cahill, Paragon’s vice president. Sanchez bought another parcel at Seventh and Myrtle several years later and then spent several years buying several small lots in between what he already owned.

The developer bulldozed the building that housed Long Wong’s and other small businesses more than a year ago. The vacant property has bothered many merchants and city officials.

Pam Goronkin, executive director of the Downtown Tempe Community, said merchants were happy to see that something was being done with the property.

But she said it’s regrettable that the developer couldn’t also buy the aging Jack in the Box on Mill. It’s the only business left downtown with its own parking lot and driveway, a suburban-type development that downtown planners would prefer to see replaced with an urban building. But the owner wasn’t willing to sell.

“We’ve lived with it a long time,” Goronkin said. “Although I would rather see it incorporated in the project, those people have a right to do what they want with their own property.”

Several things haven’t been determined yet, including the name, condo prices and the hotel brand.

The project includes a redbrick facade on Mill and on Seventh to match surrounding buildings, but the towers will sport steel and glass. The buildings fit within the city’s height guidelines except for the hotel, which would jut above the 150-foot height guideline for that part of the property.

The project’s overall height concerns Councilman Ben Arredondo. He’s objected to heights of some other projects and insisted that the neighboring University Square should not go an inch over the 300-foot limit.

Arredondo said he’s not thrilled to hear part of this project goes over the guideline.

“I thought we agreed to a height limit and not a fudge factor,” he said.

Arredondo said he checks any tall buildings to see if they are too close to neighborhoods or if block the view of Hayden Butte. Those seem to be the biggest concerns of Tempeans, he said.

“They aren’t too concerned when they’re right downtown on Mill,” Arredondo said. “But when it goes over by College Avenue or further to the railroad tracks on the west side, they start to get concerned.”

The project’s condo towers would tie with University Square for the second tallest buildings in Tempe at about 300 feet. The tallest buildings will be three 30-story, 343-foot condo towers at Centerpoint Condominiums.

The project

A hotel and condo project at Mill Avenue and Seventh Street includes:

• 240 hotel rooms

• 370 residential units

• 1.1 million square feet

• Conference center, spa and fitness center

• 34,000 square feet for restaurants and shops

Hotel/condo towers

Proposed 18-story hotel and two 25-story condo towers. Construction planned to start mid-2008 if approved.

Centerpoint Condominiums

One 22-story and one 30-story tower under construction. Two more 30-story towers planned.

Mosaic

One 18-story condo tower. Construction in early stages now.

Armory

Two condo towers, 20 stories and 14 or 15 stories, which has not been determined. Construction begins May.

University Square

Three towers ––office, condo and hotel. One tower will reach 300 feet ––more than 20 stories, but the exact number of floors isn’t determined. Construction begins this year.

SOURCE: Tempe; Paragon

==============================================

Here is a scan of today's East Valley Tribune's front page of the article:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/Azndragon837/Skyscraper%20Page%20Pictures/OldLongWongsSite.jpg

-Andrew

[Phoenix22]

they will probably cancel at least half if not more of those projects

[PhxSprawler]

anything new on Tempe Project.

I think everything has stop in Tempe.

NO pier 202, no Le meridien, no Onyx, no Westin.

I guess they might even cancel some of those project.

I think Glendale has more project starting soon than Tempe

Well, there is quite a bit of activity in Tempe, even though there are quite a few quiet projects. Here is a list, which doesn't include all the projects west of Ash or east of Lemon nearing completion.

Nearing completion:

- The transportation hub
- The dorms/apartments on the south side of Apache.
- The Four Points Hotel (Holiday Inn renovation)
- Centrepoint towers I and II
- Hayden Ferry
- Papago Gateway Center

Active:

- The US Airways site.
- 5th/Mill
- The honors villiage on the NW corner of Mill/Apache.
- Hayden Ferry
- Marriott Residence Inn

Quite Promising:

- The Monti's site development
- Mosaic (after several groundbreakings).
- The Centerpoint on Mill is quickly vacating its tennants (Harkins, Uno's, etc)
- Aloft (which may be under construction?)
- Le Meridien

I am sure I am missing quite a few!

[JAHOPL]

Revamped Centerpoint takes shape in Tempe

Garin Groff, Tribune, February 1, 2008

Centerpoint on Mill could be known as much for the shops it has as for the merchants it used to have: Duck Soup, the Islands Fine Burgers, and now Harkins Theatres.

But the increasingly vacant southern end of downtown Tempe is poised to get new life as the center's owner has finalized evolving plans to redevelop the site.

Owner DMB had intentionally kept storefronts vacant to eventually tear down most of the buildings. DMB didn't want long-term leases to complicate the timing, but the downturn in the housing market delayed one phase of redevelopment, and DMB has signed leases for nearly every vacant shop.

The new merchants should appear in the coming months.

Downtown merchants and officials are eager to see new shops because of the image created by vacant stores.

"It's an understandable strategy and I don't hold DMB at fault, but the impact on downtown Tempe was not positive," said Chris Salomone, Tempe's community development manager. "In some people's minds, there could be the impression that downtown wasn't doing as well as it has been."

DMB has finished some minor renovations to the outside like new paint, awnings and fountain repairs.

One new tenant, 7th Heaven, is the result of calls from the community for a restaurant that serves breakfast, said Karrin Kunasek Taylor, a DMB vice president.

But one key spot will sit empty for some time, the Harkins site. DMB did not want to lose the 11-screen complex that closed in early January, Kunasek Taylor said, but it knew attendance had been dwindling as other Harkins complexes drew patrons.

Harkins opened what was then the biggest theater complex in the state in 1993 and it initially flourished. But the Valley-based company saw sales drop when it opened a theater nearby at Arizona Mills. And shortly after the Centerpoint theaters opened, the industry embraced stadium seating and freeway-adjacent locations.

"There was a quantum leap in the expectations of the theatergoing public," said Neil Calfee, Tempe's deputy community development manager.

The theater site is the first area DMB wants to remake by replacing the building with a 20-story hotel. DMB is in talks with various operators but does not have a timeline yet.

"As quickly as we can move forward with that piece of it, we will," Taylor Kunasek said.

City officials said they couldn't guess if DMB can get a hotel deal signed soon, given today's economic uncertainties. But they said the demand for hotels is still strong downtown, unlike the struggling condo market.

DMB plans two other projects. After the hotel, DMB would replace an office building with a taller one. Its last project would demolish the single-story shops along Mill Avenue to make way for multistory condos with new shops on the first floor.

DMB figures it will take a decade to redevelop what was one of downtown Tempe's first redevelopment projects.

Some lament the loss of theaters in a downtown where the city is encouraging residents to live in a self-sustaining area. Tempe probably prolonged the theater's presence, Calfee said, by offering a property tax break on it since 2004.

Harkins had studied whether it could reconfigure the theaters and make a profit in recent years, Calfee said, though it became clear more recently it couldn't compete with the Arizona Mills location and a Harkins Tempe Marketplace complex that opened last year.

He and others said the redeveloped Centerpoint will be better than what's there today.

The redevelopment will bring "short-term pain, long-term gain," said Chris Anaradian, Tempe's development services manager.

One major improvement will be a new plaza in front of the theater building. It's uninviting now, but Anaradian said new shops and restaurants will invite people to gather there.

The hotel, new office and condo towers will bring more people downtown and create a demand for new businesses, Anaradian said.

"What they're proposing is going to be really spectacular," he said.

[desertdj]

Well we all know that all those proposed projects wont go through, but... here is some pictures to show a little bit of what is almost complete; Centerpoint & the light rail. It also looks to me that the 2nd tower is just about topped off? Well enjoy.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/desertdj/DowntownTempe.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/desertdj/DowntownTempe-5.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/desertdj/DowntownTempe-2.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/desertdj/DowntownTempe-6.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/desertdj/DowntownTempe-7.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/desertdj/DowntownTempe-8.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/desertdj/DowntownTempe-9.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/desertdj/DowntownTempe-10.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/desertdj/DowntownTempe-11.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/desertdj/DowntownTempe-13.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/desertdj/DowntownTempe-15.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b31/desertdj/DowntownTempe-19.jpg

[loftlovr]

very cool pics DesertDJ!

Friday, February 1, 2008
Wolff takes over Tempe lake project
The Business Journal of Phoenix - by Jan Buchholz Phoenix Business Journal
The Wolff Co. of Scottsdale quietly purchased 27 acres last year for the proposed Pier 202 project in Tempe and now is moving ahead with alternate plans for the site.

Wolff paid $43 million in August for the parcel, which lies north of Rio Salado Parkway and east of Rural Road.

The original developer, a joint venture of California-based Laguna Pacific Properties and Barker Pacific Group, paid the city of Tempe $42.5 million for the land just a few weeks earlier. The City Council had approved plans by the partnership, dubbed Pier 202 LLC, to develop 3.6 million square feet of hotel, retail, residential and office space on the site.

Pier 202 LLC then sold almost all of its interest in the project to The Wolff Co. in a deal that went largely unreported, but was confirmed this week.

"(Pier 202) had everything approved," said Peter Wolff, co-president and principal of The Wolff Co. "We tend to like to pick something up when it's all figured out. They created a bunch of value."

Brad Gorman, CEO of Laguna Pacific Properties and the point person for Pier 202 LLC, said The Wolff Co. merely is a "capital partner." He disputed reports that Wolff had taken over management of the project and likely would reconfigure it.

"That hasn't been discussed with Peter," Gorman said. "I'm not at liberty to discuss the deal."

Wolff, however, said his company is working with the project's previous architects and planners along with several new consultants. His company hasn't decided whether to keep the name Pier 202 for the project or use another moniker that has been used from time to time, The Pier at Town Lake.

"We have a lot of great ideas, but we're not quite ready for prime time," Wolff said. "We will be able to share the vision in March."

He acknowledged that Gorman and Mike Barker of Barker Pacific Group still have an interest in the project, but said it is "a tiny equity hold."

"We love Brad and Mike ... they took a lot of heat, but Brad has performed everything he said he would perform," Wolff said.

The "heat" he referred to stemmed in part from published reports that Gorman was convicted in California in 1997 of felony grand theft in connection with a real estate transaction. Details are not available because the Los Angeles County Superior Court sealed the case records in 2000. In published statements sent to other media last spring, Gorman said he had been falsely accused.

Those allegations did not deter the city of Tempe from selecting Pier 202 LLC in May 2007 to develop the land.

Meanwhile, The Wolff Co. is negotiating with Arizona State University to purchase an adjacent 9 acres at the northeast corner of Rio Salado Parkway and Rural Road, which likely would be incorporated into the revised plans.

Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman, who along with the council supported the Pier 202 LLC group, said he is aware The Wolff Co. is in the lead now, but said he was not privy to the details of the sales transaction between that company and Pier 202 LLC.

"The Wolff Co. is the right fit to take the lead," he said. "This is a ... great leap forward in the right direction."

Hallman said he is confident Wolff will meet all prenegotiated entitlements, financial deadlines, building restrictions and other contingencies imposed by the city on Pier 202 LLC.

The Wolff Co. is raising its profile locally. The long-standing real estate investment firm was founded in 1949 in Spokane, Wash., by Wolff's grandfather, Alvin Wolff Sr. Later, Alvin Wolff Jr. took the reins.

In 2001, Peter Wolff and his three brothers decided to move the family business to Scotts­dale "for better access and economies."

For a few years after that, the company focused on acquisitions, mostly apartments along the West Coast.

"We've only recently been doing deals in our own backyard," Wolff said.

The Wolff Co. became a capital partner in the redevelopment of the Dial Corp.'s headquarters -- the company is moving to new digs north of Loop 101, east of Kierland Commons in Scottsdale. Its partners are Glimcher Realty Trust and Vanguard City Home.

The Wolff Co. also is a development partner with Vanguard City Home in Safari Drive, the mixed-use project under construction along the Arizona Canal northeast of Scottsdale and Camelback roads.

"That's going to be an amazing project," Wolff said.

He's equally keen about the firm's Tempe plans.

"The Pier project ... it's a fabulous location. We're extremely excited," he said.

Get Connected
The Wolff Co.: www.awolff.com

[DevdogAZ]

Whatever happened to the project that was supposed to be built on University just west of the Chuck Box that was stalled because of the hot dog place? Has that been scrapped?

[Don B.]

^ I think that was University Square. It's probably DOA at the moment, but I suspect something will get built there eventually.

--don

[combusean]

I doubt University Square is fake--if SAXA (formerly Shea Commercial) is no good in Tempe there are bigger problems than we think.

[Tempe_Duck]

This may have been posted before, if so i am sorry, but the State Press (ASU's Newspaper) they reported some time late last year that Dave's Dog House and the developers had come to terms and Dave's sold out to them.

[sundevilgrad]

The site for the CVS store on the SW corner of Mill and Uni has been cleared and has a new fence up with CVS signs. I don't remember what the site plan looks like, but here's hoping that they put that building right on the street with parking behind it...

[flyer84]

The site for the CVS store on the SW corner of Mill and Uni has been cleared and has a new fence up with CVS signs. I don't remember what the site plan looks like, but here's hoping that they put that building right on the street with parking behind it...

Not that this is the most exciting project but at least the corner will look a lot nicer when its done. I just wish it was more of a mixed-use building with CVS on the bottom instead of just a stand-alone CVS with nothing above it. Here is the site plan and some renderings I found from the city of Tempe website.

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/5375/cvssiteplanqq0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/718/cvsrendering1ek1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/9756/cvsrendering2mx6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[sundevilgrad]

Yeah, pretty freaking lame for that location...

[jvbahn]

Just what the world needs, ANOTHER pharmacy. At least it is on the street, instead of destroying the urban fabric with parking lot in front.

The biggest travesty is that CVS next to the PHX Art Museum. Such an important corner, wasted with a box pharmacy.