Tempe Development Thread

[shrek05]

those renderings of the Mondrian are rather unattractive....

anyone know when the approved faa centerpoint towers 1 and 2 are breaking ground, the 30 story ones?

[shrek05]

European hotel chain Le Meridien is headed to Hayden Ferry Lakeside in Tempe with an expected check-in date of November 2008.

Tuesday's announcement, was made in conjunction with parent company Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.


Le Meridien Senior Vice President Eva Ziegler said the hotel will be chic, subtle, sophisticated, understated and elegant. "We're about the forward-looking, contemporary style of Europe/France," Ziegler said.

The 183-room, 14-story hotel will include 44 residential units on top of the property with access to Le Meridien amenities.

A joint venture between Valhalla Development Corp., Sierra Hospitality and Adobe Development Partners, the hotel will be operated by APMC. Bent Severin Design, which has designed Westin Tokyo, Sheraton Bahrain and Sherton Warsaw, will join with hotel architects Callison Group of Seattle on the project.

Ziegler said "passion points" for Le Meridien developments are fashion, art, architecture and food. The chain strives for quality and professionalism, he said. "We want to grow our footprint ... in the North American market. We desire the creative guest. The open-minded, forward-looking person who enjoys life."

SunCor Development Co. Hayden Ferry Lakeside is a $160 million, 17-acre, 1.95 million-square-foot master-planned, mixed-use project on the south shore of Tempe Town Lake.

Currently, an eight-story, 209,000-square-foot Class A office building anchored by Smith Barney, and the eight-story, 40-unit condominium Edgewater at Hayden Ferry Lakeside are up and in use. Another office building and the Bridgeview condo project are under way. Two additional condo towers, designed to give the illusion of cruise ships, are planned.

SunCor President and Chief Executive Steven A. Betts said a hotel has been planned at the site from the beginning, pointing out its proximity to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, freeways and various attractions. "We really are the geographic center of the Valley."

The hotel, he said, "is giving Hayden Ferry an international flair." The city's desire for a world-class hotel has long been known. Hayden Ferry received about two dozen, unsolicited hotel proposals. "They were nice, but not quite nice enough ... they didn't have the international flavor and quality we wanted," Betts said.

Earnest money, agreements with the hotel franchise, the developer, management and proper entitlements were in place before the announcement was made Tuesday, said Margaret E. Kirch, SunCor executive vice president for commercial development.

Arizona Office of Tourism Director Margie Emmermann said the hotel fits the state's new brand image: "Inspiring unforgettable Southwest moments."

Le Meridien, she said, allows the state to better compete not only within in the United States, but in the international marketplace. "It gives us enhanced bragging rights," she said. "Visitors want new experiences and great experiences."

Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman, who returned to Tempe Aug. 6 after a trip to Russia, called the hotel a "global hitter," adding it marks Tempe and the region a "truly cosmopolitan and global player."

Tempe Councilman Mark Mitchell said the hotel "is a vital component to bringing people to Tempe who might not come otherwise."

Mitchell said Tempe has embraced the new and improved Phoenix Convention Center and sees itself as a regional partner in convention business. "We complement each other. They can do breakout sessions here and vice versa."

Ziegler said she was especially excited by the Tempe site because it is not a conversion and offers a chance for the developer and Le Meridien to define a "flagship" together.

Le Meridien was founded by Air France in 1972 and was acquired by Starwood last November. Starwood also owns The Phoencian, Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa and the soon-to-open W Scottsdale and W Phoenix. Le Meridien has more than 120 properties in 52 countries. Other U.S. hotel locations include Los Angeles, Florida, San Francisco and New York.

Anyone know more details about this hotel? From what I can see, its pretty famous in Europe.

[ArtDecoFan]

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien/index.html

Starwood's upscale and luxury brands continue to capture market share from competitors by aggressively cultivating new customers while maintaining loyalty among the world’s most active travelers. A Starwood property is an excellent choice for this location.

Le Méridien (luxury and upscale full-service hotels and resorts) is a European brand with a French accent. Each of its hotels, whether city, airport or resort has a distinctive character driven by its individuality and the Le Méridien brand values. With its underlying passion for food, art and style and its classic yet stylish design, Le Méridien offers a unique experience at some of the world's top travel destinations.

[BA744PHX]

There is a pic of the hotel on http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0808biz-suncor0809.html it looks very nice i think.

European hotel chain Le Meridien is headed to Hayden Ferry Lakeside in Tempe with an expected check-in date of November 2008.

[PHX31]

Eh, it could be better. I think the final product will look better than that rendering.

[loftlovr]

I think it looks awesome-
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e7/joelcontreras/Lofts2/0808suncor.jpg
Matches the Suncor building's theme well....

[oliveurban]

This is good news. Le Meridien is a solid, more contemporary first-class brand. Something of which Tempe has always been lacking.

[vertex]

I just wish the city would stop trying to hide the butte....

[oliveurban]

^ None of these buildings are covering up the butte, really. If these were 40-story highrises, then that would be a different story. Regardless, I do rather think that this new urban landscape developing around it's base actually enhances it. Creates a very unique setting.

[combusean]

^ So that fantastic view from ... what, the 202 can be preserved?

The tallest towers in HFL are 14 stories-that leaves plenty of the mountain in view and flight paths and Tempe's height limits will keep the Butte as the most prominent feature in the skyline.

Centerpoint might be too big in this regard--at its current height it's taller than the mountain and would not be built in Phoenix due to the proximity of the runway.

I'd rather have the views of the city preserved from the mountain, not the other way around.

[oliveurban]

The butte is in no danger of being "covered up" by this grouping of 10-14 story buildings, regardless of someone's vantage point - street level, from the 202, atop the butte, etc. That was my only point.

[combusean]

^ I was commenting in response to vertex, not you camelback. ;)

[oliveurban]

Ah, that makes more sense.

Well then, carry on!

[Sekkle]

I was in downtown Tempe this morning and noticed that there is a second tower crane up at the Centerpoint construction site. Just thought I'd mention it. Does anyone know if this is for one of the 30-story towers?

[Don B.]

^ Most likely, although I'd be surprised they are starting the second tower this early.

The first tower is 22 stories, and towers 2, 3 and 4 are all supposed to be 30 stories tall. So, if this crane is for the second tower, then it is for a 30-story tower.

--don

[Azndragon837]

^It's actually a boom crane (not a tower crane). From my observation, I believe it is for the 30-story tower.

-Andrew

[loftlovr]

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=71656

Historic Hayden Mill is due face-lift
By Garin Groff, Tribune
August 14, 2006
The developer of the 30-story Centerpoint Condominiums is planning to put its mark on one of downtown Tempe’s most important pieces of history, the Hayden Flour Mill.

Avenue Communities LLC will likely take over redevelopment efforts on a Valley landmark that has sat idle for the past decade.

Len Losch, Avenue Communities principal, said the company plans to renovate the historic mill and build shops nearby within two years.

The proposal, if acted upon, would bring closure to a decadelong effort to revitalize the gateway to downtown Tempe and spruce up an iconic building that has fallen into disrepair and become the subject of a legal dispute.

Tempe recently settled a lawsuit with MCW Holdings, another prominent downtown developer that failed to meet city deadlines to start construction at the mill site. The settlement let MCW continue with the project, but the company instead chose to sell it to Avenue Communities for an undisclosed sum.

Some downtown merchants and city officials hope that the company will move quickly. It has already developed several high-end condo projects and built apartments under the name Trillium Residential.

“Avenue Communities has demonstrated across the Valley that it has the capacity and skill to develop this project,” Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman said.

The City Council will decide whether to approve the deal at its Thursday meeting. Avenue must abide by the lawsuit settlement agreement with MCW, including the key provision that the city will become the owner of the property if Avenue doesn’t meet a series of construction deadlines.

The deal would greatly expand Avenue’s presence downtown. The company recently bought McDuffy’s sports bar at Fifth and Ash avenues and will temporarily move its corporate offices there by year’s end. It’s now in the Camelback Corridor in Phoenix.

Avenue Communities also plans to one day build two high-rise condo towers at the McDuffy’s site. The idea is preliminary, Losch said, adding that he couldn’t say how tall the buildings would be or when they would be built.

The company will move its offices to the mill after its reconstruction.

“We want to move our employees down there because we want to give them an authentic sense of place,” Losch said.

At the same time, Losch expects to complete new buildings for retail around the mill. Other phases will come later. Losch said he’ll reveal details about the development’s first phase within weeks.

Merchants and city officials hope the company can make something happen at the mill soon because it’s been a source of community embarrassment in recent years. It needs paint, in part because of black fire marks from when transients broke in and started a blaze.

“The mill is the icon, so it’s got to be resuscitated as soon as possible,” said Michael Monti, owner of Monti’s La Casa Vieja restaurant.

Monti’s is across the street from the mill. The properties are key to Tempe history — both were developed in the early 1870s by Charles Trumbull Hayden. Hayden’s son, Carl, was a congressman and U.S. senator from 1912 to 1969 and is considered one of the most influential Arizonans.

Redeveloping the mill would fulfill a decadeslong goal of continuous development on Mill Avenue to Tempe Town Lake.

Avenue Communities expects to scrap MCW’s plans and come up with its own. Monti said he’s familiar with some of the plans, and that the development would bring excitement to the area.

“They’re not just putting a box on the corner,” he said. “They’re providing glamor and sizzle to get people in the box.”

[Sekkle]

^It's actually a boom crane (not a tower crane). From my observation, I believe it is for the 30-story tower.

It looked a lot like a tower crane to me... straight vertical mast, horizontal jib... Tower crane, no?

[Azndragon837]

^Ah, damn, I saw it today and was shocked to see the second tower crane go up for the 30 story Phase 2 of Centerpoint. On Tuesday, it wasn't there, only a boom crane. Wow, they go up FAST! MY bad, hehehe.

-Andrew

[Azndragon837]

http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/0817tr-mill0817Z10.html

Winery, bakery among developer's plans for mill

Jahna Berry
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 17, 2006 12:00 AM


A winery and an Italian-style bakery could join boutiques, non-chain shops and mid-rise condos by the Hayden Flour Mill site.

Avenue Communities tonight will seek city approval of an agreement that would transfer the flour mill project from MCW Holdings to Avenue.

Avenue's proposal is the latest vision for the area by the mill, and the historical mill silos would be preserved under the deal.

Development around the mill long has been considered a lynchpin for linking Mill Avenue with Tempe Town Lake.

The land has the potential to be a high profile development that also connects Tempe's past to an innovative cluster of shops and condos, said Ken Losch principal for Avenue Communities.

"The mill site is the most interesting property in the whole Valley," Losch said.

He said Avenue Communities bought MCW's development agreement for an undisclosed sum about two weeks ago and now is developing the mill-area site.

The prospective winery would partner Avenue with Signorello Vineyards in Napa Valley and John Burtner, a master winemaker, Losch said. The winery plans to temporarily set up shop at 48th Street and University Drive and plans to produce 150 barrels of wine this year, he said. The temporary winery is not open to the public.

For the flour mill project, Avenue wants to add shops that "can bring in sophistication but retains that bohemian feel," Losch said.

Although Avenue's planned 30-story Centerpoint project has made the developer's name synonymous with height, Losch said that the condo development by the mill would probably be eight- to 16- stories tall, or in the 120- to 130-foot range.

The mill's vintage silos are around 153 feet tall, said city planner Chris Messer.

MCW Holdings is walking away from the flour mill weeks after it removed a major legal hurdle that blocked development near the 1918 mill and its iconic 1950s silos.

In June, MCW Holdings put to rest litigation that sprung from a legal dispute with Tempe about an $11.8 million bank loan.

Under the terms of the deal, MCW agreed to purchase the flour mill site from Tempe, after several conditions were met, for $7.4 million. Tempe agreed to pay $6 million toward preserving the flour mill and silos. Tempe planned to credit the developer for $7.1 million in infrastructure costs, when MCW pulled permits for the flour mill development.

The agreement also had a clause that allowed MCW to "assign" the project to another developer.

Essentially, the agreement still stands, but Avenue has taken over MCW's role, Losch said.

Before the MCW and Avenue Communities deal became public, it was widely known that Avenue was one of a handful of firms jockeying to develop the Hayden Flour Mill. Avenue also provided some input during negotiations between MCW and Tempe city officials, Losch said.

The City Council also tonight will address other key issues, including:


• The final public hearing for the University Square project. The council's vote on development rights for the project, which would take up an entire square block.


• The first public hearing for a zoning change that would make way for an eight-story, 100-unit condominium project northeast of Apache Boulevard and Rural Road. The final vote is Sept. 7.

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

-Andrew

[oliveurban]

I was happy to read this article. Their desire to pursue more independent retailers is a great mindset. Continuing along the lines of simply attaining more large, corporate chains, only continues to dilute Mill Avenue's remaining cache.

I'm looking forward to this, hope it works out.

[Carter]

Looks like Avenue Communities will own most of downtown Tempe...;)

[loftlovr]

Nice!
I'm really diggin this Mill redevelopment news.....
It's so sad watching such a beautiful historic landmark just sitting there dormant.
I do still wish The Constellation Group got the project- but Avenue is better than MCW in my eyes....

[Sekkle]

^Ah, damn, I saw it today and was shocked to see the second tower crane go up for the 30 story Phase 2 of Centerpoint. On Tuesday, it wasn't there, only a boom crane. Wow, they go up FAST! MY bad, hehehe.

I was pretty surprised to see the 2nd one, too... considering the fact that the first one has been up for like 6 months and they're still not even at ground level. Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it seems like it is taking a really long time. I just want to see them build a few stories and raise that mofo up to 240' or so!

[Azndragon837]

Article from the East Valley Tribune about the Tempe City Council vote on the massive University Square project in Downtown Tempe:

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=71944

Tempe leaders say condos near ASU are too tall
By Garin Groff, Tribune
August 18, 2006

Tempe took a chunk out of plans to build the East Valley’s tallest building in its downtown. The city’s leaders said the 30-story condo project called University Square was too high for a building on University Drive.

The City Council decided Thursday that the development was OK only if the developer lopped some floors off two of the three towers. The developer wanted one tower to climb to 345 feet — and up to 370 with equipment — but Tempe capped the buildings at 300 feet.

“I don’t want to see an air conditioner, I don’t want to see a cover” above 300 feet, said Councilman Ben Arredondo, who complained most about the height. “I’m going to go out there with a ruler.”

The objections followed more than a year of concerns that booming downtown Tempe might have become too popular with developers for its own good. Residents and council members said they feared pricey condo projects and developments — some worth $250 million — will make the college town unaffordable for students and the momand-pop shops that helped make Mill Avenue so popular.

“I think we’re very quickly being viewed as an elitist downtown,” Councilwoman Barb Carter said.

It’s unclear how many stories the redesigned project will have. The original plan had a hotel/condo tower at 30 stories, a 22-story condo tower and a 12-story office portion. It has about 2.1 million square feet of space, but 1 million of that is for parking.

University Square will replace a block of thriving businesses in modest buildings. The most prominent feature is the Arches, a 1960s-era slump block shopping center.

Developer Tony Wall said the project will become a contemporary landmark that features shops on the street level. It’s a place where people can live, work and recreate without using a car, he said, as it’s about three blocks from a future Metro light-rail station.

“It gives a cosmopolitan image to downtown,” Wall said.

A resident of the nearby Orchid House — which at seven stories is the tallest, most massive condo project downtown now — objected to the six-story platform that the towers would sit on.

“You basically are walled off on all four sides,” Mike Wasko said. “I don’t see it being inviting for you to explore.”

The council had previously decided this part of downtown shouldn’t have buildings taller than 300 feet. After Wall agreed to lower his buildings, the council approved the project 6-1. Councilwoman Shana Ellis opposed it after raising concerns about having so much development on one block.

The council required Wall to work with the family that owns Restaurant Mexico after hearing from fans of the longtime downtown eatery. Another redevelopment project forced it from a location on Mill Avenue, and it’s unclear if the family will want to move again. But the City Council made a major point of making Wall ensure the family will have a place in his project or some other place if they want to stay open.

By cutting the project’s height, the city still has the East Valley’s tallest building. That’s Centerpoint Condominiums, a four-tower project a few blocks northwest of University Square that has three 30-story towers planned at 343feet.

One sticking point remains for University Square and Centerpoint. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether the buildings would be a hazard to flights departing from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

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

Okay, that councilman is nuts for saying "I'm going out there with a ruler." That's soooo funny.

On the other hand, my opinion on this project is: it's too big for the immedate area where it will be built. My take: build several midrises (about 8, 14, and 20 stories) with separated buildngs with some sort of open space, including spaces for the shops that are currently in the Arches Buiding; such as the yummy Ma'i Island Grill (an awesome mom-and-pop Hawaiian restaurant, go there sometime).

Use brick and more neo-traditional architecture mixed in with contemporary forms (like the ASU Foundation Building) so that the buildings have more of a human scale.

Having a looming 30 story tower right in front of the Architecture Building, along with the increased traffic for a hotel/condo and office, is a bit too much for that site. I have seen the plans, and it's one MASSIVE superblock. I hope the revised plans will be welcomed by the Downtown community.

One last statement: For those who live in the Orchid House nearby, with their concerns about their views: hello people, you live in a growing, thriving urban city. EXPECT tall buildings to be built around you. Don't expect that your 8 story Orchid House condos to be the king and have commanding views. If I ever buy a condo downtown, I will expect the nearby area to pop-up with more condos, partially blocking my views of whatever, and that's fine with me, because, I bought my condo in an urban city, not some shithole like Gilbert.

-Andrew

[wushu18t]

If I ever buy a condo downtown, I will expect the nearby area to pop-up with more condos, partially blocking my views of whatever, and that's fine with me, because, I bought my condo in an urban city, not some shithole like Gilbert.

-Andrew

any opprotunity about Gilbert. :D :haha:

[Sekkle]

Originally Posted by Azndragon837
For those who live in the Orchid House nearby, with their concerns about their views: hello people, you live in a growing, thriving urban city. EXPECT tall buildings to be built around you.

THANK YOU. I have this same thought every time I hear some idiot whining about how a 75-ft "high-rise" being planned in his neighborhood will ruin his mountain views. Especially in a downtown area like this one.

One sticking point remains for University Square and Centerpoint. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether the buildings would be a hazard to flights departing from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Ok, so is the second tower crane that's up at the Centerpoint site actually for the first 30-story tower? Are they just building it and "to hell with the FAA"? Or, if the FAA comes back and says 343-ft is a hazard, is the City of Tempe going to stop the construction (assuming that that is the 30-story tower they've started)? I know Tempe has basically said "Phoenix can't tell us what building heights to approve and what to deny," but wouldn't we have heard something in the paper if Tempe had said "the FAA said it's a hazard but we don't care, we're going to allow it"?

[Azndragon837]

^Most likely, the FAA will not deem Centerpoint a flight hazard. The W Hotel in Downtown Phoenix will be a soaring 450 feet, and the FAA deemed that NOT a flight hazard recently. Centerpoint's second tower will be 345 feet, 100 feet shorter than the W, and about the same distance from the end of a runway as the W.

IF the FAA, for some reason, labels Centerpoint a flight hazard, that won't stop construction, whereas, the airport will need to partially adjust its flight path, which will be an annoyance that Phoenix does not want to deal with.

My take: It seems to me Centerpoint won't be a flight hazard. But, we shall see.

-Andrew

[AZchristopher]

Tempe doesn't care. The airport is Phoenix' deal and Tempe doesn't want flight patterns to destroy its growth.

[combusean]

Not bad for a bump...

Townhome proposals go before council (http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/0907tr-condos0907Z10.html)
Condominium plans also on agenda tonight

Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 7, 2006 12:00 AM

Although signs point to the real estate market slowing from its recent breakneck pace, the condo craze in Tempe continues.

Proposals for condo developments large and small continue to roll into city offices.

The City Council will hear seven of those proposals regarding condominiums or townhomes during its formal meeting tonight.

All of the projects are existing or are scheduled to go in near downtown or in north Tempe and are in varying stages of zoning and development.

They range from nine to 100 units.

Five of the seven condominium-related applicants are coming to the council regarding complexes builders want to install.

They include:

• Ash Avenue Condominiums are nine units that are being planned for the Maple-Ash neighborhood, off 1120 and 1122 S. Ash Ave., near the historical Pyle House.

• Campus Edge Condominiums is a 100-dwelling unit complex that includes a commercial area. The proposed site is at 922 E. Apache Blvd., and is on the site of an old Taco Bell and Texaco Star Mart. If approved, it would be 8 stories. [Ed note: It wasn't too long that they built that Taco Bell, right?]

• Dorsey Place Condominiums are to go into a lot off 1275 E. University Drive. Developers plan to install 90 condo units and office or commercial space on the nearly 2 acres.

• Miller-Curry Townhomes is a space where builders want to put 11 townhomes and one live/work unit. It is on just over an acre at 1245 N. Miller Road in north Tempe.

• Roosevelt Court is a proposal for 10 townhomes at 323 S. Roosevelt St., near Fifth Street. It is the site of four older homes.

The other two condominium applicants involve zoning changes so that apartments can be converted to condos and sold individually.

They are:

• El Adobe Condominiums at 1005 E. Eighth St., where there is a 48-unit apartment complex.

• Corsican Condominiums at 1312 South Hardy Drive, where there is a 30-unit apartment complex that the owners intend to convert to for-sale condos.

Information: www.tempe.gov/comdev


Downtown Tempe to get a CVS pharmacy (http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/0906tr-cvs06-ON.html)

Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 6, 2006 02:30 PM


Downtown Tempe could get its first pharmacy in years, marking yet another step toward an urban-living focused transformation.

Site plans have been submitted to the city for a new CVS Pharmacy. The documents put to rest rumors circulating for months about the future of the now vacant southwest corner of Mill Avenue and University Drive.

The five-page proposal tells more than just plans for bricks and sticks, according to city leaders. It signifies a coming lifestyle change.

"The location of a full services pharmacy in the downtown and adjacent to the surrounding neighborhood helps bring back to the community the services and goods that improve the quality of life that makes it easier to live in the area," said Mayor Hugh Hallman.

"It also demonstrates we are doing the right thing, to convert the district from entertainment and retail to one that has a true sense of neighborhood in and of itself," he added.

Other community-focused amenities coming to the area include a Whole Foods Market inside the proposed Cosmopolitan - now called "KML Mosaic" - project that's slated to go on University Drive at the Gentle Strength Cooperative site. Other mixed-use proposals are touted to have support services such as food markets for coming condo-dwellers as well. But the CVS is the first such project to come to the area and stand alone.

The nearly one-acre piece of land had been the site of a Mobile gas station for up to five decades. City records show it was likely a filling station even before that as well. In recent months crews have been dismantling the remains of the gas station to prepare it for a new purpose.

The preliminary plans submitted to the city could change as they are reviewed by city staff over the coming months according to Steve Venker, a city planning and zoning manager, but for now the building would be a maximum of 30 feet tall.

The CVS building would be situated on the front of the lot, adjacent to the curbsides of the intersection in order to encourage a pedestrian-oriented feel. A parking lot would be in back, visible from the Mill Avenue side.

The proposed plot stretches out beyond the gas station footprint, and into at least part of adjacent retail lots. That could mean the disappearance of several local businesses including Sahara Middle Eastern Restaurant and Long Wong's on Mill Avenue, which only reopened at the site earlier this year.

One of the owners, Norma Hora, said Long Wong's hadn't actually been notified of the change, but they had suspicions because a surveyor was measuring land that included their lot.

As of now, the CVS will look like many of its some 6,100 locations throughout the nation: pale yellow stucco walls, pillars around the sides, with a marquee-style front.

There are currently seven CVS Pharmacies in Tempe; but the closest pharmacy to the downtown district is a mile away where there is a Walgreens at Mill Avenue and Broadway Road.



ASU student housing plan concerns residents in area (http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/0907tr-housing0907Z10.html)

Eugene Scott
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 7, 2006 12:00 AM


Arizona State University plans to build a residential community for nearly 2,000 students on Apache Boulevard, and local residents aren't too pleased.

Nearly 70 members of the Daley Park Neighborhood Association voiced their concerns to university and city officials Tuesday night.

The 12-building South Campus Residential Community will feature housing for 1,860 students; a seven-story, 1,860-vehicle parking garage; additional parking for more than 330 vehicles and commercial retail. The entire development will be more than 810,000 square feet. [Ed. note: I believe this is on the site of Mariposa Hall, which is scheduled for demolition next semester]

"The university could build this tomorrow if they wanted to. But we're here to figure out how best to co-exist," said Steve Nielsen, ASU assistant vice president for university real estate development. "We have a commitment to work with you and your issues. At the same time we have a university to run."

Nearly 7,900 students live on ASU's Tempe campus. University officials said this development has to be completed to increase that number to the university's goal of 15,500 by 2020.

"There's almost no housing for students beyond their freshmen year," said Ron McCoy, university architect. "We don't even have enough housing to house all the freshmen."

Concerns with parking and traffic permeated the meeting. Residents and city officials said having a development so close to the Apache Boulevard and Rural Road intersection could be a safety issue. [Huh?!]

"I am concerned about the possible pedestrian and bicycle safety of this project," Tempe Police Chief Ralph Tranter said.

Residents said they've expressed their problems with increased traffic and parking before, but they've fallen on deaf ears.

"They say they understand where we're coming from, but still they come back with the same thing," said Ernie Nickels, chairman of the Daley Park Neighborhood Association. "So we're pretty frustrated, they say one thing and then they don't do it."

Residents also fear that other safety issues, noise and an additional traffic signal will fill their neighborhood and suggested that designers move the parking garage from the rail line and closer to the Rural Road and Apache Boulevard intersection or perhaps farther north.

University officials said that location is not an option.

"It does not make good urban design sense to move the garage close to Apache. Nobody likes to see a parking garage taking up valuable frontage of a good community street," McCoy said. "Other locations they suggested are far more disruptive to the kind of community we're trying to create. We need to find a solution that balances all of the concerns."

The option of building a parking garage underground to eliminate sound concerns was mentioned, but McCoy said the cost of the project would double if developers went with that option.

"Did you ask the Legislature for money for this project?" asked Sen. Ed Ableser, D-Tempe.

University officials said they did not because the project is being paid for with private funds.

Some residents don't want the project to have parking at all. University officials said not providing parking is also not an option.

"If we don't provide some level of parking they are going to choose to go back in your neighborhoods," Nielsen said.

McCoy said competition for housing requires new residence halls to include parking.

"We're competing in a market where students have access to parking. These students have grown up where they don't want to give up their cars," McCoy said. "We're trying to get students out of your neighborhoods. But there are sacrifices that have to be made in order to make this work."

University officials said there would be less traffic than residents perceive because 30 to 40 percent of students move their cars less than six times a week on average.

But residents said even if there were limited student traffic, traffic would be generated by the stores.

"The retail is expected to serve the community," McCoy said.

Residents expressed greatest concern about an alleged promise the university made in 2002 not to build a garage in their neighborhood. Nielsen said he was unaware of that agreement.

The aesthetics of a seven-story garage in addition to several four-story buildings were of concern as well. The residences will feature balconies facing the neighborhood and many residents expressed concern about students littering from balconies onto residents' property. Other residents expressed concern about the limited green space in the project.

[PHX31]

[Ed note: It wasn't too long that they built that Taco Bell, right?]

They built the new taco bell on the corner to take the place of the old/abandoned taco bell a little further east, which is what I assume they are talking about.

[oliveurban]

A large drugstore, like CVS, is a good thing for downtown Tempe, yes. However, the SW corner of Mill Ave/ University doesn't seem like the best location to me--especially considering they're going to be bulldozing several neighboring independent retailers in the process, just to make way for it's parking lot.

I think there are possibly better, more unique uses for that exact spot.

[vertex]

A large drugstore, like CVS, is a good thing for downtown Tempe, yes. However, the SW corner of Mill Ave/ University doesn't seem like the best location to me--especially considering they're going to be bulldozing several neighboring independent retailers in the process, just to make way for it's parking lot.

I think there are possibly better, more unique uses for that exact spot.

My thoughts exactly...

Some of you may have spotted my rant that was previously here. Rather than detract from this thread, I moved it to a new one called "What is the vision for Tempe?" (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=114995)

If you have an opinion about Tempe's current direction (good or bad), or just want to pile on to the rant, please take a look.

[JI5]

HOWEVER - if that drug store had CONDOS on top of it... I would be in love.

[AZchristopher]

A large drugstore, like CVS, is a good thing for downtown Tempe, yes. However, the SW corner of Mill Ave/ University doesn't seem like the best location to me--especially considering they're going to be bulldozing several neighboring independent retailers in the process, just to make way for it's parking lot.

I think there are possibly better, more unique uses for that exact spot.

If they really wanted it to be Urban they would have less parking and make the building a little smaller. That way the independant retailers could still be there.

[loftlovr]

HOWEVER - if that drug store had CONDOS on top of it... I would be in love.
I second that! :banana:

[loftlovr]

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=73588&source=rss&dest=STY-73588

30-story Tempe building gets OK
By Garin Groff, Tribune
September 8, 2006
Federal aviation officials have decided that a proposed 30-story building in Tempe — which would become one of the East Valley’s tallest structures — isn’t a hazard to airliners and their passengers.

Yet Phoenix officials and one airline still have concerns about the 300-foot University Square project.

The building won’t rise to the original proposed height of 370 feet, however, because the developer’s plan exceeded the height limit for that area of downtown.

Even with 70 fewer feet, Alaska Airlines has objections to what the building could mean to its operations at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Tall buildings can pose a safety and operational hazard, the airline said.

“I’d have to think the issue still exists,” Alaska spokeswoman Caroline Boren said Thursday.

The high-rise condo is the second one proposed in downtown Tempe that has triggered a skirmish between Phoenix and Tempe. Should an engine fail when an eastbound airliner departs Sky Harbor, two air- lines would have to make a turn over downtown and use airspace above the buildings. Alaska Airlines was the only airline to object to the Federal Aviation Administration about the University Square project.

Tall buildings in the area mean planes will have to fly with less weight in some cases to ensure planes are high enough in case an engine goes out. That would mean fewer passengers — and less profit.

“It’s definitely a capacitylimiting issue,” said Jane Morris, a deputy aviation director at Sky Harbor.

Phoenix would not have allowed the building in its downtown under similar circumstances, Morris said. The FAA noted the building was too tall for Alaska’s flight procedure, but it wasn’t a big enough concern to the overall operations at the airport to warrant an objection. Morris said Phoenix has a stricter building-height standard in order to prevent airlines from having to reduce their passenger loads.

Morris said she didn’t know if Phoenix would object to the FAA’s findings. Alaska could formally object to the FAA decision, but Boren said she did not know what the airline might do. The airline is concerned the building could hurt its service on its 8 to 10 daily departures from Sky Harbor.

When temperatures are higher, a plane rises slower and has lower weight capacities. Flying over a tall building would prompt a reduction in a plane’s weight limit and could force Alaska to have fewer passengers.

“We’d have to leave people behind, and we don’t want to do that,” Boren said. “The reliability of service is a huge concern.”

The developer of University Square was comfortable with the FAA determination.

“We feel like we’ve satisfied the FAA’s requirement,” Shea Commercial president Jim Riggs said. “What else can we do besides that?”

Riggs expects to break ground on the $500 million project in the first half of 2007. It includes retail space and three high-rises that include offices, a hotel and condos.

Meanwhile, Avenue Communities is planning its Centerpoint Condominium project, which includes three 30-story buildings of up to 343 feet. Avenue has already started building a 22-story structure that the FAA has said is not a hazard.

Margie D’Andrea, Avenue spokeswoman, said the firm hasn’t gone to the FAA yet for a review on the taller buildings.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
More Good News!.... also, Screw Alaska Airlines!

[PHX31]

hahaha/\

lame objections. good for tempe

[oliveurban]

This is going to be one massive project, if all plays out.

I like it.

[vertex]

hahaha/\

lame objections. good for tempe

I don't know about you, but I'm not willing to be stuck with the traffic this thing will create. The parking garage alone is 7 levels, 6 of which will be above ground. Imagin, the base of this structure will be taller than the ASU bank vault down the street. Quite a neighboorly addition.

[Sekkle]

I'm sure somebody would have posted this eventually, but I'll save you the trouble!


Centerpoint remodel planned
8-story mixed-use site would include condos
Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 9, 2006 12:00 AM
A massive remodeling of one of downtown Tempe's largest developments could dramatically change one of Mill Avenue's most significant blocks.

What is known as the Centerpoint commercial project was one of the first redevelopment projects more than 15 years ago. Now, there is a plan to turn the western side of Mill Avenue, between Sixth and Seventh streets, into a mixed-use building called "On Mill" that reaches eight stories.

What's there today is one story. For the last year or more, it has had many vacancies, despite housing an area favorite, Coffee Plantation, as well as Fat Tuesday, Uno Chicago Grill, Chester's Harley-Davidson on Mill, Bath & Body Works and a smattering of other stores.

New plans would mean razing those buildings to make room for a new mix of retail, and the first condominiums directly on Mill Avenue.

There are three condo projects in the downtown area, with plans on the books for at least five more. But city leaders say this new concept fills a niche no others have so far.

"I think what you see is a different location in the market, a different lifestyle," said Neil Calfee, the city's deputy community development manager. "Compared to being 22 floors up in a condo to being on Mill Avenue will be a completely different living experience than living in something that's more of a planned, gated community."

The project is in the earliest of stages. Site sketches were submitted to the city recently and are undergoing initial review by city departments.

Much could change in the coming months, but what Scottsdale developer DMB Associates, Inc. and Phoenix architecture firm DFD CornoyerHedrick submitted to the city shows what they are aiming for. There would be 149 housing units, according to the plans. They would range from 850 to 2025 square feet.

The lower level of the building would be dedicated to retail, while the remaining seven floors would be housing. An amenity deck would be at the top with a pool, spa and fitness center along the southern edge of the building. An underground parking garage would be reserved for residents.

Both firms declined to comment as to the future of the current tenants or plans for the rest of the Centerpoint retail and commercial property.

[Sekkle]

Originally Posted by vertex
I don't know about you, but I'm not willing to be stuck with the traffic this thing will create.

What about walking/biking/using public transit? I'm not trying to single you out specifically, vertex, but if downtown Tempe is to become the urban center that I think we (members of this forum in particular) are looking for, I don't think we should be doing the NIMBYs job for them. I'm sure that, if this project is built (and I'm admittedly a pessimist - I don't think it will happen in the near future, at least not at its proposed height/mass) it will create more traffic on University and the local streets in that neighborhood. But Tempe has the best transit in the PHX area, and I think LRT will help with people who might be commuting to Central Phoenix.

There are plenty of cities across the country with much more densely populated downtowns, with streets much narrower than those in the downtown Tempe area, that are great places to live. Basically, I don't think that the traffic created by this project would be detrimental to life in that neighborhood (the 6-story parking garage won't help, though). By the way, are there even any single-family homes left in that neighborhood north of University, south of "A" Mountain, between Mill and College?

[loftlovr]

I'm not sure if I want this or not-
("On Mill")
I love Mill Ave as it is- history, culture...
My stability rock.
We can't keep razing these buildings to make room for larger projects!
This is what we did in the 70's to all of our historic buildings Downtown...
I don't mind losing some of the less significant buildings along University to make room for University Square- but Mill seems more sacred to me!

I love the idea of a mixed use 8 story retail- condo building-
but to tear down Unos, Coffee Plantation and Fat Tuesdays?

How sad....

[AZchristopher]

Personally the first thing I do anytime I drive to Tempe is park either at the lake or at the garage by the theatre. DT Tempe is designed to walk through. Not drive.

[AZchristopher]

I'm not sure if I want this or not-
("On Mill")
I love Mill Ave as it is- history, culture...
My stability rock.
We can't keep razing these buildings to make room for larger projects!
This is what we did in the 70's to all of our historic buildings Downtown...
I don't mind losing some of the less significant buildings along University to make room for University Square- but Mill seems more sacred to me!

I love the idea of a mixed use 8 story retail- condo building-
but to tear down Unos, Coffee Plantation and Fat Tuesdays?

How sad....

Isn't that the block thats mostly empty all the time? I haven't walked down there awhile so I can't remember if thats the one or if that block is farther south. Anyway the best way would be to have the bottem two stories continue to be retail. That way they're actually adding more space. Not taking it away.

[vertex]

Personally the first thing I do anytime I drive to Tempe is park either at the lake or at the garage by the theatre. DT Tempe is designed to walk through. Not drive.

If you live in downtown Tempe, you have to drive to get to other places. University is our main artery, and if you haven't noticed, it's normally a train wreck without the construction.

[vertex]

Isn't that the block thats mostly empty all the time? I haven't walked down there awhile so I can't remember if thats the one or if that block is farther south. Anyway the best way would be to have the bottem two stories continue to be retail. That way they're actually adding more space. Not taking it away.

No this is one of the busiest retail blocks in Tempe. People are always outside using the tables (especially Fat Tuesday's), while the tourists always pile up in the Uno's.

[vertex]

What about walking/biking/using public transit? I'm not trying to single you out specifically, vertex, but if downtown Tempe is to become the urban center that I think we (members of this forum in particular) are looking for, I don't think we should be doing the NIMBYs job for them... ...Tempe has the best transit in the PHX area, and I think LRT will help with people who might be commuting to Central Phoenix.

The problem is that Tempe is an inbound destination in the morning rush hour. As many people drive to work in North Tempe (everything north of US 60) as in DT Phoenix. The only other area of the valley with as many jobs is the Scottsdale Airpark.

If there were more light rail routes going to Tempe, I can see how it would help the traffic. For example, an LRT spur route from Tempe to Ahwautukee would be brilliant. But in it's current incarnation, the LRT in Tempe only benefits ASU students and DT Tempe residents who want to go into Phoenix. That is a main reason why we have all of the condo's being built in Tempe (in addition to keeping our current tax base).

There are plenty of cities across the country with much more densely populated downtowns, with streets much narrower than those in the downtown Tempe area, that are great places to live.

And I've lived in some of those cities. They do have trasportation alternatives much greater than Tempe has (or will in the near future). In addition, density is a way of life, and that density is prevelant for miles around. Here, the density only occurs in small pockets, and the area is still car dependent.

Basically, I don't think that the traffic created by this project would be detrimental to life in that neighborhood (the 6-story parking garage won't help, though). By the way, are there even any single-family homes left in that neighborhood north of University, south of "A" Mountain, between Mill and College?

If the city just forced these developers to put the garage underground, it would go a long way towards visually helping the street. But what I want to know is, where is all that traffic from the garage going to go? On to Forest Ave.? 7th St?

FYI, all of the houses left in that neighborhood were bought up by real estate predators/speculators long ago. With the exception of 2 homes, the rest are either businesses, or they sit empty.


NIMBY-ism isn't a disease, it is a symptom of really bad planning.

[soleri]

NIMBY-ism isn't a disease, it is a symptom of really bad planning.

Excellent point.

[Azndragon837]

I knew about the plans for the "On Mill" project for a few weeks now, since I process the plans at the Planning Department in Tempe. Everyone in the office agrees that this project will be better than what is there now. Besides, all the retail will most likely return after the project gets built. I think it is a wonderful idea, and it is about time that SOMEONE has the guts to put a condo mid-rise on Mill and utilize it.

Also, the building coming down is not historic, so I have no objections for it being torn down. I just wish the redevelopment projects of the past incorporated the "living spaces on top and retail on bottom" concept. The "On Mill" project will have parking garage access from 7th Street, in the back of the building.

One project that I still am iffy about is University Square, which recently got FAA approval from what I heard. That massive project is taking away some lovely mom-and-pop shops, most likely to be replaced with high-end chains. Also, another project I am opposed to is the CVS on Mill and University, which will take away the building where Long Wong's is and an independent barber shop.

[Azndragon837]

And speaking of University Square.....


http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/0909tr-condo0909Z10.html

FAA OKs 300-foot University Square project

Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 9, 2006 12:00 AM


The Federal Aviation Administration has approved plans for the height of the tallest structure ever in Tempe.

University Square's 300-foot proposal has gotten the official OK from the FAA to build its $500 million project in the downtown Tempe, enabling it to become the largest mixed-use project in the city.

The project had gotten a notice of "presumed hazard" May 1, as the first step of an approval process most construction projects must go through. But upon further review, FAA officials approved the project proposal.

"The structure would have no substantial adverse effect on the safe and efficient utilization of the navigable airspace by aircraft or on the operation of air navigation facilities," reads the notice letter sent to University Square's developer, Tony Wall.

Two objections to approval had been filed but were ruled unfounded by the FAA. One came from the Phoenix-run airport's Falcon Air Traffic Control Tower, but the FAA said those concerns could be addressed with obstruction marking and lighting.

The other came from Alaska Airlines, which was worried the building's height would conflict with an "engine-out procedure" used if one engine failed while an aircraft was in the area. That, too, was rejected by the FAA, which decided there wasn't enough of an adverse impact.

[loftlovr]

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0913biz-tr-centerpoint0913.html

Developers envisage 8-story Tempe project

Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 13, 2006 12:00 AM


A massive remodeling of one of downtown Tempe's largest developments could dramatically change one of Mill Avenue's most significant blocks.

What is known as the Centerpoint commercial project was one of the first redevelopment projects more than 15 years ago. It takes up several city blocks over 21.5 acres.

Now, there is a plan to change a portion of that, the block that sits on the western side of Mill Avenue between Sixth and Seventh streets, into a mixed-use building called On Mill that reaches eight stories.

What's there today is one level high. It has had many vacancies despite housing an area favorite, Coffee Plantation. Other tenants include Fat Tuesday, Uno Chicago Grill, Chester's Harley-Davidson on Mill, Bath & Body Works and a smattering of other stores.

New plans would mean razing those buildings to make room for a new mix of retail and the first condominiums directly on Mill Avenue.

There are three condo projects in the downtown area, with plans on the books for at least five more. But city leaders say this new concept fills a niche no others have so far.

"I think what you see is a different location in the market, a different lifestyle," said Neil Calfee, the city's deputy community development manager. "Compared to being 22 floors up in a condo to being on Mill Avenue will be a completely different living experience than living in something that's more of a planned, gated community."

The project is in the earliest stages. Site sketches were submitted to the city recently and are undergoing initial review by city departments.

Much could change in the coming months, but what Scottsdale developer DMB Associates Inc. and Phoenix architecture firm DFD CornoyerHedrick submitted to the city shows what they are aiming for. There would be 149 housing units, according to the plans. They would range from 850 to 2,025 square feet.

The lower level of the building would be dedicated to retail, while the remaining seven floors would be housing. An amenity deck would be at the top with a pool, spa and fitness center.

"It would be worth noting that this was one of DMB's first commercial projects, so we've been a part of Mill Ave. for many years," said Shanna Wolfe, a company spokeswoman. "We expect our legacy and stewardship with the community of Tempe to continue as we move forward through the planning and redevelopment process."

Both firms declined to comment as to the future of the current tenants or plans for the rest of the Centerpoint retail and commercial property, saying it was still too early in the planning process.

[combusean]

Open space at a premium (http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/0914tr-parks0914Z10.html)
'Critical moment' arrives for a city on growth wave

Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 14, 2006 12:00 AM

There is little question Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Balboa Park in San Diego, and Central Park in New York help shape their cities.

It remains to be seen, however, if any Valley cities will develop park space that can influence the area's identity on the same scale.

Tempe is going to try starting this year, and although the end result might neither be as massive nor serve as many people, it could prove to be just as important.

"Tempe is poised for a wave of unprecedented growth right now, with upwards of 5,000 new residential units in the immediate future," said Eric Hansen, a city planner who is overseeing the project.

"The time is now to create a project that will serve to enhance the quality of life for our ever-expanding downtown. We are at a really, really critical moment in Tempe's history."

As buildings inch upward and outward in Tempe, a New York City non-profit agency, Project for Public Spaces, is devising a way for the city to preserve the areas in between - making sure there are pockets of shade and places to linger for residents, tourists and employees.

During the next year, the non-profit's staff will conduct a study and draw out a plan for Tempe's downtown area that can be put into place along with the dozens of coming development projects.

To do so, the nationally recognized non-profit will examine current and future needs for paths, parks, pocket parks, historic parks and preserves, streetscapes, signage and publicly accessible private amenities, and how they all fit together. Its staff will establish maintenance standards and determine funding mechanisms for Tempe's public spaces.

A Public Spaces staff member was in town for preliminary work Monday, but the process will likely officially kick off in October.

"It is as important to ensure that we retain the open spaces and the connections among those open spaces to make downtown the inviting place it was intended to be," said Mayor Hugh Hallman, who said he emphasized this sentiment with PPS this week.

"It's all about the kind of space and quality of space and the care with which it is connected."

Project for Public Spaces was among five groups that put in bids for the project earlier this year. But PPS stood out to the selection committee because of its depth of expertise, city officials said.

It was founded in 1975 and since then, its employees have worked to strengthen communities with better public spaces throughout the country and around the world.

It has worked on parks, plazas, squares, transportation, civic centers, public markets, downtowns, mixed-used developments and campuses to enhance a sense of place that gives a community an identity, according to the company.

Notable projects include the Congress Street Master Plan in Tucson, the Yale University College and Chapel District redevelopment, Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in New York, Freeway Park in Seattle and Fort Worth Square.

Tempe leaders have been pushing toward implementing a similar plan for the downtown district for about a year, Hallman said.

Doing it now will mean front-loading the placement of parks while land is still available or under construction, Hansen said.

It will also mean avoiding the potentially expensive and complicated process of doing it after the development boom is done.

The city is paying Project for Public Spaces $300,000 for its services, which will take an estimated eight months.

[oliveurban]

Mill Avenue corner interests pharmacy
Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 16, 2006

Downtown Tempe could get its first pharmacy in years, marking yet another step toward a transformation focused on urban living.

Site plans have been submitted to the city by CVS Pharmacy. The documents put to rest rumors circulating for months about the future of the vacant southwestern corner of Mill Avenue and University Drive.

The five-page proposal tells more than just plans for bricks and sticks, according to city leaders. It signifies a coming lifestyle change.

"The location of a full-services pharmacy in the downtown and adjacent to the surrounding neighborhood helps bring back to the community the services and goods that improve the quality of life that makes it easier to live in the area," Mayor Hugh Hallman said.

Other community-focused amenities coming to the area include a Whole Foods Market inside the proposed Cosmopolitan project, now called KML Mosaic, that is slated to be located on University Drive at the site of Gentle Strength Cooperative.

Other mixed-use proposals are touted to have support services such as food markets for coming condo dwellers, as well.

Still, CVS is the first such project to come to the area and stand alone.

The nearly 1 acre had been the site of a Mobil gas station for about five decades. City records show it was likely a filling station before that.

In recent months, crews have been dismantling the remains of the gas station.

Preliminary plans submitted to the city could change as they are reviewed by city staff during the coming months, according to Steve Venker, a city planning and zoning manager. For now, the building would be a maximum of 30 feet tall.

The CVS building would be situated on the front of the lot to encourage pedestrian traffic.

The proposed plot stretches beyond the gas station footprint and into at least part of adjacent retail lots.

That could affect the continuation of several local businesses, including Sahara Middle Eastern Restaurant and Long Wong's on Mill Avenue, which reopened at the site this year.

[loftlovr]

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=74113&source=rss&dest=STY-74113

FAA to review proposed Tempe high-rise
By Garin Groff, Tribune
September 15, 2006
A second developer is about to find out if its proposed 30-story high-rise in downtown Tempe is a hazard to commercial airliners, a week after federal aviation officials said a taller condo project is safe.

Avenue Communities asked the Federal Aviation Administration earlier this week to review its proposal for the 343-foot Centerpoint Condominiums tower.
An answer could come within weeks.

The developer proposed the high-rise — and two other equally high buildings — last year, but it has just recently requested a building permit from Tempe. It has to seek FAA input as part of the permit process.

Phoenix aviation officials said they might not be happy with the project even if the FAA doesn’t object.

Some airliners would have to carry fewer passengers to follow their safety procedures — a possibility Phoenix doesn’t want.

“Our concern about inhibiting airport operations is it limits our ability to serve the community,” said Deborah Ostreicher, a spokeswoman for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Centerpoint Condominiums would be about 2 1 /2 miles from the end of Sky Harbor runways. It’s not planned under the flight path, but would be in a region where some pilots would steer an underperforming plane if an engine failed during takeoff. Some planes would carry fewer passengers or less cargo to ensure they’d have enough altitude in that rare circumstance.

The FAA ruled last month that the proposed 370-foot University Square development in downtown Tempe was safe despite objections from Alaska Airlines. That was the only airline to complain to the FAA because its pilots would turn above this part of Tempe if an engine failed.

After the FAA started that review, Tempe limited the building to 300 feet based on other factors. An Alaska Airlines representative told the Tribune anything taller than 189 feet on that site is a safety issue for their flights.

Alaska Airlines is studying a possible challenge to that project.

Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman questioned Phoenix’s objections given that federal aviation officials didn’t have a problem.

“It raises the specter that this is about something more than safety,” Hallman said.

Some Tempe business leaders and elected officials argue that Phoenix objects to Tempe’s rising skyline because it envies the smaller city’s economic development. Under this theory, Phoenix wants to discourage dense development in Tempe and steer it toward its downtown.

Phoenix officials say they’re fighting even the smallest issues that could reduce the airport’s capacity because passenger and cargo operations are so vital to the Valley’s economy.

The FAA review of Centerpoint Condominiums could take from a few weeks to several months, said Ian Gregor, an FAA spokesman based in Los Angeles. The FAA already said a 258-foot, 22-story building on the site is not a safety hazard. That tower is already under construction on the site, part of the larger Centerpoint shopping and office complex.

The FAA doesn’t have zoning authority and cannot stop the developer from constructing the 30-story building even if it declares it a hazard. Only Tempe can limit the height. Hallman indicated Tempe wouldn’t necessarily stop the project if the FAA found it a hazard.

“The city has no right to interfere in that process,” Hallman said. “Federal law dictates the process and the developer and the FAA have to work those issues out.”

About half the units in the 22-story tower are claimed in the presale stage, Avenue officials said. They’re selling from the mid-$300,000s to $2 million. The project will eventually have 800 units.

[ArtDecoFan]

Tempe condo complex previews luxury lifestyle

Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 20, 2006 12:00 AM


The push toward bringing the "lux" life to Tempe has received a solid shove.

A well-regarded independent chef, Michael DeMaria, who owns Michael's at the Citadel in north Scottsdale, is moving his fine-dining philosophy to the downtown district when a new condo complex opens.

The announcement is one of the first signs that the culinary world is following developers' drive to add additional tastes into Tempe's current tendency toward burgers, bar food and inexpensive restaurants.

Avenue Communities made the announcement amid an abundance of fine wine, food and fresh flowers it was using to publicly present the lifestyle it hopes to offer at Centerpoint Condominiums when the project opens in mid-2008.

The Monday evening event marked the opening of the massive condo complex's sales center at 110 E. Seventh St.

The green Discovery Center building is just east of Borders and blocks away from where Avenue Communities plans to build towers that would be the highest points in the East Valley at 30 stories.

Avenue Communities has begun a 22-story tower. It reached grade-level Monday after months of digging and concrete pouring in the four-story pit for underground parking.

Avenue is awaiting approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to get the permitting it needs from the city to build the other towers at 30 stories.

A large architectural model showing those plans was among the reception attractions. Yet people seemed most interested in the fancy food prepared by DeMaria and chef Troy Thieverge.

"They really did their homework because it's the luxury, not the condos. It was the luxury that attracted us," Joyce Lew said after she bit into a forkful of Barolo-braised short ribs.

Lew and her husband have reserved a studio unit on the 14th floor of the first tower.

They bought it for their 17-year-old daughter while she attends Arizona State University.

The Lews were among more than 100 people who listened to speeches by developers Ken Losch and David Dewar and Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman.

"We have one of the best opportunities in all of Arizona to create a real urban experience," Losch said.

[sharpie]

What does everyone think about Tempe giving ASU $6 mil to help upgrade Sun Devil Stadium? Personally, I'm ticked off about it. Didn't ASU have a chance to have the new Cards stadium right on campus (not the site north of the 202), and they snubbed the TSA? Now they want Tempe to give $6mil of my taxes to help fix up that dump? ASU should be pounding the pavement looking for corporate sponsership and campaigning the Alums for money.

[Don B.]

^ Your taxes? What are we talking about? A total of $7.58?

--don

[plinko]

What does everyone think about Tempe giving ASU $6 mil to help upgrade Sun Devil Stadium? Personally, I'm ticked off about it. Didn't ASU have a chance to have the new Cards stadium right on campus (not the site north of the 202), and they snubbed the TSA? Now they want Tempe to give $6mil of my taxes to help fix up that dump? ASU should be pounding the pavement looking for corporate sponsership and campaigning the Alums for money.

No. There never was ANY plan to have a new stadium on campus. Sites all around the river and lake from Priest all the way east into Mesa. Neither Tempe or ASU ever snubbed the TSA, both planned all along to have the stadium off campus along the lake. It would have allowed Sun Devil to be torn down. The City of Phoenix screwed all that up when they started the whole FAA hazard thing (despite the fact that as a result the SRP headquarters in Phoenix was discovered to be MORE of a hazard) and the TSA got nervous and re-opened the bidding to other cities.

Still, if Tempe wants to keep ASU football, they should pony up. I'm sure Glendale (or even Phoenix at Chase Field?) would be happy to have it and it would provide just another lame demonstration on what's wrong with development at a regional level in the Valley.

I'm not exactly sure what the renovation plans are, but $6M is a pittance considering the stadium was built in 1958 and sits on horrible soil (it's actually sinking).

[HooverDam]

It would have allowed Sun Devil to be torn down......

Still, if Tempe wants to keep ASU football, they should pony up. I'm sure Glendale (or even Phoenix at Chase Field?) would be happy to have it .

What? There were NEVER any plans to tear down SDS even if the Cards stadium was built near by. Why would ASU tear down a beautiful, historic stadium and decide to pay rent to the Cardinals- an organization they are sick of butting heads with? Furthermore, even if Tempe never gives ASU a dime, the team wouldnt move to Chase Field or Cardinals Stadium. ASU is lucky enough to have their stadium on campus, in a central location, they arent stupid enough to change that.

Sure Sun Devil Stadium needs renovations (permanent seats, finish off the lower bowl, better lit concourses, new bathrooms, better food, etc) but its still a gem as far as college stadiums go.

I've been to Arizona Stadium, LA Coliseum, the Rose Bowl, Northwesterns Stadium (whatever they call it) and Kinnick Field (Iowa), and Sun Devil Stadium puts them all to shame.

[plinko]

It was discussed by the engineers and associated parties on staff at ASU at the time, I assure you (I know some of them). Because the west side of the stadium is essentially sinking, simply renovating it is throwing money down a hole. At a certain point, rent for 30 years at a pro-level stadium (that also hosts the Fiesta Bowl) is likely cheaper than renovation. It's all about money. I'm actually a little curious about the scope of the new renovations (any idea where I can find info?)

[sharpie]

My bad, I was under the impression that ASU didn't want to be part of new stadium. But I wish they would have. Don't get me wrong, Sun Devil Stadium looks very cool, but from a functional standpoint, not so cool. Case in point: I'd love to go to the Oregon game next weekend, but I have no desire to sit in that convection oven at 12:30. Plus the west side in sinking? Can you say "money pit"?

ASU/Tempe/Cards should have looked to Pittsburgh for an example. Their new facility is shared (Pitt U, Steelers), thought to be the among the finest in the country, and right next door to their old stadium. We missed the boat on that one.

[sharpie]

^ Your taxes? What are we talking about? A total of $7.58?

--don

I'd much rather my $7.58 go towards finishing these ped paths they've been talking about (Western Canal, Tempe Canal, ped bridge across the lake, etc). I heard through the grapevine that Tempe had to forfeit $3mil of federal money for one of the ped/bike projects they're working on because they fell too far behind in design. Not sure which project though.

[HooverDam]

I just got home from a long plane flight, but sometime soon Ill find an article detailing the improvements ASU did to SDS this past off season. Nothing too magical, but I know a big chunk of it was to shore up structural concerns (perhaps the sinking you are referring to?).

Im a HUGE ASU football fan, and I love SDS, I think its freakin' great....but obviously it needs a make over. But I'd never want ASU out of the stadium, on campus, its big, between the buttes and on the river, what a location!

Here is what I think SDS needs:
1. Individual plastic seats (think Chase field). Make them maroon. This will slightly reduce capacity, but a good number of those seats could be made up for by rounding off the lower bowl (and with average attendance around 60K, losing a few thousand seats is probably OK).

2. All new restrooms. Luckily Im not female (Ive heard horror stories), but I dont like peeing in troughs.

3. Brighter, cleaner concourses. If they could put something over the concrete, or paint it, it would help a lot.

4. Better food choices. Bland hot dogs, beer, and soda aren't enough. SDS has improved in this area in recent years, but still has some work to do.

5. Perhaps the most important other than the seats...shade!!! Look into what Washington has at their stadium, and a lot of the World Cup Stadiums had, build some sort of awning around the north and east sides to provide shade. Luckily my family always had tickets on the East side and were saved by the press box's....but having most of the fans in the sun is unacceptable.

5A. Since a awning over the upper deck might not shade the field, perhaps some sort of dugout/additional shading could be added to ASUs sideline. Perhaps just a shaded area extended from on top of the fence. Speaking of the fence, the chain link is hideous, replace it with brick, plants...or be really cool and do an ocotillo fence.

[Vicelord John]

Ireplace it with brick, plants...or be really cool and do an ocotillo fence.
great idea, mix drunk college kids with a thorny wall.:haha:

[loftlovr]

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=74903&source=rss&dest=STY-74903

Condo developers see upscale downtown
By Garin Groff, Tribune
September 24, 2006
Every developer has critics. For David Dewar of Avenue Communities, the first critic of his plan for Centerpoint Condominiums was the most unlikely of sources — his wife. She’d gone to Arizona State University in the early 1980s, before meeting her husband. She recalled the downtown as a “chug and puke.”

She remembered an unsophisticated downtown that featured cheap beer and couldn’t imagine why her husband and his development partner, Ken Losch, considered Tempe a hot spot for pricey condos.

She changed her mind after seeing how the city had transformed itself, but her reaction shows how Tempe still hasn’t overcome its former image among some people. Mill Avenue has reached a tipping point that’s triggering a surge in sophistication, Losch said.

“There are people who get it but not enough people in the Valley get it yet,” Losch said.

They’ve convinced a locally renowned chef from north Scottsdale to move his restaurant, Michael’s at the Citadel, to Centerpoint. It’s run by Michael DeMaria.

They’ll also have a full-time resident chef, Troy Thivierge, to run an eatery for residents. They’re working to attract boutique stores and restaurants — from around the Valley and as far away as Canada — to Tempe.

“It’s going to get more refined,” Losch said. “It’s going to get more sophisticated.”

Losch and Dewar spent much of their lives in Canada’s urban cities, living in high-rise buildings and basking in urban lifestyles. Dewar, a 44-year-old who is now a U.S. citizen, grew up in a high-rise and recalls going down an elevator carrying his hockey stick.

Losch, a 46-year-old who is working to get U.S. citizenship, said a surprising number of Valley residents want the urban experience despite the Valley’s reputation for suburban sprawl. Most locals grew up someplace else and long for the more urban lifestyles they left behind.

Tempe has the hardware for this, they say. They’re supplying the software, which they consider unique businesses.

[HooverDam]

^Hm, I hope Mill always keeps it current college/hippie vibe. Scottsdale has got the upper class thing covered for the Valley. Mill needs to stay something different. I'd hope downtown Tempe, Scottsdale and Phoenix can all sort of develop different images and have their own unique vibes.

[oliveurban]

Agreed. Tempe should work hard to maintain it's more casual, college-town vibe--this includes Mill Ave. Not every major neighborhood in the Phoenix-area needs to become this sort of great "upscale destination". We have enough areas to concentrate on, as is.

Having a condo in downtown Tempe should be different from having a condo in downtown Scottsdale, or in the Biltmore-area, etc. Not more alike. Besides basic necessities (things like grocery stores, transportation access, general walkability, etc.), diversity in surroundings is a good thing.

[Azndragon837]

The East Valley Tribune this past week had a three-day series about Tempe and its growing downtown skyline. The pictures by the photographer are pretty cool, and the three-part series basically covers the issues at hand (height, density, loss of history, and airport concerns). Go ahead, read on, it's a great series documenting Arizona's most urban city.:cool:

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DAY 1: Sunday, September 24, 2006

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=74884

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/images/photos/t9l8fch7.jpg
VERTICAL HORIZON: A sculler relaxes on the dock of Tempe Town Lake, taking in the sunset over the changing skyline of downtown Tempe.
Ralph Freso, Tribune

High-rises to replace flour mill as Tempe icon
By Garin Groff, Tribune
September 24, 2006

Since Tempe’s founding, its iconic downtown landmark has been an industrial building that milled grain into flour. Its downtown scene for at least a generation relied largely on college students, bar food and beer. And the neighborhoods around Mill Avenue mostly vanished.

That’s all changing in a way that will transform Tempe’s place in Arizona and nationally. The new iconic image will be not a single building, but instead a cluster of 30-story luxury condos. The social scene is shifting to swanky eateries with celebrity chefs and boutique wines. And the neighborhoods are coming back — vertically. Nearly everything new downtown ranges from eight stories to 30 stories. The whole thing thrills civic leaders and merchants who insist Tempe is joining an elite group of urban cities known for their bustling downtowns.

Yet it horrifies others who see a quaint college town being gobbled up by developers eager to erect hulking monuments that will forever change Tempe’s face.

The opposing camps generally agree on one point: A promise summed up by Ken Losch, one of the men behind the 30-story Centerpoint Condominiums.

“Two or three years from now,” Losch said, “people aren’t going to recognize Mill Avenue.”

Change is now as much a part of downtown Tempe as the historic Hayden Flour Mill. But the building boom is the most rapid transformation in Tempe history. Within 10 years, or perhaps as many as 20 years, the current boom will exhaust itself as nearly every vacant parcel and most modest buildings are turned into high-density urban projects, according to city planners, developers and real estate experts.

Tempe’s downtown is vital because the 42-square-mile city is penned in by other communities. The city of 161,000 has almost no vacant land remaining. That means the only direction it can grow is up.

Looking to the future, the city envisions as many as 5,000 downtown condos, plus more offices, hotels, restaurants and shops. Unlike any other Valley city, the future downtown will be designed to allow residents to meet their everyday needs without a car.

“It’s going to be a real city,” said Rod Keeling, executive director of the Downtown Tempe Community.

“It’s not going to be a suburb of Phoenix. It’s going to be a real city.”

Tempe’s rise may seem natural today.

But the college town’s emergence as a major urban hub came after an embarrassing decline of its downtown, massive subsidies to lure developers and occasional bitterness as developers and city leaders periodically redefine Tempe’s vision.

The development under way now or planned to begin within a year exceeds $1 billion. Nearly 2,000 condos are approved, mostly in high-rises soaring 18 stories or more. Also, two hotels are approved and some landowners are planning major expansions and renovations. That could be the tip of the iceberg, as development officials have occasionally been caught off guard at times over the number of projects and their massive scale.

TURNAROUND

Historically, Tempe’s downtown has served as a key crossroads in Arizona, from the day Charles Trumbull Hayden arrived on the south side of the Salt River in the 1870s.

He started a ferry to transport people and goods across the then-flowing river. He built an adobe house that still stands and began the mill. The place known as Hayden’s Ferry was a top business post that eventually was dwarfed by Phoenix as the Valley’s center of gravity.

The downtown still flourished as a traditional center of a college town through the 1960s, when urban sprawl began taking its toll on central business districts in Tempe and across the country. For a time, Tempe’s core was known largely for biker bars and drunken brawls.

“It’s not that we were just a little college town,” said Keeling, an Arizona State University student in the early 1970s. “We were a dirtball little college town.”

It had become almost too much for city fathers to bear by 1968. The growing city began considering a new City Hall on the outskirts of the city, in what would have been a symbolic abandonment of downtown.

The City Council decided by one vote to stay downtown. That led to construction of an upside-down pyramid for City Hall — and national attention for its unconventional design.

The pyramid’s 1970 completion triggered a trickle of private developments. Owners restored historic buildings on their own in some cases, but the effort was boosted by city subsidies of major projects that developers considered too risky.

But Tempe has turned off the subsidy spigot in recent years, as private investment carried the momentum. It can now demand developers give money to other city projects as the price of doing business in Tempe.

NEW BLOOD

One or two developers have historically dominated Tempe redevelopment at any given time.

Today, the list of influential developers includes native Canadians Ken Losch and David Dewar of Avenue Communities. They’re working to move their Camelback Corridor headquarters to the Hayden Flour Mill. From there, they’ll coordinate plans to build as many as 5,000 condos in the region surrounding downtown.

Losch is the company’s chief pitchman — and for good reason.

He speaks with an evangelistic zeal about making Tempe like other urban centers — Toronto’s Yaletown or New York City’s SoHo district.

Losch can’t mention other megacities without boasting of plans to make a new hip urban core — SoBo.

That’s short for sophisticated Bohemian, which means historic red brick buildings, glass condo towers, boutique wine and restaurants with European influences.

Losch’s company checked out 200 developments across the nation before settling on Tempe. During a recent tour of the Centerpoint Condominium site, Losch stood on a newly poured foundation of what will become an Italian bakery and rattled off the reasons why he landed in Tempe.

First, he said, there’s Phoenix, the nation’s fifth largest city. ASU, now the nation’s largest university. A massive airport minutes away. Employment opportunities. Access to freeways. Papago Park. The Metro light-rail line. Lots of historic buildings.

“I challenge you to find the confluence of that any other place in the country,” Losch said. “Phoenix now has become a primary city and this place is screaming out for SoBos.”

As for modern design, Centerpoint will eclipse any existing building downtown. But Losch insists he values historic buildings. That’s why he is buying Hayden Flour Mill from Tempe.

He wants to restore the site as his corporate headquarters. He plans to move some milling equipment into a glass enclosure that will let visitors see how grain was processed. And he’s seeking a restaurant that will make flour on site to carry on the mill’s traditions.

The old mill also will house a winery. Avenue Communities has ordered 60,000 pounds of Napa Valley grapes that should arrive in a few weeks and will be made into wine in Tempe.

It might seem a high-end developer would want to crush the quirky elements of this college town. But Losch insists he wants unexpected moments. That could be a guy hitting him up for a buck or a street musician, he said.

Even the Tempe establishment has cautiously embraced the Bohemian side of Mill Avenue. The downtown’s street musicians and sellers of hemp jewelry are technically illegal, but they’re allowed to operate as long as they aren’t too obnoxious.

Keeling loves that. As a selfdescribed former 1970s hippie, he embraces some of the downtown’s wildness. The pro-business, proestablishment side of him also sees the benefit of life on the edge to set downtown apart from the lifeless corporate culture that dominates other shopping and entertainment venues.

“The guy with his guitar and the dreadlocks — that’s Mill Avenue,” Keeling said. “That’s the ‘It.’ ”

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DAY 2: Monday September 25, 2006

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=74955

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/images/photos/pba6fvx.jpg
Construction cranes tower over downtown Tempe’s skyline as signs of change and development abound.
Ralph Freso Tribune

Changes to Tempe raise concerns about past
By Garin Groff, Tribune
September 25, 2006

Day 2 of a 3-part series

Visitors to downtown Tempe probably will be forgiven if they momentarily look past the century-old red brick buildings to catch a glimpse of construction cranes towering into the sky. But the distraction might not be momentary.

Once 30-story condo towers loom over Tempe, will visitors see the place for its history or for its modern glass and steel buildings?

And will owners of the more understated red brick buildings continue to take advantage of the historic charm to lure visitors? Or will they exploit the real estate and cash in on the chance to build more 30-story buildings?

And what if these massive condo towers open their doors to a public that decides Arizona living should be characterized by big yards and a pool — not a high-rise?

Anxiety has come with every change in downtown Tempe over the years, but today’s unprecedented rate and scale of change has elevated those concerns. Some fear the bold effort to transform downtown Tempe may destroy its history and the sense of place that now lures builders, merchants and shoppers.

One of Tempe’s more notable merchants for decades thinks it’s already too late to save downtown from larger forces.

Gayle Shanks ran her Changing Hands Bookstore downtown for nearly 30 years but left in 2000 as new development brought in bookstore powerhouse Borders.

“Greedy” developers ruined the quaint atmosphere, she claims.

“They just figured there was a little gold mine there and they were ready to mine it,” Shanks said. “The dollar was the primary focus, not the people. It just imploded.”

Tempe’s been widely criticized for not doing enough for small businesses that give downtown its character.

Restaurant owner Michael Monti is one of the strongest critics. But he and other downtown followers say many failed or upset businesses owners have only themselves to blame for falling behind trends in their industries.

“Sometimes independent businesses like mine are their own worst enemies,” said Monti of the landmark Monti’s La Casa Vieja restaurant. “Independent businesses need to recognize contemporary standards and rise to them.”

Residents’ fears go beyond corporate domination of mom-and-pop shops.

They include intimidation from big buildings, congestion and loss of history.

And one of the biggest fears is that the unprecedented boom is happening too rapidly.

HISTORY

Tempe has the Valley’s oldest continuously inhabited structure, Monti’s La Casa Vieja, according to the city. And the adjacent Hayden Flour Mill was the state’s longest continuously operated industrial site until its 1998 closing.

But some longtime downtown watchers raised concerns the value of land could doom small historic buildings.

“The biggest fear I have is when you can build a 300-foot building, no small building is safe,” said Rod Keeling, executive director of the Downtown Tempe Community.

The historic buildings create an authentic feeling money can’t buy, Keeling said.

He’s called for an ordinance that would block buildings taller than 50 feet on sites with historic elements. That would severely limit profits for new buildings on historic sites.

Mayor Hugh Hallman scoffs at the notion Tempe hasn’t done enough for history. The city has saved several historic buildings during his two years in office and has established height guidelines to protect key properties, he said.

Keeling said he’s not concerned about the political climate today, but he fears future city leaders won’t feel as strongly about preservation. Currently, a majority vote of the City Council could doom a building, he said.

Though many downtown buildings are on the National Registry of Historic Places, the designation doesn’t trump a property owner’s right to tear it down.

Once the building is gone, Keeling said, the owner could lobby the city for more height.

Keeling’s most urgent concern is the Vienna Bakery building, dating to 1893. Developer Don Plato bought it along with the adjacent Fifth and Mill building at the intersection’s northeast corner.

Plato planned to open a Gelato Spot there, but he opened stores elsewhere in the Valley as he instead explored the idea of knocking down buildings for an 11-story condo project, Mill Avenue Lofts.

Plato said the outcry made it too difficult, so he decided to keep the buildings and lease them out.

“I’ve kind of lost my drive because of the politics,” he said.

Plato questions the value of the Vienna Bakery building as a historic property. Only the front wall’s arched windows remain. The building’s south half was demolished years ago, and nearly everything else was rebuilt after a fire.

“It’s so young that it doesn’t mean (anything),” Plato said. “To think that building does have any historic value is just asinine to me.”

Architect Stu Siefer’s Tempe firm was perhaps the most active in downtown restoration and new projects in the 1970s and 1980s, and he laments how big buildings are dwarfing charming old ones.

He was involved with some downtown planning at the time and envisioned a limit at eight stories — not 30.

“I think it’s going to be shocking for people to see buildings of this size,” Siefer said. “I would have preferred to see the density evolve and have the ability to know in increments if we have the ability to absorb the growth.”

HEIGHT, SCALE AND ECONOMICS

Civic boosters get excited about 30-story condo towers in Tempe. They often point out Tempe’s skyline will become the second most impressive in the Valley, behind only Phoenix.

That poses the question: Are the buildings essential to Tempe or are they a case study in skyscraper envy?

According to Joel Kotkin, a Los Angeles-based author and commentator on urban and social issues, “What makes Tempe great is you have nice places to walk and it’s human scale.

“I don’t think adding a bunch of tall buildings makes it a great environment.”

Kotkin visits the Valley frequently and sees a demand for some urban condos in Tempe, in downtown Scottsdale and along the Camelback corridor.

Yet he’s skeptical of the nationwide trend to build high-rise condos in downtowns, especially in Sunbelt cities.

Developers usually overbuild and create a bubble in the market, Kotkin said. That means a portion of the swanky condo towers could turn into more modest housing for students.

Rob Melnick, associate vice president of economic affairs at Arizona State University, disagrees with Kotkin’s density and height worries. Downtown must take big steps for the city to survive financially, he said.

“And the alternative being what?” he said. “Being what you have now?”

Keeling and others argue the tall buildings will build up the tax base so the otherwise built-out city won’t have to raise residential taxes.

Melnick acknowledges developers could build too much, too fast and their new buildings might sit idle for some time.

But he’s convinced the ambitious downtown plan will work out even if some developments fail initially.

“Twenty years from now when this place is built out, the people who were behind it are going to look like friggin’ geniuses,” Melnick said. “People are going to forget all the rancor and they’re going to be celebrating.”


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DAY 3: Tuesday, September 26, 2006

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=75033

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/images/photos/m66ov0mj.jpg
Construction along Tempe Town Lake glimmers in the setting sun as landmarks like the Hayden Flour Mill silos remain along Tempe’s changing skyline.
Ralph Freso Tribune

Tempe, Phoenix have long battled over routes
By Garin Groff, Tribune
September 26, 2006

Day 3 of 3-part series

Two-and-a-half miles from a runway at the nation’s fifth-busiest airport, developers are scrambling to put up buildings between 20 stories and 30 stories.

The soaring buildings aren’t directly under where most planes fly.

But they’re close.

In the rare instance that an engine fails on takeoff, pilots of some airlines would turn their aircraft directly over tall buildings in downtown Tempe.

So instead of continuing east over a largely uninhabited river, the struggling plane would turn over one of Arizona’s most densely populated areas.

The idea sounds crazy to everyone — but not in the same way.

To Tempe, it’s crazy that a pilot would head toward tall buildings and so many people.

To some airlines and aviation officials at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, it’s crazy that anybody would want a skyscraper where disabled planes need all the airspace they can get.

And it’s even crazier to them that Tempe would allow it.

It may seem like strictly a safety issue. But for two cities that have squabbled over the airport for decades, it’s also about politics.

Tempe points out that Phoenix has taller buildings downtown that are even closer to the other end of the runway, so it can’t legitimately complain.

Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman said Phoenix must stop fighting Tempe and pressure airlines to change their procedures.

“They want to fly a plane with a disabled engine over the most densely populated area of the state?” Hallman said. “They think that’s safety planning? That’s absurd.”

Tempe sees a neighboring city that’s envious of its economic development success.

The theory is: The state’s capital city has struggled to lure developers to its downtown for decades while its scrappier college-town neighbor has been nearly overwhelmed by development.

By making flight safety an issue, Phoenix can slow Tempe’s growth and lure those developers — and their money — to its downtown, boosting its own image.

The accusation offends Jane Morris, a deputy aviation director for Phoenix.

“I am a professional and I am not making recommendations that enhance or detract anyone’s downtown,” Morris said.

“I am a custodian of maintaining the capacity we have paid for in these runways and the infrastructure,” she continued. “As the person responsible for that planning, I find that ridiculous.”

LONG-STANDING TENSION

The tension has deep roots. Tempe has complained for years about the growing airport and noise from planes that fly over Tempe neighborhoods on either side of the Salt River.

The airport was an issue early this decade when construction was about to begin on an Arizona Cardinals stadium east of the runways. Phoenix and Tempe had battled for the stadium, and flight safety became a major issue.

The stadium ended up in Glendale, and many Tempeans are still bitter about how Phoenix fought to have the stadium built in its downtown.

The animosity boiled over in 2001 when Tempe sued Phoenix over a runway-paving project.

Tempe made the airport a federal issue a year later when it sued Phoenix in federal court. Tempe eventually dropped the suit.

In 2004, the new mayors of both cities — Hallman and Phoenix’s Phil Gordon — agreed to stop the fighting their predecessors started and work together more on airport issues.

But tensions rose last year when Avenue Communities announced it wanted to raise its 22-story condo project in downtown Tempe to 30.

The then-aviation director of Phoenix told Avenue Communities to stop construction. Phoenix chastised the developer for not getting a mandatory review by the Federal Aviation Administration. The developer started the review process this month.

Tempe and Phoenix traded barbs publicly over the project.

Phoenix questioned whether Tempe was indifferent to airline safety. Tempe questioned whether Phoenix was just jealous.

Both sides expect the FAA to shed some light on the issue soon, possibly in a few weeks. Federal officials will examine the building heights and ask airlines for their views.

Then the FAA will decide one of two things: A finding of no hazard, which means the project doesn’t have a significant impact on safety or operation.

Or the FAA could label the project a hazard because it’s in the airspace needed for safe flight operations should an airliner’s engine fail.

The FAA’s findings can’t stop a project, however.

Only Tempe has authority to restrict building heights.

Hallman has said the city will respect FAA findings but won’t necessarily give in to objections from an individual airline.

The latest feud involves University Square, a 300-foot-tall project at University Drive and Myrtle Avenue.

The FAA determined it wasn’t a hazard. But it noted Alaska Airlines’ objection to the building on the grounds that it would need the airspace if an engine failed. Alaska has appealed the FAA determination. The FAA does not have a timeline to issue a decision on the appeal.

ENGINE FAILURE PLANS

Alaska Airlines has told the Tribune that anything higher than 189 feet would force it to reduce weight to ensure its planes could clear the building. That would force the airline to cut six to 10 passengers from most of its flights to ensure safe operations. The airline operates eight to 10 flights a day.

Alaska officials said they can’t recall a time in the past decade when any of its planes lost an engine on takeoff. On the aircraft Alaska uses for flights to Phoenix, the Boeing 737-400, engine failure occurs on about four of every 100,000 departures.

But Alaska and other airlines must operate every flight under the assumption that an engine could fail and have procedures to ensure these disabled aircraft can clear obstacles.

Carl Allen, Alaska’s director of flight operations, said company policy doesn’t put downtown residents at risk.

“It’s our intent that that airplane won’t come in contact, whether densely populated area or sparse ground,” Allen said.

Each airline has its own procedure for dealing with a failed engine based on the technical specifications of each make of aircraft. Most airlines would continue along the river if an engine failed, which is the same path they’d use for normal takeoffs.

Alaska decided not to have have pilots go east over the river with a failed engine because Hayden Butte and buttes in Papago Park are obstacles. The turn over downtown allows planes to clear those hazards, Allen said.

Alaska, Southwest and FedEx share similar procedures for turning over downtown when an engine fails. The airlines hesitate to release specifics of their procedures because they are proprietary, Hallman said.

Morris rejected Tempe’s call to have the city pressure airlines to change their flight procedures.

“Phoenix does not presume to tell an airline how to fly their planes,” she said.

Morris said Phoenix has responded to flightsafety issues by creating block-by-block zoning for its downtown that takes airport issues into consideration.

She said Tempe hasn’t done the same, and that it should consider doing so. Phoenix is studying Tempe’s airspace now to see what heights would or would not be a problem in its downtown.

Phoenix should have its answers within a few months.

“Tempe doesn’t have an analysis that takes into account one engine out,” Morris said.

Hallman said Tempe has tried to do this but Phoenix and the airlines have refused to release information on flight procedures when an engine fails.

Tempe started working on building height issues before Phoenix, Hallman said, but can’t complete the work without information from airlines.

Tempe Councilman Hut Hutson has followed the issue as chairman of the city’s aviation commission and is the city’s chief critic of Phoenix’s position.

“They complain that we don’t listen to the FAA and then the FAA gives us approval and it’s still not good enough,” Hutson said. “I’ve been telling people all the time, it’s economic development. It’s not flight safety, it’s economic development.”

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/images/photos/606sy01.jpg


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Condo developers see upscale downtown
By Garin Groff, Tribune
September 24, 2006

Every developer has critics. For David Dewar of Avenue Communities, the first critic of his plan for Centerpoint Condominiums was the most unlikely of sources — his wife. She’d gone to Arizona State University in the early 1980s, before meeting her husband. She recalled the downtown as a “chug and puke.”

She remembered an unsophisticated downtown that featured cheap beer and couldn’t imagine why her husband and his development partner, Ken Losch, considered Tempe a hot spot for pricey condos.

She changed her mind after seeing how the city had transformed itself, but her reaction shows how Tempe still hasn’t overcome its former image among some people. Mill Avenue has reached a tipping point that’s triggering a surge in sophistication, Losch said.

“There are people who get it but not enough people in the Valley get it yet,” Losch said.

They’ve convinced a locally renowned chef from north Scottsdale to move his restaurant, Michael’s at the Citadel, to Centerpoint. It’s run by Michael DeMaria.

They’ll also have a full-time resident chef, Troy Thivierge, to run an eatery for residents. They’re working to attract boutique stores and restaurants — from around the Valley and as far away as Canada — to Tempe.

“It’s going to get more refined,” Losch said. “It’s going to get more sophisticated.”

Losch and Dewar spent much of their lives in Canada’s urban cities, living in high-rise buildings and basking in urban lifestyles. Dewar, a 44-year-old who is now a U.S. citizen, grew up in a high-rise and recalls going down an elevator carrying his hockey stick.

Losch, a 46-year-old who is working to get U.S. citizenship, said a surprising number of Valley residents want the urban experience despite the Valley’s reputation for suburban sprawl. Most locals grew up someplace else and long for the more urban lifestyles they left behind.

Tempe has the hardware for this, they say. They’re supplying the software, which they consider unique businesses.

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Meet Tempe’s developers
By Garin Groff, Tribune
September 25, 2006

The Centerpoint Condominiums project in Tempe casts a long shadow over other major projects. The three towers are expected to reach 343 feet, the tallest the city will allow.

Right now it’s the biggest project under construction in Tempe. But several other major developments are planned. Here’s a look at other major projects under way and some key developments already in place.

UNIVERSITY SQUARE

This project features more components than any single downtown project — a condo tower, an office tower and a major hotel. The 2.1 million-square-foot project will cover an entire block, where the 1960s-era Arches center has served students for generations. The hotel is the most significant feature to developer Jim Riggs, president of Valley-based Shea Commercial.

“This is going to be the hot spot for everybody to meet and have gatherings and social events,” Riggs said. Riggs said it’s odd that a campus the size of Arizona State University doesn’t have a large hotel on site.

CENTERPOINT

One of Tempe’s key redevelopment sites is about to be redeveloped again. DMB Associates of Scottsdale is exploring plans to tear down some of the single-level buildings along Mill Avenue that housed landmark businesses like the Coffee Plantation. The new buildings would include a reconfigured space for restaurants and shops. Several stories of condos would rise above, according to preliminary plans submitted to the city.

Centerpoint remains one of downtown’s most pivotal redevelopment efforts, as it was the first major project when it was approved in 1985. It landed a Chase operations center, the bank’s first large presence west of the Mississippi River. Other offices, stores, restaurants and a Harkins Theater rounded out the development.

HAYDEN FERRY LAKESIDE

Every feature of this office, hotel and condo project plays off its location on the south shore of Tempe Town Lake. Buildings are covered with a specially tinted deep blue glass, architecture resembles the contours of ships and names reference nautical terms. Four condo buildings are planned, with each unit designed to give the owner a view of the lake. Work has begun on the second of these buildings. Construction is under way on the second of three office towers, and developer Suncor recently announced it will feature international hotelier Le Meridien.

MOSAIC

First known as the Cosmo, this condo project is perhaps best known for landing a Whole Foods. That will be downtown’s first grocer in years. Mosaic will include other shops and restaurants, as well. The condos will replace the Gentle Strength co-op site, on the northwest corner of University Drive and Ash Avenue.

THE ARMORY

This 20-story condo project will take the name of a utilitarian armory building that’s stood there for decades. Developer Grady Gammage Jr. is behind the project, located on the southeast corner of College Avenue and Veterans Way.


_________________________________________


-Andrew:tup:

[Azndragon837]

^Everyone should read the articles above, I am giving this thread a BUMP!

Thanks!

-Andrew

[loftlovr]

Andrew-
Thanks bud!
Great stuff!

[NYC2ATX]

hey just curious . . . how far along is centerpoint residential in construction? emporis.com says that one of the towers is already underway.
What's going on with that?

[Azndragon837]

hey just curious . . . how far along is centerpoint residential in construction? emporis.com says that one of the towers is already underway.
What's going on with that?

The Phase I tower (22 stories) is FINALLY on the first level after months of digging and building 4-stories up from its big hole to ground level. So from this point forward, it should be up, up and away.

The Phase II tower (30 stories) is under construction as well (with the foundation). It is still waiting on the FAA to see if the height is not a hazard to airplanes, should be a few weeks until we find out. The FAA did approve the Phase I tower, by the way, and there are tower cranes for each phase on the site.

Hope that helps!

-Andrew

[loftlovr]

http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/1020tr-hustler1020Z10.html

In like Flynt: Tempe going Hustler

Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 20, 2006 12:00 AM


The world of Larry Flynt is spilling into Tempe.

The baron of adult magazines and videos is bringing his brand of toys, clothing and otherwise explicit adult entertainment to the city.

The space once held a Red Lobster, and was a 1st Draft Pick Sports Bar most recently. Now, the building on Broadway Road, west of McClintock Drive, will be the magazine-company's 12th "Hustler Hollywood: A unique boutique" in the country.

Brochures depicting other locations show a classy-looking establishment that looks more like it belongs in a shopping mall than the stereotype of an adult store. Wood floors and bright lighting show off clean-lined display cases hawking T-shirts and other clothing.

The store concept has been around for about 10 years, said Jimmy Flynt, brother of Hustler founder Larry Flynt and business partner in the company's pornography and publishing business.

"Most of our products consist of what you would find in a Victoria's Secret or a Macy's. Clothing, shoes, jewelry, accessories, pants, shirts, sweat shirts," Jimmy said. "Only a small percent is adult products."

The company plans to open Tempe's Hustler Hollywood in time for the holiday shopping season.

City officials have received complaints from nearby residents who are upset that the retailer will be selling adult merchandise. Others asked Thursday were not fazed.

"It's not my first choice for what kind of business would go in there," said Geri Thompson, an Arizona State University employee who lives in the area. "I was hoping for a nice restaurant."

Candace Ammerman, who was eating lunch across the street at a Chinese buffet, agreed.

"I would just as soon that type of business is inside than seeing something like prostitutes parading on the streets."

The lot is zoned retail, so the business is limited on how much adult merchandise it can carry. City code mandates no more than 30 percent can be adult-related, so the building's architects are cordoning off 29.9 percent of the store with a 6-foot high wall. "They have completely complied with every regulation," said Chris Anaradian, the city's development services manager.

Anaradian has been among the city officials who have heard complaints about the store opening.

"We can't make special rules for stores we don't like," he said. "The best way we can be fair is to enforce them all across the board."

Workers are expanding the location by more than 1,000 square feet, according to documents submitted to the city.

And although the company initially pitched putting up a sign 30 feet high, the version approved by the city will be slightly smaller than the sports bar sign that's on the property.

There are two adult-use zoned businesses in Tempe: A Fascinations Sensual Shoppes on Elliot Road and the Modern World Adult Book Store on Apache Boulevard. There, the amount of adult material is not monitored.

There are half-a-dozen other shops in Tempe that advertise adult content material.

[loftlovr]

http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special15/articles/1019mill-architect1019Z14.html

Australians design Tempe project
Teams in Sydney, here able to work 2 shifts in a day

Katie Ruark
Special for the republic
Oct. 19, 2006 12:00 AM


Tempe is getting a global perspective.

In an area of major expansion, it was only a matter of time until an international company took the reins of a local development.

Constellation Property Group is based in Sydney, Australia, and works out of San Diego. It is building the Armory at 322 E. Sixth St.

Architects in San Diego and Sydney are designing the exterior and interior of the building, which will be a mix of condominiums and retail space. The Sydney architects are from Marchese + Partners design. The San Diego architects make the original design and those from Sydney do the more precise and detailed tasks.

Because of the offices' locations, Constellation has the capability to work nearly 24 hours day because Australia's time zone is nearly the opposite of ours.

"We have the advantage that when we leave in the late afternoon we use e-mail and put everything on the STP, everything's on computers, and when we get in the next morning, another shift has been done," said Eugene Marchese, managing director of Constellation Property Group.

Marchese said Tempe is the place for his company to be right now.

"The building's design is influenced by the location," Marchese said. "(Tempe) is a gateway."

Rod Keeling, executive director of the Downtown Tempe Community, agrees.

"They could build this project in Singapore, but they chose Tempe," Keeling said. "In addition, they have a very sophisticated residential product. This is not their first condo tower, it's their 10th or 15th, so they have experience. I have heard good things about them from people in California, so I know they can perform."

He said the close proximity to ASU and Sun Devil Stadium as well as the future light rail locations made for a dynamic design. The building at College Avenue and Veteran's Way will come to a sharp point.

"There are a couple of things we love about Tempe," Marchese said. "It has a dynamic downtown. We love the economic climate. The politicians have done a great job with that."

The firm likes it so much, in fact, they hope do more work in the area.

"We are already looking at others, but for now we are focused on the Armory," Marchese said.

[loftlovr]

http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special15/articles/1005mill-changingscene1005Z10.html


High-rise looms on airline's land

Oct. 5, 2006 12:00 AM


US Airways is moving closer to adding a high-rise on its downtown land. The property, at Third Street and Mill Avenue, has been slated for development for decades.

The grassy expanse likely will be replaced by a multistory building with retail space on the ground floor and office space on the upper levels. It will be the second of three buildings that planned there, according to a development agreement with the city.

The Tempe-based airline is the process of negotiating and finalizing building proposals with a developer. . US Airways plans to go public with those plans in the coming weeks, said Paul Lambert, vice president of corporate real estate.

The airline fielded proposals from a half-dozen developers who had dramatically different ideas for what should be built on the 7.5 acres, Lambert said. Whatever goes in will be directly adjacent to a new light-rail stop.

As of now, third-party renters will use the building, Lambert said. However, the possibility exists that US Airways will use the floor space for corporate expansion.

The land is jointly owned by the airline and Tempe.

- Katie Nelson

[HX_Guy]

Tempe council gets tough on 3 developers

Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 21, 2006 12:00 AM

The Tempe City Council put developers through the wringer Thursday night.

At least one left miffed. Another walked out scoffing. A third threatened to take his plans to a different city.

The council took action on two key multimillion-dollar projects in front of an almost-full audience during its formal meeting.
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Ultimately, the Armory high-rise project was approved.

Plans for an arts district that is supposed to go on 12 acres next to the new Tempe Center for the Arts were scrapped.

Affordable-housing proponents scored when council gave the go-ahead to a 20-story, $150 million, two-building condominium complex, to be named the Armory, at the south base of Tempe Butte.

But before they did so, council members put the Australian developer, Eugene Marchese, on the spot with a surprise request that got him to commit the possibility of an additional $300,000 to the city's affordable housing.

In contrast, the arts district concept was sent back to the drawing board without council approval.

Proposals from two developers were being considered, but both were rejected. Instead, the City Council decided to start over to try and involve the community more in determining what should go on the 12 acres.

"I have issues with both developers and their proposals, but I think that the biggest problem is process related," Councilwoman Barb Carter said.

[Azndragon837]

Some good news about an extra light rail station to be built at the intersection of Center Parkway (between Mill & Priest) and Washington Street in North Tempe:


Extra light-rail station in works

http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/1021tr-lightrail1021Z10.html

Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 21, 2006 12:00 AM


Three Tempe businesses are getting closer to signing a deal that could bring an additional light-rail station to the city.

Initially, some of the businesses requesting the stop balked at helping to carry the financial load, but apparently those issues have been worked out.

A $5 million-plus train stop has been designed to go in the middle of Washington Street just east of Center Parkway. It would be Tempe's ninth light-rail station, and the 27th for the Valley along the 20-mile line.

It also would be the first and only station to be added on with private money. The original stops are being paid for through a $1.4 billion construction package of federal money and contributions from Tempe, Phoenix and Mesa. This new stop won't be eligible for those federal funds because the amount has been capped.

Instead, Tempe and three businesses that would benefit from the additional location would absorb the cost of design and construction. They include Papago Park Center, a 522-acre Salt River Project-owned business park that's home to the company's headquarters and more than a dozen other businesses that opened in 1992; Chesnut Properties LLC, which is building a biotech lab near Washington Street and Mill Avenue; and Trillium at Rio Salado, a 1,200-resident apartment complex across the street from the intended station.

The foursome has agreed on a deal for cost sharing, said Jyme Sue McLaren, a deputy public works manager who deals with Tempe's light-rail business.

The documents have yet to be signed, but should be submitted to the City Council for sign-off within the next two months, McLaren said.

Metro's most recent monthly progress report shows the design and engineering of the station is scheduled to be complete in late February 2008, six months before the rail line's target opening date in December 2008. But McLaren said it's actually already done.

It will be an identical look to the other rail stations in Tempe and be completed along with the area's segment by spring, she said.

[vertex]

I'm glad they worked that out. It's a good place for a station, and will provide some needed access to the north side of the town lake.

[HX_Guy]

FAA backs 1st tower of Tempe condo
Phoenix objected to 30-story project, citing airport-safety concerns

Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 24, 2006 12:00 AM

A contentious chapter of the airport fight between Phoenix and Tempe has finally come to a close: Centerpoint Condominiums has gotten the go-ahead from the Federal Aviation Administration to build a 30-story condominium tower in Tempe.

The decision, released Monday afternoon, is the most recent dispute in a drama that has been unfolding for years. It's a fight that has been fueled by aircraft noise levels, Tempe's ill-fated attempts to build the Cardinals stadium and economic development disparities, whether true or perceived. The dispute landed most recently on the height of buildings around Sky Harbor International Airport.

Monday's news from the FAA removes the final hurdle that developer Avenue Communities LLC needed to clear to build a four-tower complex in downtown Tempe. It also contradicts concerns raised by former Phoenix Aviation Director and now Phoenix Deputy City Manager David Krietor.
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The developer lauded the finding.

"It's a decision we felt was a long time coming," said Ken Losch, a principal in the Phoenix-based Avenue Communities. "We think the significant amount of rhetoric was unnecessary and in some cases unprofessional, so we're pleased that it's done."

In January, Krietor sent a letter to Avenue Communities that was copied to Phoenix, Tempe, airline and FAA officials. He questioned the safety and legality of Centerpoint's intended height, writing it could "adversely impact Sky Harbor Airport, one of Arizona's most important economic assets."

Krietor said the height conflicts with several airlines' "engine out procedures," an emergency procedure that each airline designs for its pilots to use if an engine fails.

He wrote: "The aircraft performance penalty resulting from the planned Centerpoint construction will be severe, resulting in lower allowable takeoff weights, considerably more noise to underlying residents, and safety-related considerations."

He also told the developer to stop building.

This raised the hackles of leaders in Tempe, who are still sore because their plans to build a stadium were quashed in 2001 when the FAA deemed the site an aircraft hazard to Sky Harbor, which is owned and managed by Phoenix.

Phoenix officials said they were obligated to voice safety worries.

"Our concern has always been the traveling public's safety," Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said on Monday, "and the continued, unimpeded operations of Sky Harbor International Airport, the largest economic engine in the state."

The FAA's decision could come under scrutiny if someone files a petition by Nov. 19. If none is submitted, the decision becomes official Nov. 29.

"If the FAA says that it's not going to be a hazard, they're the federal agency that has the authority to do that," Krietor said Monday. "The city of Phoenix will abide by that decision ... and isn't going to oppose the project."

The FAA ruling only OKs one of the three planned 30-story towers but does so based on its proximity to another 30-story project in Tempe. Avenue will seek approval for the other two if it starts building them.

The news is a relief, said Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman, who heard Monday afternoon while vacationing in San Diego.

"It was a much more difficult process than it needed to be based on the incendiary comments that some choose to make rather than allowing the process to go forward naturally," he said. "Our goal is to be nothing other than synergistic with our surrounding communities and create a region that is dynamic."


http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1024centerpoint1024.html

[vertex]

I just don't get it. The FAA will allow a 330' Condo to rise under the 3rd runway flight path, yet it wouldn't allow the 210' Cardinal's stadium to be built between flight paths?

[flub]

I just don't get it. The FAA will allow a 330' Condo to rise under the 3rd runway flight path, yet it wouldn't allow the 210' Cardinal's stadium to be built between flight paths?

I think that there are several factors that went into this. The centerpoint towers aren't under any filght path, they're interfering with several airlines "engine out" emergency plans. The airlines will have to alter their plans, and possibly carry less takeoff weight.

Another reason was that the Cardinal's stadium was being built shortly after 911, and there was a tremendous amount of fear about combining airports and large groups of people

Finally, this time Tempe was prepared. This fight was NEVER about safety of flight plans, it was about Phoenix trying to stiffle the deveopment of Tempe. The first time Phoenix tried with the stadium, Tempe was blindsided, but this time Tempe knew what was going to happen and was prepared to fight back. Its absolutely shameful that Phoenix is trying to use the airport to damage neighboring cities development.

[Azndragon837]

I just don't get it. The FAA will allow a 330' Condo to rise under the 3rd runway flight path, yet it wouldn't allow the 210' Cardinal's stadium to be built between flight paths?

Just a correction: the Cardinals Stadium that was to be built near Priest Drive and Washington Street in Tempe was actually under the direct flight path for the North Runway, not in-between. If you look at the location on Google Earth, and line it up with the runway, planes will have actually flown over the stadium.

-Andrew

[combusean]

The Cardinals Stadium also had substantial auxillary uses--think of what goes on with football games--blimps, fireworks, bright-ass lights, you name it. There were other projects on the drawing board that would have been perhaps taller and thus the consternation was not without warrant.

I'm surprised the FAA ruled the way they did as I've mentioned before the tower would not have been built in Phoenix under that city's rule of thumb.

[vertex]

Just a correction: the Cardinals Stadium that was to be built near Priest Drive and Washington Street in Tempe was actually under the direct flight path for the North Runway, not in-between. If you look at the location on Google Earth, and line it up with the runway, planes will have actually flown over the stadium.

-Andrew
I'm well aware of the controversy. The last location for the stadium in Tempe was not the intersection of Washington and Priest, but rather the sw corner of Washington and Center Drive, where the Trillium apartment complex is now.

If you draw an east/west axis thru the north runway, you would see that the stadium sits south of that axis. As a matter of fact, it would be offset (and as far from) the east end of the north runway as Chase Field is from the west end of the north runway.

The only thing that got the stadium moved was KTAR's now infamous stunt, that sent an audio engineer to record the sound of airplanes as they flew over the Preist/Washington intersection. Those microphones were obviously turned up. If anyone stands at that intersection, the plane noise is a complete non-issue. That stunt embarrassed the Maricopa sports authority, and forced them to reconsider the site. That stunt also pissed me off to no end....

[plinko]

aHH, further proof that there is a city in the Valley that just gets it done...and sadly it isn't Phoenix!

[williard]

deleted

[HX_Guy]

That seems expensive to me as well, but it does seem as this will be THE place to live in Tempe, so it's probably a good chance that it will appreciate over some time.

Centerpoint seems to be about the equivalent of the CityScape project in Phoenix...except Centerpoint is actually happening, and it's not just being talked about.

[plinko]

$760 per SF? Yikes!

I could swing a condo in Santa Barbara (the most expensive real estate market in the country) for that price. Actually some lower end no-frills no view units just came on the market recently for $630 per SF (but they are horribly designed and incredibly cramped).

Honestly, $500 per SF sounds much more reasonable. Building costs are ridiculous right now (and I'm sure they paid dearly for the land), but shouldn't be much over $400 per SF to build.

If it were me? Centerpointe may be the place in Tempe...but I would never pay that type of price to live there. For that price per SF you could buy yourself a wonderful block house in the neighborhood just to the south of ASU (along College) and renovate the whole thing. You'd live a mile further away, but have a yard, a driveway, and likely no or much less in HOA fees. It it would appreciate much faster.

[Upward]

Yeah, the prices are just shocking to me. I've always been amazed by the notion that there could be so many people able to afford California prices, so now it REALLY amazes me that there are people willing to pay those prices in Arizona.

/post #7000 :banana:

[loftlovr]

http://www.purvinewines.com/
Avenue Communities presents:
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e7/joelcontreras/Pics3/napa.jpg

[JimInCal]

What FUN! :yes:
loftlovr, I live in Temecula, CA, which is Southern California's wine country. I live about a mile from the main road that meanders through an area containing about 25 wineries. Wine tasting is great fun and it's great to see something like this coming to Tempe. I can't wait to visit! (Just so people know, I am a Phoenix native and lived there for 38 years and visit often)

[loftlovr]

http://www.centerpointaz.com/pdfs/pr091806b.pdf

I think their Sales Office is open...

[NorskyGirl]

Williard,

Just for comparison purposes, I'm buying a 1000-square-foot condo in downtown Portland, OR. It, too, is a third-floor unit--with views to Portland's West Hills. It was priced at $385/square foot. Granted, I got in on the first phase of pricing, but today's prices are still under $500/square foot. My HOA fees are reasonable at $221/month, but my building doesn't have the concierge service and all the facilities that Centerpoint will have.

Unlike most sectors of the Phoenix metro market, the Portland downtown market is still pretty hot. Still, most new projects start out at only $450-500/square foot. I say "only" simply as a comparative term. In most people's minds, that is still expensive. But in comparison to Centerpoint prices, it seems like a bargain. I, too, looked at Centerpoint (along with other Phoenix and Tempe projects) before I decided to move to Portland. I figured the prices would be high, but I'm really surprised at how high.

Just to provide another bit of perspective, I was seriously considering buying one of the Orchidhouse lofts several years ago. Then, I was price-shocked by $180-240/square foot. At the time, it was very high compared to anything else in the area--including those single family homes in the College Ave. neighborhood that Plinko mentioned. Even now, though, I seriously doubt that third-floor Orchidhouse units are anywhere near $700/square foot. In fact, based on listing information on the website of a local realtor, a fourth-floor, 916-square-foot unit is on the market for $399,000--less than $436/square foot. A 2885-square-foot unit on the seventh floor is going for $1,100,000--less than $382/square foot!

Bottom line for me: the price on your unit seems insanely high. In the current market, it seems as if the developers are playing a very risky game with their pricing. Certainly, the concept of Centerpoint will attract some wealthy buyers, and there are probably a fair number of folks like those of us on the forum who are committed to being part of this kind of urban development. But I can't imagine the average Phoenix-area buyer will be happy with these kinds of smaller spaces for such big dollars. At least not yet. The urban mindset is just too small a corner of the market right now.

[JimInCal]

http://www.centerpointaz.com/pdfs/pr091806b.pdf

:previous:
This states that phase two completion is just slightly behind phase one and that this moves up the construction schedule by 18 months. They seem to be going full steam ahead. With that kind of investment (if they are being honest with us) they must have some solid market research to back up their decision. Its hard to believe any developer in the market right now. Maybe Tempe is even hotter than we thought.

[loftlovr]

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=2413540#post2413540

A pictoral update for my skyscraper friends!
Has anyone else had trouble logging in over the past 2 days?

[JimInCal]

Here is a nice interactive map, within a map, within a map. Most of the current Tempe projects are within the north map and then click on the area just left of Sun Devil Stadium for an enlargement of the downtown area. Click on the red numbered stars and the project name is hi-lited at the top. I like it :tup:

http://www.tempe.gov/business/Development_Report/ProjectsMap.htm

[loftlovr]

JimInCal-
Thanks so much for that!
I just spent an hour on that puppy...
What a great idea for the site!

[oliveurban]

http://www.tempe.gov/business/Development_Report/ProjectsMap.htm

Love it.

[PHX31]

Holy shit, that might be the best interactive website I've ever seen in relation to planned and current projects.

A couple things:

One, is the new Tempe transportation center going to include all of the bus transfer points? Right now College ave is a pretty large bus area, making it a little pedestrian unfriendly. If they move all of that to the transportation center, the whole area (college ave) would be that much better.

Plus, I noticed the "block 12" development at College, south of 6th st. That would be f'in awesome if that puppy was developed. As it is right now, the area between The Towers (and Julios Too and that new cool building - forgot its name) and south college, with the College Ave deli and the Newman center and the ASU foundation building with the shops/restaurants are pretty cut off from each other because of dead zone that is "block 12". That would be huge if that were developed... it would definitely become a mini-mill ave (assuming a couple more bars were included in the block 12 project, to go along with Fumbles and (kind of) Julios Too). I would hate, though, to see those historic homes demo'ed at the southwest corner of the block 12 site. I would hope they'd be saved/incorporated.