Thanks for the heads up, whoever noticed that SouthBank is proposing 2 4-story buildings at this point. I'm not sure if I would rather see this fail like their other attempts over the last couple years, or at least get something off the ground to jumpstart some action on that side of the lake.
I have said it before and I'll say it again, 4-story residential in the heart of downtown or around the lake is setting Tempe up for failure. It's a landlocked city with an even smaller amount of land left to be developed in its core and around its greatest amenity - the lake. 4 and 6 story proposals break my heart.
In the meantime, 4-5 story infill projects to the west are where that kind of density makes sense as was always the plan. Tall and dense from Mill to College, University to Rio; stepping down along Ash and then lowrise, but dense multifamily and mixed use properties to the west. That area seems to still be getting it right with Argo, Farmer Lofts, and now this- Clarendon Lofts:
http://www.tempe.gov/Modules/ShowDoc...cumentid=20255
Fingers crossed it isn't more senior housing.
Passed Argo, btw, and while I knew street fronting retail along Rio was going to be a challenge, it seems to be set far enough back that "street facing" is a very loose description.
Meanwhile, any news on Lofts at Hayden or Hanover which were set to break ground this year? Both lots desperately need to be filled, but I'd be similarly torn in wanting to them go up, or wanting to see them fail so something netter comes along - just not sure how likely that would ever be.