Tempe Development Thread

[Obadno]

I know this is not downtown but what a monstrosity this will become.

Tempe City Council has approved Swire Coca-Cola’s request to build the equivalent of a 16-story production and storage facility on 42.5 acres northeast of Interstate 10 and West Elliot Road.

Editor’s Note: AZBEX was the first outlet to report on this project when it was publicly introduced earlier this year. (AZBEX, June 7)

The redeveloped Coke plant will now be the tallest building within a 7.5-mile radius stretching to downtown Tempe. A planned area development modification of height standards to 160 feet from 90 was sought. The plant already fits the location’s zoning requirements.

Redevelopment is being requested as the plant’s production massively outweighs its storage potential. This project will allow the site to expand vertically and technologically, implementing more energy-efficient structures as well as new equipment.

The property will also receive more landscaping than is required by code to compensate for the height and scale of the new building.

Tempe is not incentivizing or funding the project. Public improvements to the street are a part of the developer’s costs.

Swire Coca-Cola is the owner. The design firm is Hixson Architecture, Engineering, Interiors. The general contractor is Whiting-Turner

https://azbex.com/planning-development/tempe-approves-beverage-plant-expansion/

[Raymie]

I could see Rural because of the large dorm agglomeration east of campus or Apache with Paseo del Saber. Mill would not make sense because most of what is west of campus, besides the stuff on Mill itself, is residential.

That said, this makes some sense. It's one of the busiest pedestrian crossings in the Valley. Clearly they want to improve the transit connection for pedestrians from campus to the light rail station and car flow on University. University Bridge and "Second Bridge" serve different groups altogether, and the former is not ADA-accessible.

[CBar]

Originally Posted by muertecaza

The public meeting process is starting for a proposed pedestrian tunnel under University at College:

https://azmag.gov/Portals/0/Documents/Transportation/TIP/2021-08_Aug/Bike-Ped/TMP-22-BPB-001.pdf

https://bowman.com/news/bowman-awarded-c...mpe-pedestrian-grade-separated-crossing/

This is an excellent location for a tunnel.

There are at least two academic buildings (BYENG - School of Computing and AI and CAVC - Del Webb School of Construction) and two classroom areas (BYAC and CAVC - now called Helmick Center) north of University Av and students (with back to back classes) going from one of those areas to another in South of University Av or vice versa often get delayed crossing University Av.

There are two overpasses east of this location.

[cdfif030]

I'm not saying there isn't a case for Rural, but someone has collected evidence and presented a case for this intersection. Further, Apache and Mill have street car platforms slightly above grade in the center of the roadway. This arrangement adds a layer of complexity, inefficiency, or redundancy in the implementation of tunnel/bridge projects.

This study does not include crossings on Apache and Rural roads. It covers nine major intersections in the downtown core. Interestingly, it observed the NW corner of College & University, recording over 2000 crossings during one hour starting at 2 pm on October 16, 2016! No other crossing got close to this total in one hour.

Totals for busiest crossings ranked by 2016:
5 hours of observation (spaced throughout day) * 3 days (throughout week) * 4 (each quarter) = 60 hours
1) Fifth & Mill: 19,854 (2015) & 21,818 (2016)
2) University & College: 22,500 (2015) & 19,319 (2016)
3) Seventh & College: 17,715 (2015) & 16,071 (2016)
4) Seventh & Mill: 13,786 (2015) & 15,808 (2016)
-https://ctycms.com/az-tempe/docs/2016-pedestrian-report---reduced-size.pdf

The same group that did this study was behind the groundwork for the upcoming crossing project. You can find their letter to MAG advocating for funding on page 20:
-https://azmag.gov/Portals/0/Documents/Transportation/TIP/2021-08_Aug/Bike-Ped/TMP-22-BPB-001.pdf

Given the substantial development in the downtown core since and the expansion of the ASU campus/population, I would recon that those numbers are even higher now.

[stutteringpunk]

Originally Posted by CBar

This is an excellent location for a tunnel.

There are at least two academic buildings (BYENG - School of Computing and AI and CAVC - Del Webb School of Construction) and two classroom areas (BYAC and CAVC - now called Helmick Center) north of University Av and students (with back to back classes) going from one of those areas to another in South of University Av or vice versa often get delayed crossing University Av.

There are two overpasses east of this location.

I'm honestly surprised they haven't thought of doing something similar sooner. The stoplight on University near Manzanita always seemed like a good for a tunnel given how many students use that crosswalk constantly.

[muertecaza]

Sorry for the lens flare I didn't realize it obscured the text until I had walked away:



This is the SE corner of University/Rural. Proposed for 1m sf of student housing and a hotel, up to 237 ft. in height.

[Forrester1998]

New PSPR filed today for "The Marshall Phase II" for the address 1026 E. Spence Avenue, which is currently the site of the 3 story Tempe Palms Apartments and is just south of the current construction of The Marshall. New planned development would be 7 stories, 103 units, I assume still student housing.

https://epermits.tempe.gov/CitizenAccess...DWV&agencyCode=TEMPE&IsToShowInspection=

https://maps.app.goo.gl/AWLhiTASfSaV7eBQ7

I am slightly surprised that the developer has asked for 7 stories here considering its on Spence and seems a bit taller than the city council would like, recently the Vale Student Housing project that got city council approval had a step-down towards Spence so maybe this project will do the same. Good to see some new filings after a slow summer.

[Forrester1998]

Originally Posted by muertecaza

Sorry for the lens flare I didn't realize it obscured the text until I had walked away:



This is the SE corner of University/Rural. Proposed for 1m sf of student housing and a hotel, up to 237 ft. in height.

Wow, 2450 beds would be an astounding development. I had seen the PSPR for this development but I underestimated the size of it (no acreage or units were listed). At 3.7 acres, this looks like it would wipe out the entire commercial plaza bordered by University/Rural/8th/the 955 East University plat.

[builder03]

Originally Posted by muertecaza

Sorry for the lens flare I didn't realize it obscured the text until I had walked away:



This is the SE corner of University/Rural. Proposed for 1m sf of student housing and a hotel, up to 237 ft. in height.

This combined with the planned apartments to replace Devil's Advocate and all of the Novus work nearby will completely change this part of Rural. Excited to see it.

[CBar]

Originally Posted by Forrester1998

Wow, 2450 beds would be an astounding development. I had seen the PSPR for this development but I underestimated the size of it (no acreage or units were listed). At 3.7 acres, this looks like it would wipe out the entire commercial plaza bordered by University/Rural/8th/the 955 East University plat.

I wonder if Tempe and ASU can get together with the builders of the new towers along University and also along Rural and find a way to have expanded weather managed (with a/c) overpass (overpass with extra room for restaurants etc.) on top of University (and Rural).

The developers will get extra real estate over the roads, the city will save money from building overpass/underpass and less people crossing those roads at the surface level, and ASU will benefit from the people staying in these places (mostly students) having easy and weather controlled access to ASU and

Theses could be the beginning of a skyway (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyway#North_America) in downtown Tempe.
I used the skyways in Rochester, Minnesota for a two months stay and it was very helpful.

[ChaseM]

Did anything ever happen with this site? I remember seeing this awhile ago but if I remember it went nowhere.

https://www.zieglercooper.com/hospitality-architecture/tempe-5th-and-ash-b6gj6-xwsrx

[tomato-motorola]

Originally Posted by ChaseM

Did anything ever happen with this site? I remember seeing this awhile ago but if I remember it went nowhere.

https://www.zieglercooper.com/hospitality-architecture/tempe-5th-and-ash-b6gj6-xwsrx

It would be great for downtown Tempe to have another grocery option. Whole Foods is nice, but it's too pricey and it sucks for that to be the only one. Trader Joe's on University isn't very walkable from downtown and isn't a "real" grocery store in my opinion anyway. Though I think the city-owned redevelopment of the old Food City at Dorsey/Apache is supposed to include a new grocery store as well, and that will be accessible to downtown by streetcar and light rail.

[combusean]

There's no way the office component of that project is viable, and I doubt the residential portion is either.

Maybe with interest rates dropping some of these projects will pencil out again.

[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by tomato-motorola

It would be great for downtown Tempe to have another grocery option. Whole Foods is nice, but it's too pricey and it sucks for that to be the only one. Trader Joe's on University isn't very walkable from downtown and isn't a "real" grocery store in my opinion anyway. Though I think the city-owned redevelopment of the old Food City at Dorsey/Apache is supposed to include a new grocery store as well, and that will be accessible to downtown by streetcar and light rail.

Yeah, something like an Aldi or a Fry's would be nice. I don't know if the 5th/Ash parking lot is too close to Whole Foods, but something in one of the few big remaining lots would be nice.

Originally Posted by combusean

There's no way the office component of that project is viable, and I doubt the residential portion is either.

Maybe with interest rates dropping some of these projects will pencil out again.

Yeah, I remember this proposal getting posted here...probably pre-COVID? It's definitely been a few years, and I expect it would need a redo. Does Bob Parsons still own that lot? I know there have been a few proposals since I've been on these forums, but to my knowledge nothing that ever progressed to design review.

[combusean]

Yeah, that lot is still connected to him.

Would be nice if that was a full fledged GoDaddy site but between 100 Mill for their executive offices and the research park back office it seems fairly unlikely.

[azsunsurfer]

It's crazy how none of that is now viable lol. Just a few short years later....

[xymox]

Originally Posted by combusean

Yeah, that lot is still connected to him.

Would be nice if that was a full fledged GoDaddy site but between 100 Mill for their executive offices and the research park back office it seems fairly unlikely.

Godaddy doesn't have much space at 100 Mill - if they ever go RTO (like Carvana is starting Jan 2025) - they'll need more space. So in a couple years there could be an uptick in demand again - presuming RTO trend continues.

[Forrester1998]

According to this tweet from Suntec the first tower of South Pier has topped out. Each passing day the joke of South Pier finishing before The Pier becomes more real, but seriously at this point it's not that farfetched that the two projects could finish within a year of each other.

https://x.com/SuntecConcrete/status/1839772049327182286

[somethingfast]

Originally Posted by Forrester1998

According to this tweet from Suntec the first tower of South Pier has topped out. Each passing day the joke of South Pier finishing before The Pier becomes more real, but seriously at this point it's not that farfetched that the two projects could finish within a year of each other.

https://x.com/SuntecConcrete/status/1839772049327182286

those are actually some really cool shots - wish they had been more in focus as they offer great panoramas of Tempe!

[muertecaza]

A few pictures from Novus and the lake. The vision of the Novus area is starting to come together.