Tempe Development Thread

[somethingfast]

I think those older homes (when kept up) look amazing and losing them to these soulless, (mostly) cheaply built modern housing is a loss. But it's not any different than our modern world in general. You can't stop progress but, yes, it is a loss of character for the city.

[Forrester1998]

Some big development items in the upcoming city council meeting this week:

https://tempe.hylandcloud.com/AgendaOnline/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=1784&doctype=1

Big items include:

1) Approval of subdivision plat for Tempe 20 Townhomes at 966 E. Guadalupe (currently dirt lots on north side of Guadalupe just east of Rural). 20 two story units across 7 buildings, interesting development for South Tempe.

2) 2nd meeting and approval vote for The Marshall on Spence (2nd phase of The Marshall, this one would be replacing the 55 year old 2 story Tempe Palms apartments). The Marshall on Spence is 7 stories, 105 units for 269 bedrooms of student housing. This has been held up for a few months as there were resident concerns over building height/traffic on Spence. The developers have modified the development to increase the 7th floor setback by 5 feet (cutting two total bedrooms) and have indicated that they will restrict vehicle traffic so that all residents will need to exit onto Apache rather than Spence. I anticipate the council will accept this change as a win and approve.

3) 2nd meeting and approval of rezoning of the Danelle Plaza land to MU-4. There is no PAD yet so the developers will need to come before the council again in the future. MU-4 allows for up to 65 du/acres but the developers have stated they plan to go for about 45, this is planned to be affordable/workforce housing.

4) 2nd meeting and approval for Minima, a 2 story, 72 unit (144 bedroom) multifamily development at 5454 S. Beck Avenue (West side of Beck just south of Baseline). This developer is following the trend of downtown Tempe developments in asking for parking reductions, although not nearly to the extent as the downtown devs have. Good development for the area, not exactly walkable though.

5) 2nd meeting and approval for Hayden Ln Townhomes at 1825 E. Hayden Lane, this is only 3 units (3 stories each) but sort of interesting infill development as each unit will be built with its own attached ADU (if an ADU is part of the initial development and it is attached, is it really an ADU?)

Theres also some interesting stuff in the upcoming DRC meeting but Ill make a different post about that.

[CBar]

AZCentral has an article on it. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/loc...use-of-tricks-redevelopment/86731385007/

It mentions that the relocated 122-year-old historic home, now adjacent to Tempe City hall, will be a "Novel ice cream" location.

A quote: "Like Novel’s other locations, the Tempe shop will be window service with an outdoor patio where people can eat their ice cream. The remainder of the house will be used as the company’s headquarters and office space, he said."

It also mentions that the Church site that is still standing would also be repurposed to a beverage/food venue.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by CBar

AZCentral has an article on it. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/loc...use-of-tricks-redevelopment/86731385007/

It mentions that the relocated 122-year-old historic home, now adjacent to Tempe City hall, will be a "Novel ice cream" location.

A quote: "Like Novel’s other locations, the Tempe shop will be window service with an outdoor patio where people can eat their ice cream. The remainder of the house will be used as the company’s headquarters and office space, he said."

It also mentions that the Church site that is still standing would also be repurposed to a beverage/food venue.

That's great news. Novel is always good to visit on Grand Avenue and in downtown Mesa. A downtown Tempe location will be a welcome addition.

[Forrester1998]

Originally Posted by CBar

AZCentral has an article on it. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/loc...use-of-tricks-redevelopment/86731385007/

It mentions that the relocated 122-year-old historic home, now adjacent to Tempe City hall, will be a "Novel ice cream" location.

A quote: "Like Novel’s other locations, the Tempe shop will be window service with an outdoor patio where people can eat their ice cream. The remainder of the house will be used as the company’s headquarters and office space, he said."

It also mentions that the Church site that is still standing would also be repurposed to a beverage/food venue.

Some other good info we got from this is the timeline, with the start of construction apparently imminent and planned completion in 2028. Good to see this moving so quickly!

[ASU Diablo]

This is the most insightful article I've come across thus far that highlights proposed upgrades to the arena. Feeling better about this reno after reading this article.

https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2025/10/20/desert-financial-arena-asu-tempe-upgrades.html

Desert Financial Arena is about to get a brand-new look.

Arizona State University is embarking on a multiyear, multiphase renovation of the arena — home of the Sun Devils’ men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, gymnastics and wrestling teams — with an estimated cost of $100 million.

The project, which has an anticipated completion date of December 2029 and requires approval by the Arizona Board of Regents, includes:

• New loge boxes.
• Club-level seating and premium floor seats.
• A new court.
• New restrooms and the renovation of existing restrooms.
• New and upgraded concession stand offerings.
• A new video board.
• The project also includes locker room improvements and upgrades to the air conditioning system, as well as ensuring ADA compliance with new elevators and accessible stairs, with handrails, to the event floor.

“We’re building a game day experience that matches the passion and pride of our fans while giving our Sun Devil teams a true home court advantage,” said Graham Rossini, ASU athletics director. “The renovation of Desert Financial Arena is about more than updating a building — it’s about creating a space that energizes our entire ASU community.”

The majority of the work will take place during the months of April to October, ensuring the teams that use the arena will not have to play their games elsewhere, Rossini said.

ASU President Michael Crow said renovations of the 51-year-old building will take both fan and student-athlete experiences into a new era.

“For half a century, this arena has welcomed students, fans, families and community members for memorable events and cherished celebrations,” Crow said. “As a beloved gateway to the Sun Devil experience, we are excited that these renovations will provide a superb, modern arena for the next 50 years and many more special connections for our extended ASU community.”

The move to upgrade ASU's basketball arena comes after luxury upgrades were added to Mountain America Stadium, the university's football stadium, in time for the start of the 2025 season. ASU's football team also entered into a sponsorship deal with Taser-maker Axon.

As of April, ASU had $1 billion in construction projects underway throughout the Valley.

ASU arena construction to begin in 2026 with first of three phases
Construction will begin in May 2026. In Phase 1, the court will be replaced and 729 seats in the lower bowl will be swapped for padded seats that include cupholders. In addition, 200 “premium” seats that are wider and have 2 inches more leg room will be installed, and four “Hollywood” seats, which provide excellent courtside views, will be built between the ASU bench and the scorer’s table.

Phase 2 of the project, set for summer 2027, will include the renovation of existing restrooms, the construction of two new men’s and women’s bathrooms, and a new sound system, said Joe Lisiewski, ASU’s assistant vice president and university architect.

Multiple loge boxes are planned for the concourse above the lower bowl. The boxes, which will seat a total of 120 people, are planned to include amenities like television screens and small tables for food and drinks. “Theater boxes” — featuring wider, padded seats that include cupholders — will be built on the bottom of the upper bowl.

The changes will reduce the current official capacity of 14,198, but Lisiewski said a new capacity will not be determined until ASU hires a design-build firm, plans are drawn up and construction is underway.

The concourses at the arena also will get a makeover with showcases of great sporting and cultural moments that have taken place in the building, such as the first performance of “Hotel California” by the Eagles in 1976 and multiple NCAA Tournaments that were held there.

Phase 3 of the renovation, scheduled for summer 2027, includes a basketball court-level club that will be accessible to premium ticket holders. The club will have direct access to courtside seating.

Upgraded concession stand offerings also are in the plans for Phase 3. Lisiewski said offices in Desert Financial Arena will be relocated to open space up for venues like self-serve food kiosks.

This phase will also include upgraded locker rooms and a new video board to be hung over center court, and ribbon boards — long, narrow LED displays that can display ad content, game stats or fan messages — are planned for each side of the arena.

The Sun Devil Athletics website will include information on reseating for season ticket holders and members of the Sun Devil Club who are interested in the new seating sections.

Fundraising will be key to the project, which is part of ASU’s Changing Futures Campaign, and those interested in learning more can contact Scott Nelson, senior associate athletics director and executive director of the Sun Devil Club, at [email protected].

“Through the Changing Futures campaign, we’re inviting Sun Devils everywhere to join us in shaping the future of this campus landmark,” Rossini said.

[ASUSunDevil]

^ Likewise! Hoping that Architekton gets the job. They did GCU's arena 14 years ago and it still looks great: https://www.architekton.com/gcu-arena

[muertecaza]

Cool pictures from Suntec of Astria:









https://x.com/SuntecConcrete/status/1980305215187484811

[muertecaza]

DRC packets for some more low/mid-rise apartment buildings:

https://tempe.hylandcloud.com/Agendaonli...ket&itemId=0&publishId=0&isSection=false

Apache Square (McClintock/Apache), Dorsey Station (Dorsey/Apache) and Rio 2100 (101/202).

[Forrester1998]

Originally Posted by muertecaza

DRC packets for some more low/mid-rise apartment buildings:

https://tempe.hylandcloud.com/Agendaonli...ket&itemId=0&publishId=0&isSection=false

Apache Square (McClintock/Apache), Dorsey Station (Dorsey/Apache) and Rio 2100 (101/202).

Looking at the packet for the Dorsey Station development, I was pretty surprised by what they did with it but the more I look at it the more I like it. As a reminder its 400 units on two sites (NE corner of Apache/Dorsey and SW corner of Dorsey/Lemon) with a unit breakdown of ~2/3 1B, 1/3 2B, and a handful of studios, with about a 90-10 Affordable to Market rate breakdown. On the Apache site I was expecting something like the Local/Whole Foods on University w/ grocery on the bottom w/ ~3-4 stories of apartments above with an embedded garage, instead they are going with taller residential buildings on the Apache frontage (6 stories) with the grocery store as a standalone building also on Apache, w/ one shorter 4 story multifamily in the back. They also show a small park and a surface parking lot away from Apache. I was definitely skeptical about having a surface lot at first but I think the project makes up for it with pretty aggressive parking reductions (485 required -> 218 proposed, including for the grocery store). I think this project does a good job at creating a good urban environment on Apache and I think will be more durable grocery space than what was tried at Culdesac, good way to kick.off redevelopment on a stretch of Apache that so far hasn't had as much investment as most of the corridor.

[BurjKhalifa2Builder]

Originally Posted by Forrester1998

Looking at the packet for the Dorsey Station development, I was pretty surprised by what they did with it but the more I look at it the more I like it. As a reminder its 400 units on two sites (NE corner of Apache/Dorsey and SW corner of Dorsey/Lemon) with a unit breakdown of ~2/3 1B, 1/3 2B, and a handful of studios, with about a 90-10 Affordable to Market rate breakdown. On the Apache site I was expecting something like the Local/Whole Foods on University w/ grocery on the bottom w/ ~3-4 stories of apartments above with an embedded garage, instead they are going with taller residential buildings on the Apache frontage (6 stories) with the grocery store as a standalone building also on Apache, w/ one shorter 4 story multifamily in the back. They also show a small park and a surface parking lot away from Apache. I was definitely skeptical about having a surface lot at first but I think the project makes up for it with pretty aggressive parking reductions (485 required -> 218 proposed, including for the grocery store). I think this project does a good job at creating a good urban environment on Apache and I think will be more durable grocery space than what was tried at Culdesac, good way to kick.off redevelopment on a stretch of Apache that so far hasn't had as much investment as most of the corridor.

Happy to see these ADU projects getting addwed to the docket. Seems like the momentum is picking up.

[Phxguy]

Originally Posted by Forrester1998

Looking at the packet for the Dorsey Station development, I was pretty surprised by what they did with it but the more I look at it the more I like it. As a reminder its 400 units on two sites (NE corner of Apache/Dorsey and SW corner of Dorsey/Lemon) with a unit breakdown of ~2/3 1B, 1/3 2B, and a handful of studios, with about a 90-10 Affordable to Market rate breakdown. On the Apache site I was expecting something like the Local/Whole Foods on University w/ grocery on the bottom w/ ~3-4 stories of apartments above with an embedded garage, instead they are going with taller residential buildings on the Apache frontage (6 stories) with the grocery store as a standalone building also on Apache, w/ one shorter 4 story multifamily in the back. They also show a small park and a surface parking lot away from Apache. I was definitely skeptical about having a surface lot at first but I think the project makes up for it with pretty aggressive parking reductions (485 required -> 218 proposed, including for the grocery store). I think this project does a good job at creating a good urban environment on Apache and I think will be more durable grocery space than what was tried at Culdesac, good way to kick.off redevelopment on a stretch of Apache that so far hasn't had as much investment as most of the corridor.

Good project overall but one of my few qualms is the lack of a signaled crossing on the east side of the Dorsey LRT platform. A missed opportunity to provide door-to-door access from the train to the grocer and vice versa without having users back track to the Dorsey signal.

[builder03]

Demo is underway on the ASU Community Services Building on Curry Road in Papago Park, making way for the new McCain Library and Museum.



https://mccainlibrary.asu.edu/project

[azsunsurfer]

Does anyone know what's going in with the Aria site (not sure what's it called now)? They demolished most of the site and seems to be doing some utility work. I noticed that they left one of the rows of storage units. I wonder if its in limbo?

[Forrester1998]

Originally Posted by azsunsurfer

Does anyone know what's going in with the Aria site (not sure what's it called now)? They demolished most of the site and seems to be doing some utility work. I noticed that they left one of the rows of storage units. I wonder if its in limbo?

Could you elaborate the location/address for this site? I just dont recall an Aria development recently.

[builder03]

Originally Posted by azsunsurfer

Does anyone know what's going in with the Aria site (not sure what's it called now)? They demolished most of the site and seems to be doing some utility work. I noticed that they left one of the rows of storage units. I wonder if its in limbo?

The development replacing Devil's Advocate and the U-Haul storage on University just east of Rural. 965 E University, now called "Revelry", I believe.

This is pure speculation, but there appears to be some sort of cellular service tower at the south end of the site that has yet to be demolished. Could be some hang-up with the utility company preventing the remaining demo.

[Phxguy]

Originally Posted by azsunsurfer

Does anyone know what's going in with the Aria site (not sure what's it called now)? They demolished most of the site and seems to be doing some utility work. I noticed that they left one of the rows of storage units. I wonder if its in limbo?

My understanding is they're performing required archeological testing. The 8th St multi-use path which the Aria property abuts uncovered several cultural artifacts that required lengthy conversations/agreements between Tempe and the Four Tribes. This proximity will likely contribute to delays for archeological monitoring.

[builder03]

A public zoning notice at 250 W Rio Salado Pkwy states that the development will now be a 16-story residential project with 110 for-sale units. 3 levels of parking. Has anyone seen any updated renders for this one? Looks like the neighborhood meeting was on 11/3.

[azsunsurfer]

Originally Posted by builder03

A public zoning notice at 250 W Rio Salado Pkwy states that the development will now be a 16-story residential project with 110 for-sale units. 3 levels of parking. Has anyone seen any updated renders for this one? Looks like the neighborhood meeting was on 11/3.

Wow nice to hear that the for sale market for urban projects outside of phoenix and Scottsdale isn’t entirely dead…but now that we’ll have 50 year mortgages I’m sure there will be so much winning now…….

[azsunsurfer]

https://azbex.com/planning-development/srpmic-issues-rfi-for-new-developments-north-of-202/

I heard that the new casino on the site will result in casino Arizona closing per the existing laws about distances between casinos. Hopefully the new casino will be more intensive…