Tempe Development Thread

[BA744PHX]

WOW Thanks for the info loftlovr. I liked the video the most. Does anyone know what hotel will be there? By the looks of the video maybe a Westin?

Originally Posted by loftlovr

Tempe's Cityscape fellas!
(Okay so is Centerpoint and the redevelopment of the Silo Mills)
But this one is massive!

http://www.universitysquaretempe.com/

University Square is situated in the heart of the ASU Campus and Mill Avenue District and will provide masterly-designed commercial, residential, hotel and retail in a metropolitan environment.

NEWS:

University Square was fully approved by Tempe City Council on August 17th, 2006
University Square received no hazard designation from the FAA on August 25th, 2006
For office, retail or restaurant leasing information please contact Pete Meyer at 480.451.9077

http://www.universitysquaretempe.com/UniversitySquare.mov
Movie

[JI5]

I like the stock ticker right out on university drive!!!

[sundevilgrad]

Looks a little upscale for being in such close proximity to the University, hopefully some of the ground floor retail and eateries will be affordable for the 60,000 college students that will be there everyday.

[Sekkle]

Thanks for the update, loftlovr. I like the renderings. It is good to see that the buildings would be built right up to the sidewalk. It seems pretty pedestrian-friendly, as it should be in that location. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this one!

[PHX31]

Yeah, it looks great. Thanks for the renderings. Tempe is crazy booming.

[Azndragon837]

University Square...the only project in Tempe I am "so-so" about. What it will do is create a massive superblock that will tower above everything else. All those LCD displays and stock and news ticker? Tempe's sign ordinance will never allow all of that to display.

Also, I am more in-tune with development that is "broken-up," and one that isn't a massive skyscraper complex in the middle of a block, where a much more "human scale" development can occur (midrise buildings).

We'll see what will happen, but I am more concerned about the retail and restaurant portion of this project, where mom-and-pop businesses will be priced out. Currently, the buildings on the site is being torn-down slowly, with all those nice local restaurants and shops being relocated farther away or ceasing to exist. We shall see what happens next year.

[Sekkle]

^ I disagree with the idea that large towers would be detrimental to the human scale of the area. Why would a mid-rise be better than a high-rise in this location? It is a very urban area (by Phoenix standards), and the renderings seem to show that interaction with the street will be optimized. Whether it is 10 stories or 30 shouldn't matter if both would front the street in the same way. The block where Univ. Square is to be built is not so large as to feel like a huge wall when it is finished, as long as there is interaction between the sidewalk and the buildings (ground floor retail, windows, etc), which it appears there will be - at least from the renderings. If they were to break up the buildings it would likely lead to a lot of dead space - alleys, driveways, etc.

I like this project a lot more than Centerpoint and Hayden Ferry Lakeside because those other two developments feel a lot more suburban. I'm sure there will be a monstrous parking garage for U. Square, which is unfortunate, but the garages for Centerpoint and HFL are hideous. And I don't think those two complexes will interact with pedestrian traffic on the street very well at all.

I do agree that it is unfortunate that local businesses will likely be forced out of the block and will not return to the new, more pricey building. That will be the case with the condo building and Whole Foods that are taking over the Gentle Stregth Co-op (I'm sad to see that go, even if it just a couple miles down the street) and the development that is driving Tempe Bicycle out, too. So why just be luke warm on U. Square when those others are doing the same with respect to local business?

Just my 2cents... whoa, that was kind of long, maybe 3cents...

[JimInCal]

loftlovr, thanks for posting the site and renderings...awesome stuff

The stock ticker also shows the time and temp on the short side...110 degrees is shown on the rendering. Are they trying to be amusing or just intimating that their project is HOT? I got a chuckle from it.

Tempe is definately waking up in a BIG way! This is the kind of momentum I want to see in DT Phx. I understand Andrew's hesitancy with this project but the trade-offs are innevitable. Tempe has made the decision to aggressively redevelop. That seems logical for a city that is landlocked on all sides. If they want growth, tax revenue, and let's face it; prestige, it must build upward and with some penache.

[sundevilgrad]

I just hope that Dave's Dog House doesn't have to move to far away. The absolute best hot dogs anywhere (New York and Chicago included). If you get a chance before the block is torn down, stop by Dave's and try a couple of "Boston Dogs", they're great!

[Azndragon837]

A few businesses are relocating to other downtown locations. I know that India Bistro moved to Rural and Terrace next to the light rail station (across the street), and I know Mai Island Grill, which is the small Hawaiian restaurant in the Arches Retail Plaza across from the Pita Pit, is moving to Forest and 7th Street, where the old E-Ba Cafe used to be, next to Wet Paint Art Supply & Gallery. I was happy to hear from the owner that he is relocating nearby, because that restaurant is the best damn Hawaiian food money (and your taste buds) can buy! When I went to Restaurant Mexico, I asked them where they are moving, and they do not know yet. I have yet to ask Dave of Dave's Hot Dog Stand where he might be moving.

Although it is sad to see mom-and-pop shops move out, I am happy that a few of my favorite eateries are relocating nearby. University Square will drastically change everything, and the last thing I want to see is the developer tearing down the entire parcel and leaving it empty because they ran out of money, then selling the land at a higher price to another developer and pocketing the change. I would be so mad if that happened, leaving a dirt lot while value accumulates. THAT is my biggest concern.

-Andrew

[HX_Guy]

Luxury hotel likely for downtown Tempe

Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 11, 2006 02:50 PM

The city of Tempe is expected to add a new luxury hotel to its growing resume of tourist stopovers.

A four-star Westin-brand hotel has been said to be coming to Tempe's downtown district. A formal announcement is slated for next week, city and industry sources said.

The brand is one of the several properties Starwood Hotels & Resorts is already operating in the Valley. The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa has been in Scottsdale for about four years. The 732-room operation features a spa, 27-hole golf course, swimming pool with a sand beach, lazy river and waterslide.
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It's likely Tempe's version of the Westin brand will be more compact given the location. . It is scheduled to be part of University Square, an urban city-block sized high-rise that will sit on University Drive, just east of Mill Avenue. Starwood penned a deal with University Square's developers last week, sources said.

The $500 million University Square project, on land adjacent to Arizona State University and downtown Tempe, will feature a 12-story office building, a 23-story condominium tower and a high-rise hotel that could reach up to 300 feet, or about 26 stories, plans submitted to the city indicate. The project would replace Arches Plaza, a series of one-story, 1960s-era shops and restaurants.

There are 127 Westin Hotels & Resorts worldwide. Starwood also runs the Sheratons W Hotels, and the Luxury Collection, which includes The Phoenician.

The Westin would be the second hotel announcement this year for Tempe. The first was Le Meridien - another Starwood brand - that is scheduled to be built on the south bank of Tempe Town Lake in the Hayden Ferry Lakeside development. It is expected to open by Thanksgiving 2008.

A third also appears to be in the works: Marriot has submitted plans to build an 11-story Marriott Residence Inn could go in on Fifth Street, next to Tempe's city hall. Plans submitted in November call for about 170 rooms with retail and office space on the ground level.

There is growth within Tempe's existing hotels, too. Tempe's mainstay hotel, Tempe Mission Palms, is planning an expansion that would increase the number of rooms by more than 60 percent, according to Chris Kenney, the hotel's director of marketing. And the Fiesta Inn Resort is investing some $5 million into conference space and new landscaping.

[JimInCal]

That's great news for the U. Square project. A Westin will fit nicely into that mix. Has anyone heard a timeline for University Square?

[sundevilgrad]

Originally Posted by JimInCal

: Has anyone heard a timeline for University Square?

Haven't heard anything as far as date, but the project status graph on the City of Tempe's website shows that US is in the permitting stage. The graph projects out to occupancy dates for other projects, but not US.

[Azndragon837]

The Planning Department here in Tempe recently released a new feature that will be very beneficial to the public. Titled "Check Project Status," it's an awesome website to check the status of any current project in Tempe regarding building permits or planning entitlements.

The goal is to reduce the number of calls for questions regarding updates to certain projects going on here in the city. The information is open to the public and city staff, although it only gives a general status, not a detailed report. Check away!

Development Services Website:
http://www.tempe.gov/tdsi/

Check Project Status:
http://www.tempe.gov/ppweb/SearchPermits.aspx

I hope this will help all of us with questions on city projects that are occuring. Tempe is in the midst of a massive construction boom, not seen in quite sometime. In a few years, the city will have a brand-new skyline, and a re-energized Downtown District. It's an exciting time for Tempe!

-Andrew

[combusean]

A crop of an article that appeared on today's Republic, minus the Westin University Square rehash.

Condo plan in early stages
Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 13, 2006 12:00 AM

A new condo complex could help address Tempe's needs for permanent housing.

A Chicago real estate developer, Golub and Co., is planning a 12-story condo complex for the intersection of Rural Road and Eighth Street. The Acme Roadhouse, which operated on the site for eight years, closed its doors for good Tuesday.

Here are further details:

• The new condo complex is in early stages of planning, but the developers know the building is slated to go on the site where the Acme Roadhouse sits and won't be on the city's historic Elias Rodriguez House, said Charles Huellmantel, the company's attorney.

Early plans show the building could have about 8,000 square feet of retail on the ground floors and four levels of parking. The rest of the levels would contain about 150 housing units.

Prices haven't been set, Huellmantel said, but the units would range from about 800 to 1,800 square feet and would be priced to be "attainable" for Arizona State University students, employees and recent graduates.

[vertex]

Great location. It's between stops on the light rail route, and within walking distance of Four Peaks.

[JimInCal]

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/1210talton10.html

Here is a small excerpt from the linked story. Very inciteful concerning Tempe's current lead position in urban development for the region.

Tempe is maturing as a suburb, and its legacy of old-boy, small-town politics won't work any longer. Still, the support of mayors (and most council members) for downtown, from Harry Mitchell to Neil Giuliano to Hugh Hallman is a great strength. Even though Hallman sometimes fights with his council, he does get urban. The city staff has worked hard to make Tempe friendly to urban development.

It wasn't just vision and work, or even luck that got Tempe to this point. It's landlocked, and became the first city in the region forced to create wealth beyond the land-speculation economy. The sooner others learn these moves the better.

Tempe is showing that quality urban settings will work in metro Phoenix. That's another lesson worth emulating.

[sundevilgrad]

For five years, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe have been working, fighting and struggling to build great downtowns. Although all have made progress, so far the edge belongs to Tempe.[/I]

I really don't think there is much argument against the first line of his column. Hopefully, I'll have the new camera in hand this weekend, so I'll start taking pics to keep all of the projects updated.

[loftlovr]

http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/1213tr-godaddy1213Z10.html

GoDaddy to open Tempe office

Katie Nelson and Jane Larson
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 13, 2006 12:00 AM


The Internet company that brings racy commercials to Super Bowl Sundays and Internet domain names to Web users is bringing an arm of the company to Tempe.

Scottsdale-based Godaddy.com will open an office in south Tempe in January, Bob Parsons, the company's CEO, said Tuesday.

GoDaddy said it will start with 150 employees at the office near Kyrene and Elliott roads.

The site could grow up to more than 300 employees, Tempe officials said.

The expansion is part of a growth spurt that would bring the 1,340-employee company up to 1,900 employees by the end of the 2007, Parsons said.

The average salary at GoDaddy.com is $38,000.

The GoDaddy building is at 7419 S. Roosevelt St., where Green Tree Servicing has employees. GoDaddy signed a seven-year lease for the 75,000-square-foot space.

It will serve as a call-center and house employees who do engineering and software development.

"Their corporate culture and their focus on technology fits with Tempe's culture and effort to balance our business and high-tech, biotech and nano-tech efforts with a great quality of life for the workers who we hope will become residents," Mayor Hugh Hallman said of the company.

Tempe Chamber President Mary Ann Miller said, "Tempe is attracting more and more tech companies. Its almost like you work to achieve a critical mass, and like attracts like. . . . It's exciting.

"We've got Monster and Google, and if GoDaddy is coming here, it's just another plus for Tempe that shows we are the kind of community that attracts the tech workers and we do have that vibrancy."

GoDaddy was founded in 1997 and has grown to oversee more than 16.8 million Internet domains.

It has been ranked by multiple magazines and business groups as one of the nation's fastest-growing companies.

Tempe started talks with Godaddy in October, the mayor said.

The city has gained about 30 technology related companies in the last two and a half years.

[loftlovr]

http://www.azcentral.com/news//articles/1211cityhall1211.html

Tempe may close Rural Road for 11-day stretch

William Hermann
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 11, 2006 12:00 AM


The Tempe City Council will consider closing Rural Road for at least 11 days in January.

A proposal to close Rural to through traffic between Apache Boulevard and Rio Salado Parkway from Jan. 3-13 mainly to facilitate light-rail construction will be made at the Thursday council meeting.

The council could reject or modify the proposal, which would allow local traffic to have access to businesses and streets along the closure route.

Jyme Sue McLaren, deputy light-rail public works manager, said closing Rural to through traffic "is no minor proposition. Closing Rural means shutting it down at times that are bad and times that are really bad."

The closure would allow work on several projects including maintenance on a Tempe Town Lake pump and installing the light-rail track across Rural south of University Drive, McLaren said.

"Because of the holidays and various events, this is a particularly difficult time of year to make a major arterial closure like Rural Road," McLaren said. "The Insight Bowl at ASU, the New Year's Eve Block Party, the Rock and Roll Marathon and the university getting back in session Jan. 15 all were things we had to consider. That's why it seemed the 3rd through the 13th is about our best window of opportunity."

Mayor Hugh Hallman said that when it comes to closing Rural Road, "We don't have any good choices."

"It appears that we can close it for 11 days and get the work done while the students aren't in ASU, or we can have it not completely closed and open to only one lane in each direction for a whole month. I don't know what the rest of the council will say, but I'm inclined to think the 11 days is the best choice. We'll get it over with."

Tempe traffic officials say that during the third week of December, work will be done at two Rural Road intersections to prepare for the closure, whatever its extent or duration.

From Dec. 15 through Dec. 22, at the intersection of Rural Road and Rio Salado Parkway, both roads will be restricted to one lane in each direction. Left turns will not be allowed from any direction.

During this same time and at the Rural Road and University Drive intersection, Rural southbound will be one lane. Rural northbound will be as normal. University will be one lane in each direction. Left turns will not be restricted.

Also on the City Council agenda, Parks and Recreation staff will brief the council, at its request, on events held at Tempe Beach Park.

Parks and Recreation Manager Mark Richwine said, "There was some question on whether or not we had too many events in Tempe Beach Park and too many gated events."

Richwine said a gated event is one in which access to the park is controlled by fences and entry and exit gates. Entrance is controlled for the purpose of charging admission and/or a police security check. He said that in 2006, there were 11 gated events at the park.

Richwine said whether there are too many events of whatever kind, "is up to the council. They will decide what is an acceptable use of a public park."