Tempe Development Thread - Page 60

tempedude · #**1181** Posted **Oct 15, 2007, 8:03 PM**

I agree that Hayden Ferry Lakeside has very suburban feel about it

then again... tempe is a phoenix suburb

sundevilgrad · #**1182** Posted **Oct 15, 2007, 10:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by combusean

The height isn't so bad, but it's really Sun Merc Redux. It's been a while since I've been to Monti's, but I have a hard time believing they can preserve the integrity of the building (both historically and structurally) by building a parking podium and then a highrise on top of it.

A cantilevered design shouldn't be out of the question.

Not much of historic building is "perserved" at this time anyway. Yeah, you can see some of the original elements, but they have new shit plastered all over the place so really none of the historic stuff is pristine...

gomoso22 · #**1183** Posted **Oct 15, 2007, 11:00 PM**

new pics

7/2007

Shot with Canon PowerShot S3 IS at 2007-07-05

Yesterday

Sekkle · #**1184** Posted **Oct 16, 2007, 4:02 AM**

Nice pics, thanks, and welcome to the forum. Also, thanks, tempedude for the pics on the previous page. It's always good to see updates, especially for those of us who are out of town.

tempedude · #**1185** Posted **Oct 16, 2007, 10:10 PM**

Site prep for Tempe Gateway

vertex · #**1186** Posted **Oct 16, 2007, 11:04 PM**

What they're doing to La Casa Vieja is just flat-out greed. There is no credible reason for having 2 300' foot towers on this site.

And honestly, who really gives a damn about rooftop gardens if the only people who can see them are in a passing airplane?

tempedude · #**1187** Posted **Oct 16, 2007, 11:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vertex

What they're doing to La Casa Vieja is just flat-out greed. There is no credible reason for having 2 300' foot towers on this site.

And honestly, who really gives a damn about rooftop gardens if the only people who can see them are in a passing airplane?

Im not sure 300ft is gonna 'fly' with the faa or anyone else...those towers will be right directly under a flight path for sky harbor....and l've seen some flights coming in pretty low over "A" mountain

HX_Guy · #**1188** Posted **Oct 16, 2007, 11:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vertex

What they're doing to La Casa Vieja is just flat-out greed. There is no credible reason for having 2 300' foot towers on this site.

Heh, isn't this starting to sound a little bit like the Sun Merc issue? Sure the Sun Merc was an under utilized warehouse while Monti's is a popular restaurant, but since a lot more people relate to Monti's, all of a sudden it's an issue. I guess that's how the people behind Sun Merc felt about that building.

I for one say go ahead and build. What credible reason is there? Well, does the owner of Monti's already have land bought elsewhere in downtown Tempe where they could build this instead? At such a key intersection? If not, there's your credible reason.

Quote:

And honestly, who really gives a damn about rooftop gardens if the only people who can see them are in a passing airplane?

The residents of the building would give a damn, no? I would if I lived there. I would love to have a roof top garden up at 300' to enjoy with friends and such.

vertex · #**1189** Posted **Oct 17, 2007, 1:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

I for one say go ahead and build. What credible reason is there? Well, does the owner of Monti's already have land bought elsewhere in downtown Tempe where they could build this instead? At such a key intersection? If not, there's your credible reason.

The residents of the building would give a damn, no? I would if I lived there. I would love to have a roof top garden up at 300' to enjoy with friends and such.

3W is already responsible for co-developing the University Square project in Tempe. So yes they do own land elsewhere in Tempe, though that isn't even close to the point.

Is this really a key intersection? If there were 40-50K vehicles driving by here daily, you can make that argument. Right now, lunch hour traffic barely fits onto Rio Salado, and is constantly backing up on Mill. The only thing 'key' about this this intersection is that it's easy to spot (but not easy to access) from the 202 freeway.

Really, in so many ways, this development does nothing to respect the house, the history, or downtown. Just because 3W now owns the land doesn't mean that they can eschew all responsibility for the integrity of the site. There is a 'public' responsibility to the community at-large. They are caretakers for the city's most important site, along with the mill. And because the river represents the historical, current and future edge of downtown, this development is really the de-facto gateway.

This means that the buildings along the river need to start low, and build-up higher as you move south; currently Tempe is zoned to reflect this. Instead, this development creates an in-your-face wall of buildings along Rio Salado. These buildings are too wide and too close together to see past them. Anything that ends up dwarfing the mill and the US Airways HQ is too big.

Views and sight lines are something that belong to everyone. Both of these are destroyed by this development. The downtown will be visually cutoff from Tempe beach park and the lake. The view of 'A' mountain disappears almost entirely with this; if you are west side of the lake looking east, you wouldn't even know the thing was there.

What benefit do residents of Tempe get from this project? Well, after all of the tax breaks are awarded to the developers, and after the valley's oldest remaining pioneer home is permanently buried under a shroud of concrete, and after residents loose crucial views of 'A' mountain, the beach park and Papago park across the river, not a hell of a lot.

sundevilgrad · #**1190** Posted **Oct 17, 2007, 3:10 AM**

In that location, I don't think the project should be any taller than the Mill.

Azndragon837 · #**1191** Posted **Oct 17, 2007, 7:40 AM**

^Shit....I agree. Are they seriously going to build on top of Monti's? Nooooooo!!!!! It's Sun Merc all over again...blah.

Wow, for an area so close to the lake...this IS tall. 26 stories compared to the 12 for HFL. Wow. This would totally be an FAA hazard...although I would still like to know why the 300 foot hotel on 7th and Mill would be a hazard. Stupid FAA knuckleheads.

-Andrew

PC2001 · #**1192** Posted **Oct 17, 2007, 7:54 AM**

I bought a unit at Centerpoint. If you have also gotten one or planning on buying a unit, will you please private message so we can chat about our experiences?

jvbahn · #**1193** Posted **Oct 17, 2007, 11:42 AM**

I'm torn; one the one hand, this I really think this design is great and actually will fit with many of the other towers which will be in the area in the future. I'm relieved it's not a simple lame corporate design, I mean, Hayden's Ferry Lakeside looks like any suburban office park in Orange County, and really of the density to make that corner work in light of the mid-range density of Hayden Ferry.... On the other hand, this is not in my opinion an acceptable preservation of the monti's building, to just squash it under the towers. Not a single person coming in will have any idea of the former density or history of that area. I dunno, I know it's inevitable that something like this will be built, maybe I should just shut the hell up in favor of the new urban centers, which I always wanted when I lived there.

jvbahn · #**1194** Posted **Oct 17, 2007, 11:54 AM**

Also, in reference to HooverDam's stadium design ideas: I think you're on the right track with this. There should at least be some way to focus the people traffic from the stadium into the larger urban fabric which will be developed around it....why not a park as a sort of initial buffer zone (for tailgaters or such) and then they sort of filter out into the developments on either side. It would also be a good idea to get people into the downtown/lakeside developments after the game, to stagger the traffic flows out of the area. Never a good thing to have them all leave at once and create a massive traffic jam. Why not go for a walk after the game or go to bars to celebrate or console

Also, usable developments need to be planned for the base of the mountain on the eastern side. Not just parking garages. Mixed-use developments which house the sporting venues would be ideal, that way people will be encouraged to walk from the light-rail station to the stadium, not just get in their car and go home. Sports bars, good restaurants, ect making a sort of enclosure that people will want to walk through, even SUV-loving sports fans from the suburbs.

PhxSprawler · #**1195** Posted **Oct 17, 2007, 3:53 PM**

That is a fantastic design! I would love to see it happen. It would be great to have it a few feet behind the existing structure.

BA744PHX · #**1196** Posted **Oct 20, 2007, 1:43 PM**

To the post above I do like the Monti's design its to bad they now have to redesign the project

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/1020evmontis1020.html
William Hermann
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 20, 2007 12:00 AM
TEMPE-The developer that wants to build a high-rise building that would partially hang over Monti's La Casa Vieja steakhouse faced the Tempe Historic Preservation Commission Thursday evening and was sent "back to the drawing board."

La Casa Vieja, once home to the Hayden family that founded Tempe, was built in 1873 and is considered one of the most historic buildings in the Valley.

Phoenix developer Tony Wall of 3W Companies said recently that the project, named One Hundred Mill Avenue, includes a mixed-use plan that respects the history of the Monti's site, recognizes the evolution of downtown Tempe and provides a dramatic gateway to the Mill Avenue District.

Plans call for building a high-rise above Monti's while preserving the old building. The restaurant would close down during construction but continue to offer catering, and then reopen as a restaurant inside the new project.

But Thursday, the development team was told by the commission that plans to have the new structure overhang the Monti's site didn't sit well.

Commission staff had recommended that the new structure not hang over Monti's, and commission members agreed.

"I would request that you go back to the drawing board and see what you can come up with and leave this building alone," said commission member Ann Patterson.

The commission told developers to come back to the Nov. 1 meeting with revised plans.

Vicelord John · #**1197** Posted **Oct 20, 2007, 9:55 PM**

anybody know why that 4 story building next to Grigio and In N Out says Onyx on it? did they decide on that instead of the high rise!?

sundevilgrad · #**1198** Posted **Oct 21, 2007, 1:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by John_Vandercook

anybody know why that 4 story building next to Grigio and In N Out says Onyx on it? did they decide on that instead of the high rise!?

That "building" is the Northshore development. The lot where the sign is, is the staging ground for Northshore as well as the future site of Onyx...

Vicelord John · #**1199** Posted **Oct 21, 2007, 3:42 PM**

the sign is ON the building tho

tempedude · #**1200** Posted **Oct 21, 2007, 3:58 PM**

The 4 story building is not Onyx.