Tempe Development Thread

[exit2lef]

The SEC of Priest & Washington is where the Cardinals Football stadium was going to be. It'll be interesting to see if there are any FAA issues raised about the proposed 10-story building.

[Vicelord John]

pie-in-the-sky

[ciweiss]

Interesting video

Tempe's general plan 2040

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Le1sZj-z_Y

[ciweiss]

Another interesting video showing the Rio Salado Streetcar route. Would be cool if this were to happen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWKFy70mbhg&list=UU1buzbkjuy215CTejeVX6oQ&index=56

and Mill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eUrxvV2bfI&list=UU1buzbkjuy215CTejeVX6oQ&index=55

[phxSUNSfan]

Originally Posted by ASUSunDevil

Anyone know what's going on with the Newman Center? In November their Facebook page said they were hoping to open by Christmas. It looks like construction has come to a halt, hopefully they didn't run out of cash.

Really wish someone would do something with the old Barney's Boathouse right next door. Surprised the city of Tempe hasn't made the landowner knock down the remaining mess that's left of that place.

I had a couple of meetings in Tempe and noticed that the construction for the Newman Center recently began in earnest once again. There were workers completing interior spaces and exterior materials being delivered today.

[MegaBass]

ASU to break ground on Block 12 on Jan. 24

Arizona State University and the surrounding community are invited to the groundbreaking of Block 12 – College Avenue Commons, the future space of the Del E. Webb School of Construction and other university resources.

Taking place at 3:30 p.m., Jan. 24, on 7th St. and College Ave. in Tempe, the event will feature building displays, food and a brief presentation from ASU President Michael Crow about the intentions for the space. Parking is available in the Fulton Center Parking Garage.

The building is part of a longstanding partnership between ASU and the City of Tempe to expand the Tempe campus in order to fulfill the growing need for educational space.

“We are very excited for this collaboration with the City of Tempe. We hope this project will set in motion the future extension of Cady Mall,” said Ed Soltero, assistant vice president, university architect, in the Office of the University Architect.

Aside from classroom and administrative space, Block 12 will house a Grab and Go market, café, bookstore component, study space and the Experience ASU tour group.

“The teaching space and auditorium will be the first glimpse that prospective students and parents have of ASU, so we want it to reflect a very urban, innovative and sustainable design,” said Soltero.

The development of College Avenue between 6th and 7th streets into a flexible urban space to support special events also will feature sustainability initiatives.

Keeping in mind the hot Arizona summers, Soltero assures there will also be plenty of shaded areas for students to socialize and study. Future plans include retail space and a roof deck. The project is set to be completed by July 2014.

Block 12 joins a list of acquired educational space by ASU. The university recently purchased the University Center in Tempe and the Centerpoint Office Building to accommodate research and administrative needs.

I noticed 2014-2016 Capital Improvement Plan listed Hayden Library renovations:

Hayden Library Repurpose and Renovations Phase 1 (2014) will create a new main entrance pavilion, enclose the existing “moat” that surrounds the building to capture both above ground and below ground usable space, and install required infrastructure
to support the master plan repurpose for existing and additional space.

Hayden Library Repurpose and Renovation Phase 2 (2015-2016) will continue the comprehensive renovation of this heavily used facility. Lower levels will be renovated to house student success programs, and create core areas for quiet study, library staff and research collections. Upper levels will be renovated to provide exhibit and event spaces, destination reading rooms, and easily accessible facilities for archives and special collections.

[Arquitect]

Originally Posted by MegaBass

ASU to break ground on Block 12 on Jan. 24

I did see today that they demolished the old design annex and started prepping the site. The Hub is moving along pretty quick too. College ave. is starting to really shape up.

[MegaBass]

Tempe land sale to create opportunities at key intersection

The Tempe City Council will hold the first public hearing Thursday on an agreement for development of 106 acres of city land west of Tempe Town Lake by a national company that may create as many as 6,500 jobs over the next decade.

Under the agreement, Liberty Property Trust will pay Tempe about $11.9 million to buy city-owned parcels at the intersection of Priest Drive and Rio Salado Parkway. The full project is expected to be completed in phases over a nine- to 12-year period, with construction expected to begin in the first half of 2013.

Liberty was selected from among several companies that responded to a city Request for Qualifications (RFQ) issued in February 2012.

Revenue from the arrangement could help Tempe pay for the replacement of the western dam at Tempe Town Lake, as well as for improvements at parks and other locations throughout the city. The City Council has selected a steel hinged gate to replace the existing rubber bladders on the lake’s western end; the work must be completed by December 2015.

Mayor Mark Mitchell said the deal provides clear opportunities for everyone involved and Tempe residents will ultimately benefit from the increased revenue to the city and the ability to improve community assets.

“This location is a key gateway into Tempe and we know that Liberty will make it a thriving hub for business and employment,” Mitchell said. “Now more than ever, job creation is a top priority, and developments like these will get us to an ever better place as a community.”

Pennsylvania-based Liberty has major developments in the Valley and throughout the country. Tenants in their existing buildings include office, technology, financial services and light manufacturing uses. It owns Cotton Center, at 48th Street and Broadway Road, among others.

The development agreement deals with the northwest, northeast and southeast corners of the Priest Drive and Rio Salado Parkway intersection. Liberty will purchase specific parcels over the life of the agreement. During the term of the agreement, Tempe may decide to relocate its existing Public Works yard on the northeast corner to another location and allow Liberty to also develop that parcel.

The first public hearing on the agreement will take place Thursday at the Council’s 7:30 p.m. Formal Meeting. The City Council will vote on the transaction after a second public hearing at its Feb. 7 Formal Meeting. Both meetings will be in the City Council Chambers at 31 E. Fifth Street. Meeting agendas are available at www.tempe.gov/clerk.

[MegaBass]

ASU breaks ground for a new building

ASU President Michael Crow, city officials and University department heads broke ground Thursday afternoon on the new College Avenue Commons at the Tempe campus.

The project will be approximately 137,000 square feet and will be constructed on the corner of College Avenue and Seventh Street.

The five-story facility will house six different operations, including the Del E. Webb School of Construction, the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment and the Office of Global Outreach and Extended Education.

Crow said the project embodied how ASU operates: with purpose, with an objective and by making things happen.

“This project has been long and coming,” Crow said. “We said it would get done, and it’s going to get done.”

The College Avenue Commons will be the first structure constructed as part of Block 12, an entire block focused on building new edifices to produce more activity on the northern side of the campus.

Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell said the groundbreaking marked the first step of many in the city’s partnership with ASU for the redevelopment of the area surrounding Sun Devil Stadium.

“The city of Tempe does value very much the relationship with Arizona State University, and we’re excited to welcome Block 12 to the downtown area,” Mitchell said.

Ray Jensen, University Business Services associate vice president, said the University needs more retail space to support the size of the Tempe campus.

“The location is part of a larger initiative that we have to revitalize College Avenue and make it a destination location for students and also the community,” he said.

The city of Tempe has collaborated with ASU in making the Commons a mixed-use building.

The first and second levels will be for commercial use and the upper levels will be for higher education purposes.

The second floor will have a 2,300-square-foot community room that can be used for both community activities and school purposes.

Included in the building will be the ASU Campus Visit Experience and Visitors’ Center containing a 200-seat auditorium for prospective students. Campus tours will originate here.

The structure will house a two-story retail facility known as the Sun Devil Marketplace, including a bookstore with ASU merchandise, a technology store and food. A coffee and wine bar that could be used for book signings and book retail purposes is planned for the second floor.

Ed Soltero, the assistant vice president of the Office of the University Architect, said the project will integrate many sustainability initiatives and will receive a Leadership and Energy in Environmental Design gold certification.

“We’ve incorporated portable water reduction strategies, recycled content and renewal materials and the use of less embodied energy,” Soltero said.

The building will also have a secondary skin to help reduce the heat from the sun and create shade to reduce urban heat island effects, Soltero said.

The $54.5 million building is being funded by ASU with the help of contributions from companies and individuals. The structure is expected to be completed by summer 2014.

[Jjs5056]

Originally Posted by MegaBass

Tempe land sale to create opportunities at key intersection

This was the project I had mentioned a while back. Same developers as Cotton Center; I've seen the designs and it is very similar. Multiple low rise commercial buildings that didn't seem to address either the lake or Rio Salado, which is an unfortunate missed opportunity to bring vitality to thec area with the TCA and mixed use live/work units under construction that have retail facing Rio.

[azsunsurfer]

Anyone know anything about "Apache Villas"? --not to be confused with "Villas on Apache". Its on the Development Review agenda for next month. There's a red zoning sign on the property. From what I can tell it includes that ghetto as hell mexican place on Apache as you get to the 101.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by azsunsurfer

Anyone know anything about "Apache Villas"? --not to be confused with "Villas on Apache". Its on the Development Review agenda for next month. There's a red zoning sign on the property. From what I can tell it includes that ghetto as hell mexican place on Apache as you get to the 101.

I saw that sign the other day after eating lunch at that "ghetto as hell mexican place." Guerrero's is a great little restaurant. I love their gorditas. I hope it's not consumed by the project. I'll ask the couple who run the place next time I'm there for lunch.

[MegaBass]

Tempe Gateway office building sold for $66 million

The nearly 264,000-square-foot Tempe Gateway office building located in the heart of the city’s Mill Avenue District has been sold to a publicly-traded real estate investment trust in Florida for a whopping $66.1 million, according to statement Wednesday from CBRE Inc. in Phoenix.
For the seller ­— an entity controlled by Microsoft co-founder and Seattle Seahawks owner Paul Allen’s Vulcan Inc. — that’s a $31.1 million-return on its initial investment from when it purchased the property out of foreclosure in June 2010.
For the buyer — Orlando-based Parkway Properties Inc. (NYSE: PKY) — the deal enables it to control more than half, or almost 788,000 square feet, of all Class A office space within the downtown Tempe submarket, the statement said. Parkway now owns more than 1.18 million square feet across the Phoenix area.
The transaction came to the table when Parkway made an unsolicited offer to buy the Class A office building, located along Mill Avenue near 3rd Street and next to the US Airways headquarters, the statement said.
Tempe Gateway was developed in 2009 by Opus West Corp., which lost the asset to foreclosure later that year after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The building, however, was still in shell condition and thus empty when the Vulcan entity acquired it at auction the following year. Today, the building is 74 percent occupied, the statement said.
“Parkway has experienced exceptional leasing success at its two other Tempe properties, Hayden Ferry Lakeside I and II,” Jim Fijan, a broker with CBRE who represented Parkway, said in the statement. “With no new product immediately available and strong demand for class A space in downtown Tempe, Tempe Gateway provides Parkway with additional leasing opportunities in the area and a significant share of the market.”

[exit2lef]

I had lunch at Guerrero's today and asked the owners, Victor and Norma, about the proposed Apache Villas development. They confirmed that the project, which will involve senior housing and an office building, will result in the demolition of their restaurant. That's the bad news.

The good news is that rather than being forced out of business by poor sales or outrageous rent, the couple are closing the restaurant on their own terms. They've been operating continuously at the same location for 31 years, and they're ready to retire. Since they own the land, the developer's offer to purchase it comes just at the right time to help finance their retirement.

Assuming nothing goes wrong with the deal, they'll close the restaurant at the end of July. That leaves six months to enjoy their food. Also, while eating lunch, I spoke to another customer who used to work for Maricopa County Environmental Services doing restaurant inspections. He said that Guerrero's always scored high and that's one reason why he eats there.

If approved, the Apache Villas project will involve not only the Guerrero's land, but also the vacant lot immediately to the west and the Breezy Palm, a shuttered motor hotel immediately to the east.

[Arquitect]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

I had lunch at Guerrero's today and asked the owners, Victor and Norma, about the proposed Apache Villas development. They confirmed that the project, which will involve senior housing and an office building, will result in the demolition of their restaurant. That's the bad news.

The good news is that rather than being forced out of business by poor sales or outrageous rent, the couple are closing the restaurant on their own terms. They've been operating continuously at the same location for 31 years, and they're ready to retire. Since they own the land, the developer's offer to purchase it comes just at the right time to help finance their retirement.

Assuming nothing goes wrong with the deal, they'll close the restaurant at the end of July. That leaves six months to enjoy their food. Also, while eating lunch, I spoke to another customer who used to work for Maricopa County Environmental Services doing restaurant inspections. He said that Guerrero's always scored high and that's one reason why he eats there.

If approved, the Apache Villas project will involve not only the Guerrero's land, but also the vacant lot immediately to the west and the Breezy Palm, a shuttered motor hotel immediately to the east.

Sad to see the place go. It is really good food. But it is great to see Apache continue to go vertical. Especialy with diverse housing options.

Btw. I saw that they took down the big red sign for the lot across the street from district on apache and next to the building formerly known as the view. Does anyone know if it is because it passed through the city or if it was scrapped?

[ASUSunDevil]

Originally Posted by Arquitect

Sad to see the place go. It is really good food. But it is great to see Apache continue to go vertical. Especialy with diverse housing options.

Btw. I saw that they took down the big red sign for the lot across the street from district on apache and next to the building formerly known as the view. Does anyone know if it is because it passed through the city or if it was scrapped?

Hopefully the location was scrapped and they decided to put it next to W6 where it belongs.

[Spitfiredude]

Recently I've seen work restart on Milk and Honey (the convenience store below W6). So, I asked the plumbing contractor what was up with it and when it would be finished. He told me although he doesn't know when it will be completed that his work on the project would be finished in 3 weeks and that they also have multiple other specialties working on the project as well. So he assumed by March. As to what it would have in the market he said he doesn't know exactly but know there will be many coolers and shelves inside (he's installing the pipework for the coolers). I remember talking to a leasing agent and he told me that it would have some fresh foods, but mostly typical convenience store food. Oh and alcohol. So I'm assuming its going to be a CVS below W6. Kind of disappointing.

[dtnphx]

Streetcar plan inches ahead for Rio Salado, to link Tempe with Mesa

By Gary NelsonThe Republic | azcentral.com

Evidently, a streetcar linking Mesa and Tempe is desired.

Representatives of Tempe, Mesa, Arizona State University and Valley Metro, the regional transportation agency, have agreed to conduct an early financial analysis of the project, according to minutes of a meeting held Jan. 7.

The parties are looking into whether a public-private partnership would work, as opposed to funding the line entirely with tax dollars. That could bring the project to fruition far more quickly than if it had to stand in line for scarce public money.

Documents pertaining to the Jan. 7 meeting mention neither a price tag nor a construction timeline.

Tempe and Valley Metro already are in the thick of planning a streetcar line from Southern Avenue to Rio Salado Parkway on Mill Avenue. At Rio Salado, it would jut west to Ash Avenue, south to University Drive, then east back to Mill.

The total route would be 2.6 miles for an estimated cost of $129 million, of which $73 million already is available. It is part of a regional transportation plan approved by Maricopa County voters through Proposition 400 in 2004, but it also depends on federal grants.

Valley Metro spokeswoman Hillary Foose said even though the Federal Transit Administration has not approved funds for the Mill Avenue line, it recently signaled continuing interest in the project.

The original plan, however, might need tweaks to accommodate new federal rules that require cities to show a transit project would boost economic development.

Valley Metro did some preliminary environmental-assessment work last year in downtown Tempe, but Foose said that process is only partially completed.

The Rio Salado line would be a separate project.

“Rio Salado has been on our radar for some time as a potential streetcar corridor,” Foose said. “Historically, it’s been in addition to the modern streetcar project along Mill Avenue.”

The Rio Salado route covers 3.9 miles from Mill Avenue to Dobson Road. From the heart of downtown Tempe and Tempe Town Lake, it would pass Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe Marketplace and the Chicago Cubs complex before arriving at Mesa Riverview shopping center.

It also would pass ASU property that includes Packard Stadium and Karsten Golf Course. The university is looking into major redevelopment of those sites as a funding source for Sun Devil Stadium renovations.

The corridor recently lost one of its potential draws, however, when ASU and the Cubs could not reach a deal that would have allowed ASU to use the stadium under construction at Riverview.

The Jan. 7 meeting was attended by ASU President Michael Crow, mayors Scott Smith of Mesa and Mark Mitchell of Tempe, and Valley Metro CEO Steve Banta. They envision forming a formal partnership as the process moves along and agreed on the following steps:

Valley Metro will work with the Arizona Department of Transportation to determine whether a public-private partnership could develop the streetcar system.

ASU will conduct a “value for money” analysis as to whether the project would pencil out. If the numbers look good, a full feasibility study would be conducted, including early design work, an active search for money and partners, and more analysis of land-development opportunities along the route.

ASU will conduct a design charrette, which would visualize potential development along the Rio Salado corridor.

Streetcar lines, according to Valley Metro’s website, typically use tracks like light rail, but the cars are smaller and stop more often. They can be powered either by overhead lines or batteries.

Transit officials nationwide have gravitated toward fixed-track systems in recent years because they spur more economic development than bus lines, which can be moved around at will.

Officials say, however, that whereas redevelopment along light-rail lines typically occurs near the stations, streetcar tracks tend to spawn new projects along their entire length.

Rio Salado Parkway in Mesa is a new name for Eighth Street between Country Club Drive and the Tempe border. The City Council approved the change late last year to help brand the Mesa-Tempe corridor.

[MegaBass]

Originally Posted by Arquitect

Btw. I saw that they took down the big red sign for the lot across the street from district on apache and next to the building formerly known as the view. Does anyone know if it is because it passed through the city or if it was scrapped?

I noticed The Grove at 1000 East Apache PDF no longer has renderings. Perhaps it is back on the drawing board?

Originally Posted by ApacheRedevelopment

Here is the link to the PDF

Grove and Hanover

http://www.facebook.com/Apache.Redevelopment

[Jjs5056]

Not that it's urban in any way, but looks like there's some action on Warner between the 10 and Priest, across the way (south) from the complex with Ikea.

I'd be sad to see The Grove scrapped. It would've been nice to reach the point of adjacent dense, mixed use projects along Apache. Of course, it would be great to see it next to W6 instead of the crappy Hanover proposal, but obviously that's not an option.

Seems like quite a few projects have stalled or been MIA in Tempe. I hope they aren't all dead: Hanover, Grove, Rural&Terrace, Villas at South Bank, Namwest, etc.

Of them all, I wouldn't mind seeing the Rural&Terrace tower scrapped. That would lead to yet another lone tower in Tempe- W6 on Mill, The Hub on College and then this project on Rural. The other projects, though, are really important for the city. Hanover would bring more residents downtown (though we can all agree the design sucks- needs to be higher, denser and mixed use; but, 6 stories of money-spending residents is a much bigger boost for downtown than a parking lot). Villas at South Bank would prove that project (South Bank) is the real deal and get the ball rolling; it had some mixed use components and was nice and high- all positives for the Lake. Lastly, Namwest would clean up a blighted piece of prime real estate, bring height to the North side of the lake, and complement Playa del Norte to the South (and, maybe spark the development of the former Onyx site).

Lastly, has anyone noticed progress on the apartments slated for Rio Salado and Hardy(ish)- Argo, I think? They demolished the buildings that were there. They were nothing special, but the last thing we need is another cycle of demolishing buildings and replacing them with abandoned dirt lots.