Phoenix Development News (3)

[HooverDam]

Originally Posted by PHX31

/\ That's pretty good news... do you know if the restaurant is going in the old church, or if it is going in whatever they are building next to the church (now under construction)? ]

Directly on the corner will be a drive thru Starbucks unfortunately. Whatever the restaurant is, will be in the church. The church looks great sandblasted, a big improvement over what was there before.

I also noticed the building directly East of Gadzooks/Miriams, which was an office building says for Sale/Lease now. If someone turned that into a restaurant you might have the makings of a cool little corner there.

[Crispy]

Just found this article....has a little more info on the project.

http://azremagazine.com/economic-development/school-07-transforming-corner-7th-st-osborn

[PHX31]

Nice find...
The article mentions the church was built in 1948. The historic aerial I posted on the previous page is from 1949, so that makes sense. Hopefully whatever art/pictures they display will show the even older building that used to be there.

"Old School 07" is a creative name, considering they tore down the old school, but it's pretty cheesy.

[Jjs5056]

Walked from the Central/Ro light rail stop to Bliss Friday night and Roosevelt is getting SO close! A few more infill projects between Central and 3rd and we are going to finally have our main strip downtown.

3rd-4th looks so drastically different with Roosevelt Point, Canvas and Bliss all going or constructed; can't wait for the retail at RoPo (sorry... Easier on an iPad!) to be leased. Such a difference for a key intersection and key gateway point to downtown.

Still want to see more foot traffic. A lot of people were out/places were filled, but not many people walking around.

I also couldn't help but imagine how much safer I would have felt, and how much more inviting this street would look as a shopping/destination, with street parking.

[Jjs5056]

I also "made a phone call" on the east side of the building on NEC of Ro/Central and was super annoyed to see how much better it looks from that side- the side facing th garage, ugh. That building always seemed hideous but I never took much issue since at least it's built up to the street, but now... I hate it.

[PHXflyer]

Word around the neighborhood is that the Korean Church at 7th and Osborn will be a second location of Olive and Ivy. Not sure how accurate that is as nothing has been released, but that's what a nearby business owner told me....and so the Fox empire moves more into Central Phoenix, perhaps

[nickw252]

The apartments at 16th St. and Jefferson are going up.

[nickw252]

R&R Partners in Phoenix, part of a national communications, lobbying and advertising agency, will move from its leased space on First Avenue in downtown Phoenix to a newly restored 1928 historical building the agency owns in the nearby warehouse district. The agency is planning to complete the move by June 2014.

The agency bought the 26,000-square-foot historic warehouse at Second and Buchanan streets in 2007, but is just now lining up its construction loan and securing federal tax credits, R&R Phoenix Managing Director Matt Silverman said. The tax credits encourage development in distressed census tracts and restoration of historic properties.

Silverman said the project will be locally financed and the restoration will cost less than $5 million. There is enough room to house the agency’s employees and use the remaining square footage to create office space for lease. The project is being designed by CCBG Architects Inc., which already is in a building it designed in the warehouse district.

Silverman said the agency planned to move in seven years ago when it bought the building, but the economic timing was poor.

“The warehouse is completely empty,” he said. “It has to be completely rebuilt and the structure has to be supported in order to house the agency. But we have decided to move ahead actively, and we’ve started that.”

Silverman said he hopes to see the Warehouse District develop within the next five years with a mix of office, residential and entertainment spaces.

Entertainment is a way to lure people to the area, but Silverman said it’s
critical for the district to include residential development to keep the neighborhood vibrant after 5 p.m.

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/print-edition/2013/03/29/warehouse-district-bright-spot-rr.html

[Arquitect]

Some news on the Changing Hands project going on at the old Beef Eaters:

Construction begins this month on The Newton, a 17,227 SF multi-tenant, mixed-use retail/dining/office and event facility scheduled to open in the fall. Led by Venue Projects, a design-centered redevelopment, investment and construction real estate practice based in Phoenix, The Newton ownership team includes the groups behind Changing Hands Bookstore, Beckett’s Table and the principal of John Douglas Architects.

The Lively Hood also has signed on as a tenant offering a variety of co-working, meeting and event options for mobile professionals, including an open work area, private offices, meeting rooms and other gathering spaces and services.

“It is our belief that beyond the debris, disrepair and aged condition, the existing property has a worthy history in the community and good architectural bones to substantiate its preservation,” said Lorenzo Perez, co-founding partner of Venue Projects. “With strategic and creative improvements, the property will reposition itself with renewed life and presence in the neighborhood.”

Initial adaptive reuse plans call for utilizing the basic structure of the existing 16,300 SF building, including its fired adobe walls, heavy timber framing and decorative items such as the original chandeliers.

Later additions to the building will be carefully removed in order to expose the mid-century modern flair of the original 1961 architecture, according to John Douglas of John Douglas Architects in Scottsdale, one of the project’s owners, who also is handling design details.

Source:http://azremagazine.com/economic-develop...rs-redevelop-abandoned-iconic-restaurant

[Vicelord John]

yes, one of the tenants is Justin Beckett, whose restaurant I have not been to, but have heard very very mixed reviews ranging from 'it'd be good if it weren't so bad' to 'amazing'.

One has to take into account who is ranting/raving as well.

[Arquitect]

Originally Posted by Vicelord John

yes, one of the tenants is Justin Beckett, whose restaurant I have not been to, but have heard very very mixed reviews ranging from 'it'd be good if it weren't so bad' to 'amazing'.

One has to take into account who is ranting/raving as well.

Haven't been there either, but I like the fact that the project will have multiple uses beyond the bookstore.

In my case, I found out about Changing Hands by accident, since I found it by shopping at Tempe's Trade Joe's. Now, I regularly make trips just to go to their lectures, or look for books. Hopefully the same thing could happen for this location.

[nickw252]

The Atlantic has a nice story about Phoenix's recent investment in making the light rail corridor more walkable.

http://m.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-...-walkability-gamble-just-might-pay/5164/

[Jjs5056]

If this doesn't get redeveloped in my lifetime, it will be a travesty.

[N830MH]

Well, it's official!!! Sky Harbor will start terminal 3 modernization. They will start expand new TSA checkpoint and when it will completely sometime in mid-2015. They will build new ticket counter, expand new baggage claim, shopping, & concessions as well.

http://ktar.com/22/1623208/Phoenix-Sky-Harbor-planning-another-expansion?cmt=1

PHOENIX -- Leaders at Phoenix's largest airport are planning to expand in three construction phases over a five-year period.

The first, to start next year, would expand security checkpoints at Terminal 3. It would be completed by mid-2015.

And now, the old terminal 2 will be closed sometime in 2019.

[Arquitect]

Originally Posted by Jjs5056

If this doesn't get redeveloped in my lifetime, it will be a travesty.

It is a fantastic building. What is killing it is the lack of parking. Projects can't meet the parking requirements imposed by the city, it is a shame.

If I had the money, I would buy this lot and the one across Central (the rather dull building with retail). Tear down the retail building, place a well designed parking structure with retail on the ground level, and create a pedestrian walkway connecting them above Central.

Yet, that is not very likely to happen unless I win the power ball, haha.

[HooverDam]

^ That "dull" building w/ the Subway and Jewler in it could actually be quite cool. Its a historic building, I recall seeing some neat pictures of it (calling: PHX31, he always seems to have the good pictures). Sadly, PHX doesn't have a facade rehabilitation program like Tucson, but we do desperately need one.

Regarding the parking requirements, I thought those were greatly lessened by the Downtown Urban Form code...but perhaps not.

[PHX31]

The Lofts on Thomas (5th Ave & Thomas) are nearing completion (finally).

They have signage up, some landscaping in, shaded parking structures, they are finishing the pool area in back (slowly). I'd say within a month it might be done. Their website still really sucks.

[PHX31]

Originally Posted by HooverDam

^ That "dull" building w/ the Subway and Jewler in it could actually be quite cool. Its a historic building, I recall seeing some neat pictures of it (calling: PHX31, he always seems to have the good pictures). Sadly, PHX doesn't have a facade rehabilitation program like Tucson, but we do desperately need one.

Yeah, I talked about it a couple years ago in this old post (actually nearly 3 years ago to the day):

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=4935233&postcount=91

You can see the building in the lower left corner of one of the pictures. There is an even better picture of it hanging in one of the elevators of the MAG building downtown, but I don't know where they got their picture.

[Arquitect]

Originally Posted by PHX31

Yeah, I talked about it a couple years ago in this old post (actually nearly 3 years ago to the day):

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=4935233&postcount=91

You can see the building in the lower left corner of one of the pictures. There is an even better picture of it hanging in one of the elevators of the MAG building downtown, but I don't know where they got their picture.

Oh man, that is a nice looking building. Its a shame it has been covered by disgusting stucco.

[combusean]

Originally Posted by Arquitect

It is a fantastic building. What is killing it is the lack of parking. Projects can't meet the parking requirements imposed by the city, it is a shame.

If I had the money, I would buy this lot and the one across Central (the rather dull building with retail). Tear down the retail building, place a well designed parking structure with retail on the ground level, and create a pedestrian walkway connecting them above Central.

Yet, that is not very likely to happen unless I win the power ball, haha.

No parking is required for projects in the Downtown Core area.