Phoenix Development News (3)

[nickw252]

Originally Posted by Jjs5056

Woah... I wasn't recommending demolition or suggesting that it was a realistic option. I was just because I literally have no clue what that park looks like, where to enter it, etc. and was just trying to get some sense of orientation.

It's understandable that you don't know how to enter it. The park was not well designed. It has no street presence or grand entrance. Just look for the bums pushing shopping carts and you'll know you're close.

[Vicelord John]

Seriously that park is easy to access from the north or south, but the streets to the north and the south are hard to find lol. It's so bad.

[HooverDam]

Originally Posted by Arquitect

I wouldn't recommend demolishing it. The building looks a bit uninviting at the moment, but it has some great features, and someone could do a really awesome addition to it. Taking into consideration that this is private land and not public land, demolishing it would only cause a large empty lot right next to the park, not a great entrance.

As mentioned above, the building is right up to the street, and with a little work it could open up to central.

Its public land, the City of Phoenix gave the building to the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS.

Im rarely for demolishing an older building, especially one by Lescher and Mahoney, but for the sake of Hance Park, this one should go. You can't see the park from Central — Avenue. Our main Street. You also can't see the park from the Roosevelt LRT stop.

Add in the difficulty of adding certain amenities to the park because of the poorly designed deck (large trees, quality fountains, buildings for eateries, etc) and that parcel becomes the only logical place to put some of those things.

The Southwest Center should've been given land somewhere else, with that space opened up for the park to have a real front door. Instead Southwest Center has moved in, won't hear it about reducing/eliminating their anti-urban surface parking (after all surface parking is a God given right in PHX), and designers will have to jerry rig some kind of half assed entry off 1st St.

[Jjs5056]

Originally Posted by HooverDam

Its public land, the City of Phoenix gave the building to the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS.

Im rarely for demolishing an older building, especially one by Lescher and Mahoney, but for the sake of Hance Park, this one should go. You can't see the park from Central — Avenue. Our main Street. You also can't see the park from the Roosevelt LRT stop.

Add in the difficulty of adding certain amenities to the park because of the poorly designed deck (large trees, quality fountains, buildings for eateries, etc) and that parcel becomes the only logical place to put some of those things.

The Southwest Center should've been given land somewhere else, with that space opened up for the park to have a real front door. Instead Southwest Center has moved in, won't hear it about reducing/eliminating their anti-urban surface parking (after all surface parking is a God given right in PHX), and designers will have to jerry rig some kind of half assed entry off 1st St.

Can you expand on your last piece? What was being proposed and what's the alternative?

I have become fairly educated about the city since moving here 5 years ago and Hance has been a mystery to me ever since I saw it highlighted on the Roosvelt LRT stop sign. I got off and just assumed it was a fancy name for the neighborhood because I definitely didn't see a park. To this day, I tell people (some born here) about there being a deck park every time I go over or under, and the majority are surprised to hear.

[soleri]

The problem with Deck Park is not its design. It's the fact too few live close by, and as such, gives it an abandoned look. Ditto: Steele Park.This points out the ongoing issue with lollapalooza projects. You can't simply reinvent a city with imposed wonders like this one, or Arizona Center, Civic Space, or the Convention Center. A city either breathes on its own or it's embalmed. This is why our downtown is so anemic. After tearing down virtually everything that gave a hint of real people doing ordinary things, we were free to create a downtown that is a showplace of set pieces that neither interrelate nor nourish each other. Back in the '80s, the word for this magical thinking was "synergy". You don't hear that word much anymore but it still governs our thinking, including tearing down perfectly good buildings, supposedly for our own good.

[Arquitect]

Originally Posted by soleri

The problem with Deck Park is not its design. It's the fact too few live close by, and as such, gives it an abandoned look. Ditto: Steele Park.This points out the ongoing issue with lollapalooza projects. You can't simply reinvent a city with imposed wonders like this one, or Arizona Center, Civic Space, or the Convention Center. A city either breathes on its own or it's embalmed. This is why our downtown is so anemic. After tearing down virtually everything that gave a hint of real people doing ordinary things, we were free to create a downtown that is a showplace of set pieces that neither interrelate nor nourish each other. Back in the '80s, the word for this magical thinking was "synergy". You don't hear that word much anymore but it still governs our thinking, including tearing down perfectly good buildings, supposedly for our own good.

Synergy is still very much alive in the architect's vocabulary. In fact, there is an unwritten rule that your thesis must in some way deal with synergy, haha. I agree about the disjointedness of our core, yet I also see a new trend coming for more housing and greater uses. That will greatly improve the synergy which was never there.

BTW, may your namesake rest in peace. A big loss to the valley and the world of architecture. I wish Paolo Soleri would have had a stronger influence over our city than FLW (urban v suburban), yet his legacy will surely leave a mark.

[phxSUNSfan]

Originally Posted by Jjs5056

As for being built up to the sidewalk, is there really any benefit if there aren't streetside entrances.

The building being renovated to house the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS will have its entrance on Central Ave. They have created a larger entryway that can be seen as you pass by it. What's interesting is that the office building itself if made of brick. The newer, probably 1970s or 1980s era, parking garage is a later addition to the structure.

[ASUSunDevil]

Has any work been happening on the Monroe Street Abbey? I know that Jones Studio is in charge of the restoration, should turn out nice!

[MegaBass]

Per The Downtown Devil Facebook Page

[nickw252]

Native American Connections will be hosting a “Top Out Celebration,” celebrating the construction progress of its multi-family project in Downtown Phoenix, Urban Living on 2nd Avenue (UL2).

The event is scheduled April 17 at the UL2 site, 650 N. 2nd Ave. It begins at 8:30 a.m. with the official program starting at 9 with comments from Mayor Greg Stanton; Michael Trailor, Director, Arizona Department of Housing; and Steve Gundersen, Chair, Native American Connections Board of Directors.

Native American Connections’ UL2 project includes a redevelopment of an existing office complex in Downtown Phoenix into a 70-unit multi-family, mixed income rental project.

The 70 affordable apartments consist of studios, one, two and three bedrooms and will include the following amenities for the future residents: gated, secure parking; a small theatre room; a multipurpose room for birthday parties and other social gatherings; a fitness center; and an “active” courtyard with a playground, barbecues and gathering areas. Site improvements will include complete landscape design that integrates with the character of the neighborhood.

The construction team includes Perlman Architects and Chasse Building Team, which designed UL2 with green technologies that will result in it receiving LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

UL2 construction began in September 2012 and is scheduled to completed in December 2013. UL2 was specifically designed to address the housing needs of the growing services industry employees who work in downtown Phoenix businesses and can either walk to work or use the nearby light rail.

Native American Connections is an Arizona not-for-profit organization providing residential and outpatient behavioral health programs, and a full range of affordable housing solutions for the individuals and families we serve.

It's a good looking building in a neighborhood with a lot of potential. I just hope the whole area doesn't get filled with low income housing.

[Jjs5056]

Aside from the obligatory random nickname - this time "RoRo" (I guess CenPho didn't catch on?) - it's pretty cool to see downtown/Roosevelt make this list and get some attention as a destination for travelers:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/des...-that-tourists-havent-found-yet/2078741/

[nickw252]

Originally Posted by Jjs5056

Aside from the obligatory random nickname - this time "RoRo" (I guess CenPho didn't catch on?) - it's pretty cool to see downtown/Roosevelt make this list and get some attention as a destination for travelers:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/des...-that-tourists-havent-found-yet/2078741/

Roosevelt Row is in good company. Wicker Park in Chicago is an awesome neighborhood.

[nickw252]

The turn lane creating the triangle at Roosevelt and 1st Ave is gone. Any news on the future "mixed-use project?"

[Jjs5056]

Originally Posted by nickw252

The turn lane creating the triangle at Roosevelt and 1st Ave is gone. Any news on the future "mixed-use project?"

Not much of an update, but hopefully confirmation that the project is for real?

http://www.kjzz.org/content/1303/advocates-tout-development-along-valleys-light-rail-line-hope-more

"BRODIE: Pollack says that means the rail might lead to development right next to stations, but he doubts it’ll have that effect elsewhere along the line. And, he limits the radius around stations to a few hundred years. But Mesa’s Shea Joachim doesn’t buy that.

JOACHIM: Generally, we look for walk sheds of a quarter mile, in some cases, upwards to a half mile from stations.

BRODIE: It’s less of a walk than that to get from the station at Central and Roosevelt to Matt Seamon’s new project. He’s a partner with Metro West Development, which is planning a mixed-use project on First Avenue, just south of Roosevelt — it’ll include retail and restaurant space, as well as up to 70 housing units."

Did Metrowest's other project, McKinley row, ever get built? This article mentions it breaking ground in 2008, but I can't find any other info on it online, so am assuming it stalled out: http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2008/04/07/story4.html?page=all

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by Jjs5056

"BRODIE: Pollack says that means the rail might lead to development right next to stations, but he doubts it’ll have that effect elsewhere along the line. And, he limits the radius around stations to a few hundred years. But Mesa’s Shea Joachim doesn’t buy that.

JOACHIM: Generally, we look for walk sheds of a quarter mile, in some cases, upwards to a half mile from stations.

BRODIE: It’s less of a walk than that to get from the station at Central and Roosevelt to Matt Seamon’s new project. He’s a partner with Metro West Development, which is planning a mixed-use project on First Avenue, just south of Roosevelt — it’ll include retail and restaurant space, as well as up to 70 housing units."

Pollack's quotes are pretty disappointing. I'm not sure if they're taken out of context, but it's hard for me to take someone seriously when he is just repeating the same old cliche about hot summer weather. People said no one would ride light rail in summer, yet they do. A better discussion would be about shade as a way to expand the walkable radius around light rail stations for discretionary passengers.

[Arquitect]

There is a really big mural being done on Thomas and Central right now. It started to be painted a couple days ago, and it looks really great. I would venture to say that it probably is the largest mural in the city.

[Vicelord John]

So I rode down central the other night, I was testing out my new wheels on my race bike, and made a point to look at the corner of 1st ave and roosevelt. There are definitely some things going on with that access road, barricades and dirt moving around. Of course, I'd been maintaining a 175+ heart rate since Missouri and caught every green light, so I wasn't exactly, um, able to see straight... sorry for lack of details.

Could it be something is actually going on there?

[PHX31]

Originally Posted by Arquitect

There is a really bug mural being done on Thomas and Central right now. It started to be painted a couple days ago, and it looks really great. I would venture to say that it probably is the largest mural in the city.

That is one of the worst buildings (semi-high rise) in the city, anything will make it look better. Glad it's getting a mural and some renovations. That Wallace and Ladmo one on 1st Ave near the Westward Ho is pretty big too.

[nickw252]

Originally Posted by PHX31

That is one of the worst buildings (semi-high rise) in the city

Is it on that big concrete thing on the southwest corner? That building —.

[PHX31]

Originally Posted by nickw252

Is it on that big concrete thing on the southwest corner? That building —.

Yeah. the mural is on the curved corner that is on the SWC of 1st Ave and Thomas.

EDIT: I think they took out a couple of large trees for the mural. I'd rather have the trees. This city's treatment of the large trees we do have is pretty sickening (not to mention the lack of planting them in the first place). Any large cool tree we have seems to be over-pruned and eventually killed, hacked in half by the utility companies to get the limbs out of their lines, or just ripped out for some stupid reason.