Tempe Development Thread

[MegaBass]

Originally Posted by Tempe_Duck

If I am not mistaken, those courts have been there since Sonora was built.

The basketball court was there but I recall them constructing the tennis courts last summer. You can see here from this Google satellite view.

[azsunsurfer]

If it's worth anything there was an article awhile back in the Phoenix Biz Journal mentioning that the stalled site at the NW corner of Scottsdale and Curry had been sold to another multifamily developer who apparently has a proven track record. They plan to resume construction at the end of the year.

[azsunsurfer]

I was driving home from work yesterday on the 202 and I noticed that some preliminary site work has started on the State Farm/ Marina Heights Development. I noticed a tractor digging up some earth and the side closest to the lake. I also thought I saw some trailers on-site at lot 59.

[Spitfiredude]

Originally Posted by azsunsurfer

I was driving home from work yesterday on the 202 and I noticed that some preliminary site work has started on the State Farm/ Marina Heights Development. I noticed a tractor digging up some earth and the side closest to the lake. I also thought I saw some trailers on-site at lot 59.

I think its just some utility relocation. That's what it looks like. I drove by there today on my way to the store. They have a water truck, a backhoe, and an excavator. I'm sure it is prep for Marina Heights, but I don't think they said development would start till September for this project.

Also I noticed construction for HFL 3 is progressing very slowly. I am assuming they will take 18-24 months to complete this tower at the pace they are going.

[TempeSilverFox]

Hi everyone! I went for a bike ride and a brief hike up A Mountain this morning and then also on an "urban adventure" and took my first ride on the Sky Train at Sky Harbor! Just wanted to share some pics. Hope everyone is having a good weekend so far.

Below is the Argo at Town Lake. Things seem to be moving right along!

[IMG][/IMG]

Here is the site of HFL #3 from A Mountain. Just dirt moving around so far...



The Marriott and the green roof of the Tempe Transportation Center:



The Hub, Block 12 and the Marriott:



The Hub:



Future home of Marina Heights!:



From the summit:



Roof of the Sky Train station at the Metro stop:



I love this shot- this is the loading platform/ waiting area at the main Sky Train station. It's lovely.

[nickw252]

Nice pictures. Hopefully the Marina Heights and Hayden Ferry start construction soon. That dorm between the Hub and the new Marriott is horrendously ugly.

[Jjs5056]

The Hub and Marriott aren't much better. The Hub is just so overwhelming; the design is really awful in terms of just how massive it is. The L should've been reversed at least, but ideally it should've been 2 towers. Regardless, it's extremely claustrophobic as is and dumping the most oppressive materials and color palette did it no favors.

Great photos, though! Is Block 12 topped out? Is a crane common for a 6-story building?

The parking lots along Forest, Myrtle, and surrounding Chili's are so depressing, especially knowing 1) what was there and demolished, and 2) what was proposed to take their place. I hope the most recent news surrounding the Chili's property is finally the real deal and that it addresses that entire site and not just the Mill/Uni corner.

The University Square lot really needs something above 10 stories. That's a really important piece (along with the M7 site) in shaping downtown and could make or break giving Tempe a (small) skyline (to complement The Hub, Marriott, etc.); connecting Mill with ASU, College Ave, etc.; bringing density east of Mill; helping solidify the northern part of campus as having more of an urban fabric with commercial/non-University projects mixed into educational buildings and such.

[Arquitect]

Originally Posted by Jjs5056

The Hub and Marriott aren't much better. The Hub is just so overwhelming; the design is really awful in terms of just how massive it is. The L should've been reversed at least, but ideally it should've been 2 towers. Regardless, it's extremely claustrophobic as is and dumping the most oppressive materials and color palette did it no favors.

Great photos, though! Is Block 12 topped out? Is a crane common for a 6-story building?

The parking lots along Forest, Myrtle, and surrounding Chili's are so depressing, especially knowing 1) what was there and demolished, and 2) what was proposed to take their place. I hope the most recent news surrounding the Chili's property is finally the real deal and that it addresses that entire site and not just the Mill/Uni corner.

The University Square lot really needs something above 10 stories. That's a really important piece (along with the M7 site) in shaping downtown and could make or break giving Tempe a (small) skyline (to complement The Hub, Marriott, etc.); connecting Mill with ASU, College Ave, etc.; bringing density east of Mill; helping solidify the northern part of campus as having more of an urban fabric with commercial/non-University projects mixed into educational buildings and such.

Yes, Block 12 is topped out, well half of it, the other half still has to be poured. But the height we see is the final height. And cranes are common for all cast in place concrete work like this. Those forms are really heavy, so a crane is a must.

As for the Chili's parking lot, something is coming soon. But what was there before the parking lot was a really awful strip mall which had huge mold issues. ASU had used it for storage, but the conditions got so bad that they had to demolish it. I'm not a fan of parking lots, but I think it is better than a one story stucco-clad health hazard. Especially knowing that ASU is wanting to develop the lot, and it is just a matter of time before we see that.

[alexico]

any different pre-pics/examples of what Marina Heights will look like?

http://www.weknowurban.com/blog/2008/02/the-missing-piece-to-tempe-town-lake-2/

[ASUSunDevil]

Originally Posted by nickw252

Nice pictures. Hopefully the Marina Heights and Hayden Ferry start construction soon. That dorm between the Hub and the new Marriott is horrendously ugly.

That dorm needs a paint job so bad.

[Jjs5056]

Originally Posted by Arquitect

Yes, Block 12 is topped out, well half of it, the other half still has to be poured. But the height we see is the final height. And cranes are common for all cast in place concrete work like this. Those forms are really heavy, so a crane is a must.

As for the Chili's parking lot, something is coming soon. But what was there before the parking lot was a really awful strip mall which had huge mold issues. ASU had used it for storage, but the conditions got so bad that they had to demolish it. I'm not a fan of parking lots, but I think it is better than a one story stucco-clad health hazard. Especially knowing that ASU is wanting to develop the lot, and it is just a matter of time before we see that.

I definitely wouldn't argue that the previous strip mall on Uni/Mill was worth saving, but seeing that massive sea of asphalt in an aerial shot is pretty shocking. I do think the demolition of the Arches (for University Square) was a miss, as we haven't seen any movement there at all and that building, while unattractive, was in decent shape, built up to the street, and filled with tenants.

Thanks for the information regarding the cranes - that definitely makes sense. Does anyone have details regarding the rest of the Block 12 project: site plan, timeline, etc.? At one point, there was a tall, residential component that I hope is still in the works. Gobbling up valuable and limited land in the core and wasting it on 6-story buildings would be a shame, though at least this phase does include dining that doesn't seem to be student-only.

Meanwhile, the College Avenue streetscape plan was recently reviewed, but I can't find details on that, aside from a Facebook announcement when SmithGroupJJR was selected in January: "As part of the SmithGroupJJR team, Wood/Patel was selected by ASU for their College Avenue Streetscape project. The team will provide design services for the streetscape of College Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets and master plan from University Drive to 5th Street in Tempe. We look forward to continuing work with SmithGroupJJR and ASU."
Seems rather silly if I am reading correctly that they're only addressing 6th-7th street? If anything, starting at the south end would make more sense, since the northern end is almost completely developed, but I guess that argument can go both ways.

On a related note, final plans were selected for the University (Priest-Ash) and Broadway (Mill-Rural) streetscape projects, scheduled for late 2014 and early 2015.

1) University: http://www.tempe.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=17674
This plan is rather underwhelming, though the new/enhanced bike lanes will be a benefit. There's no shade on either the north or south sides of the street, with the only landscaping being within the new center medians. However, even those were reduced from earlier stages of the plan to allow for more left-turn availability.

2) Broadway: http://www.tempe.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=18645
The selected concept includes the removal of 1 eastbound lane, addition of bike lanes in both directions, a new 8' privacy wall on the north side, and shaded sidewalks on the south. It does seem a bit strange that there is no sidewalk on the north end, though... no?

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by Jjs5056

On a related note, final plans were selected for the University (Priest-Ash) and Broadway (Mill-Rural) streetscape projects, scheduled for late 2014 and early 2015.

1) University: http://www.tempe.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=17674
This plan is rather underwhelming, though the new/enhanced bike lanes will be a benefit. There's no shade on either the north or south sides of the street, with the only landscaping being within the new center medians. However, even those were reduced from earlier stages of the plan to allow for more left-turn availability.

2) Broadway: http://www.tempe.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=18645
The selected concept includes the removal of 1 eastbound lane, addition of bike lanes in both directions, a new 8' privacy wall on the north side, and shaded sidewalks on the south. It does seem a bit strange that there is no sidewalk on the north end, though... no?

The lack of shade in the University plan is disappointing, although I suppose that could be added later. Two aspects of the plan that I like: 1) New signalized intersections at Roosevelt and Farmer. Right now, there's a long segment between Hardy and Ash where it's difficult for a pedestrian or bicyclist to cross University. Also, more frequent signals should have a traffic calming effect. 2) The strip with a differentiated texture separating the bike lane from the rest of the street. My hope is that this will produce a rumbling feel for the drivers of any cars that stray into the bike lane, giving motorists an opportunity to correct before doing any harm.

My biggest concern is that this plan seems to stop at Ash, but the intersection of Ash and University needs attention. It's currently configured so that cars traveling either way on Ash must turn onto University rather than crossing it. That results in the bike lanes being put in the middle of the street between left and right turns lanes. Unfortunately, there are a lot of drivers, many on them heading into the Chase garages, who disregard the signs and cross over the bike lanes. A redesign of the intersection may be necessary to make it safer.

As for Broadway, I think there are currently sidewalks along the frontage road on the north side of the street. I doubt this project will remove those. It could be that the sidewalks don't show up on the project drawings simply because they won't be changed and are therefore outside the scope of the project.

[Arquitect]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

The lack of shade in the University plan is disappointing, although I suppose that could be added later. Two aspects of the plan that I like: 1) New signalized intersections at Roosevelt and Farmer. Right now, there's a long segment between Hardy and Ash where it's difficult for a pedestrian or bicyclist to cross University. Also, more frequent signals should have a traffic calming effect. 2) The strip with a differentiated texture separating the bike lane from the rest of the street. My hope is that this will produce a rumbling feel for the drivers of any cars that stray into the bike lane, giving motorists an opportunity to correct before doing any harm.

My biggest concern is that this plan seems to stop at Ash, but the intersection of Ash and University needs attention. It's currently configured so that cars traveling either way on Ash must turn onto University rather than crossing it. That results in the bike lanes being put in the middle of the street between left and right turns lanes. Unfortunately, there a lot of drivers, many on them heading into the Chase garages, who disregard the signs and cross over the bike lanes. A redesign of the intersection may be necessary to make it safer.

As for Broadway, I think there are currently sidewalk along the frontage road on the north side of the street. I doubt this project will remove those. It could be that the sidewalks don't show up on the project drawings simply because they won't be changed and are therefore outside the scope of the project.

I agree, the addition of the stop lights is really needed. I have tried to cross University before along this stretch, and it is rather treacherous. Drivers really begin to pick up speed after Ash, and there really are very few breaks in traffic for pedestrians to cross.

The lack of shade is very disappointing. And although more could be added later, I really don't see it happening. I wish city planners understood how big of a difference a few trees can make in making an area walkable.

Does anyone know what happened to the public art component of the University project? Originally, it had been proposed to have several pieces throughout the corridor. And I believe there was an emphasis towards using local artist. I kinda wish that element was still part of the plan.

[Jjs5056]

The design shows public art being incorporated into the median closest to Ash, and the summary indicates that more art will be installed on light poles- this aren't indicated anywhere else, so not sure how likely it is.

I actually would rather they reallocate the funds spent on the center median for shade (especially given how much they've been reduced), expand them to create linear parks (probably not a viable option, but...), or done the project in phases (extending the project to Mill since it seems strange to go all the way to Ash and end; pause 1 from Mill to Hardy).

Ultimately, I just can't support any streetscape investment if it doesn't even attempt to address shade. That is the number one deterrent to creating walkable neighborhoods in this state, with so many secondary benefits like beautifying our hideous suburban streets, reducing dust and producing oxygen, minimizing the impact of the heat island, etc. The fact that our roads were built this way is mind boggling, but having our leaders, planners, designers and experts develop plans that utilize sizable public funds and don't address tis issue is really unacceptable.

Throwing down rocks and planting non-native, decorative, and/or small trees is bad enough; but, at least TRY.

[ASUSunDevil]

While not incredibly exciting, the Panda Express is finally under construction on the corner of Rural and Broadway. Staples will be going in next to the Safeway, they will use the excess space to the west. Chick Fil-A is also making progress on Mill and University.

Really excited to see Tempe in a month or so when all of the new projects (Manzanita, The Hub, Marriott, The District, Sun Devil Fitness Center, Power Parasols) are completed and all of this street maintenance is done!

[DevilsRider]

Originally Posted by ASUSunDevil

While not incredibly exciting, the Panda Express is finally under construction on the corner of Rural and Broadway. Staples will be going in next to the Safeway, they will use the excess space to the west.

They're moving pretty quickly on that Panda. Small detail question: does anyone know if that little driveway that connects the Panda Express site/Rural to the Safeway parking lot (right behind the bus shelter) is staying or going away? I swear I see a near-miss almost crash at that driveway every other time I'm over there.

[jefe]

Originally Posted by ASUSunDevil

Really excited to see Tempe in a month or so when all of the new projects (Manzanita, The Hub, Marriott, The District, Sun Devil Fitness Center, Power Parasols) are completed and all of this street maintenance is done!

Don't forget Portillo's at Tempe Marketplace.

[TempeSilverFox]

Hi there everyone! Hey- just wanted to share this link for anyone who might have an interest. I was on the Tempe General Plan 2040 Workgroup Committee and one of our Brown Bag Lunches dealt with the idea of the 20 Minute City. It's a concept that promotes creating built environments where numerous activities including living space, work, entertainment and services can all be reached either on foot or by bike within a 20 minute span of time. The speaker stated that in many ways Tempe already possesses some of the characteristics of a 20 minute city - but that there is more we could do to make it so (I'm sure we would all agree with this...)
The 20 minute city part starts about 5 minutes into the presentation- but if you want to learn more about the speaker- start from the beginning. You may find the other presentations to be interesting as well. Would love to get everyone's thoughts around this- especially since some of these ideas have been forth in the Tempe General Plan 2040 that will need to be voted on next year!

http://tempe.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=15&clip_id=1532

[TempeSilverFox]

This is another article I wanted to share entitled "How to Design Our World for Happiness." Some great ideas in here!

http://media.utsandiego.com/news/documents/2013/07/24/how-to-design-our-world.pdf

[MegaBass]

Arizona State University, Hayden Library Master Plan

The master plan for Arizona State's main research library defines an exceptional research and learning environment for the 21st century, at the heart of the Tempe campus. The plan re-envisions the library as a dynamic intellectual hub for the University's growing population, giving physical form to the vision set forth in the its ambitious institutional strategic plan.

The plan reorients the space from a collection-intensive facility to a patron-focused learning environment, with enhanced research and study spaces, a robust technology and instructional hub, consolidated staff space, and newly prominent and accessible special collections. Strategic decisions about the location of portions of the collection were addressed.

The plan also leverages the library's location at the crossroads of two key pedestrian axes to address a dearth of open space on the campus. A proposed expansion reclaims the sunken courtyard and moat surrounding the library for new, programmable space with a green roof that becomes an extension of the campus' central quad. A new entrance pavilion along one axis will serve as a beacon for the University community.

The phased five-year renovation and expansion will permit uninterrupted library operations.

In addition the renovations of the Lower Level of Hayden is set to be ready for the Fall.