Phoenix Development News (3)

[mdpx]

Originally Posted by Arquitect

Looks like the developer that did the Domus Apartments in Arcadia really liked working in Phoenix, he is about to start a new one on 16th street, north of Camelback. I haven't gotten a very good look at the project, but it appears to be 4 stories.

Are you talking about the recently demolished office development next to Ajo Als? If so that would be great news. I think Van Tuyl (which owns virtually every car dealership in the known world) bought the property. My guess is that they would create one of those hidden lots on the property. I hope I'm mistaken.

[Arquitect]

Originally Posted by mdpx

Are you talking about the recently demolished office development next to Ajo Als? If so that would be great news. I think Van Tuyl (which owns virtually every car dealership in the known world) bought the property. My guess is that they would create one of those hidden lots on the property. I hope I'm mistaken.

It's north of Ajo Al's, on the corner of Georgia and 16th street. I saw the renderings a bit ago, and the design is not as cutting edge as Arcadia's, but it still looks pretty cool.And like Domus, I believe that they will be market-rate apartments.

[Jjs5056]

Originally Posted by MegaBass

Thunderdome Neighborhood Association for Non-Auto Mobility

Thanks for posting the actual image.

As mentioned, this is a great improvement over the original design. It's nice to see developers tweak their designs (or the city ask them to) to make them fit urban standards. The newly wrapped garage, open spaces, and continuation of Buchanan are all major positives. I don't see how anyone could believe a superblock was a good idea for the first major project coming to the warehouse district in over a decade.

My only complaints, and they're minor are:
1) The height: 6 stories would've helped create a bit more variance between these apartments and surrounding warehouses.
2) The historic structures: I wish that the historic structures were used for more active purposes that drew in pedestrians to the area, instead of an office and fitness center.
3) Retail: I know, I have quite the reputation now, but the goal of this area is to eventually create a district, which will take multiple streets filled with active retail uses. With Cooperstown, Jackson's on 3rd, and the retail at Stadium Lofts and Summit nearby, it would've been to see just a few spots included here for the establishments Phoenix was wanting to recruit - unique, authentic cuisines and coffee/breweries/etc. Simply using the leasing center, both historic spaces, and building over the Ramada would've been enough to create a nice intersection with maybe a cafe, brewery, and bakery.

And, then the leasing and fitness could be located along the northern edge of the development, where you may as well throw in 2 additional spots to try and create some sort of synergy with Summit's retail. This is also extremely close to the ballpark, and could be marketed easily.

But, props for a job well done on these revisions!

[PHX31]

Yeah, this does look better. I like that buchanan remains and that all sides are street front. So the far southern portion is now not a part? No more ugly rehab of the existing building?

[nickw252]

Agreed, it looks 100% better. No more street facing parking garages, no more shuttind down Buchanan.

[bwaynoh]

Originally Posted by PHX31

Yeah, this does look better. I like that buchanan remains and that all sides are street front. So the far southern portion is now not a part? No more ugly rehab of the existing building?

The exterior rehab of the warehouse at the southern end of the property has already been done. I'll try to snag some pictures soon. I want to say it was finished sometime last year but still remains fenced off.

[Jjs5056]

Originally Posted by PHX31

Yeah, this does look better. I like that buchanan remains and that all sides are street front. So the far southern portion is now not a part? No more ugly rehab of the existing building?

As Bwaynoh mentioned, that rehab is complete. Would love to see photo; hoping it is more authentic of a restoration than their site showed.

That warehouse faces Lincoln, and the new rendering cuts off that piece of the project.

Blech, that makes 4 buildings being used for office space... better than surface parking, but definitely not the activity I thought we wanted to see in this area.

[Jjs5056]

Great new event space, and glad to see continued investment within the warehouse district. However, I can't help but grieve the destruction around this site - jails, bonds buildings, the torn down hotels - that could've helped Madison thrive, particularly once the new hotel opens.

http://downtowndevil.com/2014/02/26/55511/phoenix-pressroom-has-new-management-and-image/

[poconoboy61]

http://www.bqaz.org/pdf/framework/BQAZ-R...ation-Framework-Study-Display-Boards.pdf

Preliminary suggestions by MAG and the study team of short, mid, and long term goals identified in the Central Phoenix Transportation Framework Study.

[DevilsRider]

Thank you for sharing this, poconoboy61! Hopefully they can figure out ways to speed up that timeline, though obviously committing the funding to major street configurations can be an issue. Hopefully most of the 0-5 year street improvements, though, can be done in the first 1-2, especially if it's just re-striping...

Originally Posted by poconoboy61

http://www.bqaz.org/pdf/framework/BQAZ-R...ation-Framework-Study-Display-Boards.pdf

Preliminary suggestions by MAG and the study team of short, mid, and long term goals identified in the Central Phoenix Transportation Framework Study.

[PHX31]

Originally Posted by poconoboy61

http://www.bqaz.org/pdf/framework/BQAZ-R...ation-Framework-Study-Display-Boards.pdf

Preliminary suggestions by MAG and the study team of short, mid, and long term goals identified in the Central Phoenix Transportation Framework Study.

In Phase 3 (11+ years from now) they want a "potential downtown circulator" with an interim rubber streetcar. The ultimate would be a fixed guideway streetcar. So how many years exactly would this be? 20? And what about GARP? Is that just a pipe dream for 20 years from now? I was hoping that may be a real possibility.

[Leo the Dog]

Originally Posted by PHX31

In Phase 3 (11+ years from now) they want a "potential downtown circulator" with an interim rubber streetcar. The ultimate would be a fixed guideway streetcar. So how many years exactly would this be? 20? And what about GARP? Is that just a pipe dream for 20 years from now? I was hoping that may be a real possibility.

People won't ride that unless it's fixed rail.

I noticed that Central becomes pedestrian mall all the way to the DT transit center/ASU and 1st st will be expanded and converted to a one way to take northbound traffic from Central.

[Jjs5056]

I think GARP has always been planned out entirely within the private sector; am I incorrect? I think that connection is more important than many of the components of this plan, so it's a shame it isn't being thought of, especially with the 7th avenue traffic calming.

Overall, there are some good things, some bad things, and some "wtf" things.

The good:
1) 7th st and 7th ave being reduced to 4 lanes with the possibility of a raised central median between Roosevelt and Van Buren; wish it extended to Washington, but oh well.
2) The added bike lanes are, of course, a plus.
3) Great to see them finally addressing the lack of neighborhood identity; but I want to see plans before getting too excited over these gateways. Central/Lynwood would have to serve both midtown AND downtown (since no other intersection listed would be a downtown gateway), which is kind of lame, since I'd love to see the large illuminated signs such as Melrose's. I hope these come with plans for neighborhood unification schemes: plantings, lighting, banners, etc.
4) More neutral than 'good' are the various changes in traffic flow

The bad:
1) The timeline - phase I should take 1 year, for god's sake. Come on, Phoenix!
2) The Central Ave pedestrian mall; I don't care if it's necessary because of transit or any other reason. Streets with much more to offer than Central have died when cut off from vehicles. If it were any other city, I might think they have an aggressive strategy to attract businesses and development within that corridor to offset the potential loss in retail revenue and business, but I doubt that very much.
3) I am hoping this just isn't the place for these details, but some nod to additional shade/trees would've been encouraging.

WTF:
1) Streetcar; is the interim version just a trolley? They should just scrap that and use those funds on neighborhood identity and beautifcation projects until the real thing is read. As mentioned, if it isn't on fixed rail, ridership is low and there's no economic return in terms of development. Secondly, wish they showed us a potential route or did I miss it? I think they should hold off on some light rail extensions if they are planning a street car system. The Capitol Mall, for example, could be serve by streetcar, IMO.

[HooverDam]

Here's the nightmare sight plan Lennar homes wants to build on the empty lot on the NWC of Central/McDowell:



Sorry it's not great quality.

High (low) lights:

*No more than 4 stories
*Parking garage is 5 stories and will stick out like a bump on the head
*Many structures side Central Ave, not front it
*its gated
*Its mono-use
*Its totally inward facing
* Over abundance of parking (2 spots per each unit)

Thursday, at 2pm, at City Hall meeting room 1 West there will be a pre-application hearing about this. If you can, I sincerely urge you to show up and push for a more intense, dense, mixed us plan. This is too important of a lot to build something that looks suited for suburban Surprise.

[poconoboy61]

I can understand and commend the study team on the road diet proposals and addition of bike lanes, but I am confused why it's is necessary to make one way streets two way. What is wrong with one way streets? I would think this plan would be more focused on moving people rather than cars, but it seems like the a lot of detail is going into making it easier for cars to navigate downtown streets. I wish different groups would stop trying to experiment with downtown and actually do something that would actually incite some meaningful change. Flipping traffic patterns on random streets will not lead to an active downtown. I like the idea of the pedestrian mall on Central, but to make that a viable option, Central would need more amenities and pedestrian traffic. Some of these suggestions are clearly contingent upon a number of factors falling in place beforehand. Right now, I'm not seeing those steps being established.

[HooverDam]

Originally Posted by poconoboy61

What is wrong with one way streets?

Lots of things!

A simpler question might be, what is good about one way streets? The only answer is, they make jaywalking/biking slightly easier, as you only have to look one way.

Lets think about what's bad about them:

* Many people dislike coming downtown because "of all the one way streets, it's so confusing"
* One way streets induce people to speed because you don't have to worry about oncoming traffic. They're entire design was to rush people in and out of downtown, not keep people here.
* Imagine you own a breakfast restaurant and you're on 3rd Ave, north of Fillmore, a 1 way street going North. How do you think that's going to work out for you? No one will stumble upon your place, because they only drive by in the afternoons. One way streets basically make it so only one side of a street is ideal for business, and even then, only at certain times of day.
* one way streets can lead to increased traffic because instead of having cars spread evenly throughout your street system, you create a street hierarchy, much like what you'd find in the suburbs.
* One way streets are usually one way for bikes too, if they even offer bike lanes, this limits ones non automotive ability to get around.

Because the Light Rail already exists on Washington, Jefferson, 1st Ave and Central, those will probably be one way forever. Besides those 2 pairs though, we should be nuking one way streets as much as possible and certainly not creating new ones.

I lived in Willo for a year and a half, I can't tell you how awful being near 3rd and 5th Ave was. People (including cops) going the wrong way, speeding, etc.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by poconoboy61

I can understand and commend the study team on the road diet proposals and addition of bike lanes, but I am confused why it's is necessary to make one way streets two way or vice versa. What is wrong with one way streets? I would think this plan would be more focused on moving people rather than cars, but it seems like the a lot of detail is going into making it easier for cars to navigate downtown streets. I wish different groups would stop trying to experiment with downtown and actually do something that would actually incite some meaningful change. Flipping traffic patterns on random streets will not lead to an active downtown. I like the idea of the pedestrian mall on Central, but to make that a viable option, Central would need more amenities and pedestrian traffic. Some of these suggestions are clearly contingent upon a number of factors falling in place beforehand. Right now, I'm not seeing those steps being established.

One way streets confuse motorists and encourage higher speeds because they eliminate the friction of opposing traffic. Removing them often creates safer conditions not only for drivers, but also for pedestrians and bicyclists. In addition, reducing the number of one-way streets will help make Downtown Phoenix more bike-friendly by reducing the number of instances in which bicyclists are forced onto streets unsuitable for bicycling because the nearest safe street is one-way and doesn't go the way they need it to. For example, from my office at 5th & Van Buren, it's hard for me to pedal over to CityScape due to 5th Street's being one-way northbound. I have a few choices, none of them appealing: 1) Pedal westbound on Van Buren despite the heavy traffic and lack of bike lanes 2) Ride the wrong way down 5th Street to Monroe 3) Ride on the sidewalk. If 5th street were converted to two-way traffic with bike lanes added, I could then legally and safely bike south to Monroe and then west along that relatively calm street. There are numerous other similar situations along one-way streets in other portions of Downtown.

As for the one-block pedestrian / transit mall proposed for Central through CityScape, the rationale being given is that a decade from now, once light rail extensions to the south and west sides of Phoenix are in place, there may be trains passing through there nearly all the time, making if difficult to fit in travel lanes for car and regulate those lanes with traffic signals.

[poconoboy61]

Originally Posted by HooverDam

Here's the nightmare sight plan Lennar homes wants to build on the empty lot on the NWC of Central/McDowell:



Sorry it's not great quality.

High (low) lights:

*No more than 4 stories
*Parking garage is 5 stories and will stick out like a bump on the head
*Many structures side Central Ave, not front it
*its gated
*Its mono-use
*Its totally inward facing
* Over abundance of parking (2 spots per each unit)

Thursday, at 2pm, at City Hall meeting room 1 West there will be a pre-application hearing about this. If you can, I sincerely urge you to show up and push for a more intense, dense, mixed us plan. This is too important of a lot to build something that looks suited for suburban Surprise.

Unbelievable. If this goes forward, it would be huge loss to the city on one of the most high profile vacant lots in the city. There's a newer development in Houston called Gables West Ave that would be perfect for that corner. It's a nice midrise complex with plenty of ground floor retail . If we had something like that combined with narrowing McDowell to two lanes in each direction and creating some front facing development around CVS that corner could actually become something. Instead we get something like this, right next to the Viad Tower. Talk about out of place. The plus side is that no proposals in the downtown vicinity are actually doing anything right now, so it's not like the expectation should be any different should this progress through the approval process.

[mdpx]

HooverDam, thanks for posting that site plan and killing my spirit! That is a horrible use for that site. All the features that you point out about it being single use, low-rise, not facing the street, gated...are spot on. If ever there was a time for the Willo/Roosevelt NIMBYs to shout this turd down, it's now. Oy.

[nickw252]

Looks like it will be all fenced in and closed up to the street.

Who owns that land?