Tempe Development Thread

[Spitfiredude]

Originally Posted by PHXFlyer11

If anyone cares to see the renderings for the proposed 14-story building at 1000 E. Apache: https://www.tempe.gov/Home/ShowDocument?id=34472

What I would expect. Similar to the Vue (or 922). I mean, its kind of the project you would expect to see in that area. I'm not going to complain because I like the height.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by Spitfiredude

What I would expect. Similar to the Vue (or 922). I mean, its kind of the project you would expect to see in that area. I'm not going to complain because I like the height.

One day I hope to see phoenix building residential at this scale and this pace.

[plinko]

Wow, that's great height for that area. The views from the upper floors back towards DT Tempe/ASU and Phoenix will be amazing.

[nickw252]

Originally Posted by Obadno

One day I hope to see phoenix building residential at this scale and this pace.

Phoenix isn't really that far behind. Although there are fewer high-rise residential buildings going up in Phoenix, there have recently been a lot of mid-rise residential buildings proposed and built in the downtown and midtown areas.

Overall it's really impressive how much things have changed in Phoenix and Tempe since the recession.

[PHXFlyer11]

Originally Posted by nickw252

Phoenix isn't really that far behind. Although there are fewer high-rise residential buildings going up in Phoenix, there have recently been a lot of mid-rise residential buildings proposed and built in the downtown and midtown areas.

Overall it's really impressive how much things have changed in Phoenix and Tempe since the recession.

A ton going on in Roosevelt and Midtown.

Someone had brought up the proposed project on the NWC of Thomas and 3rd St. Today there are some abandoned medical offices with what look slike maybe one still occupied. I noticed that the palm trees on 3rd have ribbons around them. My guess/hope is that this is undergoing demo very soon and the trees were marked as to not remove them. Anybody know the status of this project or have renderings?

[combusean]

The vast majority of the housing proposed for Tempe, including this project, is student housing. This is not something I wish Phoenix were building, even with the height.

I'd rather have four or five story market rate units for Phoenix full of working people that are going to actively contribute to the area all year long rather than students without as much disposable income that will be gone during summer.

[PHX31]

Originally Posted by PHXFlyer11

A ton going on in Roosevelt and Midtown.

Someone had brought up the proposed project on the NWC of Thomas and 3rd St. Today there are some abandoned medical offices with what look slike maybe one still occupied. I noticed that the palm trees on 3rd have ribbons around them. My guess/hope is that this is undergoing demo very soon and the trees were marked as to not remove them. Anybody know the status of this project or have renderings?

I thought renderings were posted a while back when it was first brought up, sorry I can't remember the page.

I didn't notice any work today when I went by.

However, I have noticed within the week the old Valero gas station on the SEC of Thomas and 7th Street was recently fenced off and offered up for sale. I think a gas station site (with any potential environmental issues) might be a tough buy, especially a small parcel of land, but it would be great if we could lose one of the many corner lot gas stations around downtown and midtown and replaced with ANYthing else.

[ASUSunDevil]

Originally Posted by combusean

The vast majority of the housing proposed for Tempe, including this project, is student housing. This is not something I wish Phoenix were building, even with the height.

I'd rather have four or five story market rate units for Phoenix full of working people that are going to actively contribute to the area all year long rather than students without as much disposable income that will be gone during summer.

1/3 ASU students are from out of state and pay $20k per semester in tuition. These students/their parents have more disposable income than you might think.

I don't think anyone here is begging for mid-rise student housing in Downtown PHX. I think there is valid jealousy in the 14-20 story residential height that Tempe has in the works.

If Central Station is a hit, I think we will see a good amount of mid-rise residential proposals. Something similar to Biltmore Optima (14 stories/rooftop pool) could do great in Downtown PHX.

[PHXFlyer11]

Originally Posted by ASUSunDevil

If Central Station is a hit, I think we will see a good amount of mid-rise residential proposals. Something similar to Biltmore Optima (14 stories/rooftop pool) could do great in Downtown PHX.

I also think you could see the company behind The Edison and Envy launch a project downtown.

[Jjs5056]

Renderings for the 7th Street/Forest project were posted and discussed. Unfortunately, Tempe has been removing development files from their server, so it's no longer accessible. But, the project is two phases. Phase 1 consists of a 12 (or 14?) story residential tower on University and a 20-story hotel in the middle of the site. Retail lines the ground floor (which the city and the developer have already given the token 'grocery store' talking point, which I hope is not true - Ash/Uni makes much more sense given the proximity to the neighborhoods). The 2nd phase is a 12 (or 14) story residential tower along 7th Street, with 3-story town-home units lining the street. Retail would be built at the corners of 7th Street and Forest/Myrtle. The design is very attractive; here are some renderings:
University: http://azbex.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Tempe-Highrise.jpg
7th Street: http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/314c5627...Z.1_20150528133432_000_GANATOV2B.1-0.jpg
University (form the east): http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/32c595aa...Z.1_20150528133432_000_GANATOV1T.1-0.jpg

Shockingly, I have almost no complaints about this project. It's pretty much perfect in uses (will be a 21+ community like Hanover) and design (activating all 4 corners, and the entire University frontage). A few minor things:
1. It 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 that 1/3 of the lot facing 7th will be undeveloped for a while. 7th Street is an important connection between College and Mill, and this project will be a great addition to Block 12. For that reason, I also wish that the townhome units along 7th were live/work.
2. 7th Street will have angled parking, and I would much rather have the street incorporate bike lanes than angled parking.

---------

As far as student housing goes, no matter how much disposable income students receive from their parents, a glut of student housing projects will still leave massive empty zones in the summer, and will create a pretty unstable retail market given the extreme differences in peak and off-peak demand. Obviously, Tempe needs to accommodate its student population and it's better that private, mostly mixed-use projects are being built for them. But, I think there should be come consideration given to prevent those projects from dominating any area along the light rail. Mixing in condos and market rate apartments makes the impact of the summer exodus a little less severe.

The City seems to agree, per this study of multifamily housing in Tempe. The action items include updating standards to encourage a diverse mix of housing, and to promote high-quality interiors that can be easily converted from student housing to multifamily to condos.

http://documents.tempe.gov/sirepub/cache...fc4yebavju/1879854408052015113425763.PDF

[Jjs5056]

I like the approach Tempe plans on taking to update the streets throughout downtown. A couple of the most impressive recommendations are: extending 6th Street across the railroad tracks to Farmer, and enhancing the alleyway that runs between 6th and 5th Streets (College through Orchidhouse).
http://documents.tempe.gov/sirepub/cache/1207/xiulaj21pdpuvqfc4yebavju/185574700805201511550788.PDF

There are also plans to redesign 5th Street to maximize on-street parking and add landscaping, bike lanes, etc. The design differs on the east and west sides of Mill. I'm glad they are addressing this street as it's currently the only street connecting College through Farmer, but I wish the presentation addressed the impact some of the poorly designed buildings along the street have, and possible incentives for property owners to invest in renovations.

The 5th Street recommendations are part of a larger parking study. As usual, the study found a surplus of parking in spite of the perception of limited supply. The study does state that the City should be proactive in planning for future parking needs, and it identified Ash/5th and the University Square lot as potential sites. The project proposed for University Square will include a good number of public parking spaces, and I hope that the City does the same thing for 5th/Ash, as opposed to pursuing construction of a standalone garage. Not only is that lot one of the last downtown highrise locations, but Ash is a huge mess already due to the amount of parking fronting it, and any vacant land should really be focused on TOD for the streetcar.
http://documents.tempe.gov/sirepub/cache...fc4yebavju/1832368608062015120738947.PDF

Unfortunately, the City's execution when it comes to street updates has been pretty dismal.

University Drive - I cannot believe that this project cost 1.3 million dollars; the ONLY real improvement is the added traffic signals/crossings at Farmer and Roosevelt.
1) The bicycle lanes are an absolute disaster- they've used a textured red paint between it and the travel lane which 1) is against traffic standards (only green paint has been approved for use in bike lanes), 2) reduces the actual riding surface from what existed, and 3) is pretty dangerous! Navigating around bumpy surfaces isn't pleasant or safe. It also looks like 🞵🞵🞵🞵. Total waste of money. The scarier part is that the City considers the buffer as part of the bike lane, and this technique is referenced in the bicycle boulevards proposal for implementation elsewhere.
2) The medians that were originally proposed to almost completely eliminate left turns have been reduced so dramatically to appease business owners that they serve absolutely no purpose. Left turns are still allowed on 90% of the road which doesn't increase ped/bike safety, and any traffic calming (which was the stated goal of the entire project) resulting from landscape will be minimal if any. Some of the medians are pretty embarrassing- one is long enough for just 2 palm trees, another has a row of palms that aren't equally spaced, and the desert landscaping in between is pathetic.
3) The public art which was heavily pushed in the project proposal was reduced to two pieces on each end of the segment, and they look more like utility pipes than art.
4) Since the goal was traffic calming and increased ped/bike safety, all of the money wasted above should have been spent on widening the sidewalks and installing a landscape strip, which would have also narrowed and slowed traffic lanes. Not a single shade tree was planted.

College Avenue- this might actually be WORSE than University as this is supposed to be a key piece in the bicycle boulevard network. Their design for "protected" bike lanes is an insanely dangerous obstacle course. Bicyclists are forced onto a raised sidewalk, separated from pedestrians (but with little signage which has led to many pedestrians walking in either lane). At every intersection the bicylist has to swerve (which would indicate to a driver that they are turning) in order to go down the ramp, then quickly swerve back in the opposite direction to pedal back up the ramp on the other side, all while avoiding a set of BOLLARDS placed along the edge. The Tempe Bicycle Action Group has highly recommended that all bicyclists avoid College for the lack of safety.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by Jjs5056

College Avenue- this might actually be WORSE than University as this is supposed to be a key piece in the bicycle boulevard network. Their design for "protected" bike lanes is an insanely dangerous obstacle course. Bicyclists are forced onto a raised sidewalk, separated from pedestrians (but with little signage which has led to many pedestrians walking in either lane). At every intersection the bicylist has to swerve (which would indicate to a driver that they are turning) in order to go down the ramp, then quickly swerve back in the opposite direction to pedal back up the ramp on the other side, all while avoiding a set of BOLLARDS placed along the edge. The Tempe Bicycle Action Group has highly recommended that all bicyclists avoid College for the lack of safety.

Are you referring to College or Hardy? College was remade several years ago with very nice bike lanes. Hardy was more recently remade with the ridiculous design you have described here.

[DevilsRider]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

Are you referring to College or Hardy? College was remade several years ago with very nice bike lanes. Hardy was more recently remade with the ridiculous design you have described here.

Pretty sure that's Hardy he's talking about. And I agree about that. College is definitely my preferred alternative route.

While we're on the subject of roads, Tempe also just took one-two vehicle lanes from McClintock from Broadway to the Western Canal (and at least on the east-bound direction from Apache to Broadway), and used the extra space to provide "buffered" bike lanes. It's definitely not as nice as a real protected bike lane (or even flexposts), but having ridden on it, and seen other people on it, it is MILES better than what existed before. I actually feel okay riding on the street now. I do think they still need to provide more striping in the buffer area to make it more clear (or maybe even put down flexposts).

Hopefully that means more people will ride in the new bike lanes who used to ride on the sidewalk there (like me), freeing up space for people to walk. The buffered lane also moves traffic at most places (except intersections/driveways) away from the sidewalk, so even if nobody is riding there, the 55+ mph drivers will be further away from the people walking. Definitely a good improvement!

[sky51]

Attached are pictures of the new 421 town homes U/C in Downtown Tempe. I love the walk up front porches and the way they just blend into the urban street grid.

[sky51]

I am only including this pic of the interior "alley" of the Yard in Tempe because I am a sucker for brick and the industrial look

[Jjs5056]

Originally Posted by DevilsRider

Pretty sure that's Hardy he's talking about. And I agree about that. College is definitely my preferred alternative route.

While we're on the subject of roads, Tempe also just took one-two vehicle lanes from McClintock from Broadway to the Western Canal (and at least on the east-bound direction from Apache to Broadway), and used the extra space to provide "buffered" bike lanes. It's definitely not as nice as a real protected bike lane (or even flexposts), but having ridden on it, and seen other people on it, it is MILES better than what existed before. I actually feel okay riding on the street now. I do think they still need to provide more striping in the buffer area to make it more clear (or maybe even put down flexposts).

Hopefully that means more people will ride in the new bike lanes who used to ride on the sidewalk there (like me), freeing up space for people to walk. The buffered lane also moves traffic at most places (except intersections/driveways) away from the sidewalk, so even if nobody is riding there, the 55+ mph drivers will be further away from the people walking. Definitely a good improvement!

D'oy. Yes- I meant Hardy. And, I appreciate Tempe's desire to do the right things; but, everything always seems to be done haphazardly. And, between both Tempe and Phoenix, I've about had it with the annual pursuit of what promise to be the most enlightening planning documents. My beef is more with Phoenix (with the nonsense Walkable Code process that created yet another huge set of design guidelines that will be completely ignored as soon as a developer requests a variance), but look at this link.

Between 2012-2014, look how much time was spent on presentations, multiple revisions to the plan, gathering feedback from the public (through email, through an online forum the city created just for this project)... and, yet, the finished product is NOTHING like the original, doesn't incorporate any of the feedback that wasn't specific to business access, and includes a design element that is ultimately a big detriment to the usability of the new street (the red bumpy paint):
http://www.tempe.gov/city-hall/public-works/transportation/traffic-calming-/university-drive

What type of buffer did they use on McClintock? Is it just a small painted lane between the bike lane and adjacent travel lane? I think that's the best approach honestly. Bikes need to be viewed as a form of transportation that is equal in priority to cars, and people need to learn how to share the roadway. Bikes are allowed in the travel lane and the overly complicated designs for some of these protected bike lanes make it harder to get drivers to adapt. Sadly, the City refers to travel lanes as "vehicle lanes" in the above presentation links, and in other communications, which kind of explains it all, doesn't it?

Elsewhere:
- The developer of 7th Street Mixed Use is looking into selling some of the residential as condos by request of the city council. Would be pretty nice to finally see a condo highrise/midrise developed after dozens were proposed and abandoned.
- The council is really pushing for the grocery store, and the more I think about it, the worse it sounds. This location isn't walkable for anyone other than this project's residents + ASU students, many of which have the required meal plan. The densifying neighborhoods west of Mill are too far, so the large majority of customers will arrive by car, which will add congestion to a pretty packed area, and also reduce the benefits of the public parking that the developer is including in the garage (if it's always filled with grocery store customers, it won't serve district overflow). Plus, I think the ground level should be a diverse collection of various shops, services, and full-service restaurants, which are all lacking in the area next to campus since so much was demo'd during the boom.
- The area behind Farmer has so much going on. Sky51 posted pics of one of the many townhouse projects going up on 4th, 5th, 6th, Roosevelt, and Wilson. I wish more were planned for Farmer itself, though; at the very least, it'd be cool if the single-family houses on the west side are converted into restaurants/galleries/etc. to add to the cool mix of commercial and residential along the street. I'm really not loving The Lodge at the other end, though... a live music venue like Sail Inn was a much better fit, IMO.
- A brewery and tasting room, Dog and Pony Brewery, is going up on 1st Street at Hardy. The north side of 1st Street looks really great with all of the live/work housing right up against it. Almost makes up for Argo's terrible face on the Rio Salado side.
-University/Mill is on an upcoming agenda, and it was mentioned elsewhere that "informal talks" are in the works. I didn't realize that it was possible for anything other than a formal RFP to happen, but it sounds like there's a chance a hotel will happen eventually.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by Jjs5056

D'oy. Yes- I meant Hardy. And, I appreciate Tempe's desire to do the right things; but, everything always seems to be done haphazardly.

The problem is that Tempe staff are trying too hard. They made huge improvements to both College Avenue and 13th Street when those streets were redesigned in the prior decade. Repeating that type of project throughout Tempe would make tremendous sense. The more recent University and Hardy projects went overboard with avant-garde designs that should have been more thoroughly tested before implementation.

[ASUPope]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

The problem is that Tempe staff are trying too hard. They made huge improvements to both College Avenue and 13th Street when those streets were redesigned in the prior decade. Repeating that type of project throughout Tempe would make tremendous sense. The more recent University and Hardy projects went overboard with avant-garde designs that should have been more thoroughly tested before implementation.

What do you know, those are on my main route I take to work when I ride my bike from McClintock/Alameda to 14th St/52nd St

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by ASUPope

What do you know, those are on my main route I take to work when I ride my bike from McClintock/Alameda to 14th St/52nd St

Alameda is next in line for a redesign project. I hope they get it right.

http://www.tempe.gov/city-hall/public-works/transportation/bicycle/alameda-drive

[phoenixwillrise]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

Alameda is next in line for a redesign project. I hope they get it right.

http://www.tempe.gov/city-hall/public-works/transportation/bicycle/alameda-drive

Anybody else notice that they have removed the red internally illuminated channel letters that say "State Farm" and it's logo on the shorter building facing Rio Salado and have moved those letters to the further west building and placed them on that building's west elevation? I find it hard to believe that even in Tempe they couldn't have all three signs vs just the two as this is 2 million square feet of office it seems their allotment would be greater.

Also my statement has nothing to do with the Alameda Project but I have never been able to figure out to do a new post on here without tagging to someone's previous post. Any of you computer nerds feel free to explain it to me needless to say I am old school.