Tempe Development Thread

[vandypandybear]

Originally Posted by Mr.RE

I guess that answers our previous question if the project was dead or not. Good to see it back up and running. Seeing both Collective and the Westin go vertical at the same time would be amazing! Anyone have an update if the Omni Hotel/conference center and parking garage is still in the works? Would love to see that get moving. There would be 6 cranes at that intersection alone if it moves over the next year.

Looks like that also explains the "ground breaking" earlier this year. The next draw on the construction loan was probably tied to that event.

Should we call any of the other projects dead? With any luck, they'll start dirt work on those projects as well.

[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by vandypandybear

Looks like that also explains the "ground breaking" earlier this year. The next draw on the construction loan was probably tied to that event.

Should we call any of the other projects dead? With any luck, they'll start dirt work on those projects as well.

Haha, here's hoping that the construction gods are listening when I say SKYVIEW AND 100 MILL ARE DEFINITELY DEAD.

[CBar]

[ASUSunDevil]

Originally Posted by muertecaza

Haha, here's hoping that the construction gods are listening when I say SKYVIEW AND 100 MILL ARE DEFINITELY DEAD.

https://azbigmedia.com/plans-for-100-mill-avenue-in-tempe-take-shape/

[Mr.RE]

Here's to reaching 400 pages and to the many current developments and the many more to come Oh and to Muertecaza "being wrong" about dead developments more often

[PHXFlyer11]

Originally Posted by ASUSunDevil

https://azbigmedia.com/plans-for-100-mill-avenue-in-tempe-take-shape/

He was being sarcastic.

[vandypandybear]

Originally Posted by vandypandybear

The Novus area dual brand Hyatt hotel has finally made it on the development tracker for the City of Tempe. I would guess the Westin hotel project is dead at this point. CAI Investments was trying to raise almost $26m in funding on expected project costs of $78m a few years back. If they got the funding, they surely would have broken ground by now.

Might as well post some pictures of the Hyatt proposal:

[CBar]

Heavy watering going on at the Westin site. (Saw it yesterday evening and it is continuing today.)

[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by vandypandybear

Might as well post some pictures of the Hyatt proposal:

Nice, been waiting on these, thanks for posting. Looks pretty good.

[PHXFlyer11]

That Hyatt ain’t bad looking at all. I’ll take 7-stories.

So we should have two more tower cranes coming then to 7th street in the next two months or so? That would be what, 5 in that immediate area?

[Mr.RE]

Originally Posted by CBar

Heavy watering going on at the Westin site. (Saw it yesterday evening and it is continuing today.)

Is watering a technique used to make the ground more moist and easier to excavate? I wasn't sure if Westin was doing subterranean parking or not.

[CBar]

Tempe Downtown upcoming hotels list:

1. Hilton Canopy
2. Westin
3. Hyatt Unbound - Hayden (6th St and College)
4. Hyatt House + Hyatt Hotel
5. Hotel part of Hayden Floor mill redevelopment
6. Omni

Plus the proposed 100 Mill Avenue plan may have a hotel part.

These hotels plus the existing ones, and adjacency to ASU will make this a prime location for hosting academic conferences.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by CBar

Tempe Downtown upcoming hotels list:

1. Hilton Canopy
2. Westin
3. Hyatt Unbound - Hayden (6th St and College)
4. Hyatt House + Hyatt Hotel
5. Hotel part of Hayden Floor mill redevelopment
6. Omni

Plus the proposed 100 Mill Avenue plan may have a hotel part.

These hotels plus the existing ones, and adjacency to ASU will make this a prime location for hosting academic conferences.

Does ASU have or plan to develop an on-campus conference center? I know many of these hotels will have their own meeting rooms, but I think one central place for exhibit halls and major events would be necessary for certain types of conferences and meetings.

[DesertRay]

I think that they use the Memorial Union for conferences of medium size. Anything bigger than that and they would probably be seen as competing with the private sector.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by DesertRay

I think that they use the Memorial Union for conferences of medium size. Anything bigger than that and they would probably be seen as competing with the private sector.

Interesting point, and I could see the Goldwater Institute filing one of its infamous lawsuits if it thought there was a case. On the other hand, both the Phoenix and Mesa convention centers are owned by city governments. They complement nearby hotels rather than compete with them, and I would envision an ASU-owned conference center doing the same.

[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

Does ASU have or plan to develop an on-campus conference center? I know many of these hotels will have their own meeting rooms, but I think one central place for exhibit halls and major events would be necessary for certain types of conferences and meetings.

That was a lot of the appeal of the Omni development--it will have a 30,000 sf conference center.

[PHXFlyer11]

Originally Posted by muertecaza

That was a lot of the appeal of the Omni development--it will have a 30,000 sf conference center.

That’s what I thought. The Novus campus would also be a great location for a bigger convention center.

[DesertRay]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

Interesting point, and I could see the Goldwater Institute filing one of its infamous lawsuits if it thought there was a case. On the other hand, both the Phoenix and Mesa convention centers are owned by city governments. They complement nearby hotels rather than compete with them, and I would envision an ASU-owned conference center doing the same.

Cities can legally build these facilities (and in fact, are quite good at it). Educational institutions get in trouble if they dip too far in because of Constitutionally-mandated boundaries, and because they are the bogeyman for conservatives (a.k.a. Goldwater Institute types). I think if anyone COULD pull off building something like that, it would be Crow, but I think he's too busy buying buildings in downtown Phoenix, D.C. and L.A. (and building the research buildings in Tempe) to try this out. Who knows, though?

[azsunsurfer]

I think Tempe really missed the boat and could've placed a nice convention center on the lake. It would've been expensive yes but think of all the development lakeside it could spark and have a nice pedestrian concourse from say Pier 202 to TCA? I think the development on the lake is actually making steady progress but this should have been developed around the time Phoenix was moving forward with their recent replacement. There is a fine limitation though in the convention market and I am sure Phoenix alone will absorb most of that. I think at one point the Union/ Canopy block was suppose to be a mixed use development with a small convention center component.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by azsunsurfer

I think Tempe really missed the boat and could've placed a nice convention center on the lake.

It is possible that Tempe Center for the Arts may face financial challenges in the future. Their marquee tenant, Childsplay, has moved to the Herberger, and a dedicated tax that supports the center is up for renewal in the November election. If that tax is not renewed or if the center is often unbooked, I could see TCA being used for more conferences and other non-arts events. There are already weddings held there. The major disadvantage is that most attendees would consider it just beyond walking distance from the Tempe hotels.