Phoenix Area Low- and Mid-Rise Development Thread

[ASU Diablo]

Contractor shared the following shots...

[biggus diggus]

It's going to be interesting removing that construction trailer.

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by ASU Diablo

Contractor shared the following shots...

OMg actually had underground parking!

[Obadno]

Glad to see city/north Desert ridge finally filling out after a decade of languishing half finished.

https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/...s-forward.html

Developers of a planned massive mixed-use development in north Phoenix near Desert Ridge Marketplace have selected three brokers from CBRE to lease the office portion of the project, called City North.

Bryan Taute, Ashley Brooks and Charlie von Arentschildt with CBRE’s Phoenix office are the lead agents for the office portion, which will feature up to 2 million square feet of Class A office space. The first phase of the office portion is anticipated to start construction later this year and will include a four-story, 160,000-square-foot building.

Crown Realty & Development closed on 96.5 acres of land and acquired “master developer” rights to 5,700 acres of state land near Desert Ridge Marketplace in January as a result of a U.S. Bankruptcy Court ruling. The land had been controlled by affiliates of Bruce Gray and Gray Development, which defaulted on notes owned by Crown in 2015 and 2016.

The 96.5-acre portion is zoned for 2,500 residential units, 2 million square feet of office, 500 hotel rooms and 100,000 square feet of retail.



“With this transformative acquisition by Crown, there is a rare opportunity for users to secure large blocks of space in north Phoenix, where large, quality blocks have been limited until now,” Taute said in a statement. “We expect that this opportunity will be a viable option for users of all types looking to establish their presence in this submarket and take advantage of the project’s best-in-class amenities.”

Rick Carpinelli, who manages the Phoenix division of Crown, said in April that horizontal improvements had begun on the site, which he said had the potential to be like a “small city.”

“We are happy to have partnered with CBRE’s team of office brokers whose knowledge spans the market from urban core to suburban office properties,” Robert Flaxman, CEO of Crown, said in a statement. “We chose CBRE for their extensive experience marketing the Valley’s top Class A developments to help attract top tenants to this project.”

In April, Carpinelli said development on the site was full steam ahead despite Flaxman’s arrest in connection with a college bribery scandal that implicated dozens of high-profile individuals. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Flaxman has a plea hearing scheduled for May 24. He has announced he plans to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

[muertecaza]

Interesting tidbit that the City is in the process of issuing an RFP to redevelop the American Legion site at 7th Ave./Polk (https://www.google.com/maps/place/72...4d-112.0836162). The land was apparently deeded to the City in 1920 on a 99 year lease, and the lease is up. The American Legion is going to celebrate their 100th anniversary at the site, but then it sounds like their looking to move. There's a petition to register the property as historic, but apparently the American Legion doesn't support it, and my understanding is that property owner/user support is usually key to getting something designated. City will be looking for proposals that have at least some veteran-related aspects, e.g. subsidized veteran housing (like was recently built in Tempe).

https://www.phoenix.gov/cityclerksit.../190604005.pdf

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by muertecaza

Interesting tidbit that the City is in the process of issuing an RFP to redevelop the American Legion site at 7th Ave./Polk (https://www.google.com/maps/place/72...4d-112.0836162). The land was apparently deeded to the City in 1920 on a 99 year lease, and the lease is up. The American Legion is going to celebrate their 100th anniversary at the site, but then it sounds like their looking to move. There's a petition to register the property as historic, but apparently the American Legion doesn't support it, and my understanding is that property owner/user support is usually key to getting something designated. City will be looking for proposals that have at least some veteran-related aspects, e.g. subsidized veteran housing (like was recently built in Tempe).

https://www.phoenix.gov/cityclerksit.../190604005.pdf

Awesome! Im really excited to see that side of downtown flip up along grand.

The 5 corner at Grand and 7th and Van Buren could be really cool if developed.

[ASU Diablo]

Originally Posted by azsunsurfer

The fencing for "Alta Warehouse" has gone up. Looks like they are going to be moving on this soon?

Drove by and there was a trailer on site plus heavy equipment moving dirt around and some excavation

[Obadno]

Originally Posted by ASU Diablo

Drove by and there was a trailer on site plus heavy equipment moving dirt around and some excavation

Man i am really surprised they are going for that spot. Ahead of the curve.

I guess if they market it for cheap living near downtown.

[azsunsurfer]

I think since the North (Roosevelt/ Hance Park areas) gets more expensive for land along with the core, I hope we will see more development creep west (Van Buren and Grand Ave) south (The area around the Deuce, Ballpark) and east (along Washington/ Jefferson) before this cycle runs out!

[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by azsunsurfer

I think since the North (Roosevelt/ Hance Park areas) gets more expensive for land along with the core, I hope we will see more development creep west (Van Buren and Grand Ave) south (The area around the Deuce, Ballpark) and east (along Washington/ Jefferson) before this cycle runs out!

Yeah. Already seeing a lot of proposals and construction along Washington between like Priest and 24th St.

[Mr.RE]

Originally Posted by Obadno

Man i am really surprised they are going for that spot. Ahead of the curve.

I guess if they market it for cheap living near downtown.

I agree. It is in an opportunity zone and they may be building a cheap product for workforce housing. Both of those combined may yield the returns necessary to meet their parameters for development. Definitely a tough part of town.

[Obadno]

Construction of a long-anticipated multifamily housing infill project on Roosevelt Street at Third Avenue is expected to break ground later this summer.

The multifamily housing project, which will be five stories high with 70 housing units, is the newest project by real estate development firm Habitat Metro.

The firm has several existing projects in the downtown Phoenix area including the Found:Re hotel and Portland on the Park condos.

The new project, named Eco Phx, will cater to the “underserved market of environmentally conscientious residents,” according to the developer's website.

Tim Sprague, a partner at Habitat Metro, described the project as “something that has never been built in this community.”

The apartment complex will include environmentally friendly features, including the use of solar energy, water reuse for irrigation and a “carshare program” for residents, said Sprague.

The plans include mixed-use ground-floor retail space and rental units ranging from studio to two bedrooms along with a gym and swimming pool.

Phoenix Business Journal previously reported on the sustainable housing project at the site, located at 301 W. Roosevelt St., back in 2016.

According to Sprague, Eco Phx qualifies under the Opportunity Zone tax incentive program through the city of Phoenix, which aims to attract development and investment in certain low-income neighborhoods.

However, Sprague said that while the apartments will be at market rate, they are “not planning to have affordable housing at this point.”

Demolition on the site began in late May to make way for Eco Phx.

The building, which recently housed Forno 301 and Phoenix Natural Medicine and Detox Center, was constructed in 1948, and operated as a small, independent grocery store serving mostly senior citizens in the area.

The shop was shuttered in 1984 to be converted into offices and retail space, according to the Historic Preservation Office at the city of Phoenix.

In the late 1980s, the building underwent renovations by the property owners, and therefore could not be placed on the Phoenix Historic Property Register. However, there was a 30-day demolition hold, given that the site was over 50 years old, said Michelle Dodds, an officer at the Historic Preservation Office.

Eco Phx is expected to be completed within 18 months.

[biggus diggus]

I wonder if they will be delayed by the closure of Roosevelt over summer. They are finally replacing the water line and my guess is that will be very intrusive.

[Chestnut1]

Regarding Novel at 3rd and Earl - After a very long period relocating utilities, construction began in earnest a few days ago.

[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by Chestnut1

Regarding Novel at 3rd and Earl - After a very long period relocating utilities, construction began in earnest a few days ago.

Nice. I've been particularly hoping that this project and the Alta Marlette project get built and do well as proofs of concept for successfully assembling and demoing SFH properties in the core and building more urban multi-family.

[combusean]

Originally Posted by muertecaza

Nice. I've been particularly hoping that this project and the Alta Marlette project get built and do well as proofs of concept for successfully assembling and demoing SFH properties in the core and building more urban multi-family.

This makes me very happy. These blocks seem almost immutable, frozen in time, and that’s a shame. Instead, replacing them with dense, crummy 4-story buildings is exactly what the Phoenix a generation from now needs. Imagine these buildings relatively affordable compared to new and bigger builds. It’s how cities are literally made.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by muertecaza

Nice. I've been particularly hoping that this project and the Alta Marlette project get built and do well as proofs of concept for successfully assembling and demoing SFH properties in the core and building more urban multi-family.

I wouldn't put Novel and Alta Marlette in the same category. Yes, both involve replacing some houses with multi-story apartments, but they couldn't be more different in terms of location. The Novel project is located inside the Reinvent Phoenix footprint and within walking distance of light rail. It's exactly what we need in terms of upzoning and increased density near high-capacity transit. Alta Marlette, on the other hand, is in a much more car-centric neighborhood several miles to the north. Few of its residents will take the 7th Street bus. Most will drive, and they'll have to navigate a single access point that is not governed by a traffic light. I expect congestion and collisions to increase in the area. I regularly ride my bicycle along Maryland Avenue right around the corner, and I'm bracing myself for more traffic there, particularly right-on-red-without-stopping-first from cars exiting Alta Marlette onto northbound 7th Street and then immediately turning onto eastbound Maryland. If 7th Street were improved with the elimination of the suicide lanes and the addition of bus rapid transit or a streetcar, I might feel differently, but with the 7s in their current state of hostility towards pedestrians, transit users, and even less aggressive drivers, I can't endorse increasing density there.

[biggus diggus]

That development should never have been improved. The building is completely out of place in the middle of a quiet neighborhood full of single family ranch homes. There are apartments in the area but they are not anywhere near that density. It's disgusting that was allowed to happen. People live there specific to be removed from that stuff.

[combusean]

I would agree with that. It's overzoning.

But it's basically allowed by zoning anyways. 56' R-5ish PUDs replacing, what, C-2 at the least isn't a stretch for Phoenix at all. Overzoning rules the entire city.

I am hearing similar concerns from Downtown Voices about a PRD R-5 high density development finally smashing into peripheral neighborhoods like 11th Ave and Roosevelt much like Alta Marlette,

There is no provision for downzoning in Arizona however. It is important to ensure that these developments or the faint prospectus thereof if nothing else, don't clear out 7th and Glendale like they did 4th and Fillmore in decades past.

[Obadno]

So MetroCenter remodel begins! And first up is turining an empty JC Penny into a ...... Self-storage....

Yikes!

https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/...velopment.html

he first planned redevelopment portion of Metrocenter Mall, the former JCPenney store, has been sold to a Colorado real estate firm for $3.17 million.

Southwestern Property Corp. was first interested in buying the store and redeveloping it into high-end self-storage and boat and RV storage, said Rachelle Strole, owner of Capital Asset Management, the property manager for Metrocenter.

“But, we’ve completely slowed that roll,” Strole said. “We’ve had some of the coolest entertainment and sports options come forward.”

The mall is located west of Interstate 17 on Dunlap Avenue.

Boat and RV storage for the site is still a possibility, she said, but the location, which has a population of 500,000 people within a 5-mile radius, would lend itself perfectly to an entertainment use.

“That’s where entertainment should be,” said Strole, who took over property management in September for Carlyle Development Group, the mall owner.

Strole said the goal for the mall is still to get the redevelopment done as one major development plan, but transactions like the JCPenney store can help get the ball rolling on progress in the mall.

“It didn’t take much to get an insane amount of response,” Strole said about when she took the prospective redevelopment out to her partners in the industry for potential opportunities.

In the meantime, the mall chiller system must be used for the current tenants, requiring that they cool the whole building. So, Capital Asset Management has set out to make the most of it.

“We just signed the largest food truck group, Arizona Festivals, to provide monthly food truck events at the site, and many other initiatives that are drawing attention and traffic to the center,” Strole said. Patrons of the food truck event will be able to eat in the food court after buying their meals at the various trucks.

“I refuse to let it die,” she said of the mall, which she said has become a passion for her.

The mall totals 1.4 million square feet of space, with many of the anchor stores vacant. Walmart took over a former anchor store space in 2017.