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Originally Posted by Eapiwo
I agree that it won't be the most game changing building to the skyline, but I think it'll still be a solid addition, the most solid addition in the last 40 years. It will be the 4th tallest building in that part of the city. Density of relatively tall buildings makes a skyline look better, even if the buildings aren't the tallest. Even the little low rises we've gotten in the last decade have helped with that a bit. Visually, IMO, downtown now looks less like an office park and more like a true neighborhood when looking at it from afar. It's even better when you're walking around downtown. It feel alive and is just genuinely a great place to be. This proposed building is in a pretty prominent location and will be visible by everyone on I-10 and the building's longest side will be facing Tumamoc Hill and Sentinel Peak, where a lot of the city's skyline pictures are taken. Entering downtown from Congress will really feel like you're in a real city when the lot that's been abandoned for decades is finally filled in.
I really like the trend that downtown's newer proposed buildings are increasing in height. The average floors for new buildings downtown seems to have gone from 4-5 about 8 years ago to 6-7, and now seems to be in the 10-17. That's a good trend that might eventually get us our new tallest(s) in the not so distant future. That indicates that the market supports the height. Having a market support building taller is the best case scenario for getting taller buildings (as opposed to putting a bunch of effort to building tall for the sake of it). If you look at Austin, Texas, their downtown went through the same sort of gradual change. Once the market started supporting building really tall buildings, it just kept pumping out new buildings. Between this proposal, the 13 story Opus project, and the 15 story Love Burger project, the skyline will be in really good shape.
Of course, the benefits these projects bring are much more than just height. IMO as I've looked around for apartments in Tucson, the city is just really lacking class A styled apartments. The nicest apartments in the metro seem to mostly be in Oro Valley, the foothills, and far east sides and require a good 30-40 minute drive to most employment centers. Downtown Tucson is an excellent place to build some of these projects as it's got rail and it's in the center of the metro. Other cities are building class A apartments like its nobody's business, and that may be helping them to attract new professionals. Phoenix seems to just be pumping out 200-300' tall apartments in the Roosevelt Row district lately with few signs of slowing. I wouldn't be surprised if Tucson follows suit and demand for these buildings continues. In fact, I'm more surprised that Tucson hasn't been. Looking ahead, I feel 75 Broadway would be an excellent place to put a new 300' tall residential tower.
Honestly, if Tucson built a few of these midrises and 2 or 3 towers that are in the 300-450' range, with the backdrop of the Rincons and Catalinas, we'd have one of the most pleasant looking skylines in North America. If we get 2-3k more apartments down there too, and made a plan to make street life a priority (wide sidewalks, trees, shade) then we'd have one of the most vibrant urban neighborhoods for cities our size.
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I agree with all you said. The problem is the direction of downtown. City officials and Rio Nuevo are really pushing office space downtown instead of residential towers. Why? I have no idea. But I hope they recalibrate their request for proposals. There were options on the table to change 75 E Broadway into a residential mixed-use after covid killed it...and and the developers said no. Covid killed the demand for office space. Phx ceased on it and built residential. Another problem that Rio Nuevo doesn't understand is businesses are building in various office parks. (The Bridges, UA Tech Park, Williams Centre, around Raytheon and east of airport). So they don't quite understand businesses that come to Tucson don't want to be downtown. I've even heard the Catepillar HQ we built for them is half empty.
Downtowns all over the country are becoming residential in nature with entertainment components with convention centers and gov't/city buildings. And many are including sporting venues in their core. Tucson has just refused to make that change. Once they do, I then think it will succeed.
Another big problem is we have a height cap. Its 300 ft. How One South Church was able to build to 330ft is beyond me. I think they built it and nimby's complained it was too tall so the city went in an capped the height at 300ft. So you'll never have a building taller unless they change that. People need to start complaining about this. I actually think its a hindrance. And downtown Tucson really doesn't have that many available plots that are open. They'd have to do some demolition of other buildings. But the smaller the parcel..the more likely they will go up. But they have to get rid of that 300 ft cap.
Granted...having a building on the westside will be nice from the freeway and looking east from the west. But again..the building isn't that big. But I do hope it will spur more development on that empty lot. (If Allan Norville will sell. He still owns it all. Thats why i wonder if this building will even happen being Nor-Gen's history of non-development).
But as for that area...I've proposed to many a pedestrian street with mixed-use retail, entertainment, restaurants/bars and residential on top of it all. Its a natural place for it since the hideous Flin replaced La Placita. Yes, La Placita was ugly, but it was the right concept for the area next to the TCC. Now convention center attendees really have no place to walk to eat or relax. They have to get up to the Congress area for options. It's an opportunity if the city and RN will cease on it. And convince Norville to continue to sell his land.
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