Tempe Development Thread

[Jsmscaleros]

I gotta imagine that they've considered this and the cost of even a primitive concrete dam is exponentially more expensive than the rubber bladders which need to be periodically replaced. Also, the pedestrian bridge that is supposed to be constructed over the dam later this year (or next) will provide additional shade - and perhaps a sprinkler system that actually works - to keep the dams wet.

[phoenixwillrise]

With the rubber dam you would think they would have had some redudancy built.

[Tempe_Duck]

Just drove by the dam on the Priest bridge. It looks like they have deflated the other 3 bladders.

[mwadswor]

Originally Posted by Jsmscaleros

I gotta imagine that they've considered this and the cost of even a primitive concrete dam is exponentially more expensive than the rubber bladders which need to be periodically replaced. Also, the pedestrian bridge that is supposed to be constructed over the dam later this year (or next) will provide additional shade - and perhaps a sprinkler system that actually works - to keep the dams wet.

I'm pretty sure the decision to go with rubber dams has more to do with the potential for runoff than cost. The ability to deflate the dams during times of heavy river flow is important. It takes more than "a primitive concrete dam" to channel the amount of water that the salt needs to be prepared to handle during a 1,000 year flood.

[Jsmscaleros]

Regardless of construction material, you can't build a dam without flow control; every concrete dam has a control system to manage flooding both upstream and downstream. That's just part of the whole point of building a dam. By requiring only a 'primitive' system, I was referring to the relatively small size of the salt river at the current dam site as opposed to the dams upstream that are needed to create larger reservoirs. In that sense, any dam created for Tempe Town Lake would be less-intensive and sophisticated than ones holding larger amounts of water. The rubber dams are a good compromise, because they seem to manage flow well at low cost, they obviously just require more frequent replacement and/or maintenance. Essentially, I think we both agree.

[mwadswor]

Heh, cool. Well, less cool if you're a fish, I'm sure the alligator's happy though.

Tempe Town Lake dam burst: Surviving fish will die

by Katie Urbaszewski - Jul. 23, 2010 12:00 AM

Once Tempe officials determined the fish that remained in Tempe Town Lake would not survive a possible rescue mission, they decided to dispose of them in what they deem to be the most natural way possible: by feeding them to an alligator.

Hundreds and possibly thousands of fish were left in small pools scattered throughout the 220-acre lake after one of its dams breached Tuesday night and sent nearly a billion gallons of water cascading down the normally dry Salt River.

Because of the heat, sediment and low oxygen levels, authorities determined that the remaining fish would not survive being gathered and transported to another lake.

"And even if we could, most are carp," said Rick Amalfi, vice president for Aquatic Consulting and Testing, the contractor Tempe hired for the cleanup. "Where would we put them? Most urban lakes are always looking for ways to get rid of carp."

Russ Johnson, president of the Phoenix Herpetological Society, owns an alligator named Tuesday and suggested the idea. Officials will feed some of the recently deceased fish to Tuesday this morning at 11 a.m. in the parking lot of the Tempe Center for the Arts.

Tuesday is a 6-foot, bred-in-captivity alligator, and Johnson regularly brings her to classrooms to educate students. Tuesday was one of 32 alligators seized by Arizona Game and Fish agents in 2005 from a man illegally transporting them.

Amalfi said this new plan works out well because he expected many of the fish to die Thursday night due to lack of oxygen production from algae.

The cleanup has been very minimal at this point, and the fishy smell many onlookers said they've smelled at the lake is actually a damp sediment smell, he said.

"We're not seeing fish all over the place and fins sticking out of the water," he said. "It seems most fish went right out over the downstream dam."

Though officials didn't know how many fish might be left, the department knew the population of surviving fish couldn't be large after 95 percent of the water rushed downstream, said Game and Fish spokesman Rory Aikens.

"And as shallow as that water is, and as much nutrients got mixed up in the water along with poor oxygen levels - that's pretty much doomed the vast majority of any fish left," Aikens said.

Amalfi said his cleanup crew, which for the past two days has only consisted of four people, planned a larger cleanup Thursday night.

"We'll pick up and dispose of the dead fish, but we'll bag those that are relatively fresh," he said.

Aquatic Consulting is also focusing on mosquito control to "make sure things don't get out of hand too much too quickly," Amalfi said.

Workers will use a combination of chemicals that target mosquitoes in the water, including pellets that sink and dissolve in the water. The city is also considering leveling the bottom of the lake so water doesn't collect.

"We want to have as little of an impact on the environment as possible," Amalfi said.

Cleaning up any remaining fish will keep the smell at bay, and how long the sediment odor lasts depends on the weather, he said.

"As it dries, it'll go away," Amalfi said. "If we get hot, dry weather it should go away pretty quickly."

In the meantime, Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman said he is confident the lake will be refilled by November, and Game and Fish water-quality analyst Marc Dahlberg said that when the lake is refilled the department will begin to rebuild the fish population.

As the lake refills from the Salt River Project canal system, fish will flow in as well, Dahlberg said. This is how Tempe Town Lake received most of its fish in the past, he added.

But the lake's environment, with a drastically smaller amount of sediment, algae, aquatic plants and minnows, will not be able to support the population of fish it did before, Dahlberg said. He said until the lake becomes a more stable environment, fish will not thrive or reproduce.

But the Game and Fish Department always brings in a supply of trout to be caught before the summer months, when the temperature is too hot for them to survive, Dahlberg said.

People who fish at Tempe Town Lake can expect the fishing to improve slowly over time, Dahlberg said. Catches will be unlikely immediately after the lake is filled but should get back to normal in a couple of years.

"You might catch a bass that's 8 inches this year, and a 12- to 15-inch one in a couple of years," he said.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe...22tempe-town-lake-fish-dead-dam0723.html

[dtnphx]

Tempe gets four new businesses on Mill Avenue
by Dianna M. Náñez - Jul. 27, 2010 10:46 AM
The Arizona Republic

The old saying, "When one door closes, another opens," could become a mantra for downtown Tempe.

At least four independently-owned businesses are scheduled to open next month in the Mill Avenue District, taking over spaces where other businesses couldn't survive.

Downtown Tempe stakeholders have long pushed for more independent businesses after watching a slew of chain stores close in the past decade.

Nancy Hormann, president of Downtown Tempe Community Inc., which manages downtown for area landowners, hopes Valley residents will support the new business ventures of people living in their community.

Kanpai Sushi restaurant is opening at Seventh Street and Mill Avenue where Uno Chicago Grill closed late last year after a long run serving deep-dish pizza. Canteen Modern Tequila Bar will try to make a go of it at Sixth Street and Mill,another high-profile downtown corner where Region's Bistro & Bar opened and closed twice in just over a year.

The tequila bar is backed by Julian Wright, who has had success on Mill with La Bocca, a restaurant and wine bar that draws regulars for cocktails, brick-oven pizzas and bruschetta.

Stan's Metro Deli is making a comeback downtown after closing about a decade ago. The popular traditional Jewish deli first closed in 1990 after a kitchen grease fire destroyed its building. The deli reopened in downtown Tempe, only to close in the late 1990s shortly after the business was sold.

Stan's is expected to open in August with the original owners at the southwestern corner of Fourth Street and Mill, in a space where two Vietnamese restaurants closed in the past couple of years.

Qiana Shaw and Roy Wilson are finally debuting Poppa Maize, a gourmet popcorn shop, next to MADCAP Theater just west of Mill and Seventh Street.

Shaw, a Youngtown resident, and Wilson, a Phoenix resident, had such success with their popcorn shop in north Phoenix that many customers lobbied for a Southeast Valley location.

But opening on Mill was only a dream for the two friends until the Downtown Tempe Community sponsored a free-rent-on-Mill-Avenue contest last year. The contest accepted proposals from a host of independent entrepreneurs hoping to win one year of free rent. Poppa Maize was selected to open at DMB Associate's Centerpoint on Mill complex, which stretches from University Drive to Sixth Street along Mill, in a space formerly occupied by a Sportsfan sports apparel store.

Winning the contest gave Shaw and Wilson the financial boost they needed to afford the expansion.

"We're really excited . . . we're going to bring 26 of the most unusual flavors of popcorn to downtown Tempe. Like our Phoenix store, we plan to make it a fun place to be," she said.

Poppa Maize sells flavors as exotic as cake batter, white chocolate cherry and blueberries and wings and ranch, in addition to more traditional fare like candy bar caramel and cheesy chipotle. Sodas in unusual flavors will be added to the Tempe menu.

Shaw invites Southeast Valley residents to visit the shop and propose their own crazy popcorn concoctions. "Cookies and cream was actually a customer request for our Phoenix store. It was so popular we kept it on our menu," Shaw said.

Hormann says Mill Avenue District restaurants seeing success have focused on service, quality food and making customers feel like they are among friends.

"You have to create that familiarity downtown . . . become a place where people know you when you walk in the door and maintain that community friendliness," she said.

Also helping businesses is a campaign to market the availability of free or affordable parking downtown, which was promoted after many customers complained about paying for parking to shop or eat on Mill.

Hormann highlighted a paved lot at Fifth Street and Farmer Avenue that offers free parking except during major events. A lot with 267 spaces at Maple Avenue and Fifth Street is free for the first hour and the City Hall parking garage at Fifth Street and Forest Avenue offers free covered parking for the first hour and charges nothing after 6 p.m. and on the weekends.

[mwadswor]

Tempe Town Lake dam replacement put on hold

Dianna M. Náñez - Jul. 28, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

The state water agency charged with Arizona's non-federal dam safety has put the replacement of the Tempe Town Lake dam on hold until the agency can feel confident the new dam will be safe.

Michael Johnson, assistant director and chief engineer of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, said Tempe must give the department a plan for investigating the cause of the dam's failure and an updated timeline for construction of a new dam on the west side of the lake. The city agreed to do so.

Johnson said his agency might allow construction to begin before the investigation is complete if it feels confident that the new dam will be secure. Johnson was part of a team of more than a dozen experts who inspected the broken dam Tuesday along with Tempe city officials. He noted it was fortunate that nobody was killed when the dam that had been deteriorating for years burst.

"Dam failure can lead to injury, loss of life and property and infrastructure damage downstream. Our job is to prevent those things from happening," he said.

He would not speculate on whether the decision to put construction on hold would affect the city's goal of reopening Town Lake by November. He said Tempe officials told him they would submit a plan for the investigation and construction within a few days.

The Tuesday inspection and a meeting that followed were attended by several entities that have a stake in the dam.

Representatives from PCL Construction Inc., the company that was contracted to replace the dam, were present. Also attending were engineers from Bridgestone Industrial Products Inc., the manufacturer of the dam that ruptured and the replacement dam; and officials from Stantec Consulting, the engineering and construction consultant for the dam replacement.

Among the Tempe officials inspecting the deflated rubber dam was Assistant City Manager Jeff Kulaga.

Johnson said everyone at the site was acutely aware that the timing of the dam rupture, which failed at 9:46 p.m. on July 20, saved lives.

When the dam burst, an explosion of rubber could be heard, emergency-warning sirens sounded and water hurled west down the Salt River bed. Had it ruptured the next morning, when the state water agency had approved Tempe sending teams of workers to the west wall of the dam to begin replacing the deteriorating rubber dams, someone likely would have been killed, officials have agreed. "I think the timing was fortunate . . . it could have been a whole different situation," said Don Darden, a Bridgestone spokesman.

Tempe had planned to replace the deteriorating dam that failed with a new set of four rubber dams on loan from Bridgestone. Within five years, as per a legal agreement with Bridgestone, Tempe would remove the temporary dam and install a permanent one.

Despite the setback, Kulaga said Tempe still hopes to have the new dam in place and the lake filled by November in time for the Ford Ironman Arizona triathlon and other activities hosted at the lake that attract much-needed tourism dollars for the cash-strapped city.

"We look forward to cooperating with (the state agency) with regard to safety of the dam and the water resources involved," he said. "I think based on our meeting, we can confidently move toward that (November) timeline."

Johnson said the officials attending Tuesday's meeting understood that meeting that goal of restoring Town Lake depends on how quickly the investigation into the dam failure unfolds.

"I think everybody's on the same page about safety," he said.

Johnson said no one would know for certain why the dam failed until its sections are moved to a warehouse for closer inspection.

Darden said Bridgestone hopes Tempe will allow the company's engineers to analyze the ruptured dam.

"It will need a thorough investigation, and certainly we want to be a part of that," he said.

While the officials and experts walked the dam wreckage Tuesday, Bill Curry, a retired Tempe resident who walks the lake almost daily, peered down at them. He hoped that the groups involved in restoring Town Lake don't get sidetracked.

"My worry is that politics and the lawyers that are going to come into this . . . don't interfere with getting the lake back up," he said. "I watched them build it. I want to see it filled again."

http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe...0728tempe-town-lake-dam-replacement.html

[ciweiss]

Here's some good news...

http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2010/07/26/daily33.html?surround=lfn

Limelight Networks moves to downtown Tempe


Limelight Networks, an online content delivery network based in Tempe, announced today it will be the first tenant in the Tempe Gateway building owned by Seattle-based Vulcan Real Estate.

Limelight, founded in 2001, is leasing 65,000 square feet of Class A office space spread over two stories of the eight story, 260,000-square-foot building in downtown Tempe. The new office will become home to 200 Tempe employees in early 2011. The lease is valid for eight years with renewable options. Limelight officials declined to name the price they paid for the space.

Limelight’s headquarters, which have always been located in Tempe, were previously spread across five separate offices and totaled about 35,000 square feet in space. Limelight Vice President of Marketing Paul Alfieri said that although the company is consolidating into one building, they are actually doubling their space - which, he said, was necessary as the company has grown in the last few years.

“In nine years we have gone from startup business to global company, and have had to hire a significant amount of employees in that time,” Alfieri said. “We simply needed more space.”

Limelight has 600 worldwide employees today, compared to about 250 employees just two years ago, with the highest number of employees in Tempe. Alfieri said Limelight plans to hire more people to work in the new office, although a specific number has not yet been determined.

The office, which was purchased by Vulcan in June of this year, was the real estate company’s first purchase outside of Seattle.

“Today’s news represents an exciting milestone not only for our Tempe Gateway building but also for the downtown Tempe area as a whole. Tempe Gateway will represent a world-class headquarters for one of Tempe’s most innovative and fastest-growing homegrown companies,” said Ada Healey, vice president of real estate at Vulcan Inc., in a prepared statement.

[bwonger06]

Very good news. Hopefully that places fills up quickly and we get some ground floor retail.

Originally Posted by ciweiss

Here's some good news...

http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2010/07/26/daily33.html?surround=lfn

Limelight Networks moves to downtown Tempe


Limelight Networks, an online content delivery network based in Tempe, announced today it will be the first tenant in the Tempe Gateway building owned by Seattle-based Vulcan Real Estate.

Limelight, founded in 2001, is leasing 65,000 square feet of Class A office space spread over two stories of the eight story, 260,000-square-foot building in downtown Tempe. The new office will become home to 200 Tempe employees in early 2011. The lease is valid for eight years with renewable options. Limelight officials declined to name the price they paid for the space.

Limelight’s headquarters, which have always been located in Tempe, were previously spread across five separate offices and totaled about 35,000 square feet in space. Limelight Vice President of Marketing Paul Alfieri said that although the company is consolidating into one building, they are actually doubling their space - which, he said, was necessary as the company has grown in the last few years.

“In nine years we have gone from startup business to global company, and have had to hire a significant amount of employees in that time,” Alfieri said. “We simply needed more space.”

Limelight has 600 worldwide employees today, compared to about 250 employees just two years ago, with the highest number of employees in Tempe. Alfieri said Limelight plans to hire more people to work in the new office, although a specific number has not yet been determined.

The office, which was purchased by Vulcan in June of this year, was the real estate company’s first purchase outside of Seattle.

“Today’s news represents an exciting milestone not only for our Tempe Gateway building but also for the downtown Tempe area as a whole. Tempe Gateway will represent a world-class headquarters for one of Tempe’s most innovative and fastest-growing homegrown companies,” said Ada Healey, vice president of real estate at Vulcan Inc., in a prepared statement.

[mwadswor]

Originally Posted by ciweiss

Here's some good news...

http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2010/07/26/daily33.html?surround=lfn

Limelight Networks moves to downtown Tempe


Limelight Networks, an online content delivery network based in Tempe, announced today it will be the first tenant in the Tempe Gateway building owned by Seattle-based Vulcan Real Estate.

Limelight, founded in 2001, is leasing 65,000 square feet of Class A office space spread over two stories of the eight story, 260,000-square-foot building in downtown Tempe. The new office will become home to 200 Tempe employees in early 2011. The lease is valid for eight years with renewable options. Limelight officials declined to name the price they paid for the space.

Limelight’s headquarters, which have always been located in Tempe, were previously spread across five separate offices and totaled about 35,000 square feet in space. Limelight Vice President of Marketing Paul Alfieri said that although the company is consolidating into one building, they are actually doubling their space - which, he said, was necessary as the company has grown in the last few years.

“In nine years we have gone from startup business to global company, and have had to hire a significant amount of employees in that time,” Alfieri said. “We simply needed more space.”

Limelight has 600 worldwide employees today, compared to about 250 employees just two years ago, with the highest number of employees in Tempe. Alfieri said Limelight plans to hire more people to work in the new office, although a specific number has not yet been determined.

The office, which was purchased by Vulcan in June of this year, was the real estate company’s first purchase outside of Seattle.

“Today’s news represents an exciting milestone not only for our Tempe Gateway building but also for the downtown Tempe area as a whole. Tempe Gateway will represent a world-class headquarters for one of Tempe’s most innovative and fastest-growing homegrown companies,” said Ada Healey, vice president of real estate at Vulcan Inc., in a prepared statement.

Great news. Not only a new tenant dt, but doubling their office space, so it's not just shifting business from 1 part of Tempe to another part, but actually growing.

[HooverDam]

Tempe Coffee shop, restaurant proposed for Transportation Center

1 comment by Dianna M. Náñez - Jul. 29, 2010 11:35 PM
The Arizona Republic

An oasis of urban amenities is on tap for the Tempe Transportation Center.

The scores of Valley residents who pass through the transit hub already have access to the state's first full-service biking center.


Locally grown produce, gourmet coffee, art and wine soon could be among the options available at the public-transportation complex when the Urban Marketplace, the brainchild of twoValley residents, opens, possibly in the fall.

When Tempe built the $26 million three-story building, city officials hoped to fill it with businesses that incorporate environmentally friendly aspects in their operations in keeping with the center's environmentally conscious construction.

Tempe also wanted to create a hub for services geared toward people who take light rail or buses, which are stationed at the Transportation Center.

In keeping with the idea of a public/private partnership, Tempe maintains space at the city-owned building for public meetings and moved its transit-services department to the center.

The Bicycle Cellar, the first business in the building, moved in last year. The shop is equipped with secured storage for bikes as well as showers, lockers, bike rentals and custom-made bicycles for sale. Bike repairs are done by co-owner John Romero

The bike business has a loyal following of people who had long wanted a service that made it easier to give up their cars, Romero said.

The addition of Urban Marketplace, a gourmet coffee shop and restaurant, would provide creature comforts for public-transportation users.

The marketplace is a co-venture by Virginia Senior and Kim Kristoff, who own Urban Beans, a successful coffee shop near Seventh Street and Osborn Road in Phoenix.They hope to open Urban Marketplace by mid-October.

Expanding to the transit center, where there are ready-made customers who choose public transportation, makes the center the "the perfect spot for us," Senior said.

"Both of us have always longed for this kind of urban living ... where you have more community-minded options, locally grown foods, artists," she said.

"Those are the things that interest us. We're finally starting to see enough critical mass in the Valley that wants those things too. We're seeing more people who want to be engaged in caring about their community."

Senior said she hopes to host a farmers market on Saturdays and offer customers a food cooperative where they could regularly purchase boxed farm-fresh foods.

Romero said the sustainable options would appeal to his clientele.

"Our members know choosing a bike over a car is good for the environment and we make that convenient for them," Romero said. "A place for them to gather, grab a cup of coffee, eat farm-fresh foods . . . that would be a great match."

Tony Nicosia, who recently moved to the Valley from the East Coast, chose a job with a downtown Tempe company over other employment opportunities because he discovered access to the Bicycle Cellar would allow him to continue using only a bike as his means of transportation.

"I love that I can bike 6 miles from Scottsdale, get here, shower and walk to work," he said.

Nicosia said the Urban Marketplace would offer him conveniences that fit his lifestyle.

"I'd join the food co-op. To me, it's just healthier to have farm-fresh fruits and vegetables," he said. "The same with biking, I get my workout in riding to work."



Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe...it-hub-bicycle-cellar.html#ixzz0vNvfxuFB

Meanwhile Phoenix plants a couple of new trees at the main bus station and calls it a day.

[Jsmscaleros]

Anyone know what happened to Pier 101/Southbank? The project just rolled over and died once they built the infrastructure and dug out all the building footprints for construction. Even the time line on their website stops after "completion of linear park" in '09: http://southbanktempe.com

[nickkoto]

Here's a new picture from the ITSB site.


and crane



I didn't notice the boom crane in the background before, but I would guess that it's for the rooftop solar panels on the Noble Library.

[ciweiss]

http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe...25tempe-centerpoint-project-bid0828.html

Centerpoint winning bid expected within the week

A winning bid will be selected on the Centerpoint Condominiums in downtown Tempe within the week, according Mark Winkleman, chief operating officer for ML Holdings.

ML Holdings, successor to Mortgages Ltd., began taking offers on the condos a couple of months ago after the two towers failed to sell at a foreclosure auction.


Winkleman told The Arizona Republic on Tuesdaythat ML Holdings was reviewing 10 bids, which were narrowed from more than 300 original offers.

"Within the next few days we expect to accept one of the offers," he said. "It's a big deal. We're excited."

The 10 interested buyers included "qualified real-estate investors from around the country," he said.

Development of the Tempe condos and several other major Valley real-estate projects funded by Mortgages Ltd., which was Arizona's largest private real-estate lender, stalled after the lender was forced into a high-profile 2008 bankruptcy. The Tempe condo's 22-story tower is nearly complete, while extensive work is needed on the project's 30-story tower. The towers have 375 residential units.

Proceeds from the Centerpoint sale will go to pay back the development's investors. CB Richard Ellis was marketing the condo project.

Seeing the project complete would be a major boost for downtown Tempe, which has struggled in the economic downturn.

Many downtown business owners had hung their hopes on the sales boost Tempe officials had said would come from having hundreds of residents living in luxury condos off of Mill Avenue. But those hopes died when the half-finished building turned into an eyesore.



Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe...point-project-bid0828.html#ixzz0xg0LTUh8

[ciweiss]

Finally some good news....

Tempe Centerpoint condos purchased by Cleveland company


Downtown Tempe business owners are celebrating this afternoon's announcement that Centerpoint Condominiums has been purchased by the Zaremba Group, a national real estate company based in Cleveland with an office in Scottsdale.

The condos sold for $30 million. They were marketed for sale after failing to sell at a foreclosure auction in April. ML Managers LLC., successor to Mortgages Ltd., had originally loaned the condo's developers, Tempe Land CO., about $135 million to build the towers.


"This is the largest loan that Mortgages Ltd. made and it's our largest asset," said Mark Winkleman, chief operating officer of Managers LLC. "It's important to the investors of Mortgages Ltd. that it be sold."

He added that the sale was the result of "a very intense marketing process that lasted several months. We had initial interest from over 300 potential buyers throughout the United States, Canada and England. Even though the process is substantially less than the investors had invested in it, we are confident that this is the highest amount we could have got and best buyer for this project."

The sale is subject to approval from the bankruptcy court and a vote by investors. Zaremba owns Barolo Place, a condominium project in Scottsdale and apartments in Mesa and Peoria.

Seeing the project complete would be a major boost for downtown Tempe, which has struggled in the economic downturn.

Many downtown business owners had hung their hopes on the sales boost Tempe officials had said would come from having hundreds of residents living in luxury condos off of Mill Avenue. But those hopes died when the buildings remained empty and began looking tattered.Development of the Tempe condos and several other major Valley real-estate projects funded by Mortgages Ltd., which was Arizona's largest private real-estate lender, stalled after the lender was forced into a high-profile 2008 bankruptcy.

The Tempe condo's 22-story tower is nearly complete, while extensive work is needed on the project's 30-story tower. The towers have 375 residential units.

Proceeds from the Centerpoint sale will go to pay back the development's investors. CB Richard Ellis was marketing the condo project.


Centerpoint Condominiums timeline

July 2005: Tempe marked groundbreaking for developer Avenue Communities' first two of four proposed 22-story towers near Mill Avenue and Sixth Street. City officials said the luxury project signaled the transition to the kind of downtown Tempe had long envisioned. The four towers on the 5 acres were to include 700 residential units, retail, a boutique grocery store, a penthouse level with a pool, private theaters, concierge service and wine lounge. The units' pricing was expected to start at about $250,000. City officials said the influx of condo dwellers would move downtown Tempe toward the kind of "24-hour life" that would boost area businesses' customer base.

November 2005: Tempe City Council approves Avenue Communities' request for a height change that would make Centerpoint the tallest building in the city. The vote was 5-2 in favor of the height change. Members Ben Arredondo and Len Copple voted against the approval. Mayor Hugh Hallman favored the added height, saying the towers would fix the "fundamental flaw downtown" by integrating housing into the mix that is dominated by bars and restaurants. The developers said the extra floors were needed because the cost of construction had increased 80 percent in the preceding 18 months.

Ken Losch of Avenue Communities called the height-addition process "painful" but said it will be worth it in the end. "We see Tempe becoming a world-class environment," he said. "It'll be on par with Miami's South Beach in the next 10 years. The approval paved the way for three of the four condo towers to be built to 30 stories, which would soar 39 feet over Sun Devil Stadium, the highest man-made Tempe structure at the time. Prior to the council approval the towers were approved 22 stories and 15 stories.

February 2006: Attorneys for Phoenix question Centerpoint's height, saying it would affect safety of planes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Oct. 2006: Federal Aviation Administration gives go-ahead for Centerpoint's 30-story tower.

June 2007: Centerpoint finishes roof on its first 22-story tower. The building was the tallest in Tempe at 258 feet. The other three towers have approval from the city to reach 30 stories.

June 2008: Mortgages Ltd., the state's largest private commercial real-estate lender, files for bankruptcy following the suicide of its CEO. Centerpoint, among the slew of high-profile Valley developments backed by the lender, is in jeopardy. In the months to come, stakeholders enter extensive legal negotiations.

December 2008: Developers for Centerpoint had worked to get court approval for a second financier to back project. That effort did not result in financing and developer filed bankruptcy. Second 30-story tower is about half finished.

February 2009: City officials and Ken Losch disagree over information Losch had provided Tempe on efforts to find financing for condos.

January: Towers in foreclosure with auction set for April.

April: Towers fail to sell at auction and M.L. Manager LLC, formerly Mortgages Ltd., readies to market towers for sale. Area merchants complain that towers are rundown, tarp covering windows is falling off and transients are entering towers for shelter.

September: M.L. Manager official announces buyer, making way for the condos to be completed.



Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe...dos-purchased-brk0902.html#ixzz0yQwt4O2l

[HX_Guy]

The article on Business Journal had a bit more info, including that they will be now for rent instead of for purchase and marketed to students and upper classmen.

http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2010/08/30/daily51.html

[bwonger06]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

The article on Business Journal had a bit more info, including that they will be now for rent instead of for purchase and marketed to students and upper classmen.

http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2010/08/30/daily51.html

This can turn very bad really quick. I hope this does not turn into another Vue or Block 1949, two other high-end luxury rental units. Nothing but constant partying, holes in the wall, noise complaints, etc.

I hope they keep a tight leash on this place and try to price out most under grads and hopefully it is more along the lines of Grigio.

[nickkoto]

Originally Posted by bwonger06

This can turn very bad really quick. I hope this does not turn into another Vue or Block 1949, two other high-end luxury rental units. Nothing but constant partying, holes in the wall, noise complaints, etc.

I hope they keep a tight leash on this place and try to price out most under grads and hopefully it is more along the lines of Grigio.

Who's complaining about noise at the Vue? The Taco Bell next door?

Look at it this way. There are about 5-6 of these complexes (including Vue and Block 1949) that are shamelessly marketed towards the party crowd. Every student I know that lives in one of them enjoy living there, and those that seek a quite place to live simply never consider moving into these places in the first place.

If you think these housing complexes are creating some class of innocent students who are being denied an education, or if you think a hole in the drywall isn't a routine job for most apartment custodians, you're fooling yourself.

[bwonger06]

Originally Posted by nickkoto

Who's complaining about noise at the Vue? The Taco Bell next door?

Look at it this way. There are about 5-6 of these complexes (including Vue and Block 1949) that are shamelessly marketed towards the party crowd. Every student I know that lives in one of them enjoy living there, and those that seek a quite place to live simply never consider moving into these places in the first place.

If you think these housing complexes are creating some class of innocent students who are being denied an education, or if you think a hole in the drywall isn't a routine job for most apartment custodians, you're fooling yourself.

Parties have gotten out of control. There is a reason that places vacancy has spiked over the school year and that is because upperclassmen and graduate students don't want to be around constant partying. I for one want Centerpoint to be successful but if it tries to become another Vue, it is going to crash and burn.

Hallways looks like a warzone. At hole in the wall every half a foot is out of control. Cops getting called nightly due to stupid people and noise complaints. Underaged drunks running around everywhere.

I know partying is going to happened and I'll be the first one there cheering you on while you pull a handle of vodka. But I have been to enough ASU parties (final year at ASU) to know that if Centerpoint markets too hard to be another Vue, Vista or Block (class A rental with very little control), there will be very few tenants and it will be a pretty big failure.

Do you think Yuppies and Adults want to live in this kind of environment? Heck most people over 21 don't want to live in this environment.