Tempe Development Thread

[HX_Guy]

Tempe City Council to vote on apartments near Tempe Town Lake

2 comments by Dianna M. Náñez - Aug. 1, 2012 06:41 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com

The Tempe City Council is expected to vote next week on a development proposal for a five-story apartment complex across the street from the Tempe Center for the Arts and Town Lake.

Argo at Town Lake would be built on 5.72 acres on the south side of Rio Salado Parkway just east of Hardy Drive. The complex is planned as a mixed-use development with 328 apartment units and commercial space.

Nine of the units would include lease space for a small business below the apartment.


Diana Kaminski, a Tempe senior planner, said the developer, Evergreen Development, included the live-work units because of the success of nearby condo developments that included similar units for a small business out of the home.

"It's for people who want (a) true work-live atmosphere," Kaminski said. "You'd actually have store frontage, so it would work great for somebody like a lawyer, Realtor, architect or artist."

The nine units are planned as two-story apartments with about 500 to 600 square feet of commercial space on the first floor and 800 to 1,100 square feet of residential space on the second floor.

The remainder of the complex is four stories of apartments over one story of parking. The building height is 90 feet. The total project is about 604,000 square feet with about 7,172 square feet of commercial space.

Kaminski said the developer's plan includes outdoor courtyard space facing Rio Salado Parkway that would be leased to food-truck vendors. Food trucks offering gourmet meals have become popular in downtown Phoenix.

The trucks would rotate and be open to the public on weekends or during major events at Town Lake or the arts center.

"It's the first new mixed-use building that has been designed to accommodate food trucks," she said.

Jason Ottman, a senior development manager with Evergreen, said the project is a perfect fit for Tempe, where urban-living options are popular.

"Tempe is a desirable place to live," he said. "That entire Town Lake area and neighborhood is going through gentrification."

Ottman said the job opportunities in Tempe, the quirky downtown and the lively campus atmosphere are appealing to prospective tenants.

The apartment complex would include a rooftop swimming pool, cabanas, fire pits, bocce ball, putting greens, an entertainment center and fitness facility.

To accommodate the cache of bicyclists who exercise at Town Lake, the developer plans to lease space to a bike-repair shop that would be open to the public. Plans also include commercial space for a coffee shop.

Evergreen has offered to purchase 0.13 acres of city-owned land next to the lot for building the project. The developer is asking for a General Plan Amendment to designate the 0.13 acres from open space to mixed use and a zoning amendment from the current industrial district to a mixed-use, high-density district.

Kaminski said Tempe is selling the land based on a prior development agreement for a project that was planned at the site before Evergreen purchased the land. The purchase price of $20.86 per square foot is $122,823, according to a city report.

Other than a resident who was concerned about increased traffic, Kaminski said the project has drawn little protest.



Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/t...#ixzz22JriB4hD

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

Tempe City Council to vote on apartments near Tempe Town Lake

2 comments by Dianna M. Náñez - Aug. 1, 2012 06:41 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com

The Tempe City Council is expected to vote next week on a development proposal for a five-story apartment complex across the street from the Tempe Center for the Arts and Town Lake.

Food trucks and bicycles? This place sounds like hipster central. Actually, it would be a good use of vacant land and I hope it moves forward. If it does, it will be one more reason why an east-west streetcar along Rio Salado makes more sense than the currently planned north-south streetcar along Mill.

[ASUSunDevil]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

Food trucks and bicycles? This place sounds like hipster central. Actually, it would be a good use of vacant land and I hope it moves forward. If it does, it will be one more reason why an east-west streetcar along Rio Salado makes more sense than the currently planned north-south streetcar along Mill.

I live right nearby, it sounds like a great project. I also agree that an east-west route down Rio Salado would be great. Hopefully it will go all the way down to Priest and possibly north to Indian School. That would be huge when ASU's deal with the Cubs new Mesa ballpark falls through and they end up at a renovated Papago (which is fine with me). It would also be a great connection between Tempe and Scottsdale.

[MegaBass]

Originally Posted by ASU

Anybody know much about the new apartments being built across from The Vue?

The District on Apache

[phxSUNSfan]

Originally Posted by ASUSunDevil

I live right nearby, it sounds like a great project. I also agree that an east-west route down Rio Salado would be great. Hopefully it will go all the way down to Priest and possibly north to Indian School. That would be huge when ASU's deal with the Cubs new Mesa ballpark falls through and they end up at a renovated Papago (which is fine with me). It would also be a great connection between Tempe and Scottsdale.

Tempe shouldn't have to choose one streetcar route over another. In additon to MaT (Mill Ave Trolley), Tempe should work with Mesa to build the RioT (Rio Trolley or long form, Rio Salado Trolley); sorry I've had a gallon of coffee this morning and I'm giving everything names. Mesa has already mentioned the idea of building a line from Wrigleyville West to Mill Ave. and Tempe should jump on that bandwagon ASAP...especially if ( I mean AFTER) Obama is reelected and more money is dedicated to infrastructure and mass transit.

[dtnphx]

Originally Posted by phxSUNSfan

Tempe shouldn't have to choose one streetcar route over another. In additon to MaT (Mill Ave Trolley), Tempe should work with Mesa to build the RioT (Rio Trolley or long form, Rio Salado Trolley); sorry I've had a gallon of coffee this morning and I'm giving everything names. Mesa has already mentioned the idea of building a line from Wrigleyville West to Mill Ave. and Tempe should jump on that bandwagon ASAP...especially if ( I mean AFTER) Obama is reelected and more money is dedicated to infrastructure and mass transit.

[anarcken]

Originally Posted by dtnphx

there's not going to be any money to give...

anyway, tempe is looking very good. google maps updated relatively recently, because the new asu business building is on there. however, tempe marketplace's sam's club doesn't appear. is that done? haven't been to tempe in a year.

[TempeSilverFox]

Originally Posted by anarcken

there's not going to be any money to give...

anyway, tempe is looking very good. google maps updated relatively recently, because the new asu business building is on there. however, tempe marketplace's sam's club doesn't appear. is that done? haven't been to tempe in a year.

Not yet, The area is sectioned off- and appears to be gearing up for construction, but as of yet, no Sam's Club.
The lot at Ash and University (former site of Gentle Strength) is still vacant as well. It seems to be a fantastic location. I'm really surprised that we haven't heard of anything going in there yet. You know I'm still hoping for a Trader Joe's or similar to go in there, ideally with residential above.
Something like the Uptown Village in San Diego's Hillcrest district would be amazing, although the site in Tempe is much smaller.

[ASUSunDevil]

Originally Posted by TempeSilverFox

The lot at Ash and University (former site of Gentle Strength) is still vacant as well. It seems to be a fantastic location. I'm really surprised that we haven't heard of anything going in there yet. You know I'm still hoping for a Trader Joe's or similar to go in there, ideally with residential above.
Something like the Uptown Village in San Diego's Hillcrest district would be amazing, although the site in Tempe is much smaller.

I live right down the street, I've been praying for this to happen. A Trader Joe's under a 6 story residential condo complex would be perfect.

[Jjs5056]

Unfortunately, if I remember correctly, the owners of the Chase building just east of the old Mosaic lot on University and Ash purchased that land last year and planned to use the site for additional parking, with the possibility of a (1 story) grocery store.

[ASUSunDevil]

Not sure if this should be in the Tempe or Phoenix thread. Anyway, I've heard people say that Tempe Town Lake should be extended to 19th Ave. Is this possible? If so, how would it happen?

[phxSUNSfan]

Originally Posted by ASUSunDevil

Not sure if this should be in the Tempe or Phoenix thread. Anyway, I've heard people say that Tempe Town Lake should be extended to 19th Ave. Is this possible? If so, how would it happen?

The allocation of water from the CAP or SRP would be prohibitively expensive without help from the federal government and/or the state.

Of course it is possible but it is highly improbable:building a stronger dam near 19th Ave. by exceeding the engineering limitation of the inflatable one in Tempe would allow the river to be filled...

[ASUSunDevil]

Originally Posted by phxSUNSfan

The allocation of water from the CAP or SRP would be prohibitively expensive without help from the federal government and/or the state.

Of course it is possible but it is highly improbable:building a stronger dam near 19th Ave. by exceeding the engineering limitation of the inflatable one in Tempe would allow the river to be filled...

Raise the money and put in a steel dam like Tempe is doing. We already learned from Tempe's rubber dam screw-up. Could you imagine how good all that water would look!?

[TempeSilverFox]

Originally Posted by ASUSunDevil

Not sure if this should be in the Tempe or Phoenix thread. Anyway, I've heard people say that Tempe Town Lake should be extended to 19th Ave. Is this possible? If so, how would it happen?

This was actually the original idea for the Salt River, but Tempe ended up being the only city on the river to proceed with the idea. When I first moved to Arizona in 2005, I had heard that Tempe was planing to extend Town Lake at least as far as Priest Dr. I attended a meeting several months back where the city was soliciting public input on the new dam, and I asked the question about extending the lake and was told that the City of Tempe has no plans to do so at this point- and that it would require a dam much taller than the one that will be put in to replace the inflatables- due to slope of the river bed. So for the time being (probably a LONG time) what we have, is all that we will have. Gotta give Tempe props for being the only city in the region with the long term vision to see the project through. I can't (and don't want to imagine) Tempe without Town Lake.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by ASUSunDevil

Not sure if this should be in the Tempe or Phoenix thread. Anyway, I've heard people say that Tempe Town Lake should be extended to 19th Ave. Is this possible? If so, how would it happen?

A proposal to do just that was rejected by Maricopa County voters in 1987, so Tempe went ahead on its own. My hope is that in the long term people see the value of restoring the Salt River and Phoenix eventually joins the effort. It would be a bit different in Phoenix, though, since the area where the riverbed meets Central Avenue has become an Audubon sanctuary. Any transformation of that area would have to emphasize nature and probably not host as many events and boat races as Tempe Town Lake.

[phxSUNSfan]

An expanded lake, or more correctly, a partially restored river is unlikely due to drought conditions. Unless climate change is mitigated long-term, or weather patterns change allowing more snow to fall in the mountains in the West and in particular, Eastern Arizona and the White Mountains, then any talk of putting more water in the river behind an expensive dam is out of the question.

I've heard people talk about desalination plants near Rocky Point bringing water into AZ, but if that is ever to happen it would likely be a federal government and California funded project, by and large, and Phoenix would get drops in the bucket...comparatively speaking especially after whatever deal is worked out with Mexican officials.

[Leo the Dog]

Originally Posted by phxSUNSfan

An expanded lake, or more correctly, a partially restored river is unlikely due to drought conditions. Unless climate change is mitigated long-term, or weather patterns change allowing more snow to fall in the mountains in the West and in particular, Eastern Arizona and the White Mountains, then any talk of putting more water in the river behind an expensive dam is out of the question.

I've heard people talk about desalination plants near Rocky Point bringing water into AZ, but if that is ever to happen it would likely be a federal government and California funded project, by and large, and Phoenix would get drops in the bucket...comparatively speaking especially after whatever deal is worked out with Mexican officials.

Desalination is super expensive and requires a lot of energy to produce. It can be done, but the times of cheap water would be gone forever. With all of the political and environmental hurdles, I don't think CA would give AZ one drop of water if one is built.

[phxSUNSfan]

Originally Posted by Leo the Dog

Desalination is super expensive and requires a lot of energy to produce. It can be done, but the times of cheap water would be gone forever. With all of the political and environmental hurdles, I don't think CA would give AZ one drop of water if one is built.

Probably isn't even worth talking about desalination plants on a large scale since they aren't even being planned, but California wouldn't want to give AZ any water as evidenced by the fight for Colorado River water in the past. However, the federal Reclamation Act wouldn't give California complete control, especially if the project crosses international borders...unless the state built its own plants in which case it wouldn't be an issue at all.

It would be easier to use water from the Gulf of California rather than Pacific Ocean water off the coast of California because it is cleaner and less acidic (not as much industrial and chemical runoff). Solar power plants that would be built to power a desalination plant and the pumps would likely be built in Arizona; Arizona is much closer to the coast of the Gulf than is California.

BUT...back on topic about Tempe: The Sussex family just lost their "120-year claim" on land near Town Lake to the State Land Department. I believe this is the land that looks cluttered with scrap metal and the like. They have never had clear title to some of the land they were using. I wonder if Tempe will buy the land from the Land Department?

http://www.azcentral.com/community/t...laim-land.html

[PHX31]

I would be interested to see what that adobe looks like and what all they have on that land. Somehow that little area is the most hidden piece of land in an extremely high profile and exposed location.

[phxSUNSfan]

Originally Posted by PHX31

I would be interested to see what that adobe looks like and what all they have on that land. Somehow that little area is the most hidden piece of land in an extremely high profile and exposed location.

The land is in a sad state. The family is indigent so it is likely that the adobe structure is in disrepair. They have a lot of junk on the land and it looks like a mini junkyard which probably expedited the case against them. Now Tempe is "deciding" its next move because they own the land that the adobe home sits on. You can see the land from the light rail.