Tempe Development Thread

[HooverDam]

I think what bothers me about the rabbits is how thin they are, any rabbit Ive ever seen is fluffy and chubby- those things look like the marathon runners of the rabbit kingdom.

[combusean]

Originally Posted by sundevilgrad

The tower crane has been at the Northshore development for months now, and they don't seem to be doing much. The pics of Northshore only show 6 stories, so there isn't much height.

If you drive closer to the site on Rural Rd you'll see the column work has taken it to the second floor. It has been moving, slowly tho.

... And yes, the rabbits are creepy, kinda like a giant Alice in Wonderland scene or something (minus the illicit drugs and colors)...

Yeah ... it looks like that rabbit has already been down the hole ...

[sundevilgrad]

I was just reading the business section over at the azcentral website and noticed that Mosiac is running a big add on the site. The add looks great, here's the link when you click on it...
http://www.kmlmosaic.com/

[sundevilgrad]

I wonder if the AZ Republic/AZ Central has some type of stake in the Mosiac project (pure speculation)?...

Old co-op buildings in Tempe torn down to make way for high-rise

Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 3, 2007 12:00 AM


Stucco siding fell like cardboard with each swipe of an excavation truck's clawed arm.

Chunks of building, shelving and retaining wall clattered to the ground, relegating the old Gentle Strength Co-op buildings to memories for organic food fans.

The aging structures at the intersection of University Drive and Ash Avenue were demolished to make way for a 21-story condo complex and a corporate health-food store. The demolition last month was the first visible sign to the community that the Mosaic project is under way. advertisement




"It's kind of sad to see it go," said Chris Corwin, who was working at the new Gentle Strength Co-op location at Mill and Southern avenues during the demolition.

"But it's a dual thing. Everyone is trying to focus on our new future here."

Developers also are scheduled to rip out at least three smaller buildings near University Drive and Forest Avenue in the coming weeks.

The work will clear land for a massive mixed-use building with three towers, called University Square.

One of the Arches buildings will be torn down, as will the building that housed the Trophy Den, said Tony Wall, one of the project's developers. The entire block could be cleared as early as February, Wall said.

"Change is change," said Roy Hoyt, a neighborhood activist who lives near the demolition sites.

He said he remembers patronizing the shops and restaurants in the Arches when he was a student at Arizona State University, and when the Gentle Strength buildings housed a lumber yard.

Justin LaMar, Mosaic developer, said sales on homes are planned for this winter and construction is slated to start this summer, LaMar said.

Mosaic is scheduled to have 215 homes on a nearly 2 acres. The first two floors are designated to be a home for Whole Foods Market.

Flats, townhouses, condos and penthouses and residential amenities will occupy the rest of the space.

[JI5]

Originally Posted by sundevilgrad

I wonder if the AZ Republic/AZ Central has some type of stake in the Mosiac project (pure speculation)?...

Doubtful. Stories about projects like this are usually written by the developers PR department, and sent in to the republic - who makes few if any changes and reprints the story with a reporters name on it. Almost 70% of what you read in the newspaper is gathered this way. SO - if it sounds like an ad, its most likely because the developer wrote it.

[sundevilgrad]

Luxury homes planned for lake
Katie Nelson and Eugene Scott
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 11, 2007 12:00 AM


Two housing developments are proposed for near Tempe Town Lake, near the new Tempe Center for the Arts.

One would bring a whole different level of luxury to the area: New single-family homes. The other would create condominium towers.

"Town Lake Villas" would be a community of eight multimillion-dollar single-family homes. Plans are tentative, said Tom Meissner, one of the project's developers. advertisement




"The luxury market is definitely developing in Tempe," Meissner said.

Preliminary plans show the 4,600- to 5,800-square-foot homes would feature underground parking with space for at least four vehicles, elevators to the homes' upper floors and rooftop gardens with Jacuzzis. According to the developers, the goal is to create a "densely landscaped" ground level that would not have many of the automobile-focused characteristics of a more typical suburban neighborhood.

"You bring all the suburban amenities - good parking, private yard and such - into the middle of the city," Meissner said.

The project would go on a narrow strip of land at 500 W. First St., southeast of the arts center.

The company working to design the plans is Warner Group Architects. It's a Santa Barbara, Calif.-based company. Its architects specialize in luxury homes, resorts and country clubs. One of their projects under way is a home for a member of the Kuwaiti royal family.

Next door, plans for more new condos and townhouses are being developed. Zacher Homes is planning four condominium towers that could reach 25 stories and a row of townhouses. Representatives from the company met with members of the Sunset Riverside Neighborhood Association on Tuesday night, one of the first public unveilings of the project.

Preliminary plans show the "Residences at the Arts Park" would be on the northwestern corner of Roosevelt and First Street. It could feature four towers from 10 to 25 stories, but plans show it reaching no higher than Tempe Butte.

Two of the towers would be significantly shorter than the other two. The three-story townhouses will be on First Street.

Most of the several neighbors in attendance seemed supportive of the project.

"The consensus of the people was that it's attractive and that the reality of the situation is that Tempe is changing," said Bill Butler, who leads the neighborhood association. "We might as well learn to love it."

Neither of the project's developers was willing to talk about prices for the homes, but city officials said they expect the Town Lake Villas homes could cost up to $2 million. The developers behind the Residences at the Arts Park units say the condos will cost about $400 per square foot to build.

Zacher Homes spokesman Patrick Burch said the Arts Park project would also likely set aside some of its units as workforce housing, or more affordable units for people with salaries on par with teachers, firefighters and police officers.




The homes actually sound pretty cool, but I would love to get more info about the 4 towers they're planning!

[HX_Guy]

Roosevelt and 1st St? Isn't that in downtown Phoenix, not Tempe?

[sundevilgrad]

Roosevelt in Tempe is a street that runs N/S between Hardy on the west and Farmer on the east. 1st in Tempe is just south of Rio Salado. So yes, there is a 1st and Roosevelt in Phoenix, as well as Tempe.

[combusean]

Did anyone notice the new tower crane today on on Mill north of the river? It's TALL ... couldn't get a picture of it today but it looks pretty good standing out there.

I have no idea what this project is--it looks like it's slipped under the radar for a while. No mention of it in the official Tempe website.

[Sekkle]

^ I drove by it tonight after reading your post. The construction sign on the fence says it's the Papago Gateway Center, which is shown on the City of Tempe development page (although I think they mistakenly located it at Priest instead of Mill). It is supposed to be 6 stories. Here's an article I found at the following address...

http://www.sddt.com/Construction/notebook.cfm?PublicationDate=2006-07-14

San Diego-based Chesnut Properties announced it has selected Okland Construction to serve as general contractor for Papago Gateway Center, a mixed-use 223,000-square-foot corporate facility that will include the city of Tempe's first speculative laboratory space as well as Class A office space.
Smith Consulting Group designed the six-story facility. The CB Richard Ellis office team of Brad Anderson, Luke Walker, Bryan Taute, Holly Lorant and Bryce Terveen will market the property.
Papago Gateway Center, which breaks ground in October 2006, will also be the city of Tempe's first LEED-certified office building, a distinction earned for sensitive environmental design. A major design feature will be the double skin louver system that wraps the building on the east, south and west, providing substantial shade in an environment where shade is highly needed.
"This building will support the emerging Phoenix Valley biotech community by accommodating startup companies with requirements as small as 1,500 square feet," Chesnut said. "The greater Phoenix area has made remarkable strides in the last three years in the biotech industry with TGen and the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University. The facility is 50 percent laboratory capable."
The center will be the valley's first privately developed speculative corporate office building that holds the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for a "green" building that is environmentally sensitive and has been built in a manner that respects the environment, the health of its tenants, and is highly efficient in its operations and design.
Additional planned amenities include a full-service cafeteria, fitness center, a 900-car parking structure and authentic desertscape with cooling reflective ponds.

Nice to know it's a "green" building. The 900-car parking structure should do wonders to help curb emissions, too.

[Sekkle]

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[Sekkle]

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[Azndragon837]

Sean, I got your message on my cellphone, ForAteOh is right about the project...it's the 6 story Papago Gateway Center (office building). I do not know why such a tall crane is being used to build a short building, then again, a tall crane is being used right now for the Northshore development on Rural and Playa del Norte. Sorry I didn't return your call, I was in class.

-Andrew

[Sekkle]

From the Tribune a few days ago...

Tempe development surge is building
By Misty Williams, Tribune
January 12, 2007
Tempe could see another three housing developments spring to life in the coming years, as the city’s infill areas continue to expand — mostly skyward — despite its landlocked borders.


A mix of condominiums, townhouses and single-family homes, the projects are part of a surge in development the city’s seen over the past 20 months, said Chris Anaradian, Tempe’s development services manager.

With about $1 billion in construction happening right now, “it’s like day and night” compared to a few years ago, Anaradian said.

Each of these latest projects is in very different stages of planning.

SOTELO: Multifamily housing developer Trammell Crow Residential hopes to break ground on a six-building, 170-unit condo complex in the second quarter 2007.

Located at the southeast corner of Weber Drive and College Avenue, the four-story buildings will sit across the street from Papago Park.

Fremont Investment & Loan provided a $38.8 million construction loan to Trammell Crow for the project, said Jeff Teetsel, Fremont’s vice president and regional manager.

With its proximity to Arizona State University, freeways and the airport, Sotelo will likely attract a number of young professionals, Teetsel said.

It’s conveniently located to downtown Phoenix and Tempe, but owners will also be able to enjoy the park, he said.

“You get a really nice blend,” said Jason Ottman, managing director at
Trammell Crow. “You’re in the middle of everything, but you’re pretty much in a quiet little pocket of the city.”

Starting from the high $200,000s, the condos will have one and two bedrooms and range in size from 900 square feet to roughly 2,200 square feet.

TOWN LAKE VILLAS: Commercial builder Tom Meissner’s first home project — an eighthome luxury development — is in planning stages.

Situated along First Street near Tempe Town Lake, the single-family houses would range in size from 4,500 square feet to 5,000 square feet. Each would have two stories, a third floor with one room and a basement, Meissner said.

The properties would include rooftop gardens and Jacuzzis, as well as underground parking garages, he said.

Meissner said he hopes to create an urban atmosphere with suburban-type amenities — room to park boats and have pets.

“We’re trying to do something that’s exceptional” he said.

He added that it’s too early to talk about home prices, but they would easily cost well over $1 million.

Meissner recently submitted a second draft of plans to the city and is working on marketing studies.

But he’s in no rush to build.

The longtime developer has owned the land since 2000 and said he’ll build “when the market’s right.”

ZACHER HOMES: Phoenix-based Zacher Homes hopes to close a deal next week to buy five acres of land next door to Meissner’s property.

Located on the northwest corner of Roosevelt and First streets, the site is right across from the new Tempe Center for the Arts.

Preliminary plans for the property include four condo towers that could range in size from 10 stories to 25 stories, as well as a number of townhouses, said Patrick Burch, Zacher’s land acquisition manager.

The project doesn’t have a formal name yet and is still in the very early stages, he said.

Two focus points of Zacher’s plan would be leaving a lot of open space so the arts center wouldn’t be overshadowed and creating an art walk that would provide pedestrian access to the center, Burch said.

Zacher has had at least one informal meeting with neighbors in the area but has yet to submit any plans to the city.

“We don’t know exactly what they’re going to allow us to do,” he said. “It’s really not a guaranteed anything.”

There would need to be a good discussion about height before anything was approved, Anaradian said. The city has definite ideas about where tall buildings belong in downtown, he said.

The arts center was a huge investment, so whatever goes across the street will be looked at closely, he said.

“The sky is not the limit on all of these sites in Tempe,” he said.

[combusean]

This was my favorite proposal for the Tempe Arts District. We talked about this a few pages back.. The "Farmer Arts District" won out--100 condos, 100 affordable apartments, 7 stories, 8.5 acres on a skinny stretch of land west of the railroad tracks. I can't wait to see this one finish.

Arts district may bring housing

Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 19, 2007 12:00 AM

A new form of affordable housing could be coming to downtown Tempe.

Plans for the Farmer Arts District, a development slated to go in just west of downtown, would have a portion of it operating under Tempe's federal low-income tax-credit housing program. Only one other Tempe project has used this affordability program, Elliot Point, a south Tempe apartment complex.

The City Council heard an update on the project during its Issue Review Session meeting Thursday night.

The Farmer Arts District concept is viewed as important around City Hall because the land it will sit on will be a key transition point between Tempe's downtown and the Riverside-Sunset and Maple-Ash neighborhoods.

Right now, the land is mostly brush and parking lot. But the developer who won a public beauty contest of sorts between six contestants has big plans, he told The Republic on Thursday.

"We intend for it to have an iconic presence," developer Todd Marshall said.

His company, Todd Marshall Farmer Arts District, envisions condominiums, retail and commercial space, and parks on the city-owned land between Farmer Avenue and the Union Pacific railroad tracks. The 8.5 acres start at University Drive where Tempe Bicycle store sits, and runs north to Third Street.

The project originally was proposed with only owner-occupied condos. That idea has shifted to include about 100 owner-occupied units, plus more than 100 rental units that would be financed through the tax-credit housing program.

"Because this kind of tax credit precludes full-time students, it will hopefully help the police, fire, health care workers and teachers that we hope would qualify," Councilwoman Shana Ellis said.

"People seem to fear many of these new condo projects will turn into student housing because of investors. This kind of tax credit would preclude that from happening," Ellis said.

The tax-credit program has been around since 1988. It is run by the Internal Revenue Service through the Department of Housing and Urban Development. It creates tax credits that are sold to private investors, according to Richard Stone, of the Arizona Department of Housing.

Proceeds from those sales in turn generate funding for the project development. In return for this investment, the government monitors and evaluates rental residents through screening and income requirements for 15 years or longer.

The Farmer Arts Project plans include Tempe's first branch library. According to the plans, a roughly 16,000-square-foot portion of one of the condo buildings would be dedicated to a two-story "urban-style" library. It would be on University Drive.

"Right now we're visioning and dreaming," said Teri Metros, director of Tempe's Public Library. She runs the city's existing 100,000-square-foot library, which serves 143,595 library cardholders.

The library would likely have an emphasis on technology, Metros said, and include computers and wireless Internet connectivity.

The city is examining paying for the facility's operation and maintenance costs with the money it makes from selling the land to the Marshall company, according to Chris Salomone, Tempe's community development director.

The project's highest point has grown. It was four stories when it was presented to council last fall. It now is drawn to be about seven stories.

Tentative plans show the other Farmer Arts District buildings would be scattered throughout the site, with breaks at streets to allow for pedestrian traffic. It also includes wide, tree-lined sidewalks. Marshall said they intend to give the project a pedestrian-friendly feel to help lure people into planned shops and restaurants.

No tenants have been announced for the project. And it's too early to pinpoint a construction start date. But Charles Huellmantel, the project's attorney, said the developer hopes to begin building by early 2008.

[Sekkle]

^ That's GREAT news. I was worried that that strip would end up being a lot like the typical apartment complex-style pieces of shit that are a dime a dozen around the East Valley. It's good to see that there will be a little density and character to it. That should provide a pretty good transition between downtown Tempe and the neighborhoods west of there. Also great to see that it will have some more affordable units. Hopefully they will keep the "pedestrian-friendly" goal in mind and not build some huge monstrosity of a parking garage.

[PHX31]

Is this the same site that Bruder's "Freight _ Tempe" was also proposed (or presented)? That looked pretty cool too.

[combusean]

^ Yup ... there were six competing proposals ... Freight was one of them--it looks like the Farmer Arts DIstrict won out.

[DevdogAZ]

Originally Posted by ForAteOh

From the Tribune a few days ago...

Tempe development surge is building
By Misty Williams, Tribune
January 12, 2007
<snip>
ZACHER HOMES: Phoenix-based Zacher Homes hopes to close a deal next week to buy five acres of land next door to Meissner’s property.

Located on the northwest corner of Roosevelt and First streets, the site is right across from the new Tempe Center for the Arts.

Preliminary plans for the property include four condo towers that could range in size from 10 stories to 25 stories, as well as a number of townhouses, said Patrick Burch, Zacher’s land acquisition manager.

The project doesn’t have a formal name yet and is still in the very early stages, he said.

Two focus points of Zacher’s plan would be leaving a lot of open space so the arts center wouldn’t be overshadowed and creating an art walk that would provide pedestrian access to the center, Burch said.

Zacher has had at least one informal meeting with neighbors in the area but has yet to submit any plans to the city.

“We don’t know exactly what they’re going to allow us to do,” he said. “It’s really not a guaranteed anything.”

There would need to be a good discussion about height before anything was approved, Anaradian said. The city has definite ideas about where tall buildings belong in downtown, he said.

The arts center was a huge investment, so whatever goes across the street will be looked at closely, he said.

“The sky is not the limit on all of these sites in Tempe,” he said.

I can't imagine anything close to 25 stories being allowed at that site. That's roughly as close to the PHX runways as the Cards stadium would have been (at Priest and Washington) and even a little taller. If the airport is having problems with the height of Centerpoint, which is further south and east, I can't imagine anyone even proposing 25 stories there.

[sundevilgrad]

New artilce today on the Farmer Arts district... Mostly the same as the one posted above, however this on mentions that new renderings have increased the high point of the project from 4 to 7 stories...

Tempe project would offer affordability in city's core

Katie Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 24, 2007 12:00 AM

A new form of affordable housing could be coming to downtown Tempe.

Plans for the Farmer Arts District, a development slated to be built just west of downtown, would have a portion of it operating under Tempe's federal low-income tax-credit housing program. Only one other Tempe project has used this affordability program: Elliot Point, a south Tempe apartment complex.

The City Council heard an update on the project during its Issue Review Session meeting Thursday night.
advertisement


The Farmer Arts District concept is viewed around City Hall as important because the land it will sit on will be a key transition point between Tempe's downtown and the Riverside-Sunset and Maple-Ash neighborhoods.

Right now, the land is mostly brush and parking lot. But the developer says he has big plans.

"We intend for it to have an iconic presence," developer Todd Marshall said.

His company, Todd Marshall Farmer Arts District, envisions condominiums, retail and commercial space, and parks on the city-owned land between Farmer Avenue and the Union Pacific railroad tracks. The 8.5 acres start at University Drive where Tempe Bicycle store sits, and runs north to Third Street.

The project originally was proposed with only owner-occupied condos. That idea has shifted to include about 100 owner-occupied units, plus more than 100 rental units that would be financed through the tax-credit housing program.

"Because this kind of tax credit precludes full-time students, it will hopefully help the police, fire, health care workers and teachers that we hope would qualify," Councilwoman Shana Ellis said.

"People seem to fear many of these new condo projects will turn into student housing because of investors. This kind of tax credit would preclude that from happening," Ellis said.

The tax-credit program has been around since 1988. It is run by the Internal Revenue Service through the Department of Housing and Urban Development. It creates tax credits that are sold to private investors, according to Richard Stone of the Arizona Department of Housing.

Proceeds from those sales in turn generate funding for the project development. In return for this investment, the government monitors and evaluates rental residents through screening and income requirements for 15 years or longer.

The Farmer Arts Project plans include Tempe's first branch library.

According to the plans, a roughly 16,000-square-foot portion of one of the condo buildings would be dedicated to a two-story "urban-style" library. It would be on University Drive.

"Right now we're visioning and dreaming," said Teri Metros, director of Tempe's Public Library. She runs the city's existing 100,000-square-foot library, which serves 143,595 library cardholders.

The library would likely have an emphasis on technology, Metros said, and include computers and wireless Internet connectivity.

The city is examining paying for the facility's operation and maintenance costs with the money it makes from selling the land to the Marshall company, said Chris Salomone, Tempe's community development director.

The project's highest point has grown. It was four stories when it was presented to council last fall. It now is drawn to be about seven stories.

No tenants have been announced for the project. And it's too early to pinpoint a construction start date. But Charles Huellmantel, the project's attorney, said the developer hopes to begin building by early 2008.