Freeport-McMoRan Center (One Central Park East) - Phoenix, AZ

[Don B.]

I'm not sure Phoenix will ever get a building that tall. Where would they put it? The airport height limits downtown (the most logical place for a 75-story building) pretty much guarantee that nothing taller than about 600 feet will be built downtown. You have to move north of Roosevelt to escape those height limits and as you move farther north, away from downtown, you get closer to the adjacent residential neighborhoods on either side of Central Avenue who urinate and moan over just about any project taller than 300 feet, like the end of western civilization as we know it is imminent if the city approves the project. You get into a clusterfrack of NIMBYs and BANANAs who go bat-poop insane over anything more than 25 stories, with choice comments like this (culled from prior city council or village planning meetings I've attended over the years):

"It will make Phoenix hotter, with all of that sunshine reflecting off of the glass." Really, how do you come by these gems of wisdom? You have scientific studies to prove this result or are you just pulling this stuff out of your Depends-covered arse?

"It will make traffic worse." Um, you think? Usually building any sort of high-rise that increases a city's density will increase traffic to some degree, but so does adding another single-family home sprawlburb subdivision in Timbuktu. I guess some people think Phoenix should be a static city, never-changing, for all eternity.

"It will depress our property values." Wow! That's amazing! Funny how overall market conditions (that might depress values right now) or the fact you live in a close-in neighborhood (that might pump up close-in property values) has nothing to do with that.



Others have touched on the other reasons for Phoenix's lack of height: Lack of corporate headquarters, lack of economic activity justifying the need for supertall buildings, etc. ad nauseum.

--don

[HooverDam]

Originally Posted by somethingfast

So what do you guys think about the news that OKC is getting a 925' tower???? It just really exacerbates what we all know about Phoenix -- absurd, embarassing, ridiculous, perplexing lack of a supertall tower given that PHX is the 5th largest city and anchors the 13th (or is it 12th???) largest metro in the nation. I hate to say it but, man, it's just pathetic that a 483' foot stucco and glass tower has held the top spot in PHX for nearly 4 decades. Yikes. Sad. Yes, I live in Houston now but I'm planning on moving back to PHX soon and I REALLY want to see a 700+ footer there in the next 5 years. What are the odds????? Be serious. 50/50? 10/90? I think it's probably 20% chance given history and the economy...sigh...

1 in 100 at the very best, 1 in 1000 more like it. Phoenix has no large companies needing such a big tower, plus, where would it go? There's very few parcels in the downtown area that are zoned for that height. Plus with Sky Harbo concerns, the best place for a really tall tower is more in Midtown, but I don't think anyone really wants that.

Size ain't everything, I'll take 3 200 footers over 1 700 footer I do believe. Density, good urban design and filling up dirt lots are higher priorities for me than one gigantic building.

Though if I ruled the world, the Central Transit station would be done away with and turned into something like Clevelands Terminal Tower like I've mentioned before. Give it a large ground floor lobby for LRT, buses, taxi's, circulator buses and a future connection (via circulator) to Phx Union Station. It would also be nice to see people be able to do some airport functions (buy tickets, perhaps check bags, etc) there and then ride the train over to Sky Harbor. A busy terminal like this would of course mean some sort of food court, which would bring a lot more food choices to downtown, even if it were just fast foody type places. Plus there'd be opportunities for retail. Then I'd like to see Valley Metro, ADOT and any future train administration consolidated into the building. Something like that at 500'+ would be swell.

[somethingfast]

Good points, all. Once upon a time, there was the possibility of pulling Motorola or Intel permanently to the Valley. Hell, even Dial could have financed a 700 footer before they pussed out and fled the CBD. Truth is, most American companies are run by a bunch of pussies with zero vision. That's what a Harvard MBA REALLY gets you these days -- zero vision but a real hankering for a nice little private golf membership out in the 'burbs. Where the hell is Howard Hughes when you need him?

[Don B.]

To be more positive, I would argue that Phoenix getting more density is more important than a new supertall or even tall (e.g. 600-800 foot skyscraper).

At this point, I'd be happy with 515 feet.

--don

[somethingfast]

True, but it speaks volumes that we're all clamoring for what is basically a pretty routine height -- 500 feet.

[plinko]

For the record, Dial had all the space it needed downtown when it agreed to be the primary tenant (along with Greyhound) in the VIAD Tower. There was originally a twin planned for that site as well. Once Dial spun-off VIAD, the executives (who all lived in Scottdale and PV) decided that they didn't need all that space and could have all they needed in the Airpark (my old employers designed their HQ). Dial was never the company that would need that kind of space.

Phelps Dodge is the only thing close and honestly they don't really need THAT much space. The only banks that might need that kind of space might have been BofA or Wells Fargo but they chose the burbs (or Sky Harbor) for their credit card operations. Chase at least chose downtown Tempe.

Maricopa County has employees and departments scattered over dozens of buildings in DT Phoenix...but then again...that makes too much sense.

But anyway, about CPE, anybody got any DETAIL shots?

[PhxPavilion]

Originally Posted by Don B.

"It will make Phoenix hotter, with all of that sunshine reflecting off of the glass." Really, how do you come by these gems of wisdom? You have scientific studies to prove this result or are you just pulling this stuff out of your Depends-covered arse?

City planners really need to grow some balls and wake these old-timers up to the fact that they live downtown in the fifth largest city in the country. If they don't like it they can move to any of the other 400 square miles of suburban Phoenix.

As has been mentioned, until a large company decides to consolidate downtown or a large company decides to move to downtown Phoenix from another city we probably won't ever see anything taller than 500' if that. On the other hand, if the economy jumps back up and the growth rate follows again, I'd say there's a good chance we could get a 600-700 foot residential tower but it would probably be in the area of Central and Thomas.

[andrewkfromaz]

Originally Posted by PhxPavilion

City planners really need to grow some balls and wake these old-timers up to the fact that they live downtown in the fifth largest city in the country. If they don't like it they can move to any of the other 400 square miles of suburban Phoenix.

As has been mentioned, until a large company decides to consolidate downtown or a large company decides to move to downtown Phoenix from another city we probably won't ever see anything taller than 500' if that. On the other hand, if the economy jumps back up and the growth rate follows again, I'd say there's a good chance we could get a 600-700 foot residential tower but it would probably be in the area of Central and Thomas.

I could just see how THAT conversation would go... And it would end up with someone getting fired.

I think the second point is right on, though. Generations X and Y and the Millennials are going to be somewhat more friendly towards urban living than our forebears, (to say nothing of long-term changes to the American dream due to the price of oil) so I think the era of the high-rise condo tower is nowhere near its peak. Just wait till ol' man Time claims a few of Don's NIMBYs...

[PHX4EVER]

I took this pictures with my cell phone today.This building is going up quickly.

[PHX_PD]

Core: 20 / Floors: 14 (almost)

The crane has been raised quite a bit:

[JAHOPL]

Oooh, I like the last one. Chase is turned into a towering black box and Sheraton is a little skinny one. OCPE is becoming a contender.

Thanks for the photos, PHX guys.

[HX_Guy]

Last picture rocks! The crane looks freaking huge!

[vertex]

Sooo, what's up with the lights on in the Sheraton?

Squatters anyone?

[HX_Guy]

Some look details on the parking garage facade...

[neworleans]

the garage facade looks so dull. i sure hope it at least turns out like the renderings. Or maybe it just looks bad from the pics... does it look better in person?

[gymratmanaz]

It doesn't have the vertical additions yet. No worries. Don't panic!!!

[combusean]

I didnt know about the vertical additions but was pleased to see that glass piece on that side--yes, it does look better in person. The matte finish to it looks really elegant next to the metal, and should compliment the rest of the tower pretty well.

I cant wait to see the upper level facade go up on this baby

[vertex]

Here is Jahna Berry's article about the CPE from this morning's AZ Republic. For the most part, there is nothing we didn't already know, except for the next-to-last paragraph:

High rise goes up, but tenants are scarce

by Jahna Berry - Sept. 12, 2008 07:27 AM
The Arizona Republic

The concrete-and-steel frame of the One Central Park East office high-rise has been rapidly rising near Van Buren and First streets.

Snagging tenants for the 26-story downtown Phoenix building, however, has been slow going, the developer says.

Early lease talks are under way with several prospective tenants for the 485,000-square-foot building, said Andrew Conlin, managing director of Chicago-based Mesirow Financial Real Estate Inc. Those talks represent proposals to rent 800,000 square feet, Conlin added.

While some of those discussions have led to negotiations for letters on intent - a step before an actual lease - no leases have been signed yet, he said. The building is expected to open in September 2009.

"The challenge that has arisen is that the lease market has been impacted by the economy a little bit," Conlin said.

That's because the modern glass tower that Mesirow Financial plans to build is, financially speaking, a time capsule, an expert says.

One Central Park East reflects the commercial real estate market of 18 months ago, when it was possible to get financing for a building that had few or no confirmed tenants, said Donald Mudd, a senior vice president at Grubb & Ellis Co., a commercial real estate consulting firm.

With today's weak economy, those conditions don't exist, he added.

Plus, it costs money to relocate and many prospective tenants are facing tight budgets, Mudd observed.

"A lot of people don't want to make a decision now," Mudd said. "Unless there is a real definite need to relocate, a lot of tenants are renewing (leases) on a short-term basis."

When the tower is complete, One Central Park East will be an "iconic" addition to the Phoenix skyline, Conlin said.

The building will be covered with treated glass panels that block desert heat but aren't as mirror-like as nearby Chase Tower, he said.

The building's corners bend inward and the middle of the building will have a strip of special material that changes colors in sunlight. The parking levels are covered with perforated metal sheets and at night, those floors will cast a white glow, Conlin said.

Early next spring, construction crews will start on a separate parking structure on the northern side of the property, which is bounded by Central Avenue, Van Buren, First and Polk streets. It will add up to 750 parking spaces to the 580 spaces on the lower floor for the office building, Conlin said.

The first 10floors are complete - one floor of retail and nine levels of parking. Crews are now building 16 floors of office space. Passersby will see the building get roughly one floor taller per week, said Tom Dobson, senior manager at Holder Construction Co.

So, did anyone else know about the additional garage on the north side? It's the first I've heard about it, and it eliminates any hope for an additional tower.

[gymratmanaz]

will they build the parking part with the footings for the upper part of a tower for future?

[HX_Guy]

What the hell is that about? Something new or something always planned? We had always heard that a second phase would go up on the north side of the lot, which would most likely be a condo tower or mixed-use with ASU.

I figured that the 9 floors of parking made up the 1,330 parking spaces, but that's not the case?