Tucson Development Thread

[farmerk]

More hints of downtown redevelopment moving forward ...

Hotel requirement dropped from Rio Nuevo mandate


City hopes to market failed downtown-area redevelopment site

Wished they'd build 5+ floor buildings in this development - 2,500 homes planned at Wilmot, Interstate 10

[Patrick S]

Originally Posted by farmerk

More hints of downtown redevelopment moving forward ...

Hotel requirement dropped from Rio Nuevo mandate


City hopes to market failed downtown-area redevelopment site

Wished they'd build 5+ floor buildings in this development - 2,500 homes planned at Wilmot, Interstate 10

Here's some more on the community planned by I-10 and Wilmot (and Kolb), called La Estancia: http://realestatedaily-news.com/deve...ia-for-17-1-m/

This is the second foray into the Tucson market for the developer, Sunbelt Holdings, from Scottsdale. The first is at a place called Sendero Pass, which is out by Valencia and Ajo, just southwest of Tucson. Here's some links about this development: http://www.insidetucsonbusiness.com/...a4bcf887a.html

http://www.landadvisors.com/pdf/AZPM01106-103086.pdf

http://webcms.pima.gov/UserFiles/Servers/Server_6/File/Government/Development%20Services/Land%20Planning%20and%20Regulation/Current%20Planning%20Tab/Sendero%20Pass[1].pdf

[Patrick S]

A company, that does plumbing, HVAC, and water works that has been servicing Tucson out of the Phoenix area is opening up a branch down here that will employ 60 by the end of 2014 and hopes to employ another 60 within 2 years: http://azstarnet.com/business/local/...18e8b1a10.html

[Ted Lyons]

First I've heard of this but it explains the demolition permit requests for the buildings currently on the property.

Proposed hotel near campus stirs controversy

http://www.wildcat.arizona.edu/artic...rs-controversy



A local architect and members of a historic zone advisory board are at odds about a proposal to build a hotel near the UA.

. . .

Kozachik said he thinks the council has to sit down with the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation and with the West University Neighborhood Association to talk about the possibilities of designing a hotel in a way that preserves the historic properties rather than demolishing them.

“[The developers] got a real significant uphill battle on this one from the standpoint of process if they’re going to come in and propose that they’re going to demolish any or all of those homes,” Kozachik said.

. . .

While the buildings are probably important to some people, Vint added, he hopes people will also become attached to the hotel if the proposal passes.

“Tucson needs to continue to grow and change,” Vint said. “It is not 1935 anymore; everything around these buildings [has] changed, and now it’s time to improve.”

Wonder what the material is on the side of the building. Regardless, I'm sick of seeing exposed floors.

[Schaeffa]

Originally Posted by Ted Lyons

First I've heard of this but it explains the demolition permit requests for the buildings currently on the property.

Wonder what the material is on the side of the building. Regardless, I'm sick of seeing exposed floors.

Yes, it sure would be a shame to get rid of this... </sarcasm>
I'm not a huge fan of that hotel's design with that color and the exposed floors, but I do think it's leaps and bounds better than the buildings that are standing there now.
I mean, I'm all for keeping the character of old buildings and whatnot, but the building has to have other words associated with it besides dilapidated.

[combusean]

^ The building on the left has good bones--classic street front retail structures like that are too rare in Arizona. The building on the right would be no big loss as there's no streetfront interaction anyways.

[InTheBurbs]

Originally Posted by Ted Lyons

Wonder what the material is on the side of the building. Regardless, I'm sick of seeing exposed floors.

Not a huge fan of the design. Looks out of date already. And I wonder why all the windows are angled to the south. Not very efficient in the desert, and I'm guessing not much of a view from that angle either, except maybe for downtown. Seems like facing north towards the mountains would make more sense.

[aznate27]

Originally Posted by Ted Lyons

First I've heard of this but it explains the demolition permit requests for the buildings currently on the property.



Wonder what the material is on the side of the building. Regardless, I'm sick of seeing exposed floors.

Oh wow, that is one ugly design. I mean it's 2014 and that is the best they could come up with?? It already looks dated...it's so ugly to me, I hope it doesn't get built.

[Ted Lyons]

The angles are obviously a bit different, but it reminds me of Steward Observatory in the worst way possible.

[farmerk]

"Tucson needs to continue to grow and change,” Vint said. “It is not 1935 anymore; everything around these buildings [has] changed, and now it’s time to improve."

And it ain't the 1960's. Almost had a heart attack looking at that photo.

[Thirsty]

The property is backed up against a parking garage, with modern apartments to the south. Like Combusean says, the North structure has good bones. But even if it were rehabilitated it just wouldn't fit anymore (or much longer anyhow).

The design of this hotel is WAY MORE WORRISOME than the buildings they want to raze. Reminds me of...

[farmerk]

It's been awhile since someone posted photo updates of new developments downtown. Was there around 11am and there was quite a number of foot traffic. I wished I had my camera and posted photos...so , if any of you guys had a chance, please post photos of our downtown - potentially becoming the most dense area in AZ. That little block around the Hub could easily be the most modern and dense in all of AZ.

In desperation for photo updates of downtown, I found this site by accident - ILoveDowntown and this .

A quote from ILoveDowntown "On the west end, it appears that the Monier (rather than West End Station) building may be arising from the ground this year as well. Once planned as condos, this space has also been altered to become apartments."

This photo would have been nicer if the superior court buildings and Bank of America were replaced.

[andrewsaturn]

I was on Congress on Friday night and Hifi is such a great addition to downtown. It looks good and is in a great location. Plus, it definitely caters to a different audience looking for an upscale sports bar. Playground was the first one and the World of Beer kind of gives that vibe as well. You would think that one place would steal customers from the other but it gets busy enough that people migrate to the different bars and no one loses. Congress street is becoming more like the new modern place to hang out but when you go under the bridge to 4th ave, it has a different vibe and it can cater to a different audience.

[andrewsaturn]

Originally Posted by farmerk

It's been awhile since someone posted photo updates of new developments downtown. Was there around 11am and there was quite a number of foot traffic. I wished I had my camera and posted photos...so , if any of you guys had a chance, please post photos of our downtown - potentially becoming the most dense area in AZ. That little block around the Hub could easily be the most modern and dense in all of AZ.

In desperation for photo updates of downtown, I found this site by accident - ILoveDowntown and this .

A quote from ILoveDowntown "On the west end, it appears that the Monier (rather than West End Station) building may be arising from the ground this year as well. Once planned as condos, this space has also been altered to become apartments."

This photo would have been nicer if the superior court buildings and Bank of America were replaced.

Yes! we need to post new pictures of the 4th ave underpass and Congress st. intersection. I would but I don't have a good camera.

[farmerk]

Originally Posted by andrewsaturn

I was on Congress on Friday night and Hifi is such a great addition to downtown. It looks good and is in a great location. Plus, it definitely caters to a different audience looking for an upscale sports bar. Playground was the first one and the World of Beer kind of gives that vibe as well. You would think that one place would steal customers from the other but it gets busy enough that people migrate to the different bars and no one loses. Congress street is becoming more like the new modern place to hang out but when you go under the bridge to 4th ave, it has a different vibe and it can cater to a different audience.

I agree. Variety is what the old pueblo needs.

I like to add, the Bridges added more roads, the small retail constructions are done and trees by the sidewalk are growing nicely. Can't wait for the rest of it.

I had a feeling Tucson will have something like this...the current El Rio golf course would be a nice spot for this.

[Thirsty]

Google's streetview has a new function where you can look at streetviews from years past.

Pretty cool feature along Congress where can go back to 2007, and see the progress year by year. The latest one is dated July 2013.

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.2220...TSA5wQ20mw!2e0

[Patrick S]

Came across an interesting site: http://azplanningcenter.com/our-portfolio/

It has renderings of the new subdivision that was in the paper last week at Wilmot & I-10, and the proposed commercial/residential PAD at Golf Links & Houghton that I posted on a couple weeks ago, but the parts I really liked were titled, "Imagine Greater Tucson Visualization" and "Tucson Modern Streetcar Land Use Plan..." which showed a much denser Tucson that we're accustomed to seeing.

[aznate27]

Originally Posted by Patrick S

Came across an interesting site: http://azplanningcenter.com/our-portfolio/

It has renderings of the new subdivision that was in the paper last week at Wilmot & I-10, and the proposed commercial/residential PAD at Golf Links & Houghton that I posted on a couple weeks ago, but the parts I really liked were titled, "Imagine Greater Tucson Visualization" and "Tucson Modern Streetcar Land Use Plan..." which showed a much denser Tucson that we're accustomed to seeing.

Cool website, but the "Imagine Greater Tucson Visualization" will never happen unless the economy gets back to the levels we saw during the Cliton administration, which I seriously doubt we'll see for a long time. But it's nice to dream about... I do think it looks too much like Phoenix though.

[Ted Lyons]

Been out of town for a few days but, on my way out, I noticed a sign for Fired Pie in the windows of the commercial space at The Cadence on the south side of Congress.

http://firedpie.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/fired-pie-phoenix

Looks like it's a fast casual pizza place from Phoenix. On Yelp, people equated it to the pizza version of Chipotle - 11" pizzas are $7.75 with whatever toppings you want. Reviews were pretty good and it seems to target a different pricepoint than Reilly, Bianco, and even Cartel, so I think it should do well in that space, especially if they have late hours on Thursday through Saturday.

[Patrick S]

Looks like they may finally start putting some housing up in the Bridges Project (which also includes the Bio-Science Park and the Tucson Marketplace), specifically the part west of Park Ave.: http://www.tucsonaz.gov/PRO/Command?...ton=View+Files