Quote:
Originally Posted by PHXFlyer11
Funny that you say that. I was looking at the route and thinking that Ash really doesn't have many lots left for development. There is the proposed tower on Ash and 5th, then the city owned corner/abandoned building right on the corner of Rio and Ash, and the city parking lot on 3rd and Ash, that's about it.
I almost think Farmer would be better at this point. Ash would still benefit, but how cool would it be to stop at The Yard and help get University & Ash off the ground. Seems silly to my to have the street car go down consecutive streets in Mill and Ash. I'd personally prefer College and Farmer to make access to the entire area contained in those boundaries simpler. Of course with stops at Rio and Mill and University and Mill.
One more incoherent thought... I think Macayo's is an excellent opportunity for redevelopment, similar to Monti's. It has to be only a matter of time. I would love to see commuter rail come to fruition. That would be the PERFECT stop for Tempe, below a mixed-use series of 2-3 towers and of course, a Macayo's restaurant on the ground floor with the commuter train station. One can dream.
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It won't actually go down Ash and Mill at the same time; it'll go from a bi-directional train to a one-way loop once it hits University (so, only northbound on Mill with stops on 7th, 3rd and Rio Salado; then, southbound on Ash with stops at 5th and University)... I don't quite understand the logistics now that there's extensions on both Mill and Rio Salado (as in what happens along Rio Salado?), but that was the idea when it was one vs. the other. The rationale was that the streetcar could still run during the events/festivals that shut down Mill Avenue by heading down Ash.
I agree that Farmer/College would make a little more sense, but I still think it would ultimately be redundant and unnecessary with how close light rail is. Downtown Tempe is considered the most urban area of the metro for a reason - it's already walkable and the lots you highlighted are all within a 1/4-1/2 mile of a light rail stop. I'm antsy for them to get developed, too, but I think that'll happen regardless. The streetcar should serve as a connection to the light rail and promote walkability and dense development in areas that aren't currently served by mass transit, IMO, not just make a downtown trip more convenient (which is really all the current alignment will do).
I think my ideal starter line would've nixed the Rio Salado and Apache extensions and instead traveled between Mill (with the Ash or Farmer loop to provide a downtown connection and set up the area for a future commuter/LRT/streetcar hub like you mentioned) > Priest; Broadway > University, with a future line running north on Priest to Galvin Parkway and the Papago Park amenities. This would'e promoted smart growth along University and Broadway (which would've fit perfectly with the streetscape projects both are undergoing), tied downtown to Fountainhead which is becoming a major employment hub, and linked southern/central neighborhoods together with access to LRT.
^ I agree that Macayo's would be an ideal redevelopment opportunity. I hope that once Farmer is built out, that those lots along Ash fill in and that those developments, along with the small historic section create a nice bridge onto Mill.
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It's hard to keep track of all the Tempe projects.
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