Phoenix Development News (3)

[ASU Diablo]

he's referring to McKinley Row

[biggus diggus]

Originally Posted by nickw252

Construction on which project? Isn't the Derby on McKinley between 1st and 2nd Streets, not at 4th Street?

Construction on the project at 4th avenue and McKinley, I never mentioned Derby.

I don't know what it's called, it's one of Metrowest's buildings and has been mentioned ad nauseam in this thread as a pile of dirt.

[nickw252]

Originally Posted by airomero83

he's referring to McKinley Row

Thanks, there was no mention of any project, and the prior posts were predominantly about the Derby. I'm not as up to speed as I could be on all the developments going on.

[biggus diggus]

Originally Posted by nickw252

Thanks, there was no mention of any project, and the prior posts were predominantly about the Derby. I'm not as up to speed as I could be on all the developments going on.

there have been at least a half-dozen posts about it but here is the link.

http://www.metrowestdevelopment.com/mckinleyrow/

[Jjs5056]

It's a great-looking project, and fills in one more gap in the South Roosevelt neighborhood, but I wish they had switched it up just a little bit with the architecture compared to the Townhomes on 3rd. McKinley is kind of the transition zone between the historic district and a denser/higher/more urban neighborhood to the south, so I'd have preferred they went a little higher like UL2, for example. Plus, it would've been a slightly different product at that height, condo vs. townhome, and options are always good.

I also wish they had just made them true live/work townhomes. They included the office/studio space on the ground level, so why not just put in the separate entrances in at least the units facing McKinley? But, on the positive side, I'm happy that there ARE units facing McKinley. They could have easily had them all along 4th Ave.

The interiors are a bit The 2nd floor is really inefficient. The breakfast bar reduces the amount of cabinetry available, divides a large area into 2 pretty cramped sections, and emphasizes the length of the unit-- making it look like a train car. The bar should've come out perpendicular to divide the kitchen from the dining/living room and minimize the 'train' affect, and an entire row of bottom cabinets could've been added underneath the window where the bar extends out from now.

I guess maybe they were trying to create somewhat of a hallway between the kitchen and bathroom, but if that was the primary concern, just put the powder room where the coat closet is and have it open toward the stairs. There's also the fact that they even show that there is more than enough space for an office on the main level, so the lack of closet space on the ground floor makes it useless, but hey... I ain't buying one.

[Jjs5056]

I'm hoping MetroWest's project between 3rd Ave and 2nd Ave is a little more exciting. Only details so far are that it includes both apartments and condos, and that part of the project includes adding a community garden to Roosevelt Park. I wonder when they'll break ground on that? They do great work, but they are awfully slooooowww.

[biggus diggus]

Coming 2052

[Red Robot]

Originally Posted by Jjs5056

Careful. It isn't very popular to criticize anything being built in central Phoenix for things like creating a superblock, lacking architectural interest, etc. You might get away with noting the lack of street interaction once or twice but eventually, you'll be told that you need to get over it. I could maybe understand this type of defensiveness if the building in question was a skyscraper or even some kind of one-of-a-kind attraction that has value beyond its design, but we are talking about a 5-story apartment on what is supposed to be our most urban street in the metro...

I would not have imagined there to have been increased pedestrian activity (so, this is me saying something positive). I suppose there's a decent amount of retail to the north and if the neighborhood would STFU ,Omninet will add even more; but damn, anything beyond Hula is going to be a bitch to walk to in a few months. There is literally not a single shade tree or structure between Highland and Camelback. What sucks is the dead zone between Pane Biano and co. and Hula's that Elevation contributes to.

How are the actual businesses north/northeast of Hula's? It's a shame if there are some really good places in there, because honestly, those other shopping plazas look absolutely disgusting. With the giant lot west of Elevation, and the side/rear lots available, it would make a huge difference if they filled in their parking with shade, landscaping, and patio/sidewalk space (like the My Florist plaza did). I know Landmark had issues and I doubt its owner can afford to make these changes, but the gap between its retail and the street would even allow for angled street parking to be added, with a large shaded sidewalk moved west a bit.

One thing to note, due to the 'place type' designated for the 4 corners area (Central & Camelback), with the exception of a few parcels (like the SW corner), new development will be capped at 5 stories in this area. This was part of the Reinvent Phoenix process and is tied to the new general plan. I believe the zoning classification is designated T5.5, which allows for mixed use buildings with retail and residential, however I must admit I'm no expert on the details of this. As I understand it, most of the proposed rezoning for this area is not yet in place, but the city process will begin this year.

The Omninet West project was approved by City Council in December, while the Omninet East project hearing has been delayed a few times now. Last I heard it was on the next meeting agenda. Both projects could indeed improve the pedestrian interest on their blocks and contribute to quite a bit more retail space in the area. Structural shade as well as new landscaping should help pedestrians too. I don't expect either side of the project to break ground until at least 2017.

The shopping plaza on the NW corner of Highland & Central is doing quite well with tenancy, Hula's continues to stay busy with its bar and the new Fàme Caffe has activated the entire south end of the plaza with a great unique restaurant. The vacant lot to the west of the plaza is now owned by the plaza owners. It is currently being used as overflow parking as well as a construction staging lot for Elevation on Central. Once construction is finished in March, the lot will be more permanently designed for parking. In the long term however, I expect this lot will be developed into housing. Something with town homes facing 1st Ave would be nice, as it faces a historic single story neighborhood.

Landmark Towers retail currently holds a realtors office, a financial adviser office, two boutique clothing stores, and a suit store. Both restaurants, Maizes and Zookz have vacated. Zookz moved to Uptown Plaza next to Flower Child, while the owners of Maizes retired. Landmark is currently undergoing renovations both inside and out, currently the parking lots facing Central are being repaired and resurfaced, but I don't expect any design changes or additional shade from the new lot, unfortunately.

The strip mall on the east side of Central, north of Brophy, continues to hold tenants, all small businesses. Parking is limited so I don't anticipate anything to change there. In all likelihood the entire property will be redeveloped into another mid-rise in the coming years, assuming Brophy/Xavier's insatiable campus doesn't swallow it up first. Immediately north of this plaza is a matching one but smaller - this is where Omninet East is proposed.

This is one of the most pedestrian friendly areas in the city at the moment outside of what is happening downtown. It doesn't compare to denser cities, but in Phoenix's own way, this is something. It still has a long ways to go, but the forward momentum has been building since the light rail opened. We have a lot of great restaurants already, with more on the way, and now the retail side is growing. The redevelopment of Uptown Plaza is already seeding improvements in surrounding properties - in the last month a blighted office building on Central north of Camelback has been refurbished by a new tenant. An old vacant jewelry store is just now starting to be built into a restaurant. A new boutique shop has opened in the plaza by Cheese N Stuff, having moved from Roosevelt Row to expand.

Central & Camelback is on the right track. I'm more interested in what will happen with the massive parcels at Indian School & Central, as well as those on Central going north to Campbell. 3rd Ave & Camelback going west is another location prime for development. I hear murmurs that the group behind the Newton development are acquiring more of the surrounding properties.

[exit2lef]

A corporate headquarters is relocating from Charlotte to Phoenix. The office will be in the Kierland area of northeast Phoenix, often misclassified as north Scottsdale:

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/n...0-company.html

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by Red Robot

This is one of the most pedestrian friendly areas in the city at the moment outside of what is happening downtown.

Thank you for the detail on the properties there. I've seen these businesses come and go as part of my daily commute via light rail. I must respectfully take issue with the statement above, however. Right now, the area isn't nearly as pedestrian-friendly as Downtown. Some of the issues:

-- The light rail station is set back from the corner of Central and Camelback, resulting in long walks around the fenced off vacant triangular lot for anyone crossing between the station and the other corners.
-- The Uptown Plaza renovation, as nice as it is from a cosmetic point of view, has done nothing to make the intersection better from a walking or bicycling point of view. There are still too many driveways disrupting sidewalks and bike lanes.
-- The Dutch Brothers drive-thru on the northwest corner is a poor use such key land. Cars idling as their drivers wait to place orders sometimes back up into Central Avenue, blocking the sidewalk and the bike lane.
-- There is no pedestrian crossing on Central anywhere between Highland and Camelback.

To remedy this, my dream scenario would be the following:

-- Make Camelback and Central a scramble intersection where traffic is stopped simultaneously in all four directions so that pedestrians can cross diagonally between Uptown Plaza and the light rail station.
-- Require that any development on the triangular lot on the southwest corner incorporate a pedestrian passage from the corner to the light rail station.
-- Build some sort of signalized pedestrian crossing at Mariposa, perhaps in association with the existing signal that stops southbound cars when the trains make their turns.
-- Build something better than Dutch Brothers when the lease expires.
-- When Applebees' lease expires, knock down the building. Build a new structure up to five stories tall with a garage or underground parking replacing some of the current lot. With less reliance on surface parking, reduce the number of driveways.

[PHX31]

I think the Uptown Plaza renovation is so perfect... bringing back a neat and unique property (even if it is just a "strip mall" - it's a cool mid-century one and unique) and refreshing the tenant list.

Does anyone know what the deal is with the AJ's portion of the Plaza? Are they really not going to let them rehabilitate their space? It will look ridiculous and make AJ's look lame and tacky if they're the only part that wasn't rehabbed. Hopefully they're waiting for the rest of the plaza to finish before allowing them to start on their part.

Applebee's definitely needs to go.

[dtnphx]

Originally Posted by PHX31

I think the Uptown Plaza renovation is so perfect... bringing back a neat and unique property (even if it is just a "strip mall" - it's a cool mid-century one and unique) and refreshing the tenant list.

Does anyone know what the deal is with the AJ's portion of the Plaza? Are they really not going to let them rehabilitate their space? It will look ridiculous and make AJ's look lame and tacky if they're the only part that wasn't rehabbed. Hopefully they're waiting for the rest of the plaza to finish before allowing them to start on their part.

Applebee's definitely needs to go.

From what I hear AJ's is just dragging it's feet a bit since RED development wants them to upgrade the inside of the store (worst AJs ever, very dated) and either they're waiting for proposals to do both, or just are on their own time frame is anyone's guess.

[Red Robot]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

Thank you for the detail on the properties there. I've seen these businesses comes and go as part of my daily commute via light rail. I must respectfully take issue with the statement above, however. Right now, the area isn't nearly as pedestrian-friendly as Downtown. Some of the issues:

-- The light rail station is set back from the corner of Central and Camelback, resulting in long walks around the fenced off vacant triangular lot for anyone crossing between the station and the other corners.
-- The Uptown Plaza renovation, as nice as it is from a cosmetic point of view, has done nothing to make the intersection better from a walking or bicycling point of view. There are still too many driveways disrupting sidewalks and bike lanes.
-- The Dutch Brothers drive-thru on the northwest corner is a poor use such key land. Cars idling as their drivers wait to place orders sometimes back up into Central Avenue, blocking the sidewalk and the bike lane.
-- There is no pedestrian crossing on Central anywhere between Highland and Camelback.

I don't disagree, it's not yet pedestrian friendly in a 'complete streets' sense, I simply mean it's pedestrian friendly in that there's a high concentration of neighborhood businesses close enough to safely walk or bike to. Tons of restaurants, coffee shops, bars, dry cleaners, grocery stores, gyms, banks, harbors, salons, clothing stores, lots of various other retail. Not to mention the light rail station on the corner, bike share racks, and 2 additional stations close by.

[Red Robot]

Originally Posted by PHX31

I think the Uptown Plaza renovation is so perfect... bringing back a neat and unique property (even if it is just a "strip mall" - it's a cool mid-century one and unique) and refreshing the tenant list.

Does anyone know what the deal is with the AJ's portion of the Plaza? Are they really not going to let them rehabilitate their space? It will look ridiculous and make AJ's look lame and tacky if they're the only part that wasn't rehabbed. Hopefully they're waiting for the rest of the plaza to finish before allowing them to start on their part.

Applebee's definitely needs to go.

AJ's will begin their renovation once the rest of the plaza has finished construction. They are going to be remodeling the interior and redesigning the entire exterior facade and entrances. I anticipate something more similar to Whole Foods, with a greater focus on AJ's already popular prepared meals to go and coffee bar. They are also expanding into the space formerly occupied by The UPS Store to build a sushi bar. The plaza developer said they were going to push hard to keep the new store facade in character with the rest of the plaza, but it sounded like the design is ultimately up to AJ's own team.

Applebee's is another story, they're not going anywhere anytime soon. They apparently have a very strong lease on their land for another 15 or 20 years or some similarly startling number. Since I moved to the neighborhood in 2006, I've never seen Applebee's anything but jam packed with customers, much to my amazement.

[Jjs5056]

Red Robot - thanks so much for the information about the Central/Camelback area. I'd been to Hula's several times and never paid much attention to what surrounded it (aside from Uptown Row), and was surprised to see so much retail activity.

While these businesses may draw pedestrian traffic, I'd hardly call it a 'friendly' environment for anything but cars, though. None of the retail is attached to the sidewalk, shade is nonexistent, etc. Does Central Ave "belong" to any of the nearby historic neighborhoods? Like so many parts of Central Phoenix, this area could be great with rather simple renovations or "band-aids." Having some sort of neighborhood organization in place could facilitate things like district parking, which would enable those awful front lots to be turned into plazas and patios.

Unfortunately, the Indian School lots are likely to remain vacant for much - if not all - of our lifetimes. Collier has been land banking it since Indian Steele Park was built and there will likely never be the demand for the type of project needed for them to make a profit, if I understand the situation correctly. The major Midtown intersections are rather awful: McDowell, Thomas, Indian School, and Camelback. I think Thomas north to Clarendon has potential; with One Lexington, Edison, and Osborn on 3rd, there's going to be a decent concentration of new home-owners in the area, and maybe Alliance will eventually revive their plans for the Walgreens/Staples lot? Dense residential and hotel uses surrounding Park Central is the only way that it will ever become something closer to the vision so many people have for it. I doubt it will ever be the Horton Plaza of Phoenix, but filling in some of the surface parking with development and some sort of actual park space would still be a good amenity for Midtown.

There was a lot of talk of buildings changing uses and/or renovating their ground floors in Midtown, and I haven't seen much of that happen. If it does, the tower on Thomas shows what an impact it can make. Hopefully, those kind of projects can move forward in tandem with the new residential planned throughout. I'd like to see the more intensive new construction focused between McDowell and Roosevelt. With Hance Park, Cancer Survivors Park, PAM, Burton Barr, etc., it's surprising how little has been proposed.

exit2lef - I totally agree on the triangle lot on Central/Camelback needing a pedestrian link to the LRT station. I remember the last proposal asked for a variance to remove the requirement of fronting both the street and light rail, which would be really unfortunate.

[Jjs5056]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

A corporate headquarters is relocating from Charlotte to Phoenix. The office will be in the Kierland area of northeast Phoenix, often misclassified as north Scottsdale:

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/n...0-company.html

You know, I understand that Kierland and Scottsdale Quarter are here to stay, but I can't help but be bothered by the fact that so many of Phoenix's economic leaders don't see the importance of getting these HQs to locate downtown. Sure, they may have discussed it, but I honestly doubt it. Mackay has encouraged businesses looking at downtown to choose Midtown to fit her agenda of revitalizing certain corridors. They talk about all of the indirect benefits this HQ will have - wouldn't it be great if that civic investment was made downtown?

The quote about Phoenix being a young city is also telling. These guys have no clue about Phoenix's history. Phoenix was very much a city on the rise with multiple HQs before the early 90's. The lack of Fortune 500/1000 presence is due to poor economic development strategies, not the age of the city.

Between this and the several other relocations/expansions announced for the 'burbs in recent months, we could have had a tower up on the lot between CityScape and Colliers. Seeing names like Avnet, Petsmart, Coldstone, Henkel, etc. on the top of towers would give downtown credibility and spur more investment, IMO, while also attracting higher-end residential and retail projects.

[Jjs5056]

Oh, and Reb Robot - you mentioned that Central/Camelback has been restricted in height due to ReInventPHX. I wonder how much the city has collectively spent on the dozens of planning projects undertaken since the early 2000's? Every year, there seems to be a push for the community to get involved and have their voice heard in some way or another, yet nothing has changed about the way downtown has developed.

The parking study they conducted showed a massive surplus. It only found a deficiency when it assumed that every proposed project would be built, and be built without its own parking which we know is never going to happen in Phoenix. It emphasizes the need for shared parking, and for wrapping garages in other uses, etc. So, why is the topic of parking still such so 'hot' ..? Why are freestanding garages being built? Why are surface lots being created to 'fulfill community demand' when a funded study found a surplus?

Then, there was the Downtown Phoenix Strategic Vision which ultimately led to the Urban Form project. None of the elements outlined in Urban Form have been accomplished and the maps it designed have been completely ignored. It's sad to look at the work that went into this - VERY GOOD - plan and then compare it to reality. Why was so much time and energy wasted on something that the City was going to let developers out of regardless?

These and other studies can be found here: https://www.phoenix.gov/pddsite/Page...lications.aspx

[Red Robot]

Originally Posted by Jjs5056

Oh, and Reb Robot - you mentioned that Central/Camelback has been restricted in height due to ReInventPHX. I wonder how much the city has collectively spent on the dozens of planning projects undertaken since the early 2000's? Every year, there seems to be a push for the community to get involved and have their voice heard in some way or another, yet nothing has changed about the way downtown has developed.

The parking study they conducted showed a massive surplus. It only found a deficiency when it assumed that every proposed project would be built, and be built without its own parking which we know is never going to happen in Phoenix. It emphasizes the need for shared parking, and for wrapping garages in other uses, etc. So, why is the topic of parking still such so 'hot' ..? Why are freestanding garages being built? Why are surface lots being created to 'fulfill community demand' when a funded study found a surplus?

Then, there was the Downtown Phoenix Strategic Vision which ultimately led to the Urban Form project. None of the elements outlined in Urban Form have been accomplished and the maps it designed have been completely ignored. It's sad to look at the work that went into this - VERY GOOD - plan and then compare it to reality. Why was so much time and energy wasted on something that the City was going to let developers out of regardless?

These and other studies can be found here: https://www.phoenix.gov/pddsite/Page...lications.aspx

Time will tell. I think the environment and market demands are quite different this time around, but I can understand the skepticism.

The Omninet projects conform to the new urban code set in the new general plan almost to a T, in advance of the rezoning. The single use monolith named Elevation on Central came before this era. I don't doubt that developers will still find ways to cut corners and skirt various codes with variances, but this time around the city planning and zoning department actually has some teeth to put behind the new vision.

[PHX31]

The Lennar project on the NWC of Central & McDowell appears to be moving pretty quickly. I noticed the base to a tower crane has been installed on site. Maybe this weekend they'll put it up.

(if this info goes in the low rise thread, sorry, and please move combusean).

[PHXFlyer11]

Originally Posted by PHX31

The Lennar project on the NWC of Central & McDowell appears to be moving pretty quickly. I noticed the base to a tower crane has been installed on site. Maybe this weekend they'll put it up.

(if this info goes in the low rise thread, sorry, and please move combusean).

Nice! The project on 3rd and Thomas is moving just as quickly now, tons of heavy equipment on site. But again, the power lines dividing the lot will prevent any real construction from happening until they are removed.