Quote:
Originally Posted by HooverDam
^ I've heard it straight from the horses mouth. I'm sure if someone wanted to buy/lease one of his buildings and do residential, he wouldn't turn away their money. When the Lofts on Buchanan (or whatever they're called) was starting to go through the process it was quite vocal about a distaste for residential in the area.
I think his vision is some kind of high tech employment hub with lots more stuff like WebPT and nightlife uses. Perhaps his fear is residential would complain about nightlife noise, though I'd like to imagine the people living in that area would be self selecting enough to not be worried about the noise. Though I suppose we have heard of residents complaining about noise in downtown Scottsdale, so anything is possible.
|
Wow - how strange. I just figured he would mention hotel or office instead of residential for the added floors if he was so against it, but thanks for the confirmation.
Focusing on 1 industry is a mistake, even as broad as "high tech." There's nothing about the warehouse district that would give it an advantage over Scottsdale that Scottsdale couldn't address when it comes to attracting 'high tech' jobs. We're seeing it now with Bioscience; we cleared out half our downtown for those jobs and now our mayor is supporting a hub in North Phoenix and we're stuck in a position where it's even more obvious that the big-time companies just aren't coming to downtown.
As with any part of the central city, the warehouse district needs to offer something unique. Residential within historic building stock is something it has over any other competitor, but unfortunately, we bulldozed most of the warehouses that were suited for residential. Anyone who wants a successful warehouse district should be in favor of residential increases - that's a benefit ANYWHERE, but especially in a desolate area with abandoned old buildings. Residents will make the area feel safer, and bring income to the area >> retail and nightlife businesses. Out of the few gems that remain, the city has given long-term leases to Phoenix Job Corps, Telecom, OIC, and APS (who demolished a large portion), leaving buildings like Levine's warehouse where developers need to get creative and build additions to existing structures to make them compatible. Levine's warehouse on Buchanan/Central can fit about 3 more buildings on its site; time to give up the parking and loading bays - garages can be incorporated into the new construction.
I do agree that it needs to be planned carefully, to avoid NIMBYism (it's happening in other cities now that grew 'entertainment districts' with residential sectors), but that isn't difficult when starting from scratch essentially. Luxury high rises closest to the stadium and arena fill a niche in the market for the person you describe who knows exactly what they are getting into. Then, clustering residential with hotels and retail uses from Jackson-Grant, 5th-2nd streets makes sense to me, using offices/businesses as a noise buffer elsewhere. A few neighborhoods sports bars won't bother anyone, and even from 2nd westward, there are so many businesses and lighter uses that the chance of a cluster of bustling nightclubs developing on the same stretch is pretty slim. The days of a real 'district' are gone.
The warehouse district just needs a visionary leader because I think the potential is really incredible: cheap land, large buildings, affluence to attract from the north and neighborhoods to help make stronger to the south; they just need to think beyond the low hanging fruit. Instead of 1-use 'tech hubs,' why not take advantage of the cheap and oversized buildings to have campus-type working environments, where marketing is right next to design, which is right next to education, and you all convene at lunch, etc. and gain new perspectives/learnings? Or, given our work in the solar industry and with NRG in the area, along with Intertek - the makers of electric car chargers - why not really focus on sustainability, starting with a library, research center, high school academy, hands-on museum/learning center, and main offices where a group led by our sustainability director (or whatever he is), reps from ACA, GPEC, DPP, etc., continually recruit startup 'green' businesses. The research center will give findings into the infrastructure and environment conducive to helping these businesses thrive so we can offer the right incentives...
With all of the cheap land and buildings, why not actively recruit a 4-year college to the area to try and educate the suffering populations of the Parks neighborhoods? Use these programs to provide services that are lacking or that could benefit the neighborhood: the child education seniors can run a free/heavily discounted daycare as part of their required curriculum for graduation, allowing mothers a way to go to school and not worry about the cost of childcare. Criminal justice students can lead the new 24-hour neighborhood watch and patrol. Fashion students can collaborate with the community of event planners in the area to put on classy fashion shows that bring people to the district for a night out. Culinary arts students can provide the service at organic restaurants for an affordable price... you get the point. The district is flooded with businesses like OIC, American Legion, Job Corps, Change Management, etc. - these need to be consolidated and people evaluated before entering so that they are placed into the best facility for their needs. OR, as more and more students graduate, the less we'll need from these great programs (but if the Job Corps takes up one more damn building, I'll lose it!).
Summed up: warehouse district is like any other city or district, just in need of even more attention than most given the surrounding areas, and we need leaders who come up with long term drivers for continued success, not flavors of the month like Levine and his tech crap. My ideas probably suck, but that's how progress is made. Not by holding onto 'nightlife' when bars continue to close, no new establishment has opened since the boom, and a fully equipped brewery will likely be demolished for its land value if it sells at all.
If anyone was bored enough to make it to this point, do they happen to know how and why the former warehouse on Lincoln and Central was demolished in 2007? Using the time feature on Google Maps, you're able to see it in the midst of being torn down and it's one of the most amazing warehouses we have or had. It took up almost a full block, had some kind of 'citrus' label on it I think. The lot is currently empty.
Prev
Linear Mode
