Tempe Development Thread

[builder03]

Some project updates I saw in yesterdays issue of The Tempe Tribune:

After a public hearing that went on for nearly two hours, Tempe City Council on Oct. 1 approved Cabana Kyrene, the proposed three-story apartment complex at the southwestern corner of Guadalupe and Kyrene roads.

8-story student housing OK’d
Vale Student Housing, 921 E. Apache Blvd., at the southeastern corner of Rural Road and Apache Boulevard, will rise on 3.8 acres on the site of the Moxy Hotel and CVS Pharmacy after unanimous City Council approval. Vale will include seven studio units, 26 one bedrooms, 63 two bedrooms, 18 three bedrooms and 163 four bedrooms for a total of 578,773 square feet. It will have 408 vehicle parking spaces and 312 bicycle parking spots.

27-story project tweak approved
Approval was given on a 5-2 vote –Vice Mayor Doreen Garlid and Council member Arlene Chin opposed -- to changes in the Planned Area Development Overlay of Skye Tempe, a proposed 27-story, mixed-use building with 306 dwelling units at the northwestern corner of University Drive and Myrtle Avenue on the site of the current Salvation Army building. At 300 feet, Skye Tempe will become the city’s second-tallest building, behind the 345-foot West Sixth Tempe Tower 2 and ahead of West Sixth Tempe Tower 1 at 258 feet... Among the tweaks: Density increases by 54 dwelling units per acre to 668, number of units increases by 25 to 306, and number of bedrooms increases by
216 to 558. The new plan calls for 108 studio units, an increase of 57; no one bedrooms, a decrease of 170; 144 two-bedrooms, an increase of 85; and 54 three bedrooms, an increase of 53.

https://digitaledition.thetempetribune.c...bid=28f1be69-754c-4a1b-bc8a-cbeae5470e3b

Interesting to see the significant increase in bedrooms on the Skye Tempe project.

[soled]

Does anyone know what ASU is building on the southeast corner of University and Myrtle?

[builder03]

Originally Posted by soled

Does anyone know what ASU is building on the southeast corner of University and Myrtle?

There are no public plans as of now. It is currently construction staging space for the Herberger student housing project just south of there.

[soled]

Originally Posted by builder03

There are no public plans as of now. It is currently construction staging space for the Herberger student housing project just south of there.

Ah, thank you, sir

[CBar]

Originally Posted by builder03

Some project updates I saw in yesterdays issue of The Tempe Tribune:

https://digitaledition.thetempetribune.c...bid=28f1be69-754c-4a1b-bc8a-cbeae5470e3b

Interesting to see the significant increase in bedrooms on the Skye Tempe project.

The Skye Tempe location is now cordoned off. I guess the start of construction is imminent.

[CrestedSaguaro]

Originally Posted by CBar

The Skye Tempe location is now cordoned off. I guess the start of construction is imminent.

How tall is Skye supposed to be in feet?

[Forrester1998]

Originally Posted by CrestedSaguaro

How tall is Skye supposed to be in feet?

Before this modification the building height was listed as 300', I don't expect that the modifications changed this since the number of stories is the same.

[azsunsurfer]

Skye Tempe had been fenced off for a while now....graffiti is now adorning the canvas fencing. I had no idea though they went back to the City with these modifications...now maybe something might start happening.

I went to the game last weekend...does anyone know what's going on with the House of Tricks site? Did the historic preservation committee approve the plans?

[azsunsurfer]

Cool development opportunity for east Apache...

https://www.loopnet.com/viewer/pdf?file=...TjeUkorQMBPC859MQ%2fApache%2520Flyer.pdf

[Forrester1998]

Originally Posted by azsunsurfer

Cool development opportunity for east Apache...

https://www.loopnet.com/viewer/pdf?file=...TjeUkorQMBPC859MQ%2fApache%2520Flyer.pdf

Definitely had this plat on the radar for future development for the next couple of years. Tbh this set of motels are maybe some of the most blighted ones that Apache had, much more so than some of the motels that have already been demolished, the only reason these ones have survived is that they are the farthest east. Glad to see that the owners are looking to sell. My preference would be for a developer to buy that Circle K as well and include that in a much larger development, we will see if they are willing to sell a location next to the 101 though. The pace of the removal of the old motels on Apache has been pretty remarkable and encouraging.

[ASU Diablo]

Fly-by of Novus urban park and restaurants

https://x.com/novusasu/status/1844475105432449294?s=46&t=Kwc5fdQz-9xto6gli9jVMg

[Forrester1998]

Was able to catch up on some recent Tempe development activity after a couple of personally busy weeks:

First up, the Nova Tempe development proposal will be presented at the November 12th DRC meeting (meeting link: https://tempe.hylandcloud.com/Agendaonline/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=1602&doctype=1 no proposal link yet). Proposal is for 20 stories 955 units (student housing so probably high bed/unit) along with commercial on 3.61 acres (that's the entire commercial area bounded by University, Rural, 8th, and the Devils advocate lot). Other items at the DRC meeting include a GPA for 1400 W. 3rd from MU4 to industrial.

Also a couple of new PADs worth mentioning: PAD for high rise multifamily development at 1100 E. Lemon Street, currently the site of the older 2 story apartment buildings "The Regency." This is right next to the Verve Tempe site and I believe this proposal is from the same developer, iirc this project was called "Verve Lemon" when originally proposed as a PSPR. Link: https://epermits.tempe.gov/CitizenAccess...GCT&agencyCode=TEMPE&IsToShowInspection=
Another PAD worth mentioning, a proposed 277 lot single family development at the site of the soon-to-be-closed Shalimar golf course. "Multiple types" probably means this includes townhouses? Link: https://epermits.tempe.gov/CitizenAccess...GCM&agencyCode=TEMPE&IsToShowInspection=

On the lighter side, looks like there will be a new ice cream restaurant on Apache near ASU in one of the 922 Place commercial suites called Nite Creamery. Never heard of it but good place for possibly an open late ice cream restaurant. Link: https://epermits.tempe.gov/CitizenAccess...GD4&agencyCode=TEMPE&IsToShowInspection=

[builder03]

Saw a sign this morning on the Phoenicia Cafe on Forest and 7th St. They are "closing in December due to high rent". Does anyone know who owns this land? I always assumed it was the Mosque next door. Maybe this lot will get grouped into the house of tricks redevelopment. Sad to see this small local business close, it was one of my favorites!

[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by builder03

Saw a sign this morning on the Phoenicia Cafe on Forest and 7th St. They are "closing in December due to high rent". Does anyone know who owns this land? I always assumed it was the Mosque next door. Maybe this lot will get grouped into the house of tricks redevelopment. Sad to see this small local business close, it was one of my favorites!

Yeah, odd, County Assessor records at least still show that the Phoenicia lots are still owned by the 'North American Islamic Trust,' same as the mosque, as it has been since the 1980s.

I will say that even before our latest run of inflation, I stopped going very often or at all because the prices got too high for me, so I guess I'm not totally surprised they would be closing. It is a bummer though, that will mean the Chuck Box is almost the only long-time downtown business left.

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by builder03

Saw a sign this morning on the Phoenicia Cafe on Forest and 7th St. They are "closing in December due to high rent". Does anyone know who owns this land? I always assumed it was the Mosque next door. Maybe this lot will get grouped into the house of tricks redevelopment. Sad to see this small local business close, it was one of my favorites!

No idea, but this will be a loss. Their falafel deluxe sandwich was one of my favorites.

[combusean]

Yup. The mosque owns the building. The cafe apparently even pays the taxes so it's probably a NNN lease.

Imagine getting your rent jacked up so high you go out of business while you've been getting nothing but the building itself from the landlord the whole time--everything in an NNN lease is the tenant's responsibility. That sounds lousy as it is, let alone from a religious organization.

[azsunsurfer]

Originally Posted by Forrester1998

Was able to catch up on some recent Tempe development activity after a couple of personally busy weeks:

First up, the Nova Tempe development proposal will be presented at the November 12th DRC meeting (meeting link: https://tempe.hylandcloud.com/Agendaonline/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=1602&doctype=1 no proposal link yet). Proposal is for 20 stories 955 units (student housing so probably high bed/unit) along with commercial on 3.61 acres (that's the entire commercial area bounded by University, Rural, 8th, and the Devils advocate lot). Other items at the DRC meeting include a GPA for 1400 W. 3rd from MU4 to industrial.

Also a couple of new PADs worth mentioning: PAD for high rise multifamily development at 1100 E. Lemon Street, currently the site of the older 2 story apartment buildings "The Regency." This is right next to the Verve Tempe site and I believe this proposal is from the same developer, iirc this project was called "Verve Lemon" when originally proposed as a PSPR. Link: https://epermits.tempe.gov/CitizenAccess...GCT&agencyCode=TEMPE&IsToShowInspection=
Another PAD worth mentioning, a proposed 277 lot single family development at the site of the soon-to-be-closed Shalimar golf course. "Multiple types" probably means this includes townhouses? Link: https://epermits.tempe.gov/CitizenAccess...GCM&agencyCode=TEMPE&IsToShowInspection=

On the lighter side, looks like there will be a new ice cream restaurant on Apache near ASU in one of the 922 Place commercial suites called Nite Creamery. Never heard of it but good place for possibly an open late ice cream restaurant. Link: https://epermits.tempe.gov/CitizenAccess...GD4&agencyCode=TEMPE&IsToShowInspection=

1400 W. 3rd was entitled for an apartment development but now the developer is looking to do a distribution center there? I don't think the City Council will go for that but we'll see?

[Forrester1998]

Originally Posted by azsunsurfer

1400 W. 3rd was entitled for an apartment development but now the developer is looking to do a distribution center there? I don't think the City Council will go for that but we'll see?

Only speculation but I wonder now that the Coyotes plans didn't go through and the landfill plans are TBD does the city council see a tradeoff of allowing the land west of Priest to become industrial while rezoning land south of Rio across from Tempe marketplace for MU since that's where the multi-modal transit options will be with a potential streetcar extension? Could be some movement on that front, I think the 1400 W 3rd street multifamily entitlement was from awhile ago.

[azsunsurfer]

Interesting read from the Biz Journal about the redevelopment of the old Performing Arts building...

The RFQ garnered four responses from Culdesac Inc., The Hampton Group, GHK Properties LLC and Catclar Investments. Those responses are being evaluated by the city.

"The city "would likely support heights greater than two hundred fifty feet" for the high-rise, according to language in the RFQ."

I didn't think Culdesac had experience building highrises...I wonder what there proposal looks like...

[ASU Diablo]

The following blurb about Novus Corridor caught my eye:

https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2024/10/25/tempe-town-lake-development-projects.html

Novus Innovation Corridor
Progress continues on the transformation of more than 300 acres of prime Tempe land.

The Novus Innovation Corridor has several ongoing projects in its pipeline between apartments for rent, retail and office. Catellus Development Corp. is the master developer of Novus. The project, originally created as the University Athletics Facilities District, is intended to generate long-term, predictable revenue.

One of the first major retail projects announced in Novus includes the multiple Fox Restaurant Concepts restaurants that will anchor the Novus Place development, which will have an open green space park.

Jay Donnelly, vice president of University Real Estate at Arizona State University, said the park will likely open sometime in November and have the restaurants open during the first quarter of 2025.

As those projects open, Donnelly said the Novus development team will ramp up the development of a boutique hotel, medical office and senior housing while exploring the possibility of another multifamily parcel during the first half of 2025.

Novus has 851 units between existing apartments and what’s under construction.

700 Novus Place, a planned office building within the corridor, has also ready to take off. Catellus told the Phoenix Business Journal earlier this year that the site is "permit-ready" and could start construction should a tenant commit to taking a large portion of the building. However, Donnelly said that project is “probably tabled” that could be revived at anytime, though the team is looking at other options for what gets built on the site.

On Rio Salado Parkway, a creative office campus within Novus is actively leasing its first 150,000-square-foot building. Wentworth Property Co. is developing Rio Yards, which could have more than 500,000 square feet of Class A office when built out. Donnelly said future phases of the project beyond the first building will likely depend on the leasing success of the first building.

“Due to the scope and scale of Novus … we have some flexibility about how we designate parcels, so our development program remains unchanged. We still plan on building the same amount of square footage,” he said. “Office is still a primary component of what we plan on doing in Novus.”

The medical office/senior housing portion, I remember reading somewhere these might be the mid-to-high rise parcels along the lake. Would be interesting to see these parcels built out next year, if true.