Scottsdale & Paradise Valley Development News

[loftlovr]

A little bit on Southbridge- This area is becoming quite the entertainment mecca!


A fortunate few will be able to claim the SouthBridge way of life as their very own with the purchase of an elite residence envisioned by some of the most renowned creators in their field – Allen + Philp Architects, Berkus Design Studio and OZ Architects. Choices include single-family residences, two-story townhomes, airy lofts and single-level flats. While some floorplans and materials are yet to be finalized, all of these offerings will embrace the SouthBridge creed of fine urban design melding an enduring cosmopolitan elegance with true international style.

SouthBridge Brownstones - 13 units of approx. 3000 sq. feet each.

SouthBridge Lofts - 12 units of approx 1600-2600 square feet each.

SouthBridge Condos - 41 units of approx 700 - 4000 square feet each.


"SouthBridge"
A DYANAMIC NEW URBAN VISION UNFOLDS ALONG THE WATERFRONT

A “Crossover from the Commonplace,” Three-acre Retail, Dining, and Cultural Center Slated for Spring 2007 Opening After 10 Years of Planning

Riverwalk. Rodeo Drive. The French Quarter. SoHo. Instantly recognizable, each of these iconic districts stands alone as a world-class destination. Even more importantly, each fuels the vitality of the city in which it makes its home. And soon, Scottsdale will have its own: SouthBridge.

Slated to open Spring 2007, SouthBridge brings to fruition the vision of acclaimed developer Fred Unger. Ten years ago, Unger set out to create “a one-of-a-kind urban village that would bring together exclusive, high-fashion boutiques, independent shops, internationally renowned cuisine, lively cultural festivals, art, and the romantic charm of a waterfront park.” Shops and restaurants will center on bustling open-air European-style courtyards that will thrive with activity day and night.

Unger has retained architect Kenneth Allen of Allen + Philp Architects to interpret his vision on a three-acre parcel along the south side of the Arizona Canal, near Scottsdale and Camelback Roads. This prime location is near the city’s historic center and at the heart of the prized waterfront. Groundbreaking took place in August 2005.

In the “Mix”: A One-of-a-Kind Retail Complex
Comprising the retail component of SouthBridge will be The Mix – a three-building “food and fashion fusion”--comprised of stylish one-of-a-kind restaurants, trend-setting fashion boutiques and eclectic shops by successful retailer Jennifer Croll. The hip collection of mix-and-mingle-style independent shops will be stocked with up-to-the-minute fashions and furnishings that will make them the place to go for that elusive “have-to-have” item of the moment, from women’s fashions to an exclusive children’s line. Notably absent will be any national chain stores, preserving the independent spirit of Scottsdale’s SouthBridge district.

The three buildings of The Mix will comprise more than 30,000 square feet of retail space, and each will be individually themed. The first building, Nest, will showcase home furnishings, linens, bath, baby, floral, and garden/patio shops with classic relaxing music setting the tone.

The second and largest building, Live, will broadcast hip, high-energy music into an array of 25 shops including trend-setting couture from designers such as Stella McCartney and Chloe, high-end shoes, “hot” denim, swimwear, lingerie, an eclectic children’s shop with a “candy bar” and kid’s fashions, pet couture, a mini spa lounge, and a sports memorabilia non-profit shop highlighting local celebrity athletes. Men’s fashions will be showcased in a space complete with a pool table and plasma television tuned in to sports. A huge, circular staircase will lead to the second level and to CANAL, a restaurant for Scottsdale’s most fashionable. A catwalk, around The Lemonade Stand Bar, will host fashion shows, while Thursday through Saturday nights will be an invitation list-only for the private party scene.

Play, the third building, will feature a toy store and, for the creatively inclined, a scrap-booking and bead-making shop. Pop music will keep the atmosphere playful and light.

Fashion shows and live modeling will infuse The Mix with a dynamic energy, while exclusive shopping rooms and private events will add to its upscale ambience.

World-Class Dining Reflects Global Trends
Of SouthBridge's seven planned restaurants, three will be centrally located in the first building. Locally recognized restaurateur Peter Kasperski plans a Mexican inspired restaurant called Mexican Standoff, and Digestif an Italian restaurant specializing in rustic countryside cuisine, an exhibition kitchen, wood-fired oven, pasta kitchen and salumi bar. Both restaurants will be under the direction of Executive Chef Bernie Kantak and local regional chefs. They will be open for lunch and dinner. This first building will also be the site of Fred Unger's all-day cafe/restaurant (yet to be named), designed by architect Catherine Hayes of Hayes architecture, known for Arizona's popular La Grande Orange marketplace and Chelsea's Kitchen.

The remaining five restaurants will be housed within The Mix complex. Estate House, in the second building, is a fine dining restaurant overlooking the waterfront and open for dinner only while the stylish martini lounge will cater to the after-theater crowd. A spectacular circular staircase will connect shoppers in the third building to CANAL – a gathering place for Scottsdale’s most fashionable by day and a late-night, live or mixed music lounge by night. CANAL's lunch menu will focus on salads and cabana fare and there will also be a Sunday Brunch. The indoor/outdoor "Lemonade Stand will serve four lemon-based drinks – the signature "CANAL Lemonade" (frozen with vodka), "Mexican Lemonade" (frozen margarita style), "Spa Lemonade" (pink Crystal Light with vodka) and "Jack’s Lemon-aid" (nonalcoholic, freshly squeezed and frozen) with proceeds donated to the Jack & Chloe Club Foundation for Children's Charities. Also, within this building will be a coffee/tea bar and book store featuring hard-to-find architectural, interior and fashion design books.

In the fourth building, Restaurateur Peter Kasperski and Arizona's award-winning Executive Chef, Nobu Fukuda, will bring his star power to two restaurants. Shell Shock will offer simply prepared seafood with a global influence for lunch and dinner. Sea Saw, the award-winning modern Japanese tapas wine bar, will move to SouthBridge and will be open for dinner only.

Urban-Style Residences on the Waterfront
SouthBridge's residential component will be in the form of high-end residential lofts by architect Don Ziebell/OZ Architects and upscale condominiums, two-story town homes and single level flats by Allen + Philp Architects & Berkus Design Studio. Built along the lushly landscaped waterfront, they are scheduled to open in 2008 and will further create a pedestrian-friendly, cosmopolitan village. Furthermore, the City of Scottsdale plans to spend an estimated $11 million in waterfront landscaping enhancements to include rich vegetation, tree-lined walkways, park benches, a pedestrian bridge and a Town Plaza.

Frederick and Jennifer Unger established Spring Creek Development in 1990. It is a Scottsdale-based development firm specializing in the restoration and management of real estate, including fine dining restaurants, boutique hotels, office and retail. In addition to SouthBridge, the company’s signature projects include the redevelopment of the Royal Palms Hotel and Casitas, in Phoenix. Spring Creek Development also restored the historic Hermosa Inn in Paradise Valley that is currently owned and operated by Fredrick and Jennifer Unger.

[HooverDam]

Originally Posted by loftlovr

Whatever you think of them, the condo towers will help change the Scottsdale skyline.

I think they are pretty lame and borderline ugly. They look like someone took a typical North Scottsdale home (tile roof, tan stucco) and stretched it vertically.

[loftlovr]

I hate your quote because it makes it seem as if that was my statement!
I agree- 2 beached Stucco Walrus'
Camelview however is peerty!

[DowntownDweller]

Originally Posted by loftlovr

http://www.azcentral.com/community/s...lestateZ8.html
]

If I had the scratch, and no child, I would seriously dig living there.

[DowntownDweller]

Originally Posted by HooverDam

I think they are pretty lame and borderline ugly. They look like someone took a typical North Scottsdale home (tile roof, tan stucco) and stretched it vertically.

I have wanted to occupy the Crate and barrel unit as a private condo since I've lived in Phx. I think these approximate it.

[CPVLIVE]

Riverwalk. Rodeo Drive. The French Quarter. SoHo. Instantly recognizable, each of these iconic districts stands alone as a world-class destination. Even more importantly, each fuels the vitality of the city in which it makes its home. And soon, Scottsdale will have its own: SouthBridge.

You gotta love developer speak. All the scratch in these guys piggybanks wouldn't buy the soul of the French Quarter or SoHo or even the Riverwalk. There are some things you simply can't purchase.

[FortyAcres]

Originally Posted by CPVLIVE

You gotta love developer speak. All the scratch in these guys piggybanks wouldn't buy the soul of the French Quarter or SoHo or even the Riverwalk. There are some things you simply can't purchase.

SoHo or the French Qtr, no, but the Riverwalk is as manufactured as Southbridge would be. I'd take that in a heartbeat.

[oliveurban]

Site plan submitted for project
Casey Newton
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 27, 2007

SCOTTSDALE - The upscale new retail center known informally as "Kierland Uncommon" now has a proposed site plan and an official name: Scottsdale Crossing.

"Scottsdale Crossing will create an upscale, mixed-use project that will reflect the changes in the marketplace and relate to the surrounding context," the developers said in their application.

The project at 15101 N. Scottsdale Road, to be built across the street from Westcor's Kierland Commons, would feature 1.2 million square feet of office, retail and residential space. The proposal also calls for a 38,000-square-foot movie theater and 170,000-square-foot boutique hotel.

The project would include a large central park that "will provide for a meaningful open space to be enjoyed by the residents, shoppers, workers and visitors to the project," developers said.

The site plan submitted last week will undergo a 30-day review by Scottsdale staff. The proposal will then be subject to a vote by Scottsdale's Development Review Board.

[loftlovr]

http://www.azcr.org/news/read-article.php?news_id=67

Scottsdale Developer Choosing Independents Over Chains - 09/02/2006


Scottsdale renaissance taking place with SouthBridge project
Development along Arizona Canal to open next year
Peter Corbett
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 1, 2006 12:00 AM
A linchpin redevelopment project that aims to attract strolling tourists and locals to downtown Scottsdale's canal banks is taking shape in the shadow of the city's tallest buildings.

SouthBridge, a $41 million restaurant and retail complex along the Arizona Canal, is poised to make its own dramatic statement when its four buildings open early next year.

Developer Fred Unger of Scottsdale-based Spring Creek Development said that the four-story SouthBridge project will be a transition from the 13-story Scottsdale Waterfront, with its condos, stores and restaurants, to the lower profile shops and nationally recognized art galleries along Fifth Avenue and Marshall Way.
A new canal bridge and a plaza with a cascading water feature will link the project that flanks the Arizona Canal, southwest of Camelback and Scottsdale roads.

"We want it to be the heart and soul of downtown Scottsdale," said Unger, adding that he is hoping SouthBridge will be recognized as one of the nation's best public places.

SouthBridge, the Scottsdale Waterfront and the Arizona Canal are at the center of Scottsdale's redevelopment binge that has seen $2 billion in private investment downtown over the past three years, according to city officials.

Scottsdale's early builders turned their backs on the irrigation canal, a barrier that cuts diagonally across the city. They treated the waterway like an alley. Civic leaders for decades hoped to turn the canal into an asset with landscaped pathways, water features and bridges.

Unger and others failed in the 1990s to revive the canal and downtown, but the area renaissance is now in full swing.

Scottsdale Waterfront's retail and office component is nearly complete. Plus, thousands of condominium owners will soon begin moving into the Waterfront towers and a half dozen other high-end downtown condo projects.

Spring Creek Development also plans to build 66 residential units at SouthBridge over the next two years, depending on market conditions, Unger said.

Completion of the 3-acre SouthBridge development next spring and the influx of residents will bring a noticeable change to downtown, said John Little, Scottsdale's downtown administrator.
"The social dynamics begin to change in a fundamental way," Little said. "That really begins to transform downtown into another neighborhood."

It also will bring deep-pocketed residents to the canal banks and SouthBridge, which intends to give them something unique.

Unger, who renovated the nearby Royal Palms Resort and Hermosa Inn, explained that SouthBridge will rely on individually owned restaurants and shops rather than leasing to national chains and retailers.

"I still believe in independence," he said. "I'm not a chain person."

1. Home-grown qualities
Scottsdale restaurateur Peter Kasperski of Cowboy Ciao will operate four restaurants at SouthBridge, including the Mexican Standoff and an Italian eatery called Digestif.

Kasperski's partner Nobu Fukuda will move his See Saw restaurant into SouthBridge and will unveil another one called Shell Shock, with seafood and Japanese finger food.

A European-style cafe, the fine-dining Estate House and a chic restaurant lounge called Canal also are in the mix.

SouthBridge's 30,000 square feet of retail will include home furnishings and fashion. It will be anchored by Jennifer Croll, a Scottsdale-based fashion retailer that will share space with other boutique retailers.

Chains in nearby mall
Shoppers looking for chain retailers can take the bridge over to Scottsdale Waterfront or continue north to Scottsdale Fashion Square.

The home-grown aspect of SouthBridge adds to the project's risk - banks were wary, Unger said - but could pay dividends for the 400,000-square-foot project.

"I think it's extremely far-sighted," said Little, the city administrator. "Downtown is trying to create a sense of place, something unique and original and special. I think the exclusion of chain stores south of the canal helps reinforce that in a strong way.

"It really is a departure from Anywhere, USA."

SouthBridge also includes two office condos and two levels of free public parking.

Scottsdale contributed $5 million for the underground parking garage and $11 million for the bridge and canal-bank improvements, Little said.

[loftlovr]

I thought there would be some Phoenecian jealousy over this article-
(Why couldn't Cityscape have such incest?)

[PHX602]

Manross vows to keep light rail out of downtown Scottsdale

Lesley Wright
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 1, 2007 07:47 PM
SCOTTSDALE - Mayor Mary Manross vowed to keep light rail out of downtown and called for a 2008 bond election to fund "strategic projects" in her State of the City address Thursday. Manross, who is expected to face tough competition for her third mayoral campaign next year, said bonds would finance a Western Museum and a Desert Discovery Center, among other "strategic projects."

The bond election, she said, would "keep Scottsdale one of the most successful cities in the nation."

On transportation, which Manross called the "number one issue" in the city, the mayor endorsed Bus Rapid Transit on High Occupancy Vehicle freeway lanes.

While taking a wait-and-see approach to light rail, Manross promised to keep it out of downtown.

"Let there be no question about it," she said, "that while I support improved transit opportunities on our signature road, I do not support light rail on Scottsdale Road going through the heart of our downtown."

She also proposed adopting a ban on signs in public rights-of-way, a controversial issue that passed the Planning Commission on Wednesday and is set for a council vote on March 20.

Manross emphasized the success of redevelopment efforts begun during her first two terms that poured $2.8 billion of investment into downtown Scottsdale - projects that her opponents have complained have threatened the essential character of the city.

The mayor countered that reaction in advance, saying "We have an old-west and new-west vibrancy that is the envy of the nation."

During the 50 minute address, Manross also summed up efforts to halt the deterioration of south Scottsdale since she assumed the mayor's seat in 2000.

"We didn't wait for the future to come to us," she said. "We went out and created it."

She proposed renewing a $300,000 annual subsidy to auto dealers on McDowell Road, a bone of contention to conservatives on the council.

She praised partners in SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center, for the project's ability to recruit bioscience industries that will help the city grow a knowledge-based economy.

In addition, Manross proposed collaborating with the Mayo Clinic to build a second bioscience research building on the Mayo Campus.

[JI5]

/\ /\ /\ /\

At this point, whatever. If they don't want it - they don't want it. Yeesh. I'll vote with my feet and live in Phoenix.

[sundevilgrad]

Great leader... What vision and foresight... Can't wait to hear the city cry in ten 10 years because, damn it, they want light rail...

[JimInCal]

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/85565

Home, condo project planned near Camelback Road and Parkway Avenue
Misty Williams, Tribune

In the latest development to spring out of the Valley’s urban building craze, a local developer plans to break ground this summer on 288 homes and condominiums just east of Scottsdale Fashion Square.

Urban Home Development Corp.’s Citro Camelback project will sit on six city blocks near where Camelback Road meets Parkway Avenue.

Many of the multifamily buildings in that neighborhood were built in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, city principal planner Mac Cummins said.

“It means that there are developers that are interested in reinvesting in the older portions of the city, which is very exciting for everybody,” Cummins said.

The project will include 216 custom homes, ranging in size from 1,300 square feet to 2,744 square feet, plus 72 two-bedroom condos. Prices will range from $500,000 to just over $900,000.

The homes will be a variation on the traditional American row house, but with only three units per building rather than 20 or 30, said Jeff Jones, president of Urban Home Development.

Owners will also have private rooftop decks with room for hot tubs and outdoor kitchens, elevators and two-car garages underneath, Jones said.

Units will have the features of homes in the suburbs but be located in the city, he said.

The project is the latest in a slew of urban living developments to hit the East Valley.

Urban Home has received reservations for roughly 80 percent of Citro Camelback’s first phase of 96 units.

It’s one of two projects in the works for the Scottsdale based company.

The developer also plans to start construction in August on 68 homes at Missouri Avenue and 18th Street in Phoenix’s Biltmore area.

The projects will cost an estimated $220 million.

[loftlovr]

http://www.azcentral.com/community/s...4insideZ8.html

FireSky new bright light downtown
Peter Corbett
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 4, 2007 12:00 AM

SCOTTSDALE - Downtown hotel transformation is gaining momentum as FireSky Resort joins the lineup of repositioned and remodeled properties.

FireSky is the new name for the 204-room Caleo Resort, southeast of Chaparral and Scottsdale roads. New signs will be unveiled Thursday.

San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has spent $4 million upgrading FireSky's rooms, lobby and landscaping on the 9-acre property, said Mike Depatie, Kimpton president.

That is on top of about $7 million that Noble House Hotels & Resorts, the previous owner, invested in the hotel before it was sold in December 2005 to Kimpton.

"We're very pleased with the results so far," Depatie said. "We've had success and part of it is the strength of the Scottsdale market over the past few years."

Scottsdale has seen its tourism fortunes grow in the past five years after the post-Sept. 11 slowdown. Hotel investors have jumped in, spending tens of millions of dollars to renovate older properties like FireSky, which opened in 1961, Hotel Valley Ho and Mondrian Scottsdale.

Everest Holdings is completing a $5 million renovation of the former Hampton Inn into Hotel Indigo, a contemporary new brand for InterContinental Hotels Group.

Global Hyatt Corp. has repositioned Scottsdale's AmeriSuites as Hyatt Place, and the independent Hotel Scottsdale replaces the Marriott Fairfield Inn.


W to open by December
Plus, a new downtown property, W Scottsdale Hotel, is joining the renovated properties. W should open by December, said Jerry Caldwell, a TriYar Hospitality project manager.

All the hoteliers are hoping to cash in on more than $3 billion of investment in downtown and south Scottsdale. They aim to attract younger, style-conscious travelers who are enjoying the area's restaurants and nightclubs and emerging urban scene.

Budget and bland hotels are disappearing or getting upgrades in the latest downtown makeover.


Hotels add aromas, music
Joe Blackbourn, Everest Holdings chief executive, said the hotel industry is going beyond the basics to create an experience for guests that plays off fashion and design, and even aromas and music in the rooms.

The 126-room Hotel Indigo is trying to offer that experience at a reasonable price, ranging from about $129 to $270 per night, he said.

FireSky, meanwhile, is carefully positioning itself in the changing downtown market.

"We're sort of stylish and contemporary in the way the hotel looks, but it's a little more inclusive," said Niki Leondakis, Kimpton chief operating officer. "Some of the hotels have a narrower target market, a little bit younger."

The hotel's new name, replacing the short-lived Caleo, was inspired by Arizona's brilliant sunsets and the gas-lit torches, she said.

Jim Hollister, FireSky general manager, said the hotel has reinvented itself and added elements featured at other Kimpton properties.

That includes a wine hour in the lounge each evening, in-room yoga and spa treatments.


Hotel supplies goldfish
FireSky is also a pet-friendly resort that provides treats for pets. The hotel staff will even bring up a bowl with a goldfish to keep a solo guest company.

FireSky calls it Guppy Love, said Tori McLaughlin, regional sales and marketing director.

Rates range from about $125 per night in the summer to about $350 in-season.

Because of its size and location, FireSky generally attracts smaller business groups of 50 to 100, and vacationers here for spring training and other attractions, McLaughlin said.

FireSky opened 46 years ago as the Executive House Arizonian hotel. It became the SunBurst Resort in 1972, and was renamed Caleo two years ago.

[loftlovr]

question- what happens to a thread if it goes beyond the dreaded 2nd page?
Is it ressurectable?
Or does it delete into skyscraper cyberspace?

[nbrindley]

There are actually 5 pages of threads, the forum just defaults to showing only threads from the last month. Look at the bottom of the page, and you will see options for what threads to show.

[loftlovr]

Bruder's new Dial Headquarters:

http://eservices.scottsdaleaz.gov/pl..._9_DR_2007.pdf

Pretty cool huh!
I can't wait to see it completed!

[jvbahn]

Excellent find, loftlovr, I always appreciate a Bruder design. Too bad it will be in North Scottsdale, but it's a nice exception to the tons of umimpressive disconnected office buildings up there. I had always hoped Dial would develop the second half of their old headquarters on Central, but a twin to the Soap Bar wouldn't be that great either.

[sundevilgrad]

I saw those pictures back in Jan. when I was at a meeting at Dial. It will be interesting to see how much of the "Bruder" stuff makes it into the finished building.