ASU/UofA Downtown Phoenix construction thread

[dtnphx]

Originally Posted by combusean

Seeing a building instead of a parking lot is an incredibly low standard for architecture.

Seems there's a lot of us "low standard" types who just don't get it. Pity us.

[ASUSunDevil]

The new Y building looks great, I have to question your taste if you really think this building is so appalling. If the architecture is so bad, what new building do you wish it looked more like? I'm assuming Combusean throws the plastic down pretty hard when he steps foot in an Old Navy.

[nickw252]

[Jjs5056]

Originally Posted by phxSUNSfan

The downtown campus has a finite footprint which is why future buildings will be taller and that area will be dense with ASU buildings. Even during the summer that place will feel busy in the coming years. I've already seen more students in the southern half of downtown around CityScape and I expect this will continue to be the case as Taylor Place is at capacity and students will start leaving their vicinity to look for other dining, recreational, and retail options. I am extremely interested in seeing future rendering for ASU buildings because the university has a chance to better integrate them as part of the neighborhood.

What I'm going to do here is use a few cliche phrases, several emoticons, and wrap up an unsurprisingly long response on a positive note. Take it or leave it, but this is the best, and last, way for me to explain how I feel about ASU's progression through our treacherous, rat-infested, dry, dusty, rocky, paved over DOWNTOWN.

I think you need to see the forest for the trees here. It isn't about the Westin or Freeport McMoRan occupying OCPE in the absence of an ASU presence - it's about this finite footprint you speak of and that not a single University building downtown has been integrated into a project serving the city and community beyond its own students; no hotel, no market-rate residential, no office space. There have been no high rises trying to make the most of this limited land while they still can. And, come on! The notion that students would be cooped up in a high-rise 24/7 if it was mixed use is absurd. Hassayampa has dorm, classroom and restaurant uses, and I don't see anyone complaining about the lack of foot traffic on the Tempe campus.

It isn't about the fact that downtown has been ridden of rats due to the demolition of the Ramada. It's about the fact that we lost yet one more historic structure for a parking lot smack in the heart of an area of central Phoenix that people with vision have been organically changing downtown for the better since ASU came to town. The people who have transformed Roosevelt could've gotten their hands on the Ramada and given us something unique and identifiable: a space where students, office workers, city visitors, and residents could all hang out. Instead, we'll have had a parking lot for a decade creating a gap and removing an opportunity for that type of mingling that is nearly void in this part of downtown that has essentially become a college campus. RumBar here, Amsterdam (RIP) there... Bliss way over there. Nothing is connected. But, ya know what? There could certainly be a few mice over at Hotel Monroe. TEAR. IT. DOWN.

Correlation does not prove causation. The Law School isn't coming downtown because the Ramada was destroyed. It's coming because ASU feels its students will succeed at a higher level when given access to, wait for it, community assets like the civic/municipal properties and courts, law offices, and so on. The two could have - and should have - coexisted. Why would we not want a rehabbed, funky hangout next to a sleek new Law School built on an already-empty lot?

Reality is that tearing down one 3-story building to build another 3-story building will get us nowhere. Lowrise/midrise... call them whatever you want, but none of these stumpy ASU buildings are creating the density you are talking about and they certainly aren't creating vibrancy. Civic Space is fantastic. The park, historic rehab, the focal point sculpture, the integration of art gallery, student rec, classroom and restaurant uses. That should be a model for how ASU downtown is built. Civic Space wouldn't be the same if I couldn't grab a coffee, show my friend the condom or lay in the grass and people-watch.

And, yet, this space isn't utilized nearly as much as it ought to be because of the lack of centralized density. I *want* it to be the success that it should be. I just don't think it is going to change with a 3-story Law School. But, a Law School beneath stories of law offices and on top of a public library branch consolidated into an ~8-10 story building because existing building stock left in place like a renovated Ramada (to fill the very real demand for hotel rooms in order to bring in heavier conventions) create the need for mixed-use solutions that make better use of this prime land in close proximity to campus and the CBD.... maybe that would have started to tip the scale. JUST A THOUGHT- DON'T SHOOT.

I'm obviously not going to get my point across if I haven't, so I'll shut up. ASU will continue to do what is has been great at - bringing more students and teachers downtown - as it expands via this 2020 map. I just think it could do so better if we want Roosevelt-Van Buren, 7-7 to be downtown Phoenix and not Arizona State University. And, if that is the case, then these buildings need to be doubled and space given to offices, hotels, libraries, grocery stores, apartments, hardware stores, condos, clothing boutiques...

Thank you for a reminder of some of the other positives, however, like the temporary use of the Mercado, and that the "coldness" is from private developments like The Met, Alta, etc. and not ASU buildings themselves, which have been fairly well designed.

Whether we express it by looking for how the failures of projects can be improved, or by championing what good has been done, we all just want downtown to succeed and for ASU to be a part of that success. I personally enjoy coming here to watch and debate each movement made as it's exciting to be in a city that is re-establishing itself, even if at its own hands/wrecking ball, and - lastly - you're all passionate and actually care about how this all fits together to give Phoenix a true civic sense and pride. #kumbaya

[phxSUNSfan]

Originally Posted by Jjs5056

What I'm going to do here is use a few cliche phrases, several emoticons, and wrap up an unsurprisingly long response on a positive note. Take it or leave it, but this is the best, and last, way for me to explain how I feel about ASU's progression through our treacherous, rat-infested, dry, dusty, rocky, paved over DOWNTOWN.

There are more than a few problems with your comparisons and ideas. I'll try to be brief. You are wholly incorrect when you say that the campus has no community uses: the new ASU YMCA building is not just for students but also for community members who sign up with the Y. Health Services in the Nursing Building offers plans for the public and the retail/banking/and stores are not exclusively for students; and much of the office space (especially in the Cronkite Bldg) goes beyond student use (PBS for instance). If ASU built a massive highrise with many uses, many students would not have to leave the building, not for 24 hrs at a time but for most of the time spent on campus. Hassayampa's classrooms aren't generally used for regular classes (I went to the Hassayampa and Palo Verde classrooms for SI Study Groups) and the Tempe campus requires students to walk around campus to take different subjects. The Tempe campus has no highrises for classroom space yet has grown into one of the largest campuses, in terms of enrollment, in the nation. That's density.

The Ramada had limited uses and you would be pushing it to classify it as a "historic" building since it was built cheaply and in the 1950s as a motor hotel (motel), later transformed into a Ramada Inn. It was not very large with only 175 rooms. It was not in the same category as the Professional Building or Luhrs. In the end, it was an eyesore. "Correlation does not prove causation. The Law School isn't coming downtown because the Ramada was destroyed." No one ever said that is the case, but this is the spot where ASU is planning to build its school and Center for Law and Society. Just because there are vacant lots around the school, does not mean ASU can easy build on land they do not own. I do agree that future buildings should be taller. The law school, however, will not be 3-stories it will be at least 6. The YMCA extension should be the last squat building on the downtown campus (less than 6 floors). I do think they should have built the downtown SRC building with student housing above it; so 8+ more floors for dorm space would have been nice.

There is still room for more hotel space downtown near the convention center, including the Collier Center pad and lot. ASU building hotels is not be the best use for its land. We would all like ASU to build highrises but there are some problems with that demand. For the most part, universities, even in downtown areas, don't build very tall structures. Lack of state funding also makes highrise construction prohibitively expensive for a university—the school must work within its budgetary constraints. One positive here is that ASU's downtown campus isn't very large and as it continues to grow it will eventually need some highrises to meet demand. Hopefully the school is well-funded in the future and can make that happen. Two obstacles to overcome are all the students who complain about the "expensive" tuition and a state that cuts funding for higher ed whenever it can...these are complex problems.

[Leo the Dog]

^^^Careful, any opinion on a "discussion" board that differs from phxSUNSfan is obviously wrong and there must be something wrong with you.

[phxSUNSfan]

Originally Posted by Leo the Dog

^^^Careful, any opinion on a "discussion" board that differs from phxSUNSfan is obviously wrong and there must be something wrong with you.

^^^Someone who gets it.

[nickw252]

Arizona State University has drastically changed downtown Phoenix since it opened there in 2006. The school’s growth downtown has also led to a lot of new private development.

A new $25 million Sun Devil Fitness Complex opened recently for more than 10,000 students at ASU’s Downtown Phoenix Campus. It connects to the Lincoln Family YMCA, so students and members can use both gyms. The new building has multiple classrooms and an indoor jogging track.

ASU assistant to the dean of students Tania Mendes said students will use gym equipment in their studies.

"It's a hands on experience, you know. A lot of the health and nutrition majors will be able to come over and facilitate that, we have a lot of students that are in the nursing major that are personal trainers and you know, getting that hands-on experience, so, the students are really engaged," Mendes said.

The gym also has a rooftop pool. The view from above shows a downtown skyline that has changed a lot over the last several years.

Jeremy Legg is the economic development program manager for the city of Phoenix. He said ASU has contributed to the city’s increased tax revenues since opening.

City properties like Civic Space Park and the A.E. England Building host multiple campus events, and Legg said private projects, like new apartment complex Roosevelt Point, have also done well because of more students.

"Private investment in and around the campus has been in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The revenues that the city recieves since the campus has opened in this area have just grown tremendously, for outpacing what anybody could have even hoped for," Legg said.

Legg said the relationship between the city and the school will lead to even more growth like ASU’s law school, which plans to relocate from Tempe to downtown by 2016.

http://www.kjzz.org/content/1308/ari...ix-development

I know most of us (myself included) aren't in love with the exterior appearance, but the inside looks nice. Take a look at the pictures in the link.

[phxSUNSfan]

Originally Posted by nickw252

I know most of us (myself included) aren't in love with the exterior appearance, but the inside looks nice. Take a look at the pictures in the link.

I like it; perfectly designed so that buildings can still be constructed around it...on the south and west parking lots. It reminds me of a modern building you would find in Europe being squeezed onto a small lot. Look at this view! I'm going to check it out tomorrow:

[dtnphx]

Originally Posted by phxSUNSfan

I like it; perfectly designed so that buildings can still be constructed around it...on the south and west parking lots. It reminds me of a modern building you would find in Europe being squeezed onto a small lot. Look at this view! I'm going to check it out tomorrow:

OMFG! I love, love this photo. What a rich tapestry of buildings, density and urban form. Now I have to go find my socks that blew off my feet.

[nickw252]

Originally Posted by dtnphx

OMFG! I love, love this photo. What a rich tapestry of buildings, density and urban form. Now I have to go find my socks that blew off my feet.

It's a great view. Now something needs to go in directly to the east of the Westward Ho to make it better.

[gymratmanaz]

A great angle for an ASU poster or PR item.

[downtownphxguy12]

Originally Posted by nickw252

It's a great view. Now something needs to go in directly to the east of the Westward Ho to make it better.

I think the law school is going in there.

[phxSUNSfan]

Originally Posted by downtownphxguy12

I think the law school is going in there.

That lot is not owned by ASU, it is owned by US Parking Systems, I believe. The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law and the Center for Law and Society will be built just south of Taylor Place which will be behind the UC (on the old Ramada Inn site).

[HX_Guy]

That whole block (Central to 1st St, Fillmore to Pierce) is actually made up of 13 lots all owned by H-M Investments LLC.

[phxSUNSfan]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

That whole block (Central to 1st St, Fillmore to Pierce) is actually made up of 13 lots all owned by H-M Investments LLC.

So the lot must be leased to US Parking Systems. I wonder, for anyone with knowledge of real estate transactions, does buying from an LLC make purchasing more difficult as opposed to buying from a company like US Parking Systems directly? I ask because it seems as though LLCs like H-M Investments tend to hold on to the land and ask for higher prices, which as we all know, makes developing downtown lots more difficult.

[nickw252]

Nevermind

[MegaBass]

ASU set to start on law school in 2014

Arizona State University’s president announced Friday that the university will begin construction on its new law school in downtown Phoenix in June 2014.

University officials want to move the school from Tempe to be closer to the core legal community in Phoenix, expand program offerings and increase enrollment.

The university plans to open the Arizona Center for Law and Society in fall 2016.

However, ASU has yet to raise any money for the $120 million facility.

“But that doesn’t mean anything,” President Michael Crow said. “You don’t raise it at the beginning; you raise it at the end.”

Phoenix would initially provide the land and a parking lot that formerly was the site of a Ramada Inn near Polk and First streets cost-free for the first 10 years and contribute $12 million to the project.

The university also is seeking about $25 million in private philanthropy.

New York City-based Ennead Architects and Phoenix-based Jones Studio are collaborating on the project.

ASU law spokesman Paul Ward said the design will not be finalized until October.

However, Crow said he’s impressed with the initial concept.

“It’s fantastic,” he said. “I went to a meeting with the architects a couple of weeks ago and said, ‘You guys are geniuses. I’m done. I don’t even have to meet with you again.’ ”

The building’s dimensions weren’t released on Friday, but architects will leave room to build student housing in a later phase. Student housing became an issue early this semester after the downtown campus’ only dorm filled up for the first time, leading ASU officials to temporarily house overflow students at the Westin Phoenix Downtown hotel.

The center will include the law school and other public and private research centers.

The move will allow the university to launch new programs that could increase the school’s academic reputation, said Douglas Sylvester, dean of the law school.

University officials hope the move and expansion will help place the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law within the top 25 law schools nationally. The school is ranked 29th by U.S. News and World Report among all law schools but is one of the country’s top 10 public law schools.

Being closer to Arizona’s legal center will be in the best interest of students, said Justin Graham, an ASU law student who lives downtown.

“Being far away from (the core) limits people’s opportunity to do internships during the year, make connections and network,” he said.

Attorney Tim Eigo said the move will give students a better opportunity to engage in the community “when you think about the number of business community groups downtown that would be very pleased to work with a law student.”

Officials expect enrollment at the law school to increase by 20 to 40 percent after the move.

Enrollment for the juris doctorate program, the flagship program that prepares students to become attorneys, will remain constant at about 200 students per class, Sylvester said.

This larger student body also will generate more tuition to help cover the costs of the project, said Rich Stanley, university planner.

Although some faculty have expressed concerns about moving farther away from ASU’s largest campus, Eigo said they should support the move.

“If the school’s going to grow and evolve, this is a big move, and I would expect they would decide it’s worth the commute,” said Eigo, who also serves as chairman of Downtown Voices Coalition, a downtown-based community organization.

The center plans to offer continuing-education programs for attorneys and to launch more joint-degree programs with other ASU colleges.

ASU’s law school will join the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, College of Health Solutions, School of Letters and Sciences, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, College of Public Programs and Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at the downtown Phoenix campus.

The move is the latest in Phoenix leaders’ plans to turn downtown into a hub for higher education.

The Phoenix Biomedical Campus is home to the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, UA College of Pharmacy, UA College of Public Health, Northern Arizona University physical-therapy program and NAU physician-assistant program. The Phoenix School of Law opened in the Tower at One North Central last year, and Phoenix College has a downtown campus.

[ASUSunDevil]

Jones Studio = AWESOME CHOICE. Can't wait to see the renderings!

[gymratmanaz]

JONES STUDIO.... they do good stuff?