Muertecaza - I wonder why some signs are so descriptive in terms of units, etc. while others are so generic. Aside from the name (3rd 'Foundry' to come to Phoenix - the music venue, boutique hotel, and this..), it's hard to know whether this is different than the lame 6/7-story building shown a year ago. I'll trust the word of the person who told me it was redesigned to become a much taller building for now.
I think the grocery store is all but a done deal, not that this is news. At the meeting for Farmer Arts, the dimwitted councilmen kept asking those in opposition whether they'd change their minds if it guaranteed a grocery store next door to open. Idiot residents said literally "I would rather a dirt lot."
I couldn't stay - had already been there 4 hours - but the project better have passed. Each speaker for the project had logical, data-backed rationale for why it would be a benefit; each speaker against it used fear "you'll drive all of us out!" and fluff "I mean, maybe 10 stories would be okay.." (based on what exactly?)
I hope the Ash/Uni lot is 20+ stories and that the ground level is designed to accommodate more than just a grocer. Shallow retail bays along Ash and the streetcar route would make a big difference than just a big box grocery store. I hope it also becomes economically viable again for Centerpoint to look into a redesign that at least buries the garage attached to AMC and maybe consolidates the office space into one large tower on University. It's unnecessarily closed off along Ash and with more projects online for Ash, Farmer, etc. it'd be good to have that connectivity.
Papago Grande
Papago Grande is the type of development this city clearly prefers. They're totally tone-deaf when it comes to urban planning, TOD, etc. With a shrinking downtown and built-up lakefront, an area like Washington/Priest makes perfect sense for creating dense mixed use neighborhoods adjacent to downtown that might be a little more affordable or attractive given the closer proximity to downtown Phoenix, the airport, etc. If done right, it could help eventually connect Papago Park/SkySong to Fountainhead. But, there's nothing right about these plans. Once fans of shiny glass look beyond the aesthetics (from the perspective of someone
inside the development), it's a project that takes NO advantage of its great location or adjacent light rail stop. Garages fronting a major intersection? This is supposed to be a mixed-use project at completion; there should be a clear pedestrian entryway at the intersection with entrances into the office lobbies and future retail to support commuters, employees, and residents that eventually led the canalscape project. Instead, it's no different than any suburban office park with their fountains or other internal focal points.
ORB, designers of crap projects like all of Alliance's work, will be designing the first residential phase on the east side and it is, well, crap. Carriage units will front Washington as with a narrow parking lot and 4-story apartment complex. What a giant waste. Check out the renderings for "SRP"
http://orbarch.com/index.php/mies_po...on-the-boards/
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