Phoenix Development News

[Don B.]

Here's some new Phoenix projects, since someone asked for some renderings:

Ramada Inn/downtown ASU project, 50-stories, 500 feet. Status - early proposal, may be superceded by Central Park East Project:


Cityscape, four 30 to 40-story towers up to 500 feet tall. Status - early proposal:


W Hotel, 39-story condo/hotel tower, 450 feet tall. Status - likely to break ground this summer 2006:


Central Park East, 39-story mixed-use tower around 450 feet tall. Status - likely depends on March 14 bond vote as this is part of the proposed downtown Arizona State University campus:


44 Monroe, 34-story residential tower, 411 feet tall. Status - under construction now:


Metro Lofts, about 30 stories. Status - unknown, early proposal at best:


Phoenix Convention Center Hotel, 31-stories, 360 feet tall. Status - breaking ground now:


Phoenix Resort Towers, up to 25-stories tall. Status: Proposal:


Summit at Copper Square, 22-stories, 250 feet tall. Status - real, crane going up now:


22-story new office tower around 275 feet tall. Status - proposal.


Park Place, Phase II, 20-story office tower about 250 feet tall. Status - early proposal:


Cosmopolitan Lofts, 18 to 20-stories. Status - proposal:


Optima Biltmore Lofts, twin 15-story residential towers. Status - nearing completion:


Z Lofts, around 13-stories. Status - proposal:


Warehouse Lofts (tentative working name), around 12-stories. Status - proposed:


Residences at 2211 E. Camelback, around 12-stories. Status - under construction:


Portland Place, three 6, 8 and 10-story residential buildings. Status - under construction:


Tgen Headquarters, 7-stories. Status - completed:


Buchanan Place, 6 to 7-story lofts. Status - may be nearing construction:


215 East McKinley, 5-story lofts. Status - breaking ground in March 2006:


414 East Roosevelt, 6 to 7-story lofts. Status - breaking ground this summer:


Phoenix Metro - initial 20-mile light rail project connecting downtown Phoenix and Tempe - under construction now, opening 2008:


Phoenix Convention Center expansion project - $600 million project to triple the size of the former Civic Plaza, up to 7-stories tall:


--don

[Don B.]

Here's the latest new skyscrapers list for Phoenix I created on 4-26-06:



--don

[SDfan]

Nice projects. The W Hotel is probably my favorite. The Pheonix Resort is at the other end of the spectrum though...

Anything over 500ft? I know Pheonix is like SD with its height limit, but isn't it a bit more relaxed?

Also, that 22 story office project looks taller then 22 stories.

[Don B.]

^ Phoenix has a general height limit downtown along Central Avenue of 500 feet. Chase Tower (our tallest) is 483 feet, so that's about as tall as you can build on the east side of Central. The height limit, however, is not static - think of it as a slanted plane, tilted to the east. As you move east of Central towards the west end of the runways at Sky Harbor, the limit drops to about 400 feet at 7th Street and roughly 300 feet at 16th Street. Conversely, as you move west of Central, the height limit goes up to about 600 feet at 7th Avenue, as you get further away from the runways.

You must also understand that this is imposed by the FAA, not the city of Phoenix, although Phoenix will not allow any project to threaten Sky Harbor. These are also not hard and fast rules. Theoretically, taller buildings would be possible anywhere in downtown, but the FAA would not sign off on them. If the city moved forward with the project anyway (highly unlikely), then the FAA would simply revamp their flight rules at Sky Harbor and likely restrict how full planes can be on takeoff to the west, due to requiring those planes to take off higher and faster to maintain the safety envelope. The fear is that in the event of engine failure on take-off, the pilots would have limited room to maneuver if there were tall skyscrapers nearby.

Again, it's not like Phoenix has a plethora of developers clamoring to build up to 500 feet, so this "height limit" is really only a minor irritant. We only have two towers over 400 feet, and those were constructed over 30 years ago, so we've got plenty of room to expand.

Also keep in mind that outside of a very specific downtown core, Phoenix has general zoning limiting building heights to about 250 feet, although that does vary somewhat. Some parcels have lower height limits to protect sight lines from existing buildings, such as the 180-foot limit on the parcel of land at Central and Adams, just north of the Phelps Dodge Tower. Outside of these higher areas, the overall city has a height limit of 56 feet. Anything exceeding these heights must request a variance, with the associated public hearings and red tape associated with government bureaucracy.

--don

[AZian]

With all this development, I'm almost saddened to leave!

[PeterSmith]

That's a pretty good list of new projects and renderings. Are all of those projects going to be around the downtown core? Hopefully some of these projects can add a little more street culture and liveliness to Phoenix. I think Phoenix has the most stunning natural beauty of any city in the world, and I only wish that the city itself was more welcoming. I noticed some sort of mass transit in one of the renderings. What is Phoenix's status on expanding its mass transit? Any future plans? How effective is the current system?

[Don B.]

^ Most of the new projects are downtown. Some are in other places, though.

Mass Transit in Phoenix is growing rapidly but still makes up less than 10% of all travel by citizens. Bus ridership has doubled in the last decade. A new 20-mile section of light rail roughly connecting the downtowns of the five largest communities in the Phoenix area is under construction, with a 2008 opening date. In November, 2004, Phoenix-area voters passed a $16 billion transportation bill, of which about 25% of the funding will be to expand the initial light rail line under construction now from 20 miles to 66 miles. Additional bus transit improvements were also included as part of that bill.

You can learn more about our transit at www.valleymetro.org



--don

[IRepTucson]

its good to see phoenix changing into a more urban paradise. the more skyscrapers i see popin out of that downtown the happier ill be.

cheers from tucson!

[urban_phx]

Giant CityNorth project gets head start

Giant CityNorth project gets head start
Developers to break ground ahead of others slated for north Phoenix

Erica Sagon
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 18, 2006 12:00 AM

A national developer is looking to the northeast Valley for its next signature project: a giant retail, residential and office property called CityNorth.

But it will have to slug it out with local developers that are making plays nearby for top stores, restaurants and hotels in order to make the project a winner.

Developers say they will break ground in July on the $1.5 billion mixed-use project, which will feature 1.1 million square feet of retail space and restaurants including two or three department stores, 2 million square feet of office space, up to 2,000 residential units and two hotels. It will be on the northwest corner of Loop 101 and 56th Street in north Phoenix, cradled between Desert Ridge Marketplace and the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

The summer groundbreaking puts CityNorth ahead of at least three rival mixed-use developments proposed for the northeast Valley.

At the heart of the 150-acre CityNorth project is a 75-acre shopping district that will contain all of the retail and restaurants, 500,000 square feet of offices, and 535 residential units for sale and for rent, all situated on boulevards and plazas for a "town center" feel. It will open in three phases beginning in late 2007 or early 2008 and finish by 2010.

The focus of the first phase is High Street, a boulevard lined by three- or four-story buildings with streetscape retail, plus office space and residential units above. Later phases will have luxury stores, some topped with offices.

CityNorth's developer, Chicago-based Thomas J. Klutznick Co., and retail leasing partner, New York-based Related Urban Development, declined to name which retailers they are negotiating with. The companies are behind landmarks including Water Tower Place in Chicago and Time Warner Center in New York City.

"This isn't just a regional shopping center," Daniel Klutznick, vice president of Thomas J. Klutznick Co., said of the project's scope.

Two hotels, one a four-star aimed at business travelers and the other a five-star luxury hotel, will flank the site. The five-star hotel will also have 100 condominiums for sale.

The developers will eventually build large office buildings and high-density housing outside of the urbanlike commercial core. Parking will be available along the streets as well as in several garages that will be hidden by the height of the mixed-use buildings.

But Klutznick isn't the only developer with sights set on the northeast Valley.

At least three other developers, Phoenix-based Westcor, Scottsdale-based DMB Associates Inc. and Scottsdale-based Wolff Cos., plan to build similar mixed-use developments in the northeast Valley but with later timelines.

John Corritore, president of the Corritore Company in Scottsdale, which leased Kierland Commons, Scottsdale Waterfront and Desert Ridge Marketplace, said the developers will inevitably jockey for some of the same department stores and other retailers, creating competition in the corridor.

"It will be a very interesting battle," said Corritore, who is handling the retail leasing of the Wolff Cos. development in Scottsdale. "Absolutely, there's not enough (retail) to fill it all."

The developers of CityNorth say retailers want in sooner than later.

"The market has matured," said Webber Hudson, executive vice president of Related Urban Development, which is leasing the retail for CityNorth. "It's continued growing at a nice clip. There's no reason to wait around."

Hudson said CityNorth's lead gives it an advantage over its competition when it comes to luring retailers.

Judi Butterworth, a retail broker for De Rito Partners Development Inc. in Phoenix, said more factors are in play.

"Timing will not drive this," Butterworth said. "A retailer will wait a year if they want to be somewhere. They'll wait three years."

Klutznick is spearheading CityNorth from an office in north Phoenix.

The company is now the main developer of Desert Ridge, a master-planned community that bisects Loop 101 and Tatum Boulevard. The area was once owned by the Arizona State Land Department.

Klutznick once owned a larger chunk of Desert Ridge but has sold pieces to residential and commercial developers, including Vestar Development Co., the Phoenix firm that built Desert Ridge Marketplace, a 1.2 million-square-foot shopping center, to the west of the CityNorth site.

Hudson said the two retail projects will not compete because the stores at CityNorth will be "three to four notches above" what is found at Desert Ridge Marketplace, which includes Target, Greatland, PetSmart and American Eagle Outfitters.

"One of the great things for us is the project next door," Hudson said, referring to Desert Ridge Marketplace. "It's a great success story.

"This is going to be much more sophisticated."


http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepu...north0418.html

wow this is a big develoment Its big enough for there to be high rise towers but I don't know if there will be any or if it will just be another mega-sprawl develoment

[urban_phx]

Towers to rise above midtown Phoenix

By Mike Padgett
The Business Journal of Phoenix
Updated: 8:00 p.m. ET April 16, 2006
The Los Angeles developer of luxury high-rise residential projects in Southern California and Las Vegas is designing a similar development on Central Avenue in Phoenix.

The condo proposal is among the latest to reach the Phoenix City Council, and commercial property brokers are seeing more and more interest in central Phoenix property because of the light rail system, now under construction

Aaron Yashouafar, chief executive of Milbank Real Estate Services in Los Angeles, is designing two 37-story condominium buildings on 2 acres at the northeast corner of Central and Columbus avenues.

The Phoenix proposal, called Sky Phoenix, is designed with 515 residential units.

Yashouafar's architect is De Stefano + Partners in Los Angeles. He said he does not have his public report from the Arizona Department of Real Estate. His Phoenix attorney is Larry Lazarus, who said construction could start in early 2007. The proposal is scheduled for city council discussion April 19.

In its current configuration, which Yashouafar said could change, the Sky Phoenix condos range from 800 to 2,500 square feet, with a few slightly larger units on the top floors. Prices have not yet been determined.

His partner is David Pourbaba with 4D Development Co. in Los Angeles. Yashouafar and Pourbaba were attracted to metro Phoenix because of its sustained population growth in recent years, along with the region's robust housing market.

"We believe the market is prime for the initial stages of high-rise (residential living)," Yashouafar said. "This is our first project in Phoenix. It seems to be a very healthy market, and we're looking forward to doing future projects in Phoenix."

The Sky Phoenix development's design includes retail on the ground floor. The six-floor parking garage will have one floor underground. The sixth floor is designed as a terrace with a community area, swimming pool and clubhouse. The seventh through 37th floors of the towers will be residential.

Yashouafar's and Pourbaba's other residential projects include a Nevada development called Sky Las Vegas, a luxury condo project with 405 units on 45 floors on the Strip near Circus Circus Hotel & Casino, priced from $400,000 to $4.5 million; and Roosevelt Lofts, the renovation of a 15-story historic building into 222 residences in downtown Los Angeles, priced from $400,000 to more than $1 million for the penthouses. Work on Sky Las Vegas has reached the 35th floor, and Roosevelt Lofts is under way.

Commercial real estate brokers in Phoenix said their clients are expressing more interest in relocating close to Central Avenue because of the future light rail line.

"My clients, especially the ones doing long-term leases, are telling me that they're willing to live through the (light rail) construction for the next year and a half, knowing that in the long run, light rail will be right out in front of their door," said Tyler Wilson at Grubb & Ellis/BRE Commercial.

Much of the office tenant interest on Central Avenue is focused on the light rail stations, and studies of light rail systems in other cities are showing increases in property values along the routes.

Wilson and other brokers said a few other major proposals are in the works along Central, from Camelback Road south to downtown Phoenix. They said buyers are eyeing properties on Camelback Road along the light rail line from Central west to 19th Avenue for renovation or demolition and replacement.

"Today, what we're seeing is tenants actually moving to be close to the light rail," said Trammell Crow Co. broker John Bonnell.

Brokers also say the increasing interest in property along the light rail line is the opposite of what was heard when the light rail route was announced. At that time, the proposed route was considered a negative factor, said Keith Lambeth at CB Richard Ellis.

"We're hearing more and more people getting excited about it," Lambeth said. "People are looking at it as a benefit."

The office vacancy rate on Central Avenue has started dropping in recent years. In early 2004, vacancies on Central between Camelback and McDowell roads reached 27 percent. Today, that rate is about 14 percent, Bonnell said.

"People like the idea of being able to take light rail to the airport and to downtown," Bonnell said. "It's creating some excitement on Central."

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12350034/

well this is a good bit of news
but there are no pictures that I know of

[urban_phx]

A grand vision for Papago Park
Panel's goal: Create a Central Park for Valley

Catherine Reagor
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 20, 2006 12:00 AM

New York has Central Park. Chicago has Lincoln Park. San Diego has Balboa Park.

Phoenix has Papago Park?

It doesn't quite have the same ring, probably because Papago isn't in the same league as those other big-city parks with their instant name recognition and loads of amenities.

At least not yet.

An effort is under way to transform Papago Park, with its ideal location smack in the middle of the Valley, into a top-flight municipal park. Developers and government officials behind the drive think it would also help elevate Phoenix's reputation, because great cities have great public parks.

"Papago Park could be Phoenix's Lincoln Park, but it's not now," said Grady Gammage Jr., a real estate attorney who led an Urban Land Institute panel that looked at Papago Park's potential. "It's an incredible piece of real estate for the Valley that's completely underutilized."

Remaking the 1,200-acre Papago Park would take years, millions of dollars and cooperation among officials in three cities.

Plans call for narrowing roads through the park to slow traffic; adding an activity hub, possibly with a restaurant and coffee shop, between the Phoenix Zoo and the Desert Botanical Garden; and upgrading one of the two golf courses.

The redevelopment of Papago Park, near 55th and Van Buren streets, isn't something developers would make money off of initially. But as the park and the area around it became a destination, they could profit from developing the surrounding property in Phoenix, Tempe and Scottsdale. Some of the priciest real estate in New York is found around Central Park. It's the same around Lincoln Park in Chicago and Balboa Park in San Diego.

Maximizing the park's potential could be a mixed blessing for those who live nearby.

"We love the park. We would certainly like to see improvements, but we are very protective of our environment," said Billie Young, who lives in the Scottsdale neighborhood Sherwood Heights, which is next to Papago Park.

Residents of that neighborhood got an ordinance passed a few years ago that limits the height of houses to 16 feet, so park views aren't blocked.

Two-thirds of Papago Park is in Phoenix, one-third is in Tempe and the majority borders Scottsdale. Officials from the three cities have been part of discussions about the future of the park, which is viewed by many as three separate pieces: the zoo, the botanical garden and the park itself. Redevelopment plans call for uniting all existing and future features and marketing them as one. "Papago Park has an identity crisis," said Betty Drake, a Scottsdale City Council member.

Another recommendation, which was backed by most of the politicians who attended an Urban Land Institute meeting this week to discuss plans, was to create an intergovernmental agency to manage the park and make sure the redevelopment happens.

The plans also call for upgrading transportation within the park, likely by adding a trolley or monorail to connect a new activity center to the zoo and the botanical garden. The 11-member panel, which has been studying the park since last year, also suggested clearly defining the park's entrances. Today, members said, visitors may not know when they're within Papago's boundaries.

"The challenge is to get politicians and business leaders involved," Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman said. "We need to act now."

If the park's face-lift is tied to Arizona's centennial in 2012, it could get government financing.

If it doesn't happen, the three cities will have to find the money to remake the park. No price tag has been attached to the redevelopment plans.

Papago Park is expected to be the cornerstone of a statewide plan to prepare for the 2012 anniversary, said John Driggs, former Phoenix mayor and member of the Arizona Historical Advisory Commission. It was created last year to plan for centennial projects and handle fund-raising.

A bill to finance the commission is in the Legislature waiting for the state budget to be settled. If the bill is approved, $5 million will be appropriated, but it must be matched by other sources. None of the money has been officially earmarked for the park.


http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepu...opark0420.html
theres what the park looks like I think its terrable that they want to comericalize it so that developers can make money in the future

[Don B.]

Here's the latest Phoenix projects list:



Some highlights (all projects are in Phoenix unless otherwise noted):

3rd Street & Earll - three 25-story towers:


Century Plaza - two 40-story towers:


Centerpoint in Tempe - one 22-story and three 30-story towers:


Canvas @ 1011 - one 22-story and one 15-story tower


Central & Palm Lane - one 34-story tower:


Central & Buchanan - two 19-story towers:


7th Street & Buchanan - one 15-story building:


5th Street & Lincoln - two 15-story towers:


--don

[MasonsInquiries]

wow, so many developments.

[Krasna Sreča]

great job u guys on updating the page.

['nixFix]

Hi all, I'm fairly new to this great website, and this is my first post.
Re: Phoenix projects, there is another condo proposal, for 2 50-story
residential towers, near the s.e. corner of Central Ave and Thomas Rd.
This one has asked for a zoning change and has started presenting its plans to city groups. The develop is Toll Bros., a major builder of single family houses.
I also heard that another condo tower is proposed for Central Ave at Columbus, and, get this, it's planned to be 80 stories! I'm not sure if this is the same project
at that intersection as noted by Don above. Thanks! I love this site.

[Don B.]

^ The Toll Brothers project you are talking about is here:



The other 80-story project I've heard nothing about, and I doubt that's real.

Here's downtown Phoenix in 2012:


--don

[sd_urban]

It's good to see Phoenix finally starting to pick up steam

[samsonyuen]

From: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepu...opoly0504.html
_______________________

Support grows to push Phoenix higher in Monopoly lineup
Stephanie Paterik
The Arizona Republic
May. 4, 2006 12:00 AM
Could landing in the low-rent district of Monopoly's newest game dent Phoenix's image?

The city's Convention & Visitors Bureau apparently doesn't want to find out. The organization launched an e-mail campaign this week after realizing Phoenix was dead last in online voting, which will determine placement on the new Monopoly board.

Hasbro Inc. will debut a Here & Now Edition of its classic game this summer, with real cities and their attractions substituting for fictional streets. The catch is that cities with the most votes will be in the high-rent districts, while those with the least support will be relegated to Mediterranean Avenue.

Phoenix lurched from last place to 19th out of 22 cities after the convention bureau sent an e-mail blast to its 1,200 members and staff on Tuesday imploring them to vote every day through the May 12 deadline.

And on Wednesday, Phoenix surpassed Cleveland, Dallas and Nashville and was "closing the gap on Atlanta," staff member Brett Brooks said.

"I think we're actually creating some momentum to move Phoenix into Park Place status," spokesman Doug MacKenzie added. "The word is spreading. We're going to make it to the top. We're not Marvin Gardens."

New York, the highest vote getter, has more than 163,000 nods for Times Square, Central Park and Broadway, in that order. In Phoenix, voters favor Camelback Mountain over the Desert Botanical Gardens and Copper Square.

The Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority is snapping into action, too.

It started an online petition this week to get on the board of the Here & Now Edition after being left out of the voting entirely. After all, Charles Darrow chose the streets of Atlantic City for the original game, which Parker Brothers debuted in 1935.

Caroline Davis, a spokeswoman for the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau, said she knew little about the contest and her office had no immediate plans to get out the vote. Cleveland and Dallas did not return calls.

Meanwhile, Phoenix's e-mail is traveling like a chain letter through softball leagues and schools, MacKenzie said. It all prompts one question: Could a Monopoly game really affect Phoenix's image?

"Ultimately, no," MacKenzie said.

And yet, the e-mail campaign continues.

Fans may cast votes or check how Phoenix is doing at www.monopoly.com.

['nixFix]

just heard today from a neighborhood newsletter about 2 new potential projects for PHX.
one is a 14-16 story residential bldg proposed by Japanese developers for
Roosevelt St. at 1st Ave. it may have elevators for automobiles!
the 2nd is a 30 story tower for McKinley St betw. 1st and 2nd ave OR 2nd and 3rd ave.
that supposedly is for the transit agency and others.
Anyone have more details or renderings?

[Krasna Sreča]

hmm I haven't been downtown in like 6 months haha

I should really go and see and take pics of some things.

Scottsdale also has some neat developments but highest we get is 10 floors haha