Tucson Development Thread

[southtucsonboy77]

Lastly, I'm getting married Friday and honeymooning in New York City. I've never been there, but I finally get to fulfill a long-life dream...seeing and going up the Empire State Building!!!

[aznate27]

Originally Posted by southtucsonboy77

The project is being done in phases..so technically Phase 1 has been completed (big drainage portion by 4th Ave), Phase 2 is the piece currently under construction from I-10 to Main, and then the underpass is like Phase 3 or 4. I'm 35...so by the time this thing reaches Broadway I'm gonna be in my 40s! Geez, I remember this project in my 20s when I worked for ADOT and then PAG...it's definitely not what it originally was suppose to be.

If the ultimate ever gets built, which is to reach I-10 near the Valencia interchange I'll probably be in my 50s or 60s.

Do you remember that the original draft had a bridge going over Broadway at Aviation with off ramps to Broadway?? I still don't see the logic in not building the bridge or why they scrapped it?

Congrats by the way on your wedding...

[southtucsonboy77]

Originally Posted by aznate27

Do you remember that the original draft had a bridge going over Broadway at Aviation with off ramps to Broadway?? I still don't see the logic in not building the bridge or why they scrapped it?

Congrats by the way on your wedding...

I remember when they proposed a mini-interchange at St. Mary's...and the alignment running through our Warehouse "district". This was ADOT's baby for a long time. Of course us crazy Tucsonans rejected the downtown bypass...in addition to the crosstown freeway.

And thank you! (I gotta find a good sportsbar to watch the AZ/UCLA game)

[Patrick S]

Originally Posted by southtucsonboy77

Lastly, I'm getting married Friday and honeymooning in New York City. I've never been there, but I finally get to fulfill a long-life dream...seeing and going up the Empire State Building!!!

Congrats on the nuptials. New York's cool - I wouldn't mind visiting again, but I definitely wouldn't want to live there. I was there on my 16th birthday, in 1994. It was July and the World Cup was going on. I remember a bunch of people were watching one of the matches in the lobby of our hotel. Anyways, we went up as high as we could in the Empire State Building. It was cool. We also went onto the roof of one of the World Trade Towers. I can't remember which one had access to the roof - the north or south tower - but it was cool. I mean, you were on the roof of the 2nd tallest building in the world (at the time). I've also been to the highest point possible in the Willis (Sear's) Tower in Chicago, but I was too young to really remember much of it, and finally when I was like 27 or so I got the guts to go up into the Arch in St. Louis. The way it is angled, you are looking out to the east (towards Illinois), but also kinda straight down. It was freaky but cool.

[Thirsty]

Originally Posted by ProfessorMole

Got a quick shot of The Hub area. They cleared it out pretty quickly. Most of the debris is gone over where Park Ave. will sit too.

The mosque is in a pretty bad spot now. I hope they can move somewhere else around campus, maybe the next greek house that gets razed, idk.

They run a school there too, and it seems like an increasingly inconvenient place to have people coming and going. And then there is the wasted economic potential.

Sadly, there is also the issue of having drunks towering over a mosque. I always heard the LDS complex (placed next to a dorm) had issues with the ignorant things people do from time to time. Muslims aren't exactly treated like royalty in America.

[farmerk]

^^^ Wonder if they considered moving to another Tucson location? This might be more difficult to relocate since it's a (large) religious church not a strip mall.

Congratulations southtucsonboy77 . How about sharing some photos (when your back) of my favorite all time skyscraper - Empire State Building. Always wondered what it looks like inside. Or what it looks like close by.

[aznate27]

Originally Posted by farmerk

^^^ Wonder if they considered moving to another Tucson location? This might be more difficult to relocate since it's a (large) religious church not a strip mall.

Congratulations southtucsonboy77 . How about sharing some photos (when your back) of my favorite all time skyscraper - Empire State Building. Always wondered what it looks like inside. Or what it looks like close by.

It's a very cool building! I was there way back in '93, amazing view from the top! I also had the chance to go to the observation floor of the World Trade Center, this was several months after the first bombing. I feel blessed I had that chance now that they are tragically gone

[farmerk]

Originally Posted by aznate27

It's a very cool building! I was there way back in '93, amazing view from the top! I also had the chance to go to the observation floor of the World Trade Center, this was several months after the first bombing. I feel blessed I had that chance now that they are tragically gone

Never got tired with the Empire State's design. It's as timeless as the Eiffel Tower or the Vatican. I remember when 9/11 happened, I thought the WTC could withstand those planes having remembered a large plane hit the Empire State few decades back.

[Ted Lyons]

Ugh.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...28&postcount=6

[omarainza]

Originally Posted by Ted Lyons

Ugh.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...28&postcount=6

ahahahahahaha AHAAHAHAHAHAA sorry but i found that funny, not that its ok tho since the new development is bringing life back in. we cant blame him

also i drove by 5broadway yesterday and that first floor came by fast. it looks dead close to the street tho, i wonder if theyll be able to streetscape its sidewalk

[farmerk]

^^^ plinko's comment was in 2009. I guess we'll gonna have to wait and see if downtown is still "some dead hollowed out office park" in a few years ... hard to judge now because of all the construction, proposed projects and still tepid economy.

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/p...nt?oid=3654062 , here's an update of the Broadway rd expansion and a church who's against it.

Fyi, Campbell rd was expanded to 6 from 4 lanes between Grant rd and Speedway blvd about 10 yrs ago. I think that was the same time voters turn down a crosstown fwy at Grant rd.

[Ted Lyons]

Originally Posted by omarainza

ahahahahahaha AHAAHAHAHAHAA sorry but i found that funny, not that its ok tho since the new development is bringing life back in. we cant blame him

also i drove by 5broadway yesterday and that first floor came by fast. it looks dead close to the street tho, i wonder if theyll be able to streetscape its sidewalk

It just seemed like his opinion was formed five or ten years ago.

As for 1 East Broadway, the closer to the street, the better, IMO. I do think they'll have some sort of greenery, though.

Also, Penca, at 50 East Broadway, had heir soft opening yesterday. They posted a few pictures on Facebook and I drove by later in the day and the interior looks pretty awesome.

[Patrick S]

Good news, I guess, since our economy (both in the U.S. and especially here in Tucson) will not fully recover until the housing market comes back. I just don't get how the area around Tangerine Rd. is considered NW Pima County. NW Tucson metro maybe. Wouldn't NW Pima County be out by Ajo?

Far Northwest Tucson new-home market hot
'TANGERINE CORRIDOR' DEVELOPMENT BOOMING AT 'ASTONISHING' RATE

Gabriela Rico Arizona Daily Star

A housing boom along the Tangerine Road corridor accounts for nearly 65 percent of new home construction in northwest Pima County.

No longer "out in the boonies," the area is likely five years away from being built out, land brokers say.

"This corridor will dominate the market activity in 2013," said Ginger Kneup, a Tucson residential market analyst and owner of Bright Future Real Estate Research LLC. "It's a matter of lot availability and accessibility. With the Twin Peaks Interchange (on Interstate 10) being finished, it's created a point of access to the area."

Homebuilders are gobbling up land in the corridor, roughly bounded by Linda Vista Boulevard to the Tortolita Mountains and Oracle Road to just west of Interstate 10.

Meritage Homes opened Hohokam Village, an 86-unit development in Rancho Vistoso, northwest of Tangerine and Oracle roads, in August. As of last week 60 homes had sold, said Jeffrey Grobstein, the homebuilder's desert region president.

Meritage will open three new communities in the area this month.

"The spectacular views are hard to beat," Grobstein said, pointing to construction workers on the roof of framed homes with the Catalinas' Pusch Ridge as a backdrop.

He said customers cite the low density and "straight shot" to I-10 as reasons for moving into the area on metro Tucson's far northwest side.

At the north end of Dove Mountain, Meritage is building streets and installing utilities for Los Saguaros at Dove Mountain, the master-planned community west of Tangerine and Twin Peaks roads that is receiving a lot of interest from homebuilders.

"We believe many people interested in this area - baby boomers, empty nesters - still are working or at least like the idea of being in an exclusive area, yet close enough to the employment corridors," said Jacque Petroulakis, a spokeswoman for Pulte Homes, which has just purchased land in Dove Mountain. "Plus, the considerable commercial and retail construction is a huge motivator to find opportunities for the demand we are seeing."

Pulte recently bought 170 lots in Dove Mountain for an active-adult Del Webb community. It is the first phase of a potential 650 lots on 208 acres in the development.

"The timing is ideal as the Tucson market is strengthening with housing demand outpacing supply," said John Chadwick, southwest area president for PulteGroup. "As Tucson continues to be a top retirement destination, this new Del Webb community will provide a prime in-town location."

Kneup said homebuilders are playing catch-up to homeowner demand and while the Tangerine corridor leads the market now, Vail, Sahuarita, Quail Creek and Green Valley are also experiencing a lot of building activity.

The challenge for builders, she said, will be to keep prices low in this still-recovering market as land and labor prices rise.

Will White, a land broker with Land Advisors Organization, said the rebirth of the Tangerine corridor is "astonishing."

He said there is $80 million worth of pending transactions with builders for land in the corridor.

"That's how sought-after that area is," White said. "All that needed to happen for that area to be a draw was for one homebuilder to be successful. It feeds on itself."

White said the large open spaces will continue to be a draw to the area for at least five years when it will likely be built out.

He pointed to 2009 as the year the corridor got renewed attention.

"Things were still pretty choppy with the economy," White said. "Homebuilders were able to buy lots at really reasonable prices."

With low land prices, builders were able to sell homes in the upper $100,000 range - something unheard of for that area in the housing market's peak.

Prices have climbed, but are still under $300,000 for many subdivisions.

"Not unlike any metro area coming out of a downturn there's always an area that's doing better," White said of the Tangerine corridor. "There's a lot of history to that area."

[Ritarancher]

Originally Posted by Patrick S

Good news, I guess, since our economy (both in the U.S. and especially here in Tucson) will not fully recover until the housing market comes back. I just don't get how the area around Tangerine Rd. is considered NW Pima County. NW Tucson metro maybe. Wouldn't NW Pima County be out by Ajo?

Far Northwest Tucson new-home market hot
'TANGERINE CORRIDOR' DEVELOPMENT BOOMING AT 'ASTONISHING' RATE

Gabriela Rico Arizona Daily Star

A housing boom along the Tangerine Road corridor accounts for nearly 65 percent of new home construction in northwest Pima County.

No longer "out in the boonies," the area is likely five years away from being built out, land brokers say.

"This corridor will dominate the market activity in 2013," said Ginger Kneup, a Tucson residential market analyst and owner of Bright Future Real Estate Research LLC. "It's a matter of lot availability and accessibility. With the Twin Peaks Interchange (on Interstate 10) being finished, it's created a point of access to the area."

Homebuilders are gobbling up land in the corridor, roughly bounded by Linda Vista Boulevard to the Tortolita Mountains and Oracle Road to just west of Interstate 10.

Meritage Homes opened Hohokam Village, an 86-unit development in Rancho Vistoso, northwest of Tangerine and Oracle roads, in August. As of last week 60 homes had sold, said Jeffrey Grobstein, the homebuilder's desert region president.

Meritage will open three new communities in the area this month.

"The spectacular views are hard to beat," Grobstein said, pointing to construction workers on the roof of framed homes with the Catalinas' Pusch Ridge as a backdrop.

He said customers cite the low density and "straight shot" to I-10 as reasons for moving into the area on metro Tucson's far northwest side.

At the north end of Dove Mountain, Meritage is building streets and installing utilities for Los Saguaros at Dove Mountain, the master-planned community west of Tangerine and Twin Peaks roads that is receiving a lot of interest from homebuilders.

"We believe many people interested in this area - baby boomers, empty nesters - still are working or at least like the idea of being in an exclusive area, yet close enough to the employment corridors," said Jacque Petroulakis, a spokeswoman for Pulte Homes, which has just purchased land in Dove Mountain. "Plus, the considerable commercial and retail construction is a huge motivator to find opportunities for the demand we are seeing."

Pulte recently bought 170 lots in Dove Mountain for an active-adult Del Webb community. It is the first phase of a potential 650 lots on 208 acres in the development.

"The timing is ideal as the Tucson market is strengthening with housing demand outpacing supply," said John Chadwick, southwest area president for PulteGroup. "As Tucson continues to be a top retirement destination, this new Del Webb community will provide a prime in-town location."

Kneup said homebuilders are playing catch-up to homeowner demand and while the Tangerine corridor leads the market now, Vail, Sahuarita, Quail Creek and Green Valley are also experiencing a lot of building activity.

The challenge for builders, she said, will be to keep prices low in this still-recovering market as land and labor prices rise.

Will White, a land broker with Land Advisors Organization, said the rebirth of the Tangerine corridor is "astonishing."

He said there is $80 million worth of pending transactions with builders for land in the corridor.

"That's how sought-after that area is," White said. "All that needed to happen for that area to be a draw was for one homebuilder to be successful. It feeds on itself."

White said the large open spaces will continue to be a draw to the area for at least five years when it will likely be built out.

He pointed to 2009 as the year the corridor got renewed attention.

"Things were still pretty choppy with the economy," White said. "Homebuilders were able to buy lots at really reasonable prices."

With low land prices, builders were able to sell homes in the upper $100,000 range - something unheard of for that area in the housing market's peak.

Prices have climbed, but are still under $300,000 for many subdivisions.

"Not unlike any metro area coming out of a downturn there's always an area that's doing better," White said of the Tangerine corridor. "There's a lot of history to that area."

I like the way that marana is come together, it's just an extended Tucson. I drove to Phoenix today and I am glad that developers are slowing down progress in casa grande. Casa Grande leaves a bad impression of Arizona. It's a BARREN WASTELAND. Most people in casa grande are also employees of businesses in either Tucson or Phoenix. Gas prices are probably killing these people. On top of being ugly casa grande is just a boring place to live. That's why developers are seeking gold in the cities. I know that 90% of my neighborhood (I-10 and kolb) was built in 2006 or 07 but it all stopped untill last October and now we're a finished neighborhood. Competition between housing developers is at a good stage right now , too bad they're run by idiots who will mass produce new communities and ruin the housing market again. Tucson and Phoenix will continue to grow and casa grande will remain a terrible place to live.

[farmerk]

Casa Grande hasn't changed much since I last visited 2-3 yrs ago. There's this new hospital and a few corporate retail close to I-10 and very few corporate housing. It's probably more of a place to raise a family or retire. Yep, it's very boring.

I have no problem with corporations mass producing houses except that I wished they're more creative with their houses - they look the same and the quality of the houses are horrible. I visited one of my friend's corporate pre-fab home and I just couldn't wait to leave her house. I wished these new residential blocks would be cut in half to make it feel walkable.

I think of all the cities in AZ, Tucson has the most potential to be a top tier city given it's natural environment and rich history. The weather is not perfect but not bad either.

[Ritarancher]

Originally Posted by farmerk

Casa Grande hasn't changed much since I last visited 2-3 yrs ago. There's this new hospital and a few corporate retail close to I-10 and very few corporate housing. It's probably more of a place to raise a family or retire. Yep, it's very boring.

I have no problem with corporations mass producing houses except that I wished they're more creative with their houses - they look the same and the quality of the houses are horrible. I visited one of my friend's corporate pre-fab home and I just couldn't wait to leave her house. I wished these new residential blocks would be cut in half to make it feel walkable.

I think of all the cities in AZ, Tucson has the most potential to be a top tier city given it's natural environment and rich history. The weather is not perfect but not bad either.

For a desert we've got it good. No other desert gets as much rain as Tucson. With all the rain comes desert plants and animals, in large amounts. Our environment is nice but it's not a green forest that people like. And raising a family in casa grande? I'd kill myself. There's barely enough things to do in Tucson right now but casa grande....

[farmerk]

Originally Posted by Ritarancher

For a desert we've got it good. No other desert gets as much rain as Tucson. With all the rain comes desert plants and animals, in large amounts. Our environment is nice but it's not a green forest that people like. And raising a family in casa grande? I'd kill myself. There's barely enough things to do in Tucson right now but casa grande....

I read someplace in the internets that Tucson is the or one of the wettest deserts in the world. Green forest? What's wrong with Mt. Lemon or the surrounding mountains in Tucson? I can't think of any place where you have desert and green forest side by side. And biking in Tucson is paradise.

Casa Grande will be a great place to raise a family if the kids are highly delinquent. I know of a family from San Diego that moved to CG because they have 'troubled' kids. CG is like a prison for those kids.

[aznate27]

Originally Posted by farmerk

I read someplace in the internets that Tucson is the or one of the wettest deserts in the world. Green forest? What's wrong with Mt. Lemon or the surrounding mountains in Tucson? I can't think of any place where you have desert and green forest side by side. And biking in Tucson is paradise.

Casa Grande will be a great place to raise a family if the kids are highly delinquent. I know of a family from San Diego that moved to CG because they have 'troubled' kids. CG is like a prison for those kids.

Did you ever see the episode of "Life After People" when they talked about Southern Arizona? They said that it would turn back into a much greener dessert than it is today. The washes would flow again over time as the water table below was replenished with no people using it.

[Thirsty]

Originally Posted by farmerk

I read someplace in the internets that Tucson is the or one of the wettest deserts in the world. Green forest? What's wrong with Mt. Lemon or the surrounding mountains in Tucson? I can't think of any place where you have desert and green forest side by side. And biking in Tucson is paradise.

I read something similar like scientist defining a desert as anywhere receiving 8 or fewer inches of rain/year. With 150% of that, Tucson is a special case because of the low humidity and elevation. In any case, compared to other deserts, So. AZ is the amazon.

[Thirsty]

This is off topic, but every climate projection I've read has Tucson progressively turning into Phoenix/Yuma/Baghdad in the coming decades which makes sense except for... when ocean temperatures are high, the pacific low that causes the monsoon moves south and Tucson gets record rainfall.

Like everyone else on the internet; I've earned an advanced degree in fill in the blank from Wikipedia University.

Can anyone explain why my amateur meteorology is missing the big picture?