A long day of driving and taking pictures- Phoenix
This is a documentation of my day yesterday...
I may need to borrow some money from someone for another tank of gas.
Had a million errands to run all in different parts of the City so I decided to make the best of it and get some project updates.... Kinda hard driving and taking pics and also my spy cam is a bit busted right now, so excuse the image quality!
I started out looking for a salvage yard on 30th and Washington and mistakenly, I thought 30th Avenue....
So, I couldn't help but to get some pics of some of the more blighted, forgotten areas of Phoenix which is the 30th Ave and Jefferson-Washington-Lincoln area of Phoenix:
Hayden Ferry style Silo around 30th Ave and Licoln- too bad it ain't Downtown!
Old Warehouse in the same area:
A good old fashion "swim" near 25th Ave and Jefferson
A great Modern home in the same area, probably could nab this sucka for $70,000. Location location location:
Just grabbing some well needed shade:
Sherrif bus:
I happen to like girls:
Homes in the area, 30th and Jeffersonish:
Lincoln area scene:
Market:
Mary's:
Bronco bar:
Church:
Jefferson street looking towards Downtown Phx:
Portland 38 update
Portland One
Some random Downtown Phoenix images:
Chase and 44 Monroe:
Taylor street dorms:
US Airways Arena:
Quiet on Roosevelt street:
San Carlos hotel:
Sandra Day O'Conner Courthouse rear side:
Sheraton you bully:
Cronkite building:
Convention Center pedestrian bridge:
Light Rail with a killer backdrop:
Luhrs:
1st Avenue scene:
25 E McKinley:
44 Monroe:
Alta apartments:
Luhrs arcade (gonna miss you):
Boxing gym a bit West of Downtown:
Central and Van Buren:
Chase Field:
Golden Moon Chinese food restaurant a bit West of Downtown too:
Cityscape:
Civic Park:
This was taken from the Soviet Union on the same day:
Jefferson street fun:
Judy's, looks like fun!
Jefferson street Light Rail:
Van Buren treasures:
Finally found my Salvage yard!
Washington street Light Rail:
Oh what is this? more girls?
Tempe:
CVS update on Mill and University:
Fulton building:
Vacant lots, a sign of the times.... Would rather have what was bulldozed than a nifty proposal:
Light rail path leading to Tempe:
Vacant Merrion Square Lofts project (other than the Commercial spaces):
Scottsdale projects:
Safari Drive:
Scottsdale Crossing:
Dial building update in "One" Scottsdale development:
Cool pics, I'd never guess we would see the Feeder's grain silos on this forum. For some reason, I liked the picture of the peeps swimming in the canal... kind of indicitive of that area of town's past and the heat.
Three things:
How do you know the Luhrs arcade is going bye-bye? I thought there was an article on the Luhrs complex that indicated it was going to be saved.
I had no idea that the Meridian Lofts was vacant. Why? No one bought into it, or did they never receive CofO's for the residential portion? That thing has been under development for like 5-6 years.
I really like that Portland One Project. That's the type of development (that size/scale) I envision all around the northern downtown area (all around those infill-needed empty lots). Do you know how it is selling, if at all?
But the more recent City Council report from HP makes the following statements:
• Owners had absolute right to demolish the Luhrs Parkade, the Luhrs Tower Annex, the Luhrs Arcade (the one-story Luhrs Tower extension on Jefferson St. and the Post Office) and the Luhrs Central Station with the exception of the front façade wall of the one-story Luhrs Tower extension fronting onto Jefferson Street and the east and south façade walls of the Luhrs Central Building.
• Owner to repair the Luhrs Building, Tower and Arcade per a recently completed Historic Building Analysis and Plan.
• The owner will have no easement or design review restrictions on the Luhrs Central parcel.
• The owner will convey a perpetual easement for the first 50-feet depth of the Luhrs Arcade (Luhrs Tower extension and post office) to the city.
So, the Arcade and Central building were in jeopardy but now they are going to be preseved.
As for Merrion Square, The O Carroll Group foreclosed on the building and Mortgages LTD took it back and is now selling the Lofts but it seems the building is not yet complete and it seems that they are even worse than The O'Carroll Group at getting their ducks in a row. (A bold statement)
The bottom commercial portion all closed to business owners but the top section was foreclosed on. I actually reserved one of the top corner big units in 2003 for $289,000 and the prices went way up ($450K is what most sold for later) so I was very excited. Then I purchased lighting and other upgrades at my expense (developer said if we wanted upgrades we had to pay for them out of pocket) and the Lofts got about 90% complete and The O'Carrolls ran out of money (they cannot do anything right). So, I got nothing! I could have sued a moneyless LLC.....
I am not a fan of the exterior of the unit so much, kind of a Dublin looking building but the insides of the big floorplan were awesome. My design was pretty sweet.
I like stuff like Portland One, and also PRD-845, Tempe Urban Living, Galleries at Turney- I hope they pop up all around town when things clear up. I probably get more excited about nichier, midrise stuff than I do about highrises personally.
Portland One is a little bit traditional-contemporary for my liking (I like stuff so Modern it hurts) but the spaces and floorplans and views are great.
They are not selling that well but possibly because they are a bit pricey.
Portland 38 seems more attractive to me for pricing (You can now buy a condo at Portland 38 for $239K)....
/\ Good info, thanks! That sucks about you/Merrion Square. Even if the building wasn't executed that well, I actually like the attempt/look of it.
I don't necessarily like the look of Portland One, but I definitely like the size of it, close to the street and 3 quaint stories (for some reason i like the stairs down to the ground level from the second floor). I'd be happier with a whole northern area of downtown filled in with places of the same scale as some of those condo infills, rather than of a couple high rises, even a new tallest. I too get more excited about those types of developments. Sucks Portland One is too pricey.
Is Portland 38 selling well? I really can't see how it doesn't, maybe the monthly condo fees are too high or the location is not the greatest on the east side of 7th St. They should really skimp on everything (that requires a condo fee, ie no pool, no whatever else condo fees are used for), and just have residents pay for landscaping up keep. I can't imagine landscaping upkeep only costs more than say $50/mo per unit, if that. That's almost $2000/mo. I could take care of the whole complex's landscaping by myself for $500/wk.
Did you ever sell that place on Willetta? I still think that would be perfect for my friend, whenever he decides to buy.
Yeah, I like different styles, other than my own Modern favorite. For example, I seem to be a minority who loves the Chataeux on Central....
Anything that seems like it was built well and there was some thought put in to the design makes me happy.
I like the thought of many new Modern buildings like Cronkite and the new Bio Med buildings and some Modern residential filling up our empty lots in time.
I hope Forma happens and there are some very cool proposals for stuff on hold that I hope make it.
Wasn't the biggest fan of O4 but it was decent.
The HOA fees for Portland 38 are like $110 a month! (Not bad at all)
Evergreen 9 is like $85 a month.
So that isn't the factor. A few have sold recently but there isn't a mad rush or anything. I think 11 of the 38 are reserved. I think that once the building gets completed people will start buying them. The prices are actually pissing other developers off! JAG plans on having some of the units open soon on First Fridays, which I think is a great idea.
Yes Portland 38 is the one just East of 7th street on Portland.
Yes I sold the one in Willetta 9. The model is open next door at Evergreen 9 and I think there is one available for a similar price.... $259K.
It has different upgrades but may be apples to apples.
/\ What a great article... and some sad reading too. More than anything, it puts the Luhrs right up there as the #1 historic Phoenix treasure (or one of them). I hope this new developer doesn't eff the whole place up. I'd love to get up there and take some pictures of the entire block... similar to when I snuck into the First Security Building while it was under construction and got some pictures (before the ASU urban design took over).
Do you have any idea what is being built behind Everghreen 9 on Willetta? It looks like maybe a 3 story Duplex. The same company (Aztec, i think) is building a two story (who knows how many unit) building on 6th Ave south of Roosevelt.
I suppose I should can the detracting questions in this thread and let your new pictures stand for themselves.
I snapped a few pictures of the home in your 12th picture... Someday I'm planning on getting the rest of the pictures for a Phoenix thread I'm planning, I thought this house was unique (for Phoenix)... all it needs is some TLC... can you imagine what it looked like (inside and out) when it was first constructed?.
Oh hijack away! It is good conversation! (Even if it's just you and me!)
Yeah, I tend to only take pics of stuff that have great potential... So many homes on that area West of Downtown Phoenix are amazing, but I wouldn't really want to live there.
I think I almost got roughed up by a group of locals for driving my truck through their hood
But- this area was obviously a nice area 50 years ago.... So maybe in the next 20 yrs it will be nice again. None of the lawns have summer grass I noticed.
The home you just posted has a ton of potential, but then it sits against a row or two of homes that need help too, so why bother being the trailblazer!
I know about as much as you about that parcel behind Evergreen. I do know that JAG is going to do some cool stuff with the parcel in between Willetta 9 and Evergreen 9 when things clear up and also on both sides of Willetta (3rd and 7th street sides.
Yeah, it's crazy that there are some gems pretty much open to the public (like the Westward Ho), but no one goes in them. I thought, though, that the Luhrs building (the brick one) is vacant... so it may be more of an adventure. When I went into the First Security Building, there was construction material all over the place and blue prints on the ground... it was a little harrowing, but cool.
West of downtown, by the capitol, definitely has some gems out there. I actually stumbled on a great house from the early 1900s of a style that Phoenix has almost zero left of (I doubt phoenix forumers even know it exists, I sure didn't). I'd post the picture, but I was semi-saving it and I really don't want to hijack this thread once again.
It's sad to see that old house.... and forgive me for personifying inanimate objects but the house almost looks sad. Who would ever own a property and allow it to fall into that condition??
Do you think that yellow-y color is original to the house? As in, is that the first and only paint job? It kind of looks like it, but I'd be surprised if that is the case. My house had about 10 layers of paint on the windows/sills/etc.
A paint job, brink cleaning, and yard clearing would do wonders. I'd probably be upset to see the inside, though.
firstly, the guys swimming in the canal... is the one on the right taking a piss?
Yeah, what the hell? I think that's bigfoot's ghost or something. He looks like he's standing on water. And how is that water deep enough for that guy to dive into?
Do you think that yellow-y color is original to the house? As in, is that the first and only paint job? It kind of looks like it, but I'd be surprised if that is the case. My house had about 10 layers of paint on the windows/sills/etc.
A paint job, brink cleaning, and yard clearing would do wonders. I'd probably be upset to see the inside, though.
That color looks more greenish, and is probably close to the original shade. That is a WONDERFUL old house from the exterior, but I'm sure the surrounding area is sketchy. Where is that?
That color looks more greenish, and is probably close to the original shade. That is a WONDERFUL old house from the exterior, but I'm sure the surrounding area is sketchy. Where is that?
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