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  #421  
Old Posted May 6, 2014, 6:09 AM
Jjs5056 Jjs5056 is offline
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I think that's a little shortsighted/narrow-minded. Because Mesa is so sprawling, it won't ever be a fully transit-minded and oriented city. But, there's great bones downtown, and I think that area has the potential to become a pretty active mixed use, midrise TOD community. Mesa's mayor is a great leader, who has brought dozens of new companies and higher education opportunities to Mesa. That's the base needed to grow and establish a revitalized core when you don't have the gays and artists in your town.

Highly educated, well-paid professionals will want that urban experience, and eventually there will be market rate development downtown that responds to that demand. Mesa has a pretty solid downtown to start off a revitalization effort- it has more contiguous retail than anywhere in Phoenix. The light rail extension will also continue to spur TOD. Skyscrapers? No. But, the typical 5-6 story apartments being built throughout any of our more urban areas.

I think having 1 more major college or HQ choose a more central location, and we'll see plenty of residential infill.

In the meantime, I haven't read their General Plan, but if downtown stabilized with jobs, education and housing (and the retail that follows), it's only logical that they create a plan for the Fiesta District and break ground. They've been preaching it for years while it continued to fall apart. But, this is where cities need to think of alternative transit options. Getting streetcar or rapid bus down Dobson and connect to BOA tower, MCC, the hospital and the mall would be a great first start and something I could see Smith pushing through. It's too bad Tempe hadn't completed their streetcar prior to the Cubs relocation; I think an extension would've been approved by Mesa voters, in which case, you could have possibly connected the Fiesta District with Uptown Phoenix.

Ultimately, its up to the private sector and market. Nothing can force MCC to improve the pedestrian access and comfort, and build new construction fronting Southern and Dobson, build only structured parking - preferably underground.

Unfortunately, the rest of the revitalization would need to come from bulldozers or developers willing to evaluate unique alternatives. For example, can the Fiesta Mall withstand the addition of any additional floors? If so, why not build a rental community on the top and create a mixed use center. If not, there is plenty of surface lots prime for sub level parking structures, ground level retail, and rentals on top. The more we can find uses for surface parking, the greater chance at ever seeing a turnaround.
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  #422  
Old Posted May 6, 2014, 5:20 PM
DevilsRider DevilsRider is offline
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I agree on pretty much all counts. I was extremely disappointed that the new MCC Performing Arts Center is being constructed right at Longmore and the 60, rather than along Dobson or Southern.

Unfortunately, Scot Smith is no longer the Mayor of Mesa...he resigned last month to pursue the governorship. Former Vice Mayor and District Two Councilmember Alex Finter has taken his place through the next election. http://www.mesaaz.gov/mayor/ Hopefully, he will continue to push strongly the ideas and plans Mayor Smith had set into motion...
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  #423  
Old Posted Aug 3, 2014, 3:21 AM
MegaBass MegaBass is offline
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Sheraton hotel going up next to Cubs spring training home h/t Jeff Metcalfe
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  #424  
Old Posted Aug 13, 2014, 4:47 PM
azsunsurfer azsunsurfer is offline
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http://azbex.com/ryan-smithgroupjjr-...ntown-project/

Im kind of confused...Chandler originally wanted a 5 story residential development on this site and then Ryan/ Smithgroup came out of no where. I know that they have a residential development in the works for that other site by the railroad tracks. I guess the city wants anything that will stick. Ryan has a great track record for office development in this economy....maybe this is why they are taking their proposal seriously. I still think this should have been a more intense use for the first phase of this site.
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  #425  
Old Posted Aug 13, 2014, 9:30 PM
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^^^We'll take it. There's still plenty of residential slated on both sides of Arizona in DT.
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  #426  
Old Posted Aug 14, 2014, 7:21 PM
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New 110KSF Office to Rise from Abandoned Fiesta Retail Center

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Former Mesa mayor and current gubernatorial candidate Scott Smith called it. “Someone is going to see the value of the Fiesta District and do something with those empty shopping centers,” he told AZBEX in an interview earlier this year.
Aptly named Phoenix Rising Investments, LLC, has acquired an empty plaza at Southern Avenue and Longmore Drive, and will adapt the space into 110KSF, contiguous floor Class A office. The invigorated building will feature a 7:1K parking ratio. To be called Centrica, the office will tap into the Mesa-installed fiber optic backbone on Southern Avenue, bringing multi-gigabit-capable fiber into the building.
Mesa is in the process of investing $2M into capital improvements in the Fiesta District to spur its economic revitalization. Once the retail center for the city, the District has been pockmarked with declining Fiesta Mall, currently in receivership, and abandoned and vacant retail centers.
The highly-technological office building becomes a showcase for adaptive reuse, taking the retail shell and renovating the exterior. The high parking-to-office ratio accommodates demand in collaborative and creative workspaces. The zoning and development potential gives Phoenix Rising the potential to expand the building to 140KSF.
The location reflects current office space demands for technology and next-economy businesses with high ceilings, access to bus, connections to light rail, and close proximity to both Mesa Community College across the street and Upper Iowa University’s new Mesa campus on Alma School.
Nelsen Partners has the design assignment. Willmeng has been selected as the GC.
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  #427  
Old Posted Aug 14, 2014, 9:46 PM
rocksteady rocksteady is offline
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This is good news. I've never cared for this area, even in its heyday...but it will be nice to see this area have life again. I don't think any part of metro Phoenix was so visibly hit by the recession than this area. I've never seen such a large swath go completely under.

I feel like the days of large shopping malls like Fiesta, Superstition, and AZ Mills are numbered. I've always wondered what they would do to revitalize or rehab such large buildings in the event they completely close.
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  #428  
Old Posted Aug 15, 2014, 3:26 AM
Jjs5056 Jjs5056 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by azsunsurfer View Post
http://azbex.com/ryan-smithgroupjjr-...ntown-project/

Im kind of confused...Chandler originally wanted a 5 story residential development on this site and then Ryan/ Smithgroup came out of no where. I know that they have a residential development in the works for that other site by the railroad tracks. I guess the city wants anything that will stick. Ryan has a great track record for office development in this economy....maybe this is why they are taking their proposal seriously. I still think this should have been a more intense use for the first phase of this site.
Agreed. This is a pretty lame first phase considering what the city had talked about wanting. Downtown Chandler won't ever have - or need - anything much higher than 5 or so stories, as it isn't the employment base and won't ever be. But, it has a great ambiance and if they focused on adding to local attractions and nightlife like the SanTan Brewery, residential would still have a place and be attractive to quite a range of people: city employees, boomers for a second home due to the convenient location, millenials who grew up in the area who want urban living but maybe not to the extent Phoenix offers, etc. This is especially true if they ever develop a streetcar system that connects downtown with Price and light rail on Gilbert (it is Gilbert, right, where the Mesa extension will end?).

That said, using city land through an RFP to create that housing stock that developers might be iffy on creating otherwise would've been much better than a 2-story office building.

ROCKSTEADY:
I think the general consensus agrees with you that closed-air malls are dying. The lucky ones that have enough room and time will convert themselves to 'lifestyle centers' which is the new fad: faux urban centers a la Kierland, The District at TMP, etc. anchored by the same big boxes. Some even incorporated housing and offices above or in adjacent buildings, which make them a bit more sustainable and actually urban than traditional malls; otherwise, the same sea of parking and suburban locations apply.

It's too bad Scottsdale Fashion Square was built when it was/is so successful now. Walking the bridge over the canal from SouthBridge and hitting the shops at Waterfront before a street-oriented district with Nordstrom, Macy's, Neiman's, H&M, Barney's, and all the dining options - surrounded by mid/high rise development to the east and west - would be pretty incredible. Transit and 40K millionaires or not, a downtown with that kind of modern shopping to complement its already modern nightlife district and historic arts and museum attractions would easily be the best destination in the state.

Hopefully, decent retail goes in at whatever becomes of The Blue's land (west of Safari Drive) because at least Barney's and the Triyar building open up to Scottsdale Rd. There's also future development opportunity on the parking lot on Camelback across from the Waterfront, and to the north of the mall; but, most of the big anchors are already established inside.
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  #429  
Old Posted Aug 30, 2014, 1:12 AM
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Chandler Council set to vote on fate of ‘Elevation’

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The long-awaited demise of the Elevation Chandler building is now entering its final stages.
Final development agreements about the project are on the agenda for the Sept. 8 Chandler City Council. The six-story tension steel skeleton will be down near the end of the year if all is approved.
“It has been a mess of a property … we want to get the development agreement done to move forward and close on the land,” said Chandler Vice Mayor Rick Heumann.
Elevation Chandler, which will remain the name of the property, has been abandoned since 2006 when original developer Jeff Cline had financial issues and construction was halted.
The city is taking precaution after the failure of the first project eight years ago. Chandler City Councilmember Nora Ellen said the city is inserting impact fees into the agreement with Hines — the developer looking to purchase the land — that will include a non-refundable demolition fee. The worst-case scenario for the city is the current eyesore will be gone.
An in-with-the-new process will begin for Elevation Chandler, pending the aforementioned approvals. First priority for the new Chandler Veridian project is a multi-family housing development on the south side of the plot. The housing development may even break ground before or during the taking down process of the current structure as they are on opposite ends of the property.
Class A office buildings and a hotel are also in the plans. The hotel, whose brand has not yet been announced or agreed upon, will be on the northwest corner of Frye Road and Galleria Way. The nearly 240,000 square feet of space cleared for office buildings will be built right around where the existing structure sits.
Retail shopping is not an immediate concern for the plot. Chandler City Councilmember Kevin Hartke believes the area calls for more housing and office buildings than shops as it is located across the street from Chandler Fashion Center.
“One of the things we don’t want there is a whole lot of retail. We don’t want to over-retail or under-house the area,” he said.
While there may not be a necessity or an overwhelming demand for shopping in the area, there will still be a handful of stores located within the shopping center. This could, however, provide a challenge when filling out the property. Heumann said finding tenants for the retail portion will be a difficult process when the time comes, as the vicinity to the mall and the surrounding of office buildings does not make it a desirable spot for consumers.
The entire project could take up to two years until it is fully completed, but the good news for residents and frequenters of the area is that construction should not drastically impede or obstruct traffic on the road. The majority of the work will be done far enough inside the property where there will be no need to block off any roads, said City of Chandler Planning Administrator Jeff Kurtz.
“There won’t be exceedingly exhaustive construction making its way onto the roads” he said.
While the final phases and documents are yet to be completed and filled out, anticipation and excitement for the removal of one of the biggest structural blemishes in the city of Chandler remains high.
“It’s a shame the building can’t come down in a day. We were ready to have a wrecking ball party, but we probably will celebrate at the beginning and the end of it,” Ellen said.
• Tony Gennario is a student at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
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  #430  
Old Posted Sep 6, 2014, 11:41 PM
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Mesa City Center

The finalists for the Mesa City Center have been unvailed.

Source: http://www.archdaily.com/545248/fina...a-city-center/

Quote:
The final design concepts for the redesign of Arizona’s Mesa City Center have been unveiled by the competition’s three finalist design teams: Colwell Shelor + West 8 + Weddle Gilmore; Woods Bagot + Surface Design; and Otak + Mayer Reed.

The Mesa City Center redesign project aims to develop an 18 acre site in the city’s downtown and enhance the urbanization of the area. When complete, the city center will be transformed into a public space with both programmed and passive space that can be used for informal gatherings as well as events. “The signature public space will be a key element in the activation of the downtown core and will be a catalyst for high intensity redevelopment surrounding City Center with a variety of uses that activate the public space,” the competition website states.
I'm a big fan of the West 8/Weddle Gilmore design. West 8 is an awesome landscape firm and their work is world class. I was actually hoping they would win the Hance Park competition in downtown Phoenix. It is interesting to see them team up with Weddle Gilmore, who won that competition, for this one.
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  #431  
Old Posted Sep 18, 2014, 8:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Arquitect View Post
The finalists for the Mesa City Center have been unvailed.

Source: http://www.archdaily.com/545248/fina...a-city-center/



I'm a big fan of the West 8/Weddle Gilmore design. West 8 is an awesome landscape firm and their work is world class. I was actually hoping they would win the Hance Park competition in downtown Phoenix. It is interesting to see them team up with Weddle Gilmore, who won that competition, for this one.
City Center Design
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  #432  
Old Posted Sep 19, 2014, 10:29 AM
PHXguyinOKC PHXguyinOKC is offline
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Finally!

I remember this going up when I worked at that Best Buy before I left for the Air Force.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/...arch/15350743/
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  #433  
Old Posted Oct 22, 2014, 5:42 PM
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Chandler 101 Development Under Way in Chandler

Looks like three 11 or 12 story buildings (referring to roof height). Not too bad looking for Chandler.


Quote:
Posted by Matthew Roy on Oct 17th, 2014 // No Comment

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By Keyvhan Ghareman for Holder Construction Company

The Rockefeller Group announced in October that it has begun construction on a southern extension of Coronado Street in Chandler. This marks the beginning of the development of Rockefeller Group Chandler 101, the mixed-use project the company is developing in Chandler’s prestigious Price Corridor.

The road will help relieve traffic at the intersection of northbound Price Road, Chandler Boulevard and Loop 101 freeway by providing a more convenient alternate for commuters trying to go east on Chandler Boulevard that averages approximately 37K vehicles per day.

The extension is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2015.

The extension will also serve to provide greater access to the development located at the intersection of Loop 101 and Chandler Boulevard. Rockefeller Group Chandler 101 approved for 933KSF on 22 acres with 9 and 10-story office towers, hotel, restaurants, retail, and a parking structure on the southeast corner of Chandler Boulevard and the 101 Freeway.

“Construction of this access road is the beginning of the first phase in the development of Rockefeller Group Chandler 101,” said Mark Singerman, VP – Regional Director, The Rockefeller Group. “We hope that construction of the road around the site will aid us in securing one or more anchor office tenants needed to begin the development by improving access to the property.”

Along with this new road, the work also entails the installation of new sewer lines, relocation of existing water and power lines, as well as the relocation of 69kv power poles and installation of new fiber paths. With engineering completed by David Evans & Associates and permits in hand, Holder Construction Company was awarded the construction contract and began surveying in September.

LOC Chandler 101web

Rendering courtesy of Holder Construction Company
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Last edited by CrestedSaguaro; Oct 22, 2014 at 6:02 PM.
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  #434  
Old Posted Oct 22, 2014, 6:01 PM
azsunsurfer azsunsurfer is offline
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That project is very old and has been announced as far back as 2008. Just another press piece in hopes of attracting attention of a potential tenant. I still see this fairly unlikely of being built anytime soon. There are a lot of competition in the works around that area as well.
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  #435  
Old Posted Oct 22, 2014, 6:44 PM
dtnphx dtnphx is offline
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Originally Posted by azsunsurfer View Post
That project is very old and has been announced as far back as 2008. Just another press piece in hopes of attracting attention of a potential tenant. I still see this fairly unlikely of being built anytime soon. There are a lot of competition in the works around that area as well.
I have to disagree. It's actually more viable today then it was anytime since 2008. The infrastructure improvement notice is a big deal and it could very well secure a tenant so they can begin to build. The Rockefeller Group has its hands on dozens of projects (completed and u/c) all over the Valley. They are big time. Yes, this press release is to raise interest in the project-they would be remiss if they didn't shout this from the rafters. The Chandler market is on fire right now and will continue for a while so this project probably has legs...
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  #436  
Old Posted Oct 24, 2014, 12:01 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by azsunsurfer View Post
That project is very old and has been announced as far back as 2008. Just another press piece in hopes of attracting attention of a potential tenant. I still see this fairly unlikely of being built anytime soon. There are a lot of competition in the works around that area as well.

Sorry about that. I have very little time these days to even look on here, let alone read back 6 years of previous posts.

All I see is "has begun construction" and I'm like a little kid in a candy store
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  #437  
Old Posted Nov 21, 2014, 12:07 PM
michael85225 michael85225 is offline
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Passed by Chandler Fashion Center today and the shell of doomed Elevation Chandler is finally coming down to be replaced by retail space and a hotel. Great to see someone come in and develop the land.
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  #438  
Old Posted Nov 25, 2014, 7:37 PM
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Originally Posted by michael85225 View Post
Passed by Chandler Fashion Center today and the shell of doomed Elevation Chandler is finally coming down to be replaced by retail space and a hotel. Great to see someone come in and develop the land.
It's disappointing that elevation never came to fruition, but I love seeing a pile of rubble in place of the monstrosity. FINALLY!
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  #439  
Old Posted Nov 26, 2014, 3:18 AM
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I had a good laugh when one of the managing partners for Hines called it an "industrial art project."

For all the failed developer dreams in the Phoenix area it was a most fitting sculpture. I almost wish they kept it!
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  #440  
Old Posted Dec 8, 2014, 4:13 PM
DevilsRider DevilsRider is offline
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Snapped a couple pics of the new hotel at Riverview while I was out this weekend. Gotta say, I'm bummed at how isolated it is right now, but it looks very nice from Dobson/Rio Salado, and I imagine over time it will be surrounded by other buildings (at least, I thought that was the plan for "Wrigleyville West).

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