The first sentence is completely bogus, but hopefully the Edison can move the needle when it comes to financing:

http://azbex.com/is-it-time-for-the-...-of-the-condo/

No mention of Central Station.

Although it's not mentioned....I have faith that (regardless of the design) this one is a definite go.. :cheers:

Exclusive: HKS Inc. to design $400M Banner patient tower

Phoenix-based Banner Health is planning a 16-story patient tower on its flagship campus formerly known as Good Samaritan — making it the tallest hospital in Arizona.
Now called Banner — University Medical Center Phoenix, the campus is preparing for a 650,000-square-foot patient tower — though it is not yet approved and funded. The proposed tower would create 312 private rooms in the 16-story tower, eliminating all semi-private rooms.
Kip Edwards, vice president of development and construction for Banner Health, said he expects a final decision by December on when construction can begin on the patient tower.

"If we make a final decision by year end, we will be able to catch the tower construction up with the base and actually make it a continuous, fluid construction project," Edwards said.
Meanwhile, a new emergency department has been approved to break ground in October, and will include two helipads and an emergency generator building. It is expected to open in December, 2019. This follows the opening of a 1,100-car parking garage on that campus.
HKS Inc. was awarded the design of the $400 million patient tower and emergency department at Banner — University Medical Center Phoenix.
The architectural firm is teaming with DPR Construction to design and build both the emergency department and the patient tower on that campus. Existing buildings on the campus are being demolished to make room for the new tower.
Edwards said it made sense to approve the design of the entire project, rather than adding on later.
"It allows us to firm up numbers, costs and a business case for building the tower and it also allows us — if we're not going to build right now — to have everything prepared and designed below to receive it later," Edwards said.
HKS and DPR also worked together on the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center expansion in Gilbert, said John Niziolek, project manager with HKS.
That project was half the size of the downtown Phoenix campus, he said.
Once the tower is approved, 13 stories will be added to the three-story building that will house the new emergency department, Niziolek said.

The HKS-DPR team will use an integrated project-delivery method that they used for the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center expansion. This means that all the teams will work on their drawings together so that when it comes time to submit building permits with the city, the contractors are ready to build, Niziolek said.

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/b...r-patient.html

Fence is up at Edison!
 

Looks like ground-breaking is imminent now!

Pics of new Portland Place Condos
 

Pics taken August 19 2015 of the new Portland Place Condos at the Deck Park. This project is really making progress!

https://imageshack.com/i/idJPy19Rj

https://imageshack.com/i/ip0qlkNDj

En Hance Breaks Groud
 

According to: http://azbex.com/arizona-projects-8-14-15/ and the En Hance Facebook page. Wow, great news for Roosevelt district. Can't wait to see how lively the area is when Enhance, Poxy 333, Union, Illuminate and Elevate are all complete!

En Hance units are listed on the MLS. The listings say they anticipate completion in June 2016. Prices start in the mid $200s for a 1 bedroom and low $300s for a 2 bedroom. Those prices are pretty comparable to ArtHAUS and a little less than Portland on the Park.

Pictures of Elevation on Central taken Aug 22 2015
 

This new project is looking great!

https://imageshack.com/i/pcY504tnj

https://imageshack.com/i/f0FhBvsoj

https://imageshack.com/i/pamMrftBj

It's so anti-urban :( not a single apartment opens up to the street. I wish more developers locally were interested in front doors at the sidewalk.

Were this project on pretty much any street other than Central I might care about this but since Central is such a major thoroughfare for automobiles and rail I just don't mind it. Agree that I would like to see projects like this on the thirds or fifths with walkups though.

Phoenix's historic Westward Ho gets a makeover

http://www.azcentral.com/story/money...ject/32354003/

Professional Building Returns To 1930s Splendor As Hilton Garden Inn
 

http://dtphx.org/2015/08/27/professi...on-garden-inn/

I'm excited for this to finally open in 3 months or so. Loving that the rooftop bar will be open to the public, we need more places like this in downtown

As far as I can tell, not one bit of this "makeover" will be noticeable by anyone other than the residents who live there. At least if the antenna was going to be removed I'd be a bit enthusiastic. However, this is about as exciting as someone who took out a loan to remodel the inside of their house. None of what is being done will be accessible to, or used by the general public. I'm underwhelmed.

A nice little "booster" story. Not much of anything new, but still good.


Why you don't see more vacant lots along light-rail route

http://www.azcentral.com/story/money...ects/71275354/

The next time you ride light rail or drive along the many main streets it chugs down from Phoenix to Mesa, imagine as many as 25 more vacant lots and empty, rundown buildings along the route.

One of those empty lots would have been on the southwest corner of First Avenue and Roosevelt Street.

That prime corner in downtown Phoenix had been vacant for more than 50 years. MetroWest Development had to move utility and water lines, narrow a street by a lane and close a short, one-way street before it could start construction on the Union@Roosevelt apartments earlier this year.

The MetroWest project and at least two dozen other Valley infill projects are up or underway because of Valley non-profit Sustainable Communities Collaborative, which was created to support housing and redevelopment near light rail.

Sustainable Communities worked with MetroWest for more than two years to get the site at First and Roosevelt ready and help it get financing.

Last week, days before the opening of the Mesa extension of light rail, Sustainable Communities landed $30 million more in funding to bring more new housing and businesses to low-income communities along the tracks as well as high-volume bus routes.

"People stay away from infill because it takes some heavy lifting and creative thinking while working with many groups and governments. It's not easy to close a road in car-centric cities," Arizona growth expert Shannon Scutari told me. "But the city of Phoenix and many others saw it was worth it to build Union@Roosevelt, a place that makes it easy to bike and walk to light rail."

She is one of the founders of Sustainable Communities Collaborative, a partnership of more than 35 groups and governments that was funded four years ago with $20 million from the Local Initiatives Support Corp. and the Raza Development Fund.

That $20 million was used to leverage financing for $375 million in development. Local Initiative and Raza also furnished Sustainable Communities latest funding.

There had been high hopes for development along light rail when it was planned and built during the boom. But light rail began service as the economy and real-estate market were crashing in 2008. Several projects planned to go up along the emerging transportation corridor suffered or failed along with the rest of the region's housing market.

Sustainable Communities has helped breathe life back into many projects along the tracks, including these:

In north central Phoenix, the Beef Eaters Restaurant at Third Avenue and Camelback closed in 2006 as light rail was under construction right in front of the long-time local favorite. Phoenix-based Venue Partners worked with Sustainable Communities to redevelop the site into Newton Place, named after Beef Eater founder Jay Newton. The now thriving mixed-used center is home to a Changing Hands bookstore and the Southern Rail restaurant.
In Tempe, the 60-year-old Grace Community Church building has been redeveloped into Gracie's Village. The church still operates a thrift store there. The project includes 50 affordable apartments above the thrift store, a Wi-Fi lounge, roof deck and playground area.
In downtown Mesa, Encore on First, a five-story, 81-unit urban building, has been constructed to provide transit-oriented living for seniors. The new housing project includes a fitness room, reflection pool, lounge with a large covered balcony, storage lockers and barbecue area.

So remember next time you see a thriving new project where people are living, hanging out or working along light rail, that place and more than 20 other projects like it wouldn't be there without many leaders taking a chance on an upstart nonprofit. And then just think what $30 million more means for the Valley.

They installed a crane for that hotel on Madison.

Great news! Interesting that Downtown Phoenix now has 3 tower cranes while Tempe is down to 1.

Anyone know if there's going to be a construction camera?

Company moving corp headquarter to midtown
 

All you guys who constantly rant about doors opening to the street will love what these guys are doing in their new corporate offices on Central.

Among Facility Source's clients are Starbucks, Walgreens, The Home Depot, The Limited, OfficeMax, Target and others. It lists 90 clients with 80,000 locations managed with $2.3 billion in annual maintenance spending.

"As buildings went up in Midtown, they turned their back on Central Avenue," said Plapp. "At 2020, we’re turning the lobby around to face Central Avenue and connect to light rail."

oh yeah and the last 2 paragraphs here were taken from the Business Journal Site. Giving credit where credit is due.

Who are "these guys" and what is the article you're citing?