Both Circles and the Derby (microapartments on McKinley) seem to be the real deal and moving rather fast; both have had site plan reviews, Circles is working with CCBG and Derby has presented to several neighborhood groups. Would be great to see towers north of Fillmore, and the Derby especially will add to a great area of retail forming.

Yes, Proxy does not extend all the way to Pierce. The remaining lots at one time were for the "Z Lofts" (or SoHo lofts?) project which evolved from 1 to 3 to 1 towers before going bust. Hopefully, any future development will be tall given the shape of the parcels, and hopefully includes the Marisol Credit Union as well. Commercial along 4th Street and live/work complementing Skyline's along Pierce would be great.

The issue I see about any future investments on a lot such as this one is the impending plans for ASU's part of the Biomedical Campus directly across 4th Street. I'm surprised Proxy built, to be honest, but either way, the City made a big mistake expanding the campus to those lots before filling in lots closer to VB with denser projects. ASU was given all of the land between 4th st and 6th st from Garfield to Fillmore minus the High School and Holiday Inn.

The plans mentioned heights of 9 stories and a combination of office, research, and clinical uses. While 9 stories is short for the campus near 7th Street, it will overwhelm the residential side of 4th Street. And, there's no reason why these PBC blocks couldn't be mixed-use. With the amount of students, doctors, and other employees, a residential component with medical offices on the remaining part of the lot would be appropriate, as would retail like a pharmacy, GNC, gym/fitness studios, etc.

I am sure the triangular lot with the 2 historic homes east of Skyline will be butchered, but it would be cool if it were turned into a park with an urban community garden and meditation space, with the houses turned into a yoga studio and farm-to-table restaurant. Biomedical doesn't need to mean cold and clinical.

Awesome. I get the sense Circles is very real. I'm not convinced on Derby, but excellent to hear they have site plans in process. I hope they come public soon.

Hopefully, if built, these two towers flanking the growing scene south of Roosevelt from Central - 4th Street will spur some more infill to connect the dots. 1st Street seems like it has the most potential as it could connect Hance to ASU and beyond, and is the only street with any structures left north of Roosevelt. It would be great to see an Artplace project between Moreland and Portland with live/work space, art non-profit office space and maybe even the Valley Youth Theatre to allow their other buildings to be redeveloped.

Given the obsession for parking, it would also be great if the community fundraised for a 2-3 story parking garage on the parking lot south of the Community Church; it's such a dead zone now, and affordable apartments, consignment shop, and/or job training would be great additions to the area.

It would be great to see Fillmore - Pierce continue to become a restaurant hub; the Pizza Hut has to go and at least 2 local businesses could into its current building. I believe ASU owns the low adjacent to Fillmore, so it would be nice to see them partner with a private developer for some student housing. Obviously, I bitch about the glut in Tempe, but the opposite is true in Phoenix with only Taylor Place and Roosevelt Point. There are some great looking mid/high-rises being developed in major college towns including Tucson. Two 15-20 story towers with the long-await grocer below on Fillmore and restaurants along 1st. I don't care what goes on Central since that area is a bust with the Ho.

Arizona Preservation Foundation just posted this picture on Facebook...

https://www.facebook.com/azpreservat...type=3&theater

I'd be happy if just the southeast quarter of the existing building conglomeration was saved. It seems to be by far the most architecturally significant/interesting.

Wouldn't it be awesome if the tall vertical sign still had the studebaker advertising underneath it? Perhaps they just slapped the circles advertising on top of it using a metal sheathing. It's possible.

Another good indicator that the developer will do the right thing in regards to historic preservation:

https://twitter.com/modernphoenix/st...05567502884864

I reallyyyyy think this is a great building for a brewery. Could San Tan consider a downtown location? Or even better, a new brewery.

Agreed.

In late September there was a Phoenix New Times article about Arizona Wilderness planning a new location in Downtown Gilbert. However, in that same article, the founder/brewer mentioned that he hopes to have a satellite location in downtown Phoenix too someday. The Circles building would make an awesome location for that. First, those circular bay windows would be a cool backdrop to a circular bar. Second, I'm fairly certain it would need more brewing capacity to support additional taprooms beyond the Gilbert location. It seems that the high ceilings in the Circles building could very well accommodate brewing equipment. Here's hoping it happens :cheers:

I agree that the corner is the most impressive, but architects design with a vision for how the entire building's form works as a whole. Yes, for Phoenix, preserving any part is a win of sorts, but keeping the corner of the Circle Building or the lobby of the St. James shows how Phoenix - not you - just doesn't "get it" still. The St. James might as well be rubble tomorrow as the stub they saved serves absolutely no value. Preservation isn't just about a pretty facade. Sarver demolished the part of the building that served as an SRO and gave the building its identity as a hotel whose clientele evolved with the economic development of Phoenix. That story could continue to be told if those rooms were converted into artist housing, or a hostel, etc. The stub could have been anything, anywhere, at any time.

The rotunda windows were built to be used for visual display and merchandising of the most revolutionary product of the 1900's - the car. They are the focal point of the building. Removing what was once the functional space of the building and using just the "pretty part" for restaurant use - likely, a patio or bar area - again removes a ton of context. The space behind the windows is for showing off, not chomping down a burger. Architecturally speaking, I think the change from the curving rotunda windows into the linear brick storefronts is really beautiful, as are the additional storefronts with their matching brick planters.

^ This isn't meant to sound nearly as dramatic as it reads.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1628/...da7c1f5349.jpg

Well, what is your definition of "the right thing" ...? It's clear that a portion of the building will remain; everything south of where it looks as though two buildings merge together from above will likely be saved, as the developer specifically cited the rotunda window as being a potential selling feature. Nothing the developer said in those articles, and nothing from anyone associated with the project in that Instagram thread, seem to give any indication that there are plans for any more of the building to be saved from demolition.

I don't mean that to sound like I am picking on your words! I appreciate the link, but the team meeting to discuss the best use of the building that will remain could very well be referencing the rotunda and the rotunda only. IMO, the "right" thing would be to keep the entire building and build the tower on the lot adjacent, to be honest.

Reference of what look to be different portions of the building:

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1677/...5b2b305373.jpg

The empty lot would allow for a tower with floor plates of up to ~12,500 square feet. 22,000 square feet represents the extreme end of residential floor plates, with many cities like Seattle enacting policies that limit floor plates to between 10,000 and 11,000 square feet. The average seems to be 15,000 square feet in cities without these code limitations, just shy of what is available here. If economics absolutely demanded it, a portion of the tower could be built over a portion of the northwest corner of the Circles building, but taking more than that is simply typical lazy Phoenix planning. This project could pencil out without any demolition whatsoever.

Example of how the ground level of the residential tower could function. The Circles Building would have approx. 18,000 sq ft of space to lease; Trader Joe's, avg between 8-12,000 per store, would fit perfectly into the space while allowing smaller stores to break up the "big box" along Central. However, I think the rotunda windows really deserve a retail client who can take advantage of them with displays; 15,000 sq feet would be one of the smallest H&M's out there, but they have gone that small, and it seems like a good fit for the building and surrounding demographic of artists and students. Ace has an urban 'express' store, between 3-5,000 sq ft, which would provide another needed amenity to downtown residents, and perhaps with an H&M there as a semi-anchor, the small retail frontage of the residential tower could be filled with another small shop?

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1522/...c87164e40b.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1626/...0bd7bb6ab3.jpg

A brewery would also be a great fit with the bars across McKinley, but I would actually prefer any new breweries to open in the Warehouse District ("Sporting House" on Buchanan/1st St; Merchandise Mart on Jackson/1st St; the old "Foundry" on 1st St/UPRR, etc.) or in one of the displaced historic homes (Knipe House on 2nd St, Pemberton House on 2nd St, Van Pugh House on 2nd Ave/VB) and the surrounding property first.

Whatever happens with the Circles project, it will be great to have an empty lot and building turned into something tall, dense, and active. I hope whatever fronts Central helps the rest of the immediate area out, as that's one part of downtown that has the feel of a typical downtown street you'd find in any inner-ring suburb with the large trees, 2-story buildings, etc. "The Lab" was a good addition to the strip of retail stores on the west side; but, I believe the rest of the strip is vacant aside from the military recruiter? Looking at past tenants, getting back a barber shop, two vintage stores, an art gallery, and an ethnic restaurant would be great additions to the Circles project. These storefronts seem like the type of affordable space lacking elsewhere, so it'd be nice to see some local shops open up and beautify their facade the way "The Lab" has. Now that much of the ground coverings in the planter have been taken out, I'd also prefer that the space between trees be filled in with sidewalk for seating and visibility.

Across the street, there is the strip of attractively renovated warehouses south of Garfield; the one furthest south is vacant, and seems like a good fit for a restaurant, which would break up the office space. Then there's the Auto Shop across Garfield which I have always thought had a ton of potential. Its current white makeover is terrible, but if stripped down and then remodeled appropriately, it has a lot of cool architectural features and a mix of historic/modern elements. Something like a Windsor/Churn concept would be perfect for each of the main buildings, and the middle could be used for a beer garden/patio.

Sadly, I am sure that building will be crushed before it ever is renovated, as will a lot of other similar buildings scattered downtown. The Sun Devil Auto and Firestone buildings on Van Buren, for example, also have great historic features and have the perfect layout for a bar/restaurant renovation. Along with Crescent, Welnick, and the Baptist Church renovation, that would really transform WVB.

Anyway, some real things happened:
Over on 1st Street, PALABRIA art gallery re-opened in the former Montessori school at 909 1st St; the renovation looks much better and is an overall good addition to the area, especially with the Church parking lot across the street and office - as nice as it looks - next door. Like dozens of other lots, the corner of 1st St/Garfield is screaming for infill. The former hospital on 2nd St/Garfield is still for lease... I am sure it will be filled with another medical tenant, but for such a large warehouse, it would be cool to someone come in and clear out the space. A dance club would be cool for RR, or furniture store like CB2.

Everyone's favorite topic, though: PALABRIA includes a new espresso bar inside. In shooting distance of Songbird, be+coffee, and Velo to name a few. I know, it's beating a dead horse, but wouldn't it be nice if it was a martini bar instead? Or Gelato bar? It just seems strange that with so many creative businesses and business owners involved, all roads seem to lead to coffee. :shrug:

http://javamagaz.com/?p=1373

Here is a quick construction update for downtown. Sorry there are no pictures to accompany, I'll try for some pics next time.

Luhrs Marriot: As we discussed in the other thread, it's up to 8 stories. We'll see how it progresses from this point on (half as wide as it goes upward?)

Union @ Roosevelt: I thought there was going to be a tower crane on this site, at least a small one, starting in November. Nothing yet and work seems to be at a stand still. Components of it are 2-3 stories above ground, but it looked that way a couple months ago.

Illuminate: Framing on the 2nd-3rd floor above ground. When I drove by Saturday morning there were workers busy all over the site.

Linear: Just starting on the 2nd floor, seems like it's not progressing as fast as Illuminate, although I did see a couple workers on site on Saturday.

Portland on the Park: Kicking ass and it looks like it's basically topped out.

Proxy 333: I was surprised it looked like it was nearing completion. Last I saw it was still being framed.

en Hance Park: Progressing nicely. "topped out" and should look nearly complete from the outside relatively soon.

UofA biosciences building - up to maybe 6-8 stories out of 10
ASU Law School building - http://oxblue.com/open/DPRPhoenix/ArizonaCenter

If there are any other questions about sites I didn't include above, let me know and I'll try to remember their progress.

Someone get some pics of Marriott!

Opa, the photographer, lives up high in the CityScape residences and gets a lot of good shots like this one.

It looks to me that there are two elevator banks so perhaps the half as tall part is not really an issue.

I'm thinking now that it may be just be a small setback in the middle section facing East (you can see the 2 steel reinforced rebar taking a 45° bend indicating they are not going higher which is what I based my initial observation on). They have a setback on the west side starting after about the 5th floor, so this may just be something similar.

Well, the two elevators would be for each brand's section of the hotel... the question is whether one brand will stop at floor 10 or not, and that photo is only up to floor 9. Am I being dense and missing something that indicates that there definitely won't be a split at floor 10?

Ronnie - if there is just a small setback, that would make sense as there obviously needs to be space for outdoor amenities/pool. It's too bad that for such a small site, the tower couldn't have been designer to have brand #1 on floors 1-12, followed by an open 2-story outdoor area with brand #2 in a skinnier tower raised up on columns over ~1/3 of that space for an additional 16ish floors. Similar to what was done at CityScape between the hotel and residences, but without the value-engineered facades. ;) I just wish SOMETHING about this project made up for the loss of the demo'd building... but the bland design, mid-range brands, unimpressive heights, and exciting ground level consisting of two large lobbies is so cheap.

The dual-brand concepts in other cities are actually really freakin' cool, and many include a boutique/lifestyle brand with an extended stay/upscale brand. For example, if this were to stay Marriott, then a combo like JW Marriott and EDITION/Moxy/AC would have been really cool. Too bad the Kimpton didn't move trends for the area in that direction, as Residence+Courtyard Inn seems like it would be better at Colliers or AZ Center than Luhrs. Then again, Hotel Monroe is a Hilton Garden Inn afterall...

Actual news: the small, unimpressive yet somewhat historic (former department store) building at 1 n 1st St is nearing 100% retail and office occupancies with new tenants. On the ground level, a brewpub opened next to the Pizzeria, which will be a great addition to Hanny's and the bars along Washington.

Which begs the question- why the hell can't the City beg investors to fill up the Regency garage? With all of these new properties and the planned upgrades to the Renaissance, any chance a hotel like the Hyatt would see enough of a dip to actually invest in its own improvements? Does the City have any stake in the hotel or the garage? I assume so since it RFP'd the empty retail, but have no clue. Either way, major changes to both are long overdue: the Hyatt is the worst superblock you can get and has every feature of bad 70s-80s design, and the Garage takes up the length of an entire city.

Hyatt Wishes
It'd be ideal if it were somehow possible to add another Hyatt-branded hotel (Hyatt House or Centric) on the west half of the site of the garage, with parking underground and integrated into the tower. Parking could be provided at the CC or Chase garages in the meantime. Once complete, the entire west portion of the Hyatt could be demolished since my assumption is its mainly meeting space which could be shared with the new Hyatt during construction), and the east half given a makeover: limestone with copper accents, maybe, that the new addition would be designed for. Again, add underground parking, and include retail along Adams, 1st Street, and along the corners of Monroe, with more impressive lobbies built on both Adams and Monroe. The blank walls of the upper floor could be improved by wrapping the meeting space with a row of suites, or at the very least including things like an infinity pool with waterfall going down the 1st street facade, upper-level bar space with patio wrapping one of the corners, balconies for the ballroom, and some actual signage for the Hyatt, the retail, and even the Convention Center District.

Completing this never-going- to-happen fantasy would be a Latin American and Hispanic Cultural Center (which the brilliant Nowakowski wants in Hance Park since there is such great synergy between the JPN gardens and IRL cultural center...), Museum, and Art Gallery in 3-4 floors in a standalone building on the west half of the garage block. And, throw in a plan to move Symphony Hall to the Chase Garage site and replace it with the inevitably demolished South CC, with a "pin"-like iconic observation tower at the end of Adams, and voila, I'd delete my username on here and never utter another critique of this town. :cheers:

Thanks! Can you tell if Linear extends all the way to Garfield or if it ends mid-block? Does Proxy 333 extend a bit past the Marisol Credit Union lot or align with it? Hoping it covers as much of 4th St as possible. Is En Hance wood-framed construction? I imagine so given that they are being marketed as more affordable options. Again, can you tell how far down 2nd Street it will extend? Does it even make it to mid-block?

Were you able to get much of a sense of the circulation and site plan of the ASU law school? I am curious to know if it seems more intuitive to walk through the center of the site vs. down 1st Street, as had been expressed as a concern during neighborhood meetings. With only the non-profit law firm fronting 1st St, the project will almost inevitably draw people to the interior like every other badly designed building. Also curious how the ground level along Taylor looks, where the bookstore and restaurant will go... I hope the bookstore is more of a Barnes and Noble Education store than yet another ASU Bookstore, and that they find a quality restaurant tenant so that Taylor Mall's original vision gets realized in at least one spot of campus. The link you provided shows how much impact a development on the southeast corner will have on the site. It's one place where a horribly designed ASU building won't matter as long as it's tall... 2nd Street and Polk are already completely busted.

The PBC Garage is done, right? Is the plaza complete, as well, and are there signs marketing the retail? There isn't any info online about the space, which makes me worried that Boyer just threw it in to meet Urban Form and has no intention of spending time/money on marketing and TI.

The Hyatt is undergoing major renovations.

Linear goes right to Garfield.

The garage is done and open for business. There are "space available" signs in the windows of the retail spots. I'm not sure what else is being done to market the ground floor.