ASU Diablo |
Sep 14, 2022 6:43 PM |
Central Phoenix houses may see new life as restaurant, businesses
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...t/10360740002/
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Three houses along Thomas Road near Fifth Street are envisioned to become restaurants and retail spaces with a renovation that aims to breathe new life into the area in central Phoenix. The houses, and an office building immediately to the east, are owned by Phoenix-based Chamberlin + Associates. Dave Chamberlin, owner of the company, bought the site a year ago and is working to renovate the office building and transform the houses into a neighborhood amenity. He's finishing the project on his own after his father died in October.
A first without his father
“I always thought doing cool projects was easy, because I always had my dad with me,” Chamberlin said. His father, Brett, was the founder of Phoenix-based Chamberlin + Associates and grew the family business for decades. "I always knew my father was valuable, but I never knew exactly how valuable," Chamberlin said. "He made it look easy." The office building was designed by Al Beadle, one of the most famous midcentury architects in Arizona. Chamberlin plans to move some of his businesses in to the office as their headquarters. Renovation of the Beadle building is underway and Chamberlin said he hopes to finish it this year. While that is under construction, he is embarking on the next phase of the project, repurposing the three houses immediately east of the office into retail and restaurants. The conversion of the houses still need City Council approval.
Phoenix-based design firm Kaiserworks is the architect for both pieces of the project, the office and the adaptive reuse of the houses. “This will be part of the much-needed revitalization of the Thomas Road corridor,” Ben Graff, attorney with Quarles & Brady and zoning attorney for the project. Graff said the project has not received any opposition so far, and nearby stakeholders have been supportive of the renovations and revitalization of buildings that have been vacant or underutilized.
What will change with the houses
The structures of the houses would remain, but the plan is to add additions to two of the houses to accommodate the proposed new uses, said Graff. The easternmost house is the “crown jewel” of the site, bringing a new, neighborhood-focused restaurant to the area, Graff said. The development will include building a small addition to the existing structure and adding an outdoor patio for dining that will face Thomas Road. The restaurant, which does not yet have a name, would be a modern American concept, Chamberlin said, and he is working with the chef and pastry chef to finalize the menu.
First solo restaurant
Chamberlin and his brother, Aaron Chamberlin, have opened several restaurants around the Valley together, including St. Francis, Ghost Ranch, and the now-shuttered Phoenix Public Market and Tempe Public Market. The new restaurant will be Chamberlin’s first restaurant project on his own. The restaurant is designed to cater to the working crowd, including employees in the neighboring office building and others in the area. There would be a focus on grab-and-go items that a person can buy quickly for breakfast or lunch, but there also would be indoor and outdoor seating for patrons to eat at the restaurant.
“With the success we’ve seen of other neighborhood-scale restaurants, this is something that will be really positive for the area,” Graff said, adding that high-end commercial and retail will be the focus of the other spaces. The westernmost house on the site is planned to be for shopping and the redevelopment plan includes building a 1,100-square-foot addition.
The central house is the largest on the site at about 1,600 square feet, and would be fully renovated, but require no additions, Graff said.
Adding walkability
The project was designed to fit into Phoenix’s walkable urban code, which encourages shaded sidewalks that are pedestrian-friendly, walkable amenities. The development will include adding sidewalks that are separated from traffic by adding landscaping between the road and walkway.
The plan is scheduled to go before Phoenix’s Planning Commission on Oct. 6 and before the City Council for approval on Nov. 2. Chamberlin said he aims to begin construction in the first or second quarter of 2023.
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