As someone who is currently renting a 500 square foot studio in a new generic 6 story building on the border of nice/sketchy downtown LA, I can attest to the price difference. We are paying $2025 after move-in incentives.

- GateWay Community College purchased the awesome-looking warehouses between 5th and 6th avenues along Van Buren. It is going to be a co-working/classroom/incubator space. While it's great to bring more higher education into the area, I wish these warehouses were left for a more creative adaptive reuse considering what's going on with the Welnick Marketplace and Baptist Church just up the street. MCCCD has expressed the desire to build another college focused on corporate education/training, and the County owned a large chunk of the land that was RFP's for the Fillmore project. Why not build a mixed use midrise combining both of those uses there instead?

- The health clinic planned for the Sun Mercantile building is finally moving along; another 50/50, IMO. Better than vacant, but it's disappointing to see Jackson being converted into office uses.

- Sutra opened its downtown location on Portland/2nd Street, with plans of building a cafe/studio on the empty lot to the south.

- Someone asked what the renovated hotel on Portland will look like. Here is a link to renderings: http://www.visitphoenix.com/members/...6/details.aspx
Really great looking, if a little bizarre. But, a huge transformation from the old hotel, and Portland/Central will be a fantastic area with this and Portland on the Park complete.

- There were several posts that mentioned RED Development looking into developing the parking lot between CityScape and Colliers; AFAIK, Colliers owns that lot, or did as recently as 2012 when it was trying to get an office building off the ground.
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/p...n-phoenix.html
I agree that residential or hotel would be preferable to office so that there isn't a large 9-5 hole downtown, but a grocery store would be an awful idea. The lot is surrounded by USAC, a strip of downtown's only real nightclubs, and CityScape's best designed street lined with restaurants. Entertainment/nightlife makes much better sense. I kind of agree that it makes for good open space, though... especially with those active streets surrounding it. I still think it's stupid that there is a Legends Entertainment District with absolutely no context... it'd be cool if at least a portion of this block was used for a "Legends Square" and an Arizona Legends HOF/Museum included in whatever tower is built.

- DTPHX.org makes reference to a proposed apartment project on Fillmore/Central, but I haven't seen anything about it. It would be cool to see such a prominent empty lot developed, but a 4-story building with leasing center along the ground level will look really crappy. Hopefully, it's more Portland on the Park than Linear.

- The developers of Optima referenced plans for a 315-unit project planned for downtown Phoenix here: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/reale...struction-loan
They have a project planned for Kierland, but I think that would be more likely to be mislabeled as Scottsdale than downtown Phoenix? Optima would be a great addition downtown, but I can't picture where something that upscale would be ideal? Maybe on the east side of Portland/Central? Probably not happening at all, but interesting if they are planning something.

Assuming we're talking about the NEC of Central and Fillmore, that's a huge lot. I would bet it may be something lower-rise to cover the whole lot, or it wouldn't take up the entire lot if higher. That would be amazing to get that lot developed, providing a better link from ASU to the public market.

Midtown Heating Up
 

From PHX Business Journal... Momentum is building... http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/m...enix-boom.html

I wonder if the person who wrote that article is aware Fez is at Central and Roosevelt.

If he was, he would be wrong. It's at Central and Portland.

I don't know, Deco has also said they want a "downtown" project, Roosevelt has enough identity that they developers usually differentiate them now.

Didn't Optima originally have tower plans at the corner of Monroe and 2nd ave across from Orpheum during the boom?

That keeps it close to 44 Monore, Polamar and (hopefully) upscale central station and Barrister redevelopment condos/apartments.

Itll be awesome to have more residential down in the core making it more 24/7 kind of place.

:rolleyes:

Optima never had plans for a tower next to the Orpheum...that was David Wallich (SP) who developed the Ballpark "Tower" who ultimately went bankrupt and his plans were scrapped.

The MCCCD is a separate political entity from the County, their boundaries just happen to overlap. MCCCD/Phoenix College does have a plethora of land between 1st and 2nd Ave north of Fillmore for a project but right now its an old building surrounded by a sea of surface parking.


Where are these "several posts?"


Again, link? NEC of Fillmore and Central has huge remediation problems (Al Capone's illegal distillery is buried under there) and last I checked was in a no-man's land between ASU and the city.

The Optima Kierland project is several hundred units (> 350) on the site of that empty furniture store in that area.

Optima Downtown must be a new animal.

Oh it was called the Optima tower though right?

No, it was called Omega.

http://emvis.net/~sean/ssp/projects/omega/ has some old renderings.

I was puzzled when I saw Fez mentioned in the article because Fez recently left its old location in Midtown to move to its new site at Roosevelt Square. Then, I thought that maybe the author was defining Roosevelt/Portland as the southern edge of Midtown, even though I now think of it as the north end of Downtown.

And in the same paragraph they mention the restaurant cluster north of Camelback and tie Fez into that whole thing. Oh well, it doesn't really matter, arguing semantics is a waste of effort for no gain anyway.

:)

I don't want to argue over semantics but....

If I am understanding correctly, there is culinary boom north of Camelback (uptown) and south of the park (downtown)...I think Midtown is still technically a culinary wasteland...

I know there have been a lot of interesting concepts tried, but nothing every really stuck. I work in the commercial real estate industry, and to me, there are not really any interesting food concepts between McDowell and Camelback (ok there are some Pane Blanco, LUX, Hula) but I wouldn't say it's hit a point of being as interesting as say Arcadia, or the area near the Yard.

Am I wrong?

No, I don't think you are.

I read the article to say that the restaurant cluster north of Camelback played a big part in offering more reason to have an office in Midtown which isn't far from there to be fair. I could have been interpreting the article incorrectly, but I feel confident that's what they were attempting to get across, I just think it's funny how Fez was included in that.

Also I think it's funny at Fez it says "we've moved one mile south". I don't think they know how to use Google Maps, it's double that distance, so if someone doesn't know where they are going and travels a mile south, they won't find Fez.

Recent openings between Camelback and McDowell include Clever Koi (Central & Glenrosa), Ocotillo (3rd St. & Flower), Oven + Vine (Central & Vernon), Corduroy (Central & Virginia), and Fame Cafe (Central & Highland). That may not be enough for a boom, but it's definitely enough to pull us out of wasteland territory.

Thought this was interesting...open letter from one of the big honchos at Tramell Crow Co regarding Fillmore RFP

I don't see what the big deal is. And I share his sentiments that this may have a negative effect if not handled well by the City and may deter future developments.


http://www.azcentral.com/story/opini...enix/74225164/

The lot at McDowell and central is all graded, there's a water truck and steak all over.

Hey guys, is there anywhere I can find a list of mid-high rise projects currently under construction or about to start construction?