BIG probably charged a really nice commission for this project, so I can't imagine it being just a publicity stunt. It would be quite expensive. They could have easily gotten either a local architect or a smaller name at a much cheaper rate if their intention was solely to get their name out there.

from Sean on page 130:

http://emvis.net/~sean/ssp/downtownheightzonemap1.jpg

Looks like they can only go to about 439' on that space.

^^^ cool, thanks for finding that. 439' isn't bad, my hope for 450' is only 11' more feet, I imagine something could likely be worked out ,it doesn't seem like a big exception.

That's actually a great idea. Something that actually ties into the city. Nicely done.

As much as I would like those extra 30 feet, I really don't think the FAA would be flexible. They are notorious for shutting down anything they see as unsafe, and have a ton of power. Even if it is only 11', I really don't see them allowing it. I hope I am wrong, but after the whole Cardinal's stadium debacle, I know that the least important thing on the FAA's mind is the city and creating more interesting urban environments.

How about sinking the immediate land and it's base/foundation by 11' so it is 450', even if from most of the rest of the land area it is 439'?

On my first login to this site in 2013, I have noticed that everyone has become more negative than they were in 2012.

and FWIW, regarding that Washington and 12th Street project, the article posted is from 2011. Also, they have been renovating some of the stores in the Plaza Azteca, so I wouldn't count on this happening anytime soon, though I truly hope it would.

That could be a pretty cool idea. Tenyck could probably do a really awesome job redesigning the entire plaza around the Science Center and Heritage Square.

I didn't mention this before, but her office is also doing the design of the landscape for the project on 36th street and Campbell in Arcadia. I'm really excited about that project. It is going to be a great addition to the area.

But how much of this FAA height restriction stuff is real and how much is completely bogus? I only ask because of the planes I can virtually touch that fly over the north end of Sun Devil Stadium and the planes I can virtually kiss that fly over Chase.

The Cardinals stadium was completely, 100% politics, it had nothing to do with FAA height restrictions. That was all 'who's greasing who's hands with what kind of bills' kinda deal.

And to add to that, a few months back I flew to Chicago (O'Hare) and we literally were a stones throw away from Willis Tower. I couldn't believe how close we were to their skyline. Why is it that's OK but Phoenix seems to be bogged down in this supposive height crap.

Its not only Chicago. Most major metropolitan areas tend to have less harsh rules about tall buildings around their airport.. For some reason, Sky Harbor seems to want a huge buffer. Not only regarding the skyline, but also in its purchasing of all the land west of the airport and trying to remove all residential uses close to it. I agree that residences next to an airport are not ideal, but it is creating a huge dead-zone. Using Chicago as an example, both Midway and O'Hare have large residential neighborhoods next to them, I don't really understand why Sky Harbor and the City of Phoenix are so dead-set on buying up all that land. Most of the people in the Nuestro Barrio neighborhood own their land and have built their own houses; it is a shame that they are being displaced for what will probably be warehouses and light industrial.

My understanding is that because Sky Harbor is such a big economic engine for PHX (and we have very few compared to most big Cities) the City is loath to do anything to upset the FAA, or harm Sky Habor in any way (perceived or real).

I've flown into Chicago a few times and don't remember being close to the buildings around the Loop. Isn't O'hare about 15-20 miles from the Loop? I just remember the Blue Line taking about 45 minutes to get near Union Station. Most cities do not have such a busy airport in the middle of their metro area...if they do, they usually border a large body of water (the Salt River doesn't count). ;)

I'm sorry but the "Pin" highlights everything that is wrong with Phoenix. An observation tower that is not even as tall as Chase? Seriously?!? That's pathetic. What in gods name is with this city and its aversion to height? Secondly, the location is terrible. Heritage is blocks from the core and most vibrant area of downtown, it's a dead zone surrounded by the rear end of the convention center, its ugly docks, the garbage mahal, etc. and will kill any traffic that this thing would create. The original location in front of the CC south building would have been much better at least. I think it's a decent project but needs a lot of work, I can't see it getting anybody in the summer the way it's designed. Not that I really believe it has any chance regardless.

True. About 20 years ago, there was serious talk of replacing Sky Harbor with a huge new airport out near Coolidge. Such an airport would have been outside Phoenix city limits and therefore not as big a revenue generator for the City. It also would disadvantage Phoenix in the same way that remote airports like DIA disadvantage their cities. For a long time, Phoenix was in a rivalry with Tempe over Sky Harbor. Phoenix liked the proximity to Downtown, but Tempe didn't like the aircraft over its neighborhoods. Lately, that rivalry seems to have diminished. I think with transit connections via light rail and the SkyTrain, Tempe now sees the value of being so close to a major airport. At the same time, Phoenix has shifted from a strategy of being fiercely protective of Sky Harbor to a more enlightened approach of supporting Gateway as a reliever for Sky Harbor. I think people at City Hall finally realized that supporting a secondary airport in the East Valley is the smartest way to ensure the long-term viability of Sky Harbor.

Agreed. I think there may be optical illusions that influence passenger perceptions that they're almost scraping the tops of Chicago skyscrapers. O'Hare is much farther removed from the Downtown Chicago than Sky Harbor is from Downtown Phoenix. While I think some of the height restrictions should be re-examined, it's important to realize that Sky Harbor is unusually close to Downtown compared to most airports. That's a huge advantage for Phoenix, but it can also be a liability when it stymies urban development.

I'm sort of confused on the location of "The Pin". Most of the stories say its next to the Arizona Center at Heritage Square, but these pictures show it with the South Convention Center on the corner of Jefferson and 3rd Streets.

http://assets.bizjournals.com/phoeni...r%2012.jpg?v=1
http://assets.bizjournals.com/phoeni...er%206.jpg?v=1

I kinda like this location better then at Heritage Square, its closer to the core and the sporting venues as well as both light rail stops. IMO

Image Source

Yeah. No one really knows. There is no continuity in the "proposal" and that's just another way you should know its complete and utter bullshit.

Yes, you guys have been discussing bullshit for weeks.

Community fills vacant lots with new businesses and events
Downtown Devil | by Amelia Goe, on Tuesday, January 8th, 2013

Due to high vacancy percentages in Phoenix’s past, the city, businesses and community organizations are creating new venues and events to fill the unused spaces.

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton estimated that a significant portion of the land in the Phoenix area is either a vacant lot or a vacant building, due to the recession and city’s history.

“Vacancies make up around 42 percent of Phoenix,” Stanton said. “You compare us to almost any major American city and we have the most.”

Stanton’s estimate is based on combining aerial views of vacant lots with U.S. Census data on vacant properties. Sandy Hoffman, principal planner for the city of Phoenix said she stands behind the mayor’s estimate.

Locals in the Phoenix area say vacant spaces have been prevalent in the city for as long as they can remember. However, Norman Fox, a commercial real estate agent for Infill Realty Services, said that Phoenix — especially downtown — has come a long way.

“Ten years ago there was absolutely nothing here,” Fox said. “Now we have the ASU Downtown campus, the METRO light rail, the expansion of the Phoenix Convention Center and 10 years ago we were not even close to that.”

The push to fill vacant lots along Roosevelt Street, between First and Seventh streets, has been made easier with events such as First Friday art walks, which bring entertaining events to empty spaces for the locals and the growing student population.

With the recent influx of students that live downtown, the need for housing in downtown Phoenix is in high demand, Donte Brock said, community manager for Roosevelt Point, a new housing community located along Roosevelt and Fourth streets set to open in the fall of 2013.

Brock said housing for students is a necessity in keeping more residents in downtown Phoenix, which will ultimately lead to having more successful local businesses.

Even with the current projects in action, Stanton said there is still more to be done to enrich the Phoenix landscape.

“I’m unafraid to say we need an identity downtown,” Stanton said.

Stanton said that with all the vacant spaces that Phoenix has to offer, there should be projects in place that will help give the city much needed national attention. He said Phoenix would benefit from the construction of a standout feature much like the Space Needle in Seattle.

“We did make the front page of the New York Times because of a project that is filling up a piece of vacant land on northeast corner of Central Avenue and Indian School Road,” Stanton said. “This is exciting stuff.”

Measuring downtown vacancies

The vacancy rate of residential housing units in downtown Phoenix — approximately the area from McDowell to Buckeye roads, from Seventh Avenue to Seventh Street — was 24.4 percent in April 2010, according to the Census.

Max Enterline, planner for the City of Phoenix Planning and Development Services Research Team, said that he believes this number was skewed because around that time, large residential towers like 44 Monroe on First Avenue and Van Buren Street were mostly vacant. Now that new residential towers have filled up, the vacancies rating should have gone down, Enterline said.

Enterline conducted a geographical analysis of the vacant acres in downtown Phoenix, and referenced two other ways of measuring vacancies. In terms of land area by the acre, 6.36 percent of downtown Phoenix is vacant. In terms of commercial and residential parcels, Enterline said 13.84 percent of downtown Phoenix is vacant.

“These vacancies are decreasing each year and look like they will keep decreasing,” Enterline said.

New businesses to fill vacant buildings

Shane Copeland and his wife own 8th Day: Coffee and Culture on Second and Garfield streets. The building 8th Day now inhabits was vacant from January, when Just Breathe yoga studio moved to another location, to September, when Eighth Day opened.

Copeland said that when he and his wife first planned to open shop, there was not much around that location. Angels Trumpet Ale House was beginning construction across the street and Matt’s Big Breakfast moved to nearby First and Garfield streets as Copeland prepared to move into his new building.

With the sudden flow of new businesses in the area, Copeland said he is hopeful that his business will succeed in this location.

“I had my eyes on coming and investing in downtown Phoenix since 2002,” Copeland said. “I started hearing of plans for the ASU campus around 2006. I heard about a lot of promising plans for the downtown area, but when the economy crashed in 2008 everything was put off, even my own plans.”

With the recession fading away and with projects like ASU Downtown now complete, businesses like 8th Day may now have a fighting chance, Copeland said.

“I don’t think we could have made it if we started four years ago,” Copeland said. “I was so anxious to start my business in downtown around 2007, but in the hindsight I’m better off having had waited until now.”

Phoenix gets innovative

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said he knows the city still needs work and that the old version of downtown Phoenix that was once empty can and will be revitalized.

“The question we ask now is when will downtown stand on its own? The answer is not yet,” Stanton said.

He said that downtown Phoenix was not originally built as a walkable city and, as a result, there is a need now to reshape a lot of the existing streetscapes that are currently empty lots.

“No one wants to walk by an empty lot, they want to walk where there are buildings, restaurants and coffee shops,” Stanton said. “These vacant lots are a killer.”

Stanton said he is happy that some of the vacant lots are pushing businesses to get creative. PHX Renews is a project that Stanton said he has been avidly planning. This initiative kicked off in late November on the northeast corner of Central Avenue and Indian School Road and is revitalizing what used to be a 15-acre vacant lot into a community garden.

This community garden can be beneficial for all Phoenix locals and include international refugees, Stanton said.

“This area will bring art, life and farming into our community,” Stanton said. “There will be dozens of refugees from all over the world, including African nations. These people came here because they had to escape wars, among other situations, and we’re giving them this land to farm. We hope they can put food on their table and even take that food to farmer’s markets to sell. Agriculture has been their trade and they can now take that trade and help it grow in Arizona.”

The community garden will also showcase pieces from local artists such as Hugo Medina.

“We’re going to take an empty lot and turn it into something beautiful,” Stanton said.

Contact the reporter at angoe@asu.edu

I like the point of this article and what the Mayor is saying, but what is he talking about when he says downtown Phoenix was not originally built as a walkable city? By "originally" does he mean after civic leaders ruined everything in the 50s-90s? Because downtown Phoenix certainly was built as a walkable city, it had to be, everything was in the early part of the last century and before.

Im willing to bet that was taken out of context/misunderstood by the reporter. Stanton knows enough to know what Phoenix pre lets say 1955 looked like and that it was quite walkable.

I agree, I think he was stating that the current way the city has been planned is not walkable. Unfortunately, we like many other American cities, are paying the price for the Urban Renewal movement of the 50's onward. I love the pictures of old downtown with its large covered sidewalks. I think it would be awesome if the city changed its code to allow buildings to build up to the edge of the street as long as the ground level consisted of a large portico sidewalk that would shade pedestrians. This is common in some Latin American cities, where large plazas are surrounded by large buildings with covered walkways. It is a really great place to escape the sun.