Thanks man!

On a side note, I believe one of the team's owners, Phoenix developer Tim Thomas, is also a principal in that new Jazz bar "The Nash" (awful timing) which is opening up on the NE corner of Roosevelt and 1st St. I've met Thomas and he seems like a good guy who does his research. But I've heard some mixed reviews of Thomas. Anyone know more about him?

I saw The Nash the other day and wondered what it was.

Btw, I kind of like the name "Phoenix City FC"... even though we call it soccer in the US. Not sure why they stick with the "traditional" FC monikers on this side of the pond.

I hear ya. I don't mind "SC" as in "Soccer Club" since that's what we call the sport here and find nothing wrong with that.

If I had the means to help build the team myself, I would have pushed for "Phoenix Valley SC." Seeing how Phoenix is known as "the Valley." And all the cities in the Phoenix metro area are so fragmented, the word "Valley" would be somewhat unifying.

I know you're new, but I'm already not liking your ideas.

lol, to each his own.

NW Corner of 15th and McDowell
 

I mentioned a while ago that the retail at the northwest corner of 15th Ave and McDowell was going to be remodeled. I don't know how extensive the work will be but the construction has started. Here are some pictures.

http://i49.tinypic.com/t819n9.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/15pgz11.jpg

The Nash is part of Jazz in AZ, which is a 501-c3 corp. It is an educational facility. They do have a Sunday Night Jam session from 6:oo to 9:00 PM that is great. They have actually had musicians from New York come in and play. Since it is non-profit, there is only a donation of between $2 and $5 to get in. They currently don't sell alcohol, as I understand it, they are working on a license.

The facility is named after Lewis Nash, a Jazz drummer from the Valley.

Ah, thanks for the knowledge. Exactly why I love this board.

This is good news...

Sorry this was taken in the dark, but it's when I happened to be walking by. It's for the old DeSoto Dealership Building on the SEC of Central and Roosevelt. Not sure what the plan is for the re-zoning.

http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/8489/imag0172i.jpg

Specifically, the building presently isn't zoned as a historic structure, but to get the incentives they want from bond funds and to make that project pencil out, they have to get that zoning.

I definitely trust the architecture firm to do something cool with the space. Should be a good destination-type space in the end.

I've toured the inside of that building earlier this year. There are bones there. But not much of it. It does need a lot of work, covering the oil pit, replace the arching roof (which is almost beyond repair, they can take off the roof and do some cool things with it and put it back), and put in some windows. But on the south wall, there is a buttress that is off and just held by a steel column. Yikes.

So they'll definitely need the zoning to get the bond funds to help revamp the building. I'm hearing it could be two spaces, one being a restaurant, of course. It could look very cool. But it needs a lot of work.

I'm a 26 year old Phoenix Native and I'm pretty sure that people have been saying Downtown Phoenix will be great "in like 10 years" for quite some time. This time it's for real. My only question is that how can our tallest skyscraper (Chase Tower) be 40 years old? Can we really not top that? My hope is that Colliers can see the opportunity they have with the lot south of U.S. Airways. Maybe even hit 50 stories for once?

I think you mean the lot north of US Airways. Not only is Chase 40 years old, it's also Unattractive and architecturally insignificant. Unfortunately I don't see a new tallest in the near future. Businesses and banks are cautious right now. They're not going to build something huge until the deman and financing is there.

Matt's Big Breakfast moving to larger location in Phoenix
23 comments by Howard Seftel - Jul. 21, 2012 09:48 AM
Republic restaurant critic

Since 2004, Matt's Big Breakfast has been shoehorning hungry breakfast and lunch crowds into its cramped downtown Phoenix space. Now the restaurant is on the move to larger quarters.
But it's not moving far, just a few doors north, into the spot last occupied by short-lived Verde. Renovations are almost complete; the transition is scheduled for the end of August.
Chef/owner Matt Pool says the new digs will seat 50 people, about twice as many as the old spot could handle. Another plus: customers in need of a restroom will no longer be directed to the next-door Coronado Hotel, a place that no one has ever confused with the Ritz. The new Matt's has its own facilities.

Pool is not going to fiddle with success. Except for the addition of staff, everything about the new Matt's Big Breakfast should remain the same, including the menu, phone number and hours.
Pool is also hanging on to his old location. Once the new place is running smoothly - Pool anticipates three or four months -- he plans to convert the original Matt's into a take-out shop, where folks in a hurry can grab a breakfast sandwich or burger from a limited menu.
Details: (New) Matt's Big Breakfast, 825 N. First St., Phoenix, 602-254-1074. Hours: Breakfast and lunch, 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., daily. mattsbigbreakfast.com


Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/...#ixzz21IsIyDOq

Buildings in downtown Phoenix are safe investments that are/were built to be sold later. The only reason we even have Chase Tower is that Valley National Bank was committed to the area and the neighborhood--probably a really cutting-edge concept back in the early 1970s when downtown was a crime-ridden wasteland ripe for urban renewal (for better or worse).

Given the lack of companies that are going to headquarter downtown, I don't see any reason companies are going to build significant new-tallest structures.

The area being crime ridden in the 70s explains the buildings awful urban design. Sunk in a moat, behind a block wall. Its literally a fortress.


You may have seen, but I Tweeted Mayor Stanton about this. Specifically about all the big companies in the PHX area (Cold Stone, Taser, PetSmart, Waste Management, Go Daddy, etc etc) that are HQ'd in the PHX area, but with zero downtown presence. He said he's in the process of meeting with CEOs of all/most of the major AZ corporations and trying to sell them on center city locations and letting them know the city will do what they can to help them come Downtown if they ever decide to.....so thats good.

Arizona Diamondbacks Push Stadium Deal

If Phoenix takes over ownership of the stadium I wouldn't mind the team becoming the Phoenix Diamondbacks!

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepu...#ixzz21KCpcyVc

Wow this is the first I've ever heard of the D'backs wanting to reduce capacity, that would be great. They over built BOB/Chase by about 10K seats for this market and it always feels empty. Reducing capacity would raise ticket prices, but the D'backs prices are so insanely low that even if prices went up a bit, it would be OK.

I've often wondered if there's any way they could reduce the upper level and make the seats sort of curve downward to a point. Like Kauffman Stadium in KC's upper deck:

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg444...pg&res=landing

Then punch some bid holes in the walls behind where you took out seats and add a lot of glass. I think that would open the stadium up more, which would be nice when the roof is open. It may help more light come in, thus helping the grass, and you'd potentially have more city/mountain views.