Those houses are just old. That's it. None of them are particularly interesting or worthwhile other than their overall contribution to the historic district.

Single family in the central city is overrated and the assemblage makes the land worth way more than the buildings. The only shame would be to have them razed and sit vacant forever.

Central Station Development
 

Central Station Development Preapplication Review submitted:
https://apps-secure.phoenix.gov/PDD/...ype=PlanReview

A few years ago in Willo a house at 3rd Ave and Cypress was damaged by fire. A huge hole in the roof was left open to the elements for about a year. A developer finally bought the property and sought a demolition permit claiming a hardship. I got involved and led an effort to oppose the demolition. We lost at the hearing officer level but appealed to the HP Commission. Armed with an analysis from an architect who had been involved in some notable renovations -- stating that the structure was salvageable -- we won and the demolition permit was denied. Incidentally Sherry Rampy voted in favor of allowing the demolition. The developer was urged by the Commission to work with the HP office on developing a plan. He eventually did that and the result was a beautiful renovation that the developer himself moved into. This was a success story but the reality is that any home in an historic neighborhood can be demolished if the developer is willing to wait a year. As the properties become more valuable we are going to see more of what is happening in Coronado.

I moved to Portland in 2013, which has a wide and deep store of old houses. Sadly, tear-downs are a bitter issue here, too. Part of the problem is that developers can take out an old house and replace it with two new houses. The economic incentives favor "fast and cheap" over restoration. Despite having some excellent local architects, the results are usually disappointing. City government is committed to increasing density, so it tends to side with the developers for that good reason.

Phoenix has so little historic character that I tend to think it's reckless to take out the little bits it does have. That said, old houses don't fix themselves. You need rescuers with sensitivity and deep pockets to make it work well. As prices skyrocketed in historic neighborhoods, gentrification led to greater exclusivity and even blandness. I used to think Willo was morphing into a kind of nightmare featuring Martha Stewart and the Vandals. All that said, historic houses are one of the few reasons to be in central Phoenix. Starting in the 1970s, they created the modest lattice work for an urban renaissance that is finally beginning to pay dividends today. My advice is to assess and curate your urban assets. Private property rights are important but remember what got you to the place where urban energy at long last appears to be self-sustaining.

Ask said about the circles years back, just because it’s old does not mean it’s worthy of saving.

These are old houses but they are not unique or architecturally/culturally significant

Sadly, the structures themselves are not the issue. What matters is the precedent that is set.

The precedent set by conservationists in phoenix’s case is the problem saving a 1950’s car dealership/record store? What does the circles building actually add to the Stuart project? A: nothing

People are so desperate to save anything that they waste their time on stupid single family homes and washed up commercial buildings, you end up with that shorty pick building up in melrose, empty and abandoned but it was built as a diner in 1952 or whatever so I guess it must be saved for posterity

Let me know what they preservation efforts actually go to protecting something of value like that house up on Bethany or the frank loyd Wright in Arcadia

That pink building in Melrose has me completely at a loss for words. It's in such disrepair and the owner does not seem to have the funding to make it look even remotely attractive. I'm not even convinced she has the money to open the business.

For those not in the know Rebecca was the owner of 32 Shea and (I believe, correct me if I'm wrong) she sold it about a year and a half ago. I remember many times being in that place, which I like, and watching her berate her staff. I'm not so keen on this woman. You have to be kind to people or you'll die lonely and broke.

Preservationists picking the wrong battles. There are structures that should be saved and some that shouldn't be.

The uproar over the pink liquor store convinced me that historic preservation in Phoenix has run amok. The movement, or least certain elements of it, has lost the credibility it needs to fight important battles by wasting time and energy on irredeemable structures like that. As for Rebecca, she is now focusing on Lovecraft, her new smokehouse / alehouse venture in northeast Phoenix -- just a mile from 32 Shea, her former business.

You are exactly right. During that same week preservationists were clamoring over this structure, a 19th century home (albeit in bad condition) was also on the chopping block. Some extensive renovating and prolly some shoring was needed to restore the home. And while the Goodie building was saved, the house was razed, lowering the number of 19th century structures in Phoenix below the 50 mark.

What a loss.

Kinect Progress. Webcam view is from the top only.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...558c8d6d_c.jpg

Should be getting close to a crane raise.

Part of the Hance Park revitalization is to kick off soon with completion by the Fiesta Bowl's 50th anniversary next year. The Fiesta Bowl is donating 2 million towards the revitalization for a large playground. The playground will be on the park's Western half. See more details in the article or video below.
:cheers:

AZ Central:
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...on/2036298001/

AZ Family video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh2uMh7FwKk

Edit: Forgot there is a Hance Park Revitalization thread. Mods can move this to there if need be.

Awsome! :cheers:

Two affordable housing and one market rate project to start construction in the next 6-8 months.

https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/...aFFTK0ZSIn0%3D

Scottsdale-based Defer Gain and Los Angeles-based Pacific Oak Capital Markets Group have formed a joint venture to develop projects using "opportunity zone" funding.

They'll start out building three apartment communities in downtown Phoenix totaling $61 million in development costs, said Mike Lafferty, partner in Defer Gain.

First to be built will be a 140-unit workforce housing project called Imperial Apartments near 20th and Roosevelt streets within the Edison Eastlake Choice Neighborhoods, which has begun a $150 million redevelopment project.

That project will join the addition of 1,100 new city of Phoenix housing units, propelled by a $30 million federal grant recently awarded to the Edison Eastlake neighborhood.

"We're the only private developer within the Choice Neighborhood area," he said. "We'll mobilize in September."


Of the $61 million investment, $15 million will be used to build the Imperial Apartments on a 2.1-acre parcel he bought in June, Lafferty said.

"Workforce housing is the most underserved housing type of all housing types," Lafferty said. "I've developed a lot of projects and am now working on workforce housing in Phoenix, Prescott and Coolidge. It's gonna take over a larger part of my business henceforth."

Too many employees in downtown Phoenix are having a tough time affording apartment rents, he said, pointing to his partner Scott Ton, who employs more than 500 people.

"His employees are living in horrific places and are being taken advantage of by landlords," Lafferty said. "Scott can't send company trucks home to some of these locations. They'll be stolen."

That's why he settled on the area to build workforce housing units — it's a central location near light rail and buses.

"It's very important to have the first one be successful so we can build off of that," Lafferty said. "It's also very important employees are living in a very safe environment."

He also plans 600 workforce housing units totaling $70 million in development costs in Coolidge over the next seven years as Nikola Motor Co. and Lucid Motors Inc. build out their operations.

"We're seeking other sites to just prototype and stamp this out 10 more times," Lafferty said. "The challenge is buying the right land in a booming market. If we have to, we will wait until it slows down a little bit."

In addition to the workforce housing, Lafferty also is building other types of apartment communities, including efficiency housing and market rate properties.

The 241-unit St. Ambrose apartments will be considered efficiency housing, which means they are smaller than a traditional apartment unit but still have full kitchens and full appliances, Lafferty said.

The 84-unit Presidential Apartments will be standard-sized apartments with typical apartment rental rates, he said.



Here's a closer look at the three apartment communities the joint venture has on its plate:

Closer look

The Imperial Apartments

Address: 919 N. 20th St., Phoenix

Units: 140

Development cost: $15M

Rent range: $800-$1,400 per unit

Square foot range: 500-800 per unit

Type of housing: Workforce housing

Groundbreaking: September


St. Ambrose Apartments

Address: 220 N. 12th St., Phoenix

Units: 241

Development cost: $26M

Rent range: $800-$1,400 per unit

Square foot range: 350-600 per unit

Type of housing: Efficiency housing

Groundbreaking: January 2020


Presidential Apartments

Address: 1111 W. Washington St., Phoenix

Units: 84

Development cost: $20M

Rent range: $1,200-$1,950 per unit

Square foot range: 600-1,100 per unit

Type of housing: Market rate

Groundbreaking: December 2019

Creighton's wasting no time. Tower crane base getting put in today. I believe this crane is supposed to be in the 245' range.

There is also a tower crane section at X Phoenix

Awesome! Novel should be getting 1 soon as well since the garage is mostly completed and they are now working on the floor columns. Someone should re-write that stupid crane article that was published last week! :haha:

They also didn’t count the two tower cranes at the airport