Ridiculous. No, it wouldn't. New York's skyline stretches all the way from the tip of Lower Manhattan to the northern reaches of The Bronx. That's about 15 miles. CityScape to Central and Camelback is nothing in comparison. Phoenix's skyline spread will never be similar to New York, Chicago, Miami, or even Atlanta. Let's just work in our own reality and stop trying to compete in the big leagues.

View from a lower angle

http://www.downtownphoenixjournal.co...ng-Feature.jpg
http://www.downtownphoenixjournal.co...ng-Feature.jpg

I'm going to walk by and wonder why this isn't already there. Love the look of this building.

The lot North of the Y is a huge eyesore. Anything ever been in the works for that site?

Portland Place is going to be a great investment for those buyers - hopefully it kickstarts the aformentioned trend of midrise residential from Fillmore to McDowell.

Was just thinking the same thing. That lot next too the Y I wold love to see developed into high-rises and I really hope that transit center building goes threw. That low angle really shows how nice it would like for are downtown.

Wait a minute! We can't have a building in Phoenix that doesn't look like a box!!! Can we?
This would immediately be my favorite building downtown. This is the kind of design that will elevate the entire skyline, imho.

I would be ape-s*** happy if I saw that view.

I love how there are two quality projects for urban professionals in the works in prime locations! Keep em coming!! Any more updates on The Union at Roosevelt?

I agree, lots of exciting projects planned downtown and midtown all of the sudden.

- Luhrs Hotel
- Portland Place 2
- Union
- Ballpark Lofts
- Central Station

And now even two projects for midtown!

I really hope all of these break ground soon... It could really start to snowball from here. I think if we see these break ground we'll see something planned soon near one of the vacant blocks near US Airways Center. Haven't been this excited about downtown since 2007 when 44 Monroe, the Sheraton and CityScape were all moving.

Ive been reading posts on here multiple times a day and I finally decided to get an account. Kind of obsessed with his stuff and everyone thinks im weird walking down mill and I talk about USA place ect. I am very excited that Phoenix is going vertical!!

I understand what he was saying. It'd be nice to have one contiguous skyline, versus the two separate ones that exist currently. I would never, ever compare Phx to any big city skyline though.

Manhattan is also 2-2.5 miles wide. This would equate to 15th ave to 16th St being full of supertalls and 500 footers with dense mid rise development on every single lot from Baseline Rd. to Dunlap. The Jersey side of the Hudson has also developed quite a nice skyline in the last decade that would rival just about any other city in America.

Best of all, these projects are just what downtown and midtown need. Don't forget Hotel Monroe, Encore on 2nd (I guess?), Tilton Development on McKinley and 3rd st, and of course the development of Hance Park.

here's a bit of information that should set at ease those who worry about all the empty storefronts:

http://azbigmedia.com/azre-magazine/...-market-trends

I might have worded my original statement wrong, in no way shape or form am I stating we're gonna compete with the immaculate sky lines of New York or Chicago.

I'm just stating the one long connection would VASTLY improve the image of our skyline. Yes, the overall volume is still lagging, but think about what 5-7 mid-rise buildings would do in that area. It wouldn't take much to get the connection to one line. That's really all I was trying to say. Sorry to set you off.

Unless Tilton is affiliated with them, it's MetroWest developing the 3rd Ave townhomes, along with Union, and 3 houses on 2nd ave; none of these have seen ground move yet.

The best project, and most definite (and opening by EOY), is by far the DeSoto Central Marketplace. If you could build one project at the gateway of Roosevelt Row that would attract locals and visitors/tourist alike, it's this. How many times have we heard that visitors want an authentic trip, and get to "know" Phoenix. This is a place for locals to finally get their fresh food, attract additional residential development because of the amenities, and be one of the only places we have to bring someone from out of state and give them a Millenium Park/Pike Place/Times Square feeling. Our food scene is our greatest asset, and we really lucked out on this project - the developer sounds amazing, his enthusiasm is contagious, and I hope it isn't closed in a year because none of these other projects break ground. Traditional grocers have essentially given us the finger since AJs backed out of CityScape, so this is our best change at having accessible food.

Long Rant Ahead.
As far as Central Station, I guess I forgot I'm on a skyscraper forum. It is a nice looking building from these photos - though they aren't showing the view from the park where it now will block 90% of downtown that was visible. But, this glistening tower is one of the final pieces of a puzzle that has been slowly coming together that will ultimately secure downtown's existence as a broken city, with pockets of innovation being given the resources to succeed, adjacent to abandoned lots, or blocks of garage frontages. You're looking at a tower and site plan for the *central transit station* of a city that has bus, rapidly expanding light rail with the need for multiple lines/connections, rail to Tucson, and commuter rail by the time we run out of water. We're also a city that speaks highly of our commitment to bicycling as a viable mode of transit, and equal attention should be placed on that, too. Finally, this is a city that invested an incredible amount of human and monetary capital in building light rail for the purposes of spurring mxed use TOD, and took years developing an Urban Form code for the core that was supposed to lay an easy blueprint for the successful downtown that both residents and stakeholders wanted. Setbacks, 100% street frontage (minus setbacks), a ridiculously tiny % of secondary use, and an above ground garage with well over the required parking that isn't wrapped in offices, residential, or retail; built on top of; or, doesn't have ground level activity are all things discuss in this Code and this is not the way our city was supposed to revitalize itself.

And, regardless, of Urban Form, these are just good design principles. And, as a developer who has worked in this city before, they should be able to assess the context in which they'll be building: on a major transit site in the center of all major uses, and along Van Buren, which is zoned for highrises and large scale retail but is too broken by garages and empty lots/blighted stores that nobody will dare invest in it past Central. So, here is an opportunity none of us thought would ever happen- the chance to develop a prime piece of land being underutilized. Proposals called for mixed use centers, gave examples of other highly activated/redeveloped transit stations, and recently released transportation guidelines for the future outlining just how intricate the network will get.

This was a chance to create an iconic development that solidified Phoenix's empty promises. Instead, we are getting a project that is using 1/3 of the land it was given for essentially 1 use - rental apartments - with equal or perhaps lesser access to current transit and certainly no innovations for incorporating any new modes. The garage is sickening anywhere, but moreso on the transit center site itself. I'm embarrassed that is being proposed. This project wouldn't fly in any other city - because every inch is so valuable. Here, developers can just throw away those setbacks and garages floor areas, while we suffer the consequences oef discontinuous street level frontage, parking structures, undeveloped lots, etc. The amount of garages between Adams and this structure is absurd - 4 or 5 maybe.

By iconic, I mean a building that saw all of these opportunities and created a solution that might be way too expensive, but attempted to phase it or come up with other solutions. I mean a building that met our code at a minimum. I mean a plan that built for the future, that connected to the light rail better and made better use of its proximity to Civic Space than a dog park probably included to meet open space requirements. That built over the light rail stations, funneling all transit traffic - bus or light rail - into the center to assess line transfers, and make use of resources badly needed: public restrooms, quik trip, kiosks with interactive trip planners showing routes and modes of transit, and a large map and other visual cues that guide travelers around downtown if that is their final stop. Information on the future plans could be available to look at, a balcony off the 2nd level that extended to the park with retail vendors... a showpiece bike sharing system... a museum on Arizona technology, innovation and transportation so the center is continually used by schools and the history of Union Station and the farming culture aren't eradicated... the bus system divided into N, S, E, W bays.. a partnership with a hotel or plans for one in the future in a second tower... an anchor retail tenant that guaranteed the retail vitality and kickstarted VB's revitalization.

If this and the ASU Law School are built as shown, downtown essentially becomes Roosevelt Row and CityScape. There isn't a single building I can use when walking in the ASU part of downtown; no restaurants, bars, retail... I can't even go inside the renovated post office to check out the work done without a SunCard. Then, north of the ASU campus are megablocks with parking structures that interrupt any sense of urban fabric that starts to form.

I hate this proposal a lot. And, I hate that so many like it and I'm so negative about it. But, downtown is hurting, and this waste of a lot won't help bring that momentum back. I feel for the Crescent Ballrooms and Bentley Projects... there is so much talent in the local area. It's a shame the city can't provide the resources they need to thrive, and that developers can't provide the residents and other features that will drive new business.

My understanding was that the Post Office would remain open, has that changed?

The people who hate the Central Station project are the kinds of people who keep anything from actually getting done in downtown PHX. Yes NYC has 3+ highrises on every city block, but this is Phoenix, AZ... Cities like NYC have to pack everything in because space is an issue there. It isnt here, we have TONS of empty development space. This proposal is a skyline difference maker (same as the 200 Monroe would have been) and a much better use of space than a concrete or dirt lot. When the haters get projects like this shot down then the lots stay empty and PHX will continue to be at a stand still.

The post office is still open, but they've closed off the rest of the building. Last time I walked by there, half the building is closed to the public. It seemed to be ASU students only, but had art on display. A bit disappointing.

FitnessPower, forgive me for jumping in here... I agree that people can get overzealous in their frustration. Sometimes though, it's a well-founded frustration. I believe the point is, there are benefits - but this building damages the viability of further developments that we need to make downtown Phoenix a successful, livable environment - so, in that sense, have we really won with this proposal?

Instead of cutting off our nose, to spite our face... we'd be building a tower to spite our community - without realizing it.

I don't think anybody wants them to NOT build there. But some input from the community on how to make it more worthwhile to the community should be taken to heart. It's in the best interest of developers, if they want more contracts in this city. A more viable downtown, with features that posters such as Jjs5056 have mentioned - will bring more contracts to these developers.

A win/win.

This is a beautiful building, but it has issues that put that future viability at risk. Yes, a city is organic, and will do what it has to. But remember, there's a stated goal of making the city more walkable and less dependent on the automobile. This building does far less than it could do to promote that goal. Every project should be the best it can be. not, "yay, we filled another hole!"

And, on one level, it has nothing to do with competing against the big cities like Los Angeles, New York, or Chicago. Yet... on another level. Yes, indeed we must compare ourselves to them. We need to do the things that bring people here to live and work. With more bright minds, we become a more successful city. So we DO need to be aware of what has made other cities grand in stature. Because we can get there - it will still be its own city, don't fear that.

Anyway, those are my thoughts.

If central station gets built it will add atleast 500 new residents in that area plus with it being right next to 44 Monroe and the two dorm towers close by now there's more reason to build all this things Jj5627 wants! But we need more people and living options before any new retail or bars open! This Tower will be perfect and plus isn't half the reason were on here is too critic sky rises atleast one is finally getting built! Maybe haha!

If Commuter/InterCity Rail comes to Phoenix, it's going to be at Union Station at 4th Avenue. This current Central Station is not long for this world. A good plan on this lot will allow the current Central Station to survive in the short term and then be filled in with other uses later.

Welcome!