Does anyone know which Tempe project is this?

I believe that one.

https://azbex.com/planning-developme...nned-in-tempe/

Thanks Locolife! Not trying to get too off topic about Tempe but...

Wow that was entitled awhile ago and they still haven't moved dirt yet...it's like Tempe's Astra....just to compare down the street on Apache as soon as both those student housing projects were entitled the land was cleared and there are construction crews already starting on the foundations....

I would say X Tempe or Tempe Depot is moreso Tempe’s Astra. iirc this project is relatively new and caught us all by surprise since Devil’s Advocate is well and alive and there are so many other vacant lots available. The former two we’ve been waiting years for now with no movement.

Anyone attend the DVC meeting or RAA meeting last night? Both groups provided an update on the Firehouse RFP and wanted to learn of any new details that may have been shared

I was at DVC. The RFP for the firehouse has been awarded to Poolhouse Hospitality Concepts, the same folks behind Gadzooks, the Green Woodpecker, and Hugo's. As part of the RFP, they're suppose to develop a mid-priced restaurant that will be open three meals a day. The presenters suggested it would be distinct from their current restaurant lineup.

I asked if there was any concern that Poolhouse was spreading itself too thin with its recent expansion. My concern was motivated in part by Hugo's, which seems like an underutilization of a great building on First Street with a limited menu and a weird theme centered around a pink bear. The city staff assured me they thought Poolhouse could make the Firehouse work.

Thanks exit2lef!

So basically information that was already known and had been previously shared by me months ago. Man, either the developer or City is moving really slooooow on this (as expected).

I was hoping by this point we would at least have more concrete plans to share, including renderings.

This is the spot basically in Hance park right? Would be nice to have more activation there and a spot to eat and ideally grab a drink right by the park grounds.

The above post about underutilized space reminds me of another rant I have about town lake, why the hell don’t we have water front dining and drinking options. Hopefully the new complex on the southwest side of the lake adds it. It’s so underutilized for what it is.

I think that's exactly what the city wants to happen with this RFP. My comment about underutilized space at Hugo's wasn't about space sitting empty; it's more my frustration they've paired that old funeral home building on First Street with a generic, abbreviated menu of rolled tacos and enchiladas, making it kind of like just another Gadzooks. The previous occupant, Sin Muerte, was more distinctive with its vegetarian menu in a way that measured up to the distinctive space. I hope they get more ambitious with whatever they do at the firehouse.

I completely agree about Town Lake. Matt's Big Breakfast operated in a lakeside location for a few years but has since closed. On the other side of the lake, Obon was supposed to occupy a prime spot at the Watermark development, but that fell through. It would be great if someone could make lakefront dining work in Tempe.

My hopes are on The Pier and South Pier to make it happen, with an emphasis on the latter lol

Google Earth Downtown updated again! Looks about six months ago

I wish someone could make dining in Tempe work period.

I went to the new rooftop place at Omni this past week and while the views and hotel are gorgeous, it was overpriced nonsense. I really wanted to like it because there are so few spots I like in Tempe right now. But Lucero at Omni is going to be a corporate/conference-goer nothingburger.

My wife and I were looking for a nice place to have dinner in Tempe last weekend before a show at TCA. We've recently been to both Zu & Pocha and Cocina Chiwas and have enjoyed both. I briefly considered Lucero, but the vibe I got from the website and online reviews was exactly what you describe. We ultimately decided on Caffe Boa, which gets overlooked a lot because it's been around so long. I'm glad we went because the restaurant still seems strong after three decades.

Good tips, thanks

Yeah, there's still a gaping House of Tricks-sized hole in Tempe, but Boa might be the best alternative.

:cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers: You are really starting to see downtown fill out with each passing year.

Biltmore Towers

https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/...-approval.html

Wow a 14 story office and 16 story residential/hotel tower is a huge addition to the area. I thought the original plan was a 10 story apartment.

Didn’t get much but got a few this weekend. Central Station is going to look awesome

https://i.imgur.com/h9sMvpW.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/NzNbiaj.jpeg//i....m/h9sMvpW.jpeg

Phoenix Adds Another Downtown RFP to the Redevelopment Mix
 

https://azbex.com/planning-developme...velopment-mix/
https://azbex.com/wp-content/uploads...Kinley-RFP.jpg

Link to RFP: https://solicitations.phoenix.gov/So...s/Details/1787

What does undeveloped roadway deduction mean? It’s like 70% of the site

Think it's Dedication and not Deduction. The few times I've seen similar items pop up outside of downtown, these were dedications for roadways that were either planned but never building, or were removed previously. It's a cumbersom process to reintegrate them into the building parcel, but generally that can be done.

In this case, I'd expect it's land that could be buildable but will carry some additional legal / property definitions to make available. I'm not aware of any plans for 1st to fork at that location in the future that would require it to be maintained (or past alignments, but don't know the history there without fiving into historic photos or something).

New 24-Story Tower to Enhance Phoenix's Urban Landscape
 

Aspirant Development is set to transform the southwest corner of Central Avenue and McDowell Road in Phoenix with a new 24-story apartment tower, featuring 320 luxury units and an L-shaped design that incorporates ground-floor retail and restaurant spaces. Purchased from Donnelley Financial Solutions for $13 million, this 3.3-acre site, near attractions like the Phoenix Art Museum, will start construction in the first quarter of 2025 and is expected to be completed in about two years. The development plans include attracting a specialty grocer as a major retail tenant, alongside mid- to high-end dining options, enhancing the area's urban appeal and residential options.


https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...m/73456469007/https://www.azcentral.com/gcdn/autho...pjpg&auto=webp

I think downtown is trendy enough for a whole foods:cheers:

Its nice to see newer proposals upping their design a bit compared to the towers that have gone up a couple years back. Central Station, Rey, Palm all look much better than link etc

However what's with the east/west facing. With nice city and mountain views north and south and minimizing the sun especially on the west face seems crazy to me not to turn this tower 90%

I think this is to reduce the impact on the neighbors to the southwest, and that wider part of the lot isn't that deep anyways. Having some column free space and a physically more separate building might help the retail lease or better. Retail around here seems to have always done well.

Finally, something to be proud of at the McDowell/Central intersection. That intersection should be so much more than it is. Looking forward to this development. :cheers:

That CVS gots to go

CVS goes to make room for more housing and restaurants!!!

I act at The Phoenix Theatre Company, and it is always great to have more dining/drinking options for audience members. TPTC has a great bar and restaurant inside, but more options rock!!!

Is it open on nights there aren’t events? Didn’t know there was something inside of it, want to checkout a show there some time and I’ve dragged me feet way to long on getting there. Will try to go soon.

Great bar and restaurant. What, you missed me in ELF THE MUSICAL?

They are open only when shows, but there are two theaters and soon-to-be three stages, as they are building a new main stage state-of-the-art theater as we speak. Will be amazing.

Awesome to hear it's expanding and more residents nearby can only help, the developer is clearly marketing to a crowd oriented towards the arts, mentioning the PAM access is basically immediate.

Checking out your schedule now, I did miss Elf but will checkout a show soon.

Found an article on the expansion, this sounds like a huge upgrade.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/ente...g/70836066007/

Can we start a GFM page for this? They could technically put a new CVS inside of a nice new development there.

This would put it at 250-260' tall right? Trying to imagine the shrinking gap between the taller buildings near Roosevelt and the tallest uptown towers, the first I think is the old dial soap building, whatever it's called now. I believe that one is 375' or so

It's proposed at 250'. Anything taller would require a height amendment at the site, which probably would not go well with the local residents.

Great that the gap may finally start to potentially get closed up. Hopefully, the proposed high-rises in the Row area will start filling everything in.

Big news on Central and Palm. No mention of what they're going to do with the expansive grounds.

https://ktar.com/story/5571848/centr...ter-154-years/

Wow, with such massive property I always just assumed they had a big congregation.

I hope it doesn't fall into disrepair and become a blight.

I may have heard in the recent past the idea of putting a parking structure that would serve both the art museum and The Phoenix Theatre Company, though maybe that was an idea for the existing parking spaces to build something like that in the current parking lot footprint. I know Phoenix Theatre has used the church as an alternative theater space during COVID.

There's way too much land wasted on surface parking in the area bounded by the museum, the theater, and the church, and it's silly to see different rows in the same lot marked for different purposes. Ideally, there should be a shared garage there with paid parking. To help ease the transition, the museum could include parking discounts with membership, and the theater could do the same with season ticket holders. As for the church building, it's worth saving, even if for a different use.

Or worse, demolished. Church properties, especially older/historic ones, in the central City are beautiful and nice for the neighborhoods. This one is really nice, even if it's just barely post-war.

I wish their previous one on north central downtown was still around too. I think there is a very very similar looking historic building somewhere in Tucson. It would be nice if Phoenix kept some of its original buildings and architecture and beauty.

Even if they aren't church congregations anymore, repurposing them into housing or lofts or whatever would be so much better than demo/building a 250' box.

I beleive this is the church in Tucson you're referring to that looked like the previous iteration in Downtown Phoenix. It's located at the NEC of 5th Street and 6th Ave.

https://i.imgur.com/OSnfZsy.jpeg

Would love reuse of the church to be something that activates this corner throughout the day. Maybe a full-on community center with a farmer's market, similar to the North Phoenix Baptist on Central and Bethany. Maybe a school for the arts or additional affordable housing for the Phoenix Theater Company. I heard PTC purchased a nearby apartment complex for its apprenticing artists. So many possibilties.

My dream would be Phoenix Art expands into its surface lot to the north and consolidates parking in a shared structure east of the church. I also have no idea the feasibliity of museum expansions.

/\ Yep, that's the one.

Maybe just maybe the museum or theater could buy it and use it for more space.

Maybe even a new museum like a natural history museum or some ring.

Wasn't there someone trying to raise $200 mil for a natural museum of some type that was suppose to go in Metro Phoenix? I think at one point they were looking at sites in Tempe?

I really like some of the smaller complexes Tucson gets in its downtown.

Wish we could see more stuff in this size especially north west and south of downtown proper:

https://i.imgur.com/rS4QfKz.png

Skyline rising to new heights!
 

Central Station and Sol are adding vertical to skyline view from Childrens Hospital cam. Looks like they are very close to topping out.

https://cameras-cam.cdn.weatherbug.n...20240855_l.jpg

https://cameras-cam.cdn.weatherbug.n...20240855_l.jpg

Would be nice if they could zoom in a little more and shift slightly to the right, I think it's missing a building or two. But thinking how Astra and others will further add to this, PHX is getting so much better!

This brings back memories. I fought a helluva a lot of fires in the frame of that pic.

Thank you for your service, soled.

Thank you for the kind words, sir

Yeah, seriously soled thank you. Anything over 90 degrees made me crabby in AZ, I can't imagine how you guys fight fires in much worse. Always had such immense respect for Phoenix FD, esp on those bad days.