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I am not sure who the developer is for this project.

Chase Tower Reno

I know the Chase Tower Reno was discussed previously, but it looks like the Chase tower renovation proposal might include a new tower above the Chase parking garage? Maybe I missed this or it’s an old rendering?
https://thedavisexperience.com/proje...wer-renovation

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunsfan87 (Post 9767892)

It's been discussed. The renderings are probably Davis's sales pitch and have no real traction...at least yet.

The tower has been undergoing extensive internal demo and asbestos removal. You can pretty much see the top floors have been gutted as about the top 10 levels or are completely lit up at night.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrestedSaguaro (Post 9767951)

Ah ok, thanks for the update. Yea I also saw on the Davis website they still had “The W Phoenix” project on there which was from about 15 or 20 years ago I believe, so that makes sense.

Valley firm becomes master developer of South Phoenix food innovation center

Breaking ground today! Plaza Cos (Skysong development) is also the master developer so hopefully this project becomes a success for this part of town.

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

Quote:

The developers of a food innovation center and international market in south Phoenix are set to start construction on Tuesday, about two years after its initial plans received approval from the city.

Called Arizona Fresh: Agri-Food Innovation Center, the 1.2 million-square-foot facility will comprise a produce distribution center, year-round farmer's market, community park, new retail buildings and a business park for agricultural education and research facilities. It's expected to create 1,500 jobs.

The more than $200 million project will be built on 140 acres at the Del Rio former landfill site and former city park south of downtown Phoenix along Elwood Street between 7th and 16th streets. It's also located south of the Salt River and is the first development for Rio Reimagined, a plan pioneered by late U.S. Sen. John McCain to revitalize dozens of miles along the Salt and Gila Rivers.

The center could be the first of its kind in the Valley and is being developed by Arizona Fresh Holdings LLC, an organization the city chose in a request for proposal process, and Peoria-based Plaza Cos., a longtime Valley real estate firm that was brought on as the master developer of the project last year.

Arizona Fresh tackles food desert issue
The project could help fill a need in this particular area of the city, which is known as a food desert due to a lack of fresh or healthy food options within a close distance, but also help bring jobs, technologies and place for local entrepreneurs and both regional and local growers and distributors to operate.

"South Phoenix has been underserved and unserved in many ways, for many years, and there are challenges associated with that. We see the quality of life in this part of the city is not what it should be," Todd Hardy, a manager for Arizona Fresh Holdings, told the Business Journal. "We know there are challenges but we think that this can be a large part of the solution for south Phoenix."

Phoenix City Council approved plans to redevelop the longtime former landfill in October 2020 and since then has worked with the developer to figure out the infrastructure for the project and the former landfill site. The city is also reimbursing the developer up to $20 million to build out a new public road on the site. Final agreements with the city were signed in September.

Merge Architectural Group and Raintree Design Group are the architects. Arizona Fresh said it's in the process of choosing a general contractor. The first phase of the facility is expected to be completed in five and half years and includes the road, called Arizona Fresh Parkway, a wholesale produce market, an office and community farmer's market.

Redevelopment of landfill nearly 30 years in the making
The first time the city posted a request for proposal for the site was in 1995, said Chris Mackay, the city of Phoenix economic development director. She said they have received proposals including industrial facilities, a golf course and even a snow skiing hill, but it wasn't what residents wanted.

"The community was really clear with us what they wanted to see on that former landfill, and it wasn't a big industrial development," she said, adding that residents wanted jobs, open space and retail. "They wanted to be really connected back to this site that separated them and the river that had been so integral in the 1800s and 1900s in the development of Phoenix."

The city said it started working with Arizona Fresh in 2018 and that the project could serve as a "prototype" for turning a landfill into its next life. It will also include an amphitheater, a new 20-acre park and road that stretches along the river, hiking and biking trails, event space and more.

Over 20 years, Mackay said the city expects to see a more than $800 million economic output from the facility between the incubator and research park, wholesale food market, industrial buildings and retail. The city is also expected to receive $3.5 million annually in tax revenue.

Sharon Harper, the CEO of Plaza Cos., said she was approached to be part of the project last year. Plaza Cos. is known for developing well known projects across the Valley including the SkySong development, a large mixed-use project in south Scottsdale.

"I think this is such a significant project for our region, and in particular for this location. The vision that the Arizona Fresh partners have to bring this produce into Arizona and this part of the United States versus going to LA or Texas and losing some days, that's number one," Harper said. "Secondly, the whole innovation around the food industry and distribution is something that Arizona wants to be on the front end of and very interested in."

In addition to the anticipated benefits of the project, Hardy of Arizona Fresh said it could also enhance Arizona's trade relationship with Mexico.

"The fact that we'll be bringing in food from Mexico, from other places too, but largely from Mexico, in an efficient way and reducing the waste that occurs at the border today, providing more of an outlet for growers in Mexico ... I think is bound to help the relationships between the two countries," he said.

https://media.bizj.us/view/img/12374...t-40220-pm.png

Looks like they put some Palms infront of that small retail strip across from dukes.

Id rather leafy trees than palms but whatever better than dirt!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Obadno (Post 9772939)

Looks like they put some Palms infront of that small retail strip across from dukes.

Id rather leafy trees than palms but whatever better than dirt!

There were leafy trees planted at one point several years ago but they died. I wonder if they'll put up a short fence or wall or something and finish the landscaping. The few businesses in the bottom floor sometimes have little events and whatnot.

Phoenix Convention Center wants to create downtown entertainment district

Smart move to request an updated report since the initial one was completed prior the pandemic. Let's see if the City can actually pull this off...

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

Quote:

Phoenix Convention Center is mulling over the idea of a big expansion of its south building, a new hotel and the creation of a new entertainment district to better compete with other markets across the U.S. and draw in more visitors downtown.

The city first looked at a market feasibility study for the convention market in Phoenix in 2020, but because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it recently requested an updated report from John Kaatz of Convention Sports & Leisure International on the convention industry, Phoenix Convention Center expansion needs, hotel inventory and hospitality amenities.

The Phoenix Convention Center south building is located just north of Chase Field on the northeast corner of Jefferson and 3rd streets in downtown Phoenix but does not have a branded entertainment district like other well-known markets. KJZZ reported that developers have looked to buy the city-owned property but Phoenix was advised against it.

"You're not a market leader, you're in the middle of the pack these days, and Phoenix has an opportunity if we make the right ancillary investments to increase its rankings," Kaatz said during the Economic Development and Equity Subcommittee meeting on Oct. 26.

Kaatz presented three key items that Phoenix could consider changing over the next decade in order to compete with other markets such as Dallas, Nashville, New Orleans and Seattle:

Expansion of the Convention Center south building with an additional 150,000 square feet of contiguous space in the upper exhibit hall in the next six to 10 years, which would bring the total upper level space to 315,000 square feet.
Increase the amount of convention hotel inventory with 800 to 1,200 additional rooms in the next five years.
Identify opportunities to create a walkable, 24/7 district near the Convention Center as the next step with amenities and pedestrian experiences like pocket parks, seating, shaded structures, nighttime activations and technology uses for transportation.

"We need a new headquarter hotel that would have to be part of this," Kaatz said during the meeting. "We need to make sure that the district around the convention center is amenable to the visitor industry, and not just the visitor industry, because if we invest in those kind of assets, it becomes an amazing quality of life experience for increasing the downtown resident base, increasing the worker base. It's a partnership between catering to visitors and residents to Phoenix."

Convention visitors spread out to multiple hotels
Right now, the city said its placing convention visitors across 15 or 16 hotels outside of its main Convention Center hotel and is need of another big-box hotel. Kaatz said that Phoenix Convention Center currently ranks 14 out of the top 26 comparable markets for sellable space industry rankings but could move up to the top 10 with an expansion.

The subcommittee voted to move forward with hiring experts to plan an entertainment district as an immediate next step. It also adopted recommendations for a convention center expansion and new hotel rooms for guidance of long-term and future planning.

Kaatz added that a public-private partnership would work well for the Phoenix Convention Center expansion and that Phoenix is a good example of a market that could provide unique, authentic and diverse offerings in its convention, hospitality and downtown space.

Casual discussions between city officials and the Phoenix Suns were held in 2021 about creating an entertainment district around Footprint Center when the team was in the NBA Finals against Milwaukee, which has its own "Deer District" built up around the city's downtown Fiserv Forum.

Otherwise the only concrete plans on paper for a new entertainment district near downtown are in the hands of the Arizona Coyotes' NHL team, which hopes to build an expansive district in Tempe with hotels, casinos and retail next to its proposed 16,000-seat stadium that is under review by city of Tempe officials. Public hearings for that project are scheduled in November.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASU Diablo (Post 9780297)

Bring back Hines into the mix while they're at it ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASU Diablo (Post 9780297)

Ah since when did the Tempe Entertainment District proposal included casinos?!?

Quote:

Originally Posted by azsunsurfer (Post 9780565)

Ah since when did the Tempe Entertainment District proposal included casinos?!?

They probably meant the sports book that will be part of the development

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrestedSaguaro (Post 9780516)

Bring back Hines into the mix while they're at it ;)

What is the project?

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSpud0 (Post 9780630)

What is the project?

When Hines was proposing Adeline, they pitched an entertainment district around the convention center along Van Burn and 3rd St. Phoenix (in their infinite wisdom) said hang on a second...too much, too soon and basically squashed Hines's idea. :koko:

https://www.azcentral.com/story/mone...ict/479051002/

azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2018/04/04/phoenix-city-council-halts-downtown-entertainment-district-proposal-hines/487146002/

The walkable 24/7 district around the convention center will be huge. Hopefully the city follows through with this plan. Hopefully the new owner of the Phoenix Suns plans something around Footprint too.

How the $500M GO Bond will transform Phoenix and enhance its future prospects

Couple of potential development updates if this goes through. Nice to see additional funding go towards Hance Park and seeing "Rio Reimagine" development starting to take shape. If a new Valley Youth Center for the Arts gets constructed, that's another prime city-owned parcel (SEC of 1st St/Fillmore) that could be developed into another tower. Of course, assuming that the existing center gets demo'ed.

https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/...elopments.html

Quote:

The city of Phoenix is initiating its first general obligations (GO) bond program since 2006. GO bonds are municipal bonds used to fund intermittent capital and infrastructure development projects that do not generate revenue independently but provide an essential benefit for the general public. The Fiscal Capacity Committee and Executive Committee created the initial bond proposal based on a capital needs study to assess and prioritize the immediate and long term needs of the city. It also includes a detailed list of the anticipated costs for each of the proposed projects relating to the eight main service areas across the city, detailed below in this article.

City Council appointed eight subcommittees comprised of community leaders who have experience with the chamber of commerce, politics, local government, nonprofits, businesses and unions across various industries. These subcommittees will determine which projects to include in the final proposal that will likely be presented to council in January and, if passed, added to the November 2023 election ballot for Phoenix residents. The board is requesting input from Phoenix residents between August and November 2022.

Here are the project highlights:

• Arts and Culture projects amounting to $56.1 million include the expansion of the Children’s Museum of Phoenix, critical equipment replacements across city-owned cultural facilities, construction of a Latino Cultural Center, experiential improvements to the Symphony Hall Theatrical Venue, and development of a new Valley Youth Center for the Arts.

• Economic Development and Education proposes to allocate $23.5 million on the acquisition and predevelopment preparation for the Rio Salado “Rio Reimagined” development, which will revitalize the 58-mile span of the urban riverfronts along the Rio Salado and Gila Rivers from Granite Reef Dam to State Route 85. Considered to be “the valley’s most impactful green infrastructure project of the century," the development aims to promote social equity and community transformation in the eight primary impact communities.

• Environment and Sustainability requested a budget of $25.1 million for equipment upgrades relating to energy and water savings in existing city facilities, replacement of fuel and oil tanks exceeding the estimated 30-year service life and installment of energy efficient HVAC and other climate control equipment for energy savings.

• Housing, Human Services and Homelessness projected a total of $61.7 million and include affordable housing property preservation, construction of a multipurpose Cesar Chavez Senior Center, completing the Choice Neighborhoods Housing Development and renovating the historic McDowell Senior Center.

• Neighborhoods and City Services proposed a $52.4 million budget for the construction of new branch libraries at the Desert View Civic Space and Estrella Civic Space, and the expansion of the Yucca Branch Library, as well as Improving city facilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, properties at various Public Works Service Centers and city-owned buildings around downtown. About $5 million would be invested into historic infrastructure by restoring the Heritage Square facilities, rehabilitating Orpheum Theatre and starting a grant program for historic preservation demonstration projects and exterior rehabilitation programs

• Parks and Recreation outlined a $109 million plan to design and construct the Desert View and Estrella Civic Spaces and a long list of other projects, including repurposing the Harmon and Maryvale Regional Pools and splash pads located at Alkire, Grant, University, Marivue and Holiday Parks; improvements to Margaret T Hance Park and renovating the Mountain View Community Center Sports Complex, just to name a few.

• Public Safety requests $158.3 million to relocate the Cactus Park Police Precinct and Northern Command Center, replace and upgrade Fire Stations 13, 15, 51 and 7, renovate the Maryvale Police Precinct, expand the police driver training track and renovate the Police Property Management Warehouse.

• Streets and Storm Drainage projects total $160.6 million and include equity based transportation mobility implementation in accordance with the ADA, construct plans outlined in the Hohokam Drainage Program, complete projects to mitigate Laveen flood drainage, install city-wide neighborhood traffic "calming" devices, supplement the accelerated pavement maintenance program, and more.

If approved, these projects will create an enormous opportunity for local businesses to bid their products and services. The projects will also provide much-needed improvements to infrastructure throughout the city with little to no additional costs for residents. The proposed $500 million bond structure was created with the goal of ensuring that the program would not impact the secondary property tax rate, which will be the primary means used to back and repay the bonds. The last GO Bond was used to fund projects ranging from affordable housing to higher education, some of which include the construction of ASU’s downtown campus, Burton Barr Central Library, and several fire stations.

The amount of land that could be redeveloped in central Phoenix along the river alone with mixed use zoning would be incredible.

Initial funding for Rio Salado

So this initial funding thing in reference to the Rio are they talking a town lake type thing all the way form Temp to HWY 85 or a Riparian type thing restoring the river to it's "natural" state? Hoping the former as the riparian thing would be "nice" but I don't see it really encouraging the type of growth Tempe has had on the river (errr lake).

Quote:

Originally Posted by phoenixwillrise (Post 9781755)

I doubt they will do anything beyond riparian. Phoenix just doesnt have that kind of vision and to please the hysterical green warriors they would never let so much "natural habitat" get drowned in a lake for pontoon boats and land developers.

I can hear the sanctimonious outcry already

Tempe Town Lake was also stupidly expensive to construct and maintain. Tempe has sunk incredible amounts of money into it, money that was supposed to be paid by the revenue district surrounding the lake, but even that's not panning out as developers are getting GPLETs to build on the east side. Phoenix would be on the hook for this white elephant.

There's also the logistical challenges of damming up two sides of a river miles apart. Getting the Army Corps of Engineers and like every last agency in the state and country to sign off on it was no small feat, to say nothing of the construction challenges.

Quote:

Originally Posted by combusean (Post 9782618)

I heard a story that SRP tried to help Tempe build the lake and offered free engineering help. They tried to explain that the bladder concept was not a lasting solution... and then of course it broke, adding tens of millions in project costs.

Yes, the lake is cool and I'm glad it's there. I just wish it hadn't been so costly and painful. We'll be paying that damn thing off for years.

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