I'm sure some of you already knew this: the upper story of My Florist is a large apartment. The owner of the business used to live there before he ran away to California.

Had a lot of fun working on the Sunflowers this morning!!!!!

7th Avenue and McDowell
 

The facade is going up and there is an addition being built in the back. I took this pic from my car window today.

http://i53.tinypic.com/14m5s47.jpg

Rather surprising hole in the ground for Lofts at McKinley.

http://emvis.net/~sean/ssp/projects/...y/20110920.jpg

It's possible the soil is bad and just needs to be recompacted. That usually requires ALOT of overexcavation.

Are you all certain that the Lofts @ McKinley are going to be wood-framed? Generally, and especially in Arizona, builders don't excavate for low-rise, wood-framed construction. True, the soil could be contaminated/bad but wouldn't that require additional permitting and/or government b.s.?

So 7/McDowell is no longer a historic structure... Great.

^^I thought the original facade of the building was brick, it isn't. That is why the facade is being revamp to cover-up the concrete exterior. Would have been nice if the original building had a brick facade.

Is it possible they're looking for bodies? :shrug:

:koko::koko::koko:

^^Or archeological finds??? :hmmm:

The permit says they are exporting 10,000 cubic yards of dirt for the parking garage, so I guess it makes sense that the hole might be that big. Project number is 10-3244.

For an affordable/accessible 60-unit, 3-story complex something about this thing seems overkill.

^^Makes more sense and I didn't think this building was wood-framed. At least the garage entrance will be in the alley since this building's rendering call for stoops leading to the sidewalks.

Isn't concrete block below with wood framing above the usual for a low rise residential building with underground parking?

Depends on the size of the building (square footage) and the yards on each side (separation from building to other buildings or property line, whichever is less). That determines the construction type and thus whether or not you can use combustible (wood) construction.

But generally...yes.

There is some major work going on in the building on the NEC of 7th Avenue and McDowell. The space previously occupied by the antique store is surrounded by construction fence with plastic sheeting and caution tape, looks like the windows have been taken out. This is the space in between the cleaners on 7th Avenue and the florist on McDowell. Lots of vehicles there in the day time.

The windows are definitely out.

From someone associated with the project, they are remodelling the center since it's been taken out of Bankruptcy (I mentioned it short while back). Some of the construction you see is for NYPD Pizza, and one other tenant that still has to sign a lease. Things should start rolling pretty soon with other tenants, too.

geez that intersection really is becoming a neighborhood center. The residents in the districts there must be ecstatic.

Also, I noticed that the east face of Chase Tower has been glowing orange the past couple of nights.

Orange? Are there new lights or something?