Yes, I respect what he's doing, I just don't like his style. To each their own, I guess. Didn't mean to ruffle feathers, just stating my opinion.

The low-income apartments at 12th St. and Jefferson look pretty dull and boring.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2jb1don.jpg

I am not surprised. I wouldn't expect them to look like market-rate units in the heart of Downtown or Biltmore. They look like they will be simple to maintain and they are transit oriented being on the light rail line; which is increasingly important for the demographic being served. They could have made them taller though, 5-8 floors, but of course Phoenix requires construction upgrades (poured concrete) when building to that height.

I would think that land on the Light Rail would be too valuable to build something that cheap and hideous.

From what I could see going by on the LRT when they were going up, the construction was about as cheap as it gets.

Yep, most apartments built after the 1990s that are 2-4 floors are wood-framed.

Hell, most apartment buildings of this size since the 1970s have been wood framed!

It's not inherently inferior, but was often shoddily built or ill-maintained - as can be seen by entire neighborhoods in certain not-to-be-mentioned areas of the Valley!

I would know, as my family has been in the framing industry in the Valley since the 1960s

Are those low income apartments really TOD? Wish I could see other photos, nut I don't see any walkups, entrances or even balconies facing the street. I'll assume the building's main entrance is at least off the street?

What's the nest case regarding the Suns lot? That, instead of a parking lot, we get an abandoned dirt lot? What true a-holes the people responsible for this hear are. A shame that people with such little civic pride hold enough power to accomplish something so sad and detrimental to the community.

The only reason the options are parking or a dirt lot is because they tore down the buildings there. If they truly were more interested in developing that land and not making it a permanent parking lot (yeah, yeah, 5 years only or whatever; we know that's BS) they never would have torn down the buildings to make it a parking lot.

The best realistic case is the Suns develop the parking lot to the Downtown code standards. They're asking for a use permit, to declare the lot a 'temporary' use and thus somehow to be exempt from the urban code. That way they can use traditional (cheap) asphalt, very few trees, etc.

When ASU knocked over the Sahara, at least they were good enough to use a reflective coating on the new parking lot, and they planted it pretty well with trees. The BioMedical campus did something similar when they built a parking lot thats planned to eventually be built on.

So thats kind of the standard, and the Suns want to get around it and just built a big, hot, flat, empty lot.

So...hooray! What dicks. They won the Board of Adjustment hearing yesterday by a vote of 5-0, so the good guys lost. Not sure what the next step is. They'll get what they want in the long run, but its best for the community to try to run continued interference on these kinds of bad projects to hopefully send a long term signal that they're not wanted or tolerated.

Warehouse developer looks to sue Phoenix over Suns parking lot

Downtown warehouse developer Michael Levine is upset with the city of Phoenix and Phoenix Suns over demolition of building near US Airway Center and plans to use the parcel as surface parking lot. He wants the area to be more pedestrian friendly.


Mike Sunnucks
Senior Reporter-
Phoenix Business Journal

Maverick warehouse developer Michael Levine plans on taking the city of Phoenix to court over a municipal board’s approval Thursday of plans from the Phoenix Suns to turn a downtown parcel into a parking lot.

Phoenix’s Board of Adjustment approved a Suns permit petition for a surface parking lot just west of US Airways Center. The property is owned by the Suns.

The team bought two parcels next to the arena in 2007 that housed two small brick buildings that were small motels first built in the early 20th century.
The Suns tore down one of those buildings. The team wants to use the lot for parking for games and events at the arena.

Levine — who owns several downtown warehouses and properties near the arena and Chase Field — said the adjustment board should not have approved the Suns parking lot permit because plans failed to comply with city codes and Thursday’s process did not follow proper procedures.

Levine said he will take legal steps in Maricopa Superior Court to try to undo the city approval and the parking lot plans. He is owner of redevelopment firm Levine Machine LLC.

The Suns did not respond to a request for comment.

DOWNTOWN PHOENIX MIGHT GET A NEW OBSERVATION TOWER AT 400 FT TALL BY 2015:And thus join the likes of Seattle with the Space needle, St louis with the Arch and others as well.

Theres also an article about this in the Most recent issue of PHOENIX MAGAZINE.

Im not opposed to most of anything getting built, But I do question the height. THE HEIGHT SHOULD BE WAY MORE THAN 400 FT. TALL!

The chase tower being higher at 483 ft. would "BLOCK SOME OF ITS OBSERVATION!!!! ":shrug:

I don't think, with the location that it's being proposed at, that it could be higher because of the FAA.

I haven't seen a headline this large since JFK Assassinated!

Does anyone know where the FAA comes up with the seemingly arbitrary height limits for DT Phoenix? It seems to me that if an aircraft is out of control and coming down, it's just as likely to strike a building at 200 ft as 600 or 1000 ft. Just curious where they come up with these "safe" heights. :shrug:

Its not about an out of control plane thats coming down, its about giving the planes enough time to get off the ground as they exit Sky Harbor.

Where exactly they come up with the numbers, I have no idea. But its not like it really matters, there's rarely demand for buildings in PHX to go over 300', much less 500'.

More specifically it's about the clearway and climb gradient required by an airplane with an engine failure on departure. Everything in aviation is about planning for the worst case scenario. Also, Sky Harbor still has hopes of adding a 4th runway on the north side (even closer to downtown) where Honeywell currently sits. I would assume the FAA limits are set with this future expansion in mind.

It would be exciting for this to be a reality. Now we wait for permits????

Can you link to the article, I couldn't find anything by googling that headline. Also, was this story based on new news?

Bank of America tower in midtown Phoenix sold for nearly $15 million
 

I knew it had something to do with an engine failure or an emergency during takeoff. At any rate I still wonder how the heights are set since there really isn't any way of knowing what a 'safe' height is when an aircraft is having trouble climbing and may be veering to the left or right depending on the situation. Like I said before, 200' might be too high depending on the situation, so there's got to be some method used to set max building heights.

Of course there is a method. I'm sure it is a calculation based on the distance from the runway, and how quickly a jet can climb with only one engine. I don't know the calculation, but you can bet it involved distance from RR, altitude and climb rate of an impact plane.

IF I remember correctly, the FAA has NO power to stop a building. It is a recommendation to avoid being a hazard, and generally not a good idea to build hazards, but I believe the FAA can't actually prevent building... I suppose they can however sue. I think this topic came up in the early 2000s when things were booming.

^It has the same effect. If the FAA declares it a 'hazard', it's impossible to get insurance for either construction or the finished product.

I'm still trying to figure out how they got around it for the Stratosphere in LV.

When I recently visited the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, there was this

guy who was one of the managers of the Phoenix Planning Department that I

had been led to, while I was questioning another guy from the same

Department about Downtown Phoenix getting something that

STICKS-OUT and Iconic. He told me that some Private developer is planning this

observation tower project project. Thats where I got the PHOENIX

MAGAZINE , that has articles about this project.

BARNES&NOBLE normally carries this magazine, or even any FRY FOOD STORES

also carries this magazine.

Check those places out!

Right, they won't allow it. Due to Sky Harbor International Airport. They cannot accept more than 400 feet taller. Because it was height restrictions.

I'm not very optimistic about this tower even getting built but if they really are serious then they really need to move it somewhere else where they can build taller. It's an observation tower and I never even heard of one being that short (except for the Sunsphere). There are certain spots in Downtown where you can build around 600 something feet and that would be the perfect height for a potential new landmark.

They are trying to tie it into other attractions though I believe and that's why this spot makes sense, right in Heritage Square, by the Science Center. It would be a bit odd if it was just in the middle of a neighborhood or next to office towers.

Ahwatukee
 

Hi guys,

So I live in Ahwatukee; and I thought Id mention some new housing developments sprouting up down here.

Whats interesting is that they are apartments/ condos or densely packed single family homes with smaller yards. They are also smaller developments, 20 houses here a dozen condos there. None of this huge master planned stuff like eastmark(I think that's what its called) out in Mesa And they are being built in lots that have normally been passed over through leapfrog development over the last 20 years.

I think its encouraging to see new housing developments/ increasing density in existing suburbs instead of places like San Tan or Maricopa.

Of course it might just be the natural constraints in the area as all the available land has been gobbled up already. But, seeing new development is always good for the city's economy and proof of all the recent Job growth in our area.

Cheers!

Ding ding ding, you hit the nail on the head. 'Tuke is nearly built out, new development will have to be somewhat more dense.

Hopefully we'll also eventually see some of those nasty strip centers redeveloped into something nicer. Ahwatukee, for all its many flaws (I grew up there from K-8, I know it well), has some things going for it. I do wish though that it least had a couple walkable blocks, a main street that gave it its own center, and sense of place.

It was built in the 80's and 90's. For some reason everyone wanted strip malls :???:

I will literally never understand.

Convenience. Ahwatukee is a large suburban geographical area. Only made sense to cater to the personal automobile. I don't ever see this dynamic changing in these areas.

If Phoenix didn't build the large shopping plazas then Chandler and Tempe would and Phoenix would have its residents drive across the 10 to spend their money which the competing suburbs would reap the benefits.

When I lived in Ahwatukee (and W. chandler and Tempe) I actually liked going to Ahwatukee 24, Target, Seattle Espresso, etc..for convenient shopping/dining/entertainment. Good location and easy access being adjacent to the 10/202 connection.

Good news on the recent development.

Hello friends! I am new to this forum. I currently live in SLC but am being promoted with work and transferred to Phoenix next month! Very excited to move into Arizona as I have been trying to get to Phoenix for years, just haven't really had a great opportunity.

That said, I was hoping you guys could kind of catch me up some of the cool things happening in Phoenix. In especially interested in transit developments, high rises In the downtown areas, and other kinda of major developments along those lines.

What things are happening currently or in the works that people are really excited about? I know in salt lake, we have just finished up a massiv light rail transit expansion that everyone has been very excited about, and are now introducing streetcars to the transit system in December which is another thing that people are very excited about. Anything like that going on in Phoenix?

Also, I know that people are very excited about developments in downtown salt lake like the upcoming new convention center hotel, and a new high rise that is going to be he new hoke of goldmann saks second largest office in the country. What kinds of things like that are happening in Phoenix? :-)

Also, I'm very interested to know if "The Phoenix Tower" or "The Pin" ever got off the ground?

You know you can click on the numbers at the bottom of the page and scroll back for several months to get caught up.....

Is everyone is Arizona this rude? Maybe I won't like it here afterall...or at least not enjoy participating in this thread.

I was hoping for a locals perspective. Going back several months is time consuming and also doesn't really give me a full idea of the real likelyhood of each project. I wanted to hear what's most important to you guys. But no worries...I'll just forget about it.

Great first impression, azsunsurfer. Way to make someone coming to your city feel welcome. That response would have never happened in a salt lake thread.

Unfortunately, Arizona DOES indeed have a lot of rude assholes like the response above - although, they are far outnumbered by the majority of folks who are quite friendly and outstanding!

I'd just start following along some of these threads though to get a sense of each separate project/topic regarding The Valley, as we call it :cheers:

Kevin no need to be so hard on yourself. Anyway Utah person I would know since I was never formally welcomed to the forum -rude people propagate the confines of this site. If you're interested there is a new Mormon temple that was recently completed in Gilbert (a bit of a monstrosity if you ask me). I suppose that is more of your interest with regards to regional development.

In all seriousness downtownslcresident I welcome you to our great state. I wish you well with your job/ promotion and I think you will like it here.

Hey dude, welcome to Phoenix. I would say people here are a different kind of friendly. People generally don't honk at you on the road and they let you merge or change lanes with little issues (exact opposite of California). Also most people here will gladly give visitors directions or offer restaurant suggestions if asked. However, people tend to keep to themselves unless they are spoken to. In my experience I would say people in the Midwest are by far the friendliest and we are a notch below that but we are several notches higher than people than people on the east coast or California. While it probably sounds obvious, please don't judge the people of Phoenix by people in discussion forums. People tend to be a little by over passionate in these things.

Lastly your impression of Phoenix will vary quite a bit depending on where you live and where you go. My advice for you to get the whole Phoenix experience is try a different spot around town each time you go out. My suggestions would be, Mill Ave (next to ASU), Old Town (downtown Scottsdale, downtown Phoenix, Midtown area of Phoenix, Arcadia, Cave Creek/Carefree, and if you live in a suburb visit the closest mall area. A lot of the suburbs look alike so you don't have to waste much time at first visiting Glendale or Goodyear if you live in Chandler. Best of luck.

AND DowntownSLC - check out the theater scene here. Also, lots of cool and unique dining choices. Just about to the best weather ever......(JUST ABOUT...NOT YET) :)

You know, all you guys (azsunsurfer and dtphx) should be welcoming a new former and a new resident of Phoenix with open arms. A new enthusiastic former, who wants to learn about his new city and who will contribute to a dying thread is awesome.

Welcome to Arizona! Very friendly state. Driving is halfway decent here and the winters are beautiful. There is lots to do. Sports thrive here: major leagues of all sports, ASU if you enjoy college sports, and the spring training. Night life thrives here: Mill Ave & Old Town Scottsdale. There is a shopping center or mall practically every 2 miles. You can either live somewhat urban or completely suburban. Recreational opportunities are abundant (rivers, lakes, hiking, mountains, etc). Endless restaurants.. You are also centered in a great location. You have Tucson to the South (although I don't think anyone in Phoenix recommends you go there), Flagstaff 2 hours north (snow), Vegas 5 hours west, and of course you're closer to SD and LA.

In regards to development, there has been some low-rise and mid-rise planning throughout DT and MT Phoenix, but nothing very big as of the late. No real new word on the Pin. They've been tossing the idea around for about a year. Several mid-high rise developments (200-400') have sprung up, but typically not fallen through. There are many housing/apartment/condo developments springing up around downtown-midtown Phoenix, but nothing on a large scale. The transportation system has been vastly expanding. Light rail is currently adding about 5-7 miles onto the current 20 mile system, with many more miles planned through 2025. The Sky Train (connects light rail/airport) has recently opened and is impressive. Freeways are being built, Loop 303 (in the West Valley) and the SM Freeway (202 Extension) is on board to get built soon. As far as development goes, Tempe is at the center of new prime development for the Valley right now. These developments range upwards of 200'+ in size. Speaking of Tempe, visit the Town Lake at night (very beautiful). The zoo is a top 5 nationally here. Hole in the Rock is cool. Salt River. Four Peaks Brewing Company if you like beer. Mill Ave. Wet N Wild or Sunsplash. Tons of concerts. Science Museum. Theater shows. etc. Visit Harkins, very good hometown movie company. Quality service. Hopefully I got you caught up. Welcome!

http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/show...=1#post6276985

PHX Renews kicks off with aim to beautify vacant Central Phoenix lot


Moriah Costa
Phoenix Business Journal

Phoenix officials, community members and local businesses got to work Saturday to turn 15 acres of unused land in the heart of Central Phoenix into community gardens and art spaces.

The project, called PHX Renews, is located on the northwest corner of Central Avenue and Indian School Road and is a project of the nonprofit Keep Phoenix Beautiful.

Over 40 percent of land in Phoenix is considered vacant, and Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton wants to fix that.

“We’re going to take something that right now is something of a negative and we’re flipping it around and turning it into a very positive thing in our community and we want to use it as an example,” he said.

The mayor hopes that other private companies follow the example of Barron Collier Co., which leased the land to the city for three years.

“You live in an area, a beautiful neighborhood right in the middle of the city, you shouldn’t have a vacant lot here,” he said.

The project was supported with a $40,000 grant from the Steele Foundation and a $100,000 grant from Wells Fargo.

Phoenix May Okay Downtown Tower in October
 

http://azbex.com/phoenix-may-okay-do...er-in-october/

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/p...s-forward.html

A little more on the nightlife. Mill Ave is fun if you are a college student. Old Town Scottsdale is fun but can be pretty pretentious. I'd recommend going out in central/downtown Phoenix. Much more diversity, a lot of hipster/artsy places to drink, great restaurants, lots of gay bars, generally just a lot more fun. Stay in central phx :)

There's no doubt they're world-class architects. Google Bjark Ingels Group and look at some of their projects. Wowza.

Looks like they have added quite a few pics and diagrams regarding the project....let's see what happens.

http://www.big.dk/#projects-pho

To add on Spitfiredude:

Bikeshare for Phoenix by this winter and will expand to Tempe and Mesa in 2012. Still awaiting which of the two routes will be chosen for Tempe Streetcar.

Project Rising nonprofit urban infill accelerator hopes to renovate vacant lots and buildings


By Sophia Kunthara - Thursday, September 26th, 2013
Downtown Devil



Community members gathered Wednesday for the launch of Project Rising, a nonprofit urban infill accelerator that aims to speed up the activation of vacant lots in hopes of economically and environmentally benefiting downtown Phoenix while engaging the community. (Sophie Blaylock/DD)
As Phoenix continues to expand outward, a local nonprofit organization has taken the initiative to accelerate development of vacant lots downtown.

Over the next three years, Project Rising plans to renovate 34 vacant lots and buildings located between Missouri Avenue and Buckeye Road and 15th Avenue and 15th Street into mixed-use residential and commercial communities. The organization is focusing on vacant lots and buildings with the potential for hosting community-based activities or businesses.

Project Rising launched with a reception and presentation Wednesday at Dirtt Environmental Solutions. The organization’s office is in entrepreneurial incubator Seed Spot.

Ikoloji Sustainability Collaborative President Leslie Lindo is the organization’s executive director. According to a Wednesday press release, the initial board of directors consists of Matthew Meaker, Sacks Tierney P.A.; Phil Allsopp, Transpolis Global; Laine Seaton, nonprofit executive consultant; Jim McPherson, McPherson & Associates; Talonya Adams, Axis Law PLLC; John Glenn, CCBG Architects, Inc.; and Shannon Scutari, Scutari & Company.

Project Rising will start by identifying sites to be renovated. The organization will then seek community input to refine its goals.

The aim of the renovations is to promote walkability, sustainability and a hybrid of community and commerce in the core of Phoenix, Lindo said.

“We want to capitalize on the existing opportunities we have in Phoenix and set an example,” Lindo said. “We have these vibrant spaces, and it’s all about being able to invest dollars to be put into the community.”

In Phoenix, 43 percent of land is occupied by vacant lots, Lindo said, citing a 2000 study by the Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy in Washington, D.C.

Project Rising’s plans for development in downtown Phoenix are not entirely for economic reasons.

Environmental consciousness is a major priority, as well, Lindo said. She added that she hopes bringing more businesses and residential communities downtown will make walking, biking and riding the light rail more viable options.

“Most of our growth has been on the outskirts of the city, and that has a lot of negative impact environmentally and on the health and well-being of the people within our community,” Lindo said.

Project Rising hopes to promote community involvement by remaining open to suggestions on activation sites.

The project’s positive environmental impact has drawn the support of Harvey Smith of the Maricopa Workforce Connections’ division of sustainability and green energy.

Developing vacant lots and buildings will use fewer resources than starting from scratch and expanding outside of Phoenix. Urban infill is “a very cheap way of building” that is more practical than developing on Phoenix’s outskirts, Smith said.

This method of development will create jobs downtown, along with having positive environmental and social effects on the community, Smith said.

Project Rising’s plan to keep business at the center of Phoenix to create greater economic density has also earned the support of Colin Tetreault, senior policy adviser for sustainability to Mayor Greg Stanton.

The money people can save by walking, biking or riding the light rail to businesses developed via Project Rising can be put back into local businesses and boost the local economy, Tetreault said.

Project Rising’s goal is to eliminate the notion that developers negatively affect the community, Lindo said.

“Project Rising provides a solution to actually activate our vacant sites,” Lindo said. “We have a vision and foundations being laid, and Project Rising is the urban infill accelerator.”

Contact the reporter at pkunthar@asu.edu

http://downtowndevil.com/2013/10/09/...-use-building/

This is just what we need for that block of downtown, hopefully someone will come up with a design that's both mixed, dense, and to a height that's suitable. 20 floors anyone?

Does anyone know if the Hotel Monroe sale went through? The sale was supposed to close by mid-September.

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/n....html?page=all