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  #1  
Old Posted May 16, 2006, 2:40 AM
el_avocado el_avocado is offline
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Glendale/West Valley Development Thread

Zanjero project to include boutique hotel, retail, office space

Scott Wong
The Arizona Republic
May. 15, 2006

A new 20-story hotel with a high-end restaurant will be coming to Glendale, as developers unveil another piece of the retail and entertainment puzzle shaping up around Glendale Arena and Cardinals Stadium.

Nevada-based Marathon Commercial Development said Monday it plans to build an upscale urban village on a third of Glendale's 151-acre Zanjero project just off Loop 101.

Earlier this year, Marathon paid Zanjero's developer, Citation Land Co., more than $30 million for the parcel, located at the corner of Glendale and 91st avenues.
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The village, called the Districts at Zanjero, will mix housing, shops, restaurants, Class-A office space and a 20-story boutique hotel with a fine-dining establishment on the top floor.

Plans call for about a half-million square feet of retail and restaurant space, 200,000 square feet of office space, two- and three-story for-sale residential lofts above retail, and three mid-rise residential towers.

Construction is set to begin next year, with the first phase expected to be completed before the 2008 Super Bowl, which will be played at the new $455 million football stadium that February.

"Considering they are starting at the same time that Cardinals Stadium is being finished and two years after the arena opened, that's not bad if they can get it in before the Super Bowl," said Glendale Councilwoman Joyce Clark, whose district includes Zanjero and other nearby projects. "That will be a major feat, and they will be complemented for having done so."

The Districts project marks yet another economic victory for Glendale.

Right next door, Cabela's will be rolling out its 165,000-square-foot outdoors mega-store in August. Nearby Cardinals Stadium will be hosting its first game that month. And by late October, Westgate City Center, across the street from Zanjero, will be lighting up its flashy billboards for the opening of its first 500,000 square feet.

"Glendale is a fast-growing city that is turning into the entertainment mecca of the Phoenix Valley," Marathon President Barry Smith said in a prepared statement. "The Districts at Zanjero will provide the live-work-shop-dine-play atmosphere that the city needs and that retailers, visitors and homeowners alike will want to be a part of."

The Henderson, Nev., developer currently is working with Terrapin Properties, a Chicago company that specializes in building housing in mixed-use projects. Marathon also is negotiating with a boutique hotel developer.

Two other 100-room hotels, a Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites, are planned at Zanjero. And work is being done on a 312-room Renaissance Hotel next to the arena at Westgate.

About 1.5 million people live within a 30-minute drive of Zanjero and other neighboring projects, while about 300,000 employees work within 10 miles of the area, according to Marathon.

That's made development along the freeway corridor particularly lucrative.

"What Westgate and the surrounding developments have created is a focal point for the entire West Valley," said Jeffrey Hecht, a spokesman for the Ellman Cos., which is developing Westgate. "They will eventually become the city center for the entire West Valley."

Last edited by el_avocado; May 16, 2006 at 4:28 AM.
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  #2  
Old Posted May 16, 2006, 3:28 AM
xymox xymox is offline
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Wow - great news - wonder how far this will be from the other hotel tower (is that 12 or 15 stories?). And with pent up demand for office space on the west side of town - how much longer before office towers show up? Wishful thinking, I know...
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  #3  
Old Posted May 16, 2006, 4:25 AM
el_avocado el_avocado is offline
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Originally Posted by xymox
Wow - great news - wonder how far this will be from the other hotel tower (is that 12 or 15 stories?). And with pent up demand for office space on the west side of town - how much longer before office towers show up? Wishful thinking, I know...
It'll be about a half-mile from the Glendale Renaissance hotel @ Westgate, which is a 12-story hotel. Then there's that 16-story hotel going up at Avondale Blvd. and the I-10 in Avondale. I reckon more towers will follow. I love getting to drive by the Westgate area every day for work and watch the progress unfold. It'll be exciting once they start building the Glendale Waterfront, too.
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  #4  
Old Posted May 16, 2006, 1:04 PM
Vicelord John Vicelord John is offline
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Mark my words; Glendale will emerge as the entertainment destination of the whole region.
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  #5  
Old Posted May 16, 2006, 1:29 PM
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/\ BWAAAAHAHAHAHAA

Maybe if the "region" you are talking about only includes the west valley. Anything out there would be better than the lame bars/restaurants around the peoria sports complex.
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  #6  
Old Posted May 16, 2006, 1:51 PM
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How is Westgate progressing? I haven't been there since November.
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  #7  
Old Posted May 16, 2006, 5:40 PM
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^^^^ http://westgateaz.com/

That site has construction updates and a webcam for ya.
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  #8  
Old Posted May 17, 2006, 2:25 AM
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Glendale's own skyline will finally emerge .

All great news. Now, maybe Glendale can begin pushing harder for some new forms of mass-transit to service this particular area. The fact that all of these mega-developments will be so heavily concentrated in one singular location, and none of it serviced by light-rail, or another similar form of transit, just seems like a sin to me.

But of course, this is nothing new to us.
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  #9  
Old Posted May 17, 2006, 3:55 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John_Vandercook
Mark my words; Glendale will emerge as the entertainment destination of the whole region.
When I start seeing retail businesses that aren't chain stores, I might begin to entertain that idea. The area needs years and years, if not decades of organic growth before it can compete with the Phoenix/Scottsdale/Tempe square.

But with nothing but red tile roofs and strip malls for about 10+ miles in every direction, the area could surprise us with how quickly it emerges as something any of us Streetfolk* ever make a point to go to. There's, as the article says, 1.5 million people within a 30 minute drive that have nothing to do right now other than go to Tempe or Phoenix.

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Originally Posted by Blake
How is Westgate progressing? I haven't been there since November.
Westgate is months late--Glendale is mildly irked at Ellman for not finishing it on time (they sure miss their sales tax dollars), and there have been prior reports about how much of the area, eg, the renaissance, would even be open in time for Superbowl 2008.

I like the balance of this project altho I wish I had a number of DU going into it. It doesnt seem overbuilt on retail and includes a whole bunch of office.

But without seeing a site plan or other details, I'll toss in the clincher--one 22 story tower/mixed use district on 50ish acres sounds like suburban density.

It's like that Avondale hotel tower--you will see that once you compare what these developments provide against how big the chunk of land is, some of these "urban" developments aren't necessarily that urban. You might have the same enormous setbacks, oversized surface parking, hideous street frontage and very low overall densities. Height is really the only redeeming factor.

I think we should rename this thread to maybe West Valley Project News or something similar.

(* compare with Avenue People )
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  #10  
Old Posted May 17, 2006, 4:20 AM
Vicelord John Vicelord John is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by combusean
When I start seeing retail businesses that aren't chain stores, I might begin to entertain that idea. The area needs years and years, if not decades of organic growth before it can compete with the Phoenix/Scottsdale/Tempe square.
What I said has nothing to do with chain stores or your idea of proper organic growth. I say entertainment destination because of several reasons. One being the amount of attractions (2 sports/concert venues, waterfront, movieplex, many restaurants/bars, large scale ampitheaters, and many other attributes which will draw both tourists and locals. I for one wouldn't mind going somewhere I can park the car and have dinner, watch a concert, have drinks, have a light night snack, and find a hotel room to sleep in all in one place. It will be by far the largest concentration of entertainment values. Tempe has bars and a lake, but no professional sports venues. Scottsdale has bars... and thats it. Downtown Phoenix has businesses, and Biltmore has shops and some bars. Really nobody has as much going as that area. Sure it may be sterile, but for the majority of population, sterile = "nice"
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  #11  
Old Posted May 17, 2006, 6:08 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John_Vandercook
What I said has nothing to do with chain stores or your idea of proper organic growth.
My idea of proper organic growth doesn't entirely entail a Bohemian paradise of Mom and Pop's along Main St. Rather, I want to see people ON the street, but modern large scale developments, especially here, don't really do that.

The configuration of major developments across the Valley still encourage the driver's culture--driving there, easy parking, and milling about on private, pedestrian malls that turn their back onto the street and transit. No development connects--rather, you have to cross multilane thoroughfares, which people just aren't going to do unless they really want to, especially during summer rush hour.

Phoenix has been tackling this problem (haphazardly at times) in the Biltmore area as they develop a 3 mile long "pedestrian spine" that connects the west side of the 51 to the Esplanade/Fashion Park. As far as area planning strategies go, it's very unique for new development on this scale. Altho I'm impressed by the coordination and connectivity, but the entire concept leaves a disingenuous taste in my mouth. That's just my opinion, and it's largely where John and I differ on that whole sterilty thing.

Quote:
It will be by far the largest concentration of entertainment values. Tempe has bars and a lake, but no professional sports venues. Downtown Phoenix has businesses, and Biltmore has shops and some bars.
I'd take the lake over professional sports venues, and I wish Tempe got the Cardinals stadium to begin with. But in its new home, that stadium was the catalyst for the entire area, and I am happy to see the end result that is Westgate/Zanjero there rather than what would have been more damn houses, even above my greedy desires for the City of Tempe. Retrospect is always nice as I've been jaded by that entire fiasco for four years.

On the topic of large scale sporting events, the Insight bowl would have never moved to Tempe from downtown Phoenix where nobody ever heard about it. I look forward to the emerging cross city rivalry and there's certainly room for both in the metro.

Quote:
Really nobody has as much going as that area. Sure it may be sterile, but for the majority of population, sterile = "nice"
Ditto, mostly. There is certainly enough going on in Westgate to sustain it for generations, and I can't say that about a majority of large projects. Even a double economic downturn could throw off North Scottsdale in a matter of a decade or two--remember that new money can disappear just as quick.

As far as urban center vitality goes, people can be always counted on to do one of two things (if not both): drink and watch sports.

They've been the only things propping up downtown Phoenix for the last 15 years and downtown Tempe until the late 80's. In the case of Phoenix, they nailed the casket on the old downtown while fueling the fire for an urban renaissance unlike any other in city history.

Westgate can have this forever--and I say can--Tonopah, amongst others, might get ambitious in 2030, but I hope the Cardinals will be happy in Westgate forever. Even independent of winning games, that's how the greatest sports teams were all made--they never left home.

Last edited by combusean; May 17, 2006 at 6:16 AM.
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  #12  
Old Posted May 17, 2006, 6:13 AM
Vicelord John Vicelord John is offline
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you keep bringing up vibrancy "people ON streets" and "urban density" which leads me to believe you're not understanding my original point. That point is Glendale will emerge as the entertainment destination of the region. Never once did I say "most vibrant" or "densest" or "most exciting." Have a beer or two and relax a little. You're quick to argue before you fully understand what was said.
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  #13  
Old Posted May 17, 2006, 6:42 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by myself
... but the entire concept leaves a disingenuous taste in my mouth. That's just my opinion, and it's largely where John and I differ on that whole sterilty thing.
Perhaps you should read my post before you flame me about whether I understand what you're talking about.

Quote:
Originally Posted by John_Vandercook
Have a beer or two and relax a little.
What makes you think I'm all worked up over this? Because I type some long post out? Guilty, as charged, I guess, but I certainly don't mind it--I love bullshitting about this sort of thing. Can you not tell already?
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  #14  
Old Posted May 17, 2006, 6:55 AM
kaneui kaneui is offline
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With the two new sports venues and all the development happening around them in west Glendale, I'm surprised that MAG isn't proposing to run the Glendale light rail spur all the way out to Loop 101 near the Westgate/Zanjero projects.

It seems like a no-brainer to me--it would provide a fair number of locals with light rail transit to all the events that will be held there, and would certainly encourage more development density in the area, and promote it as the "urban core" of the West Valley.
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  #15  
Old Posted May 17, 2006, 7:03 AM
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combusean-
I always appreciate your feedback!
I agree largely with your desire for more dense, pedestrian friendly planned areas somewhere in our city...
I think you need to hijack your way into the city planning department yourself and aid in recreating/ enhancing our city!
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  #16  
Old Posted May 17, 2006, 8:12 AM
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HooverDam HooverDam is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John_Vandercook
Tempe has bars and a lake, but no professional sports venues.
Tempe does however have Sun Devil Stadium, the states largest stadium that houses perhaps its most popular team (Id say its a toss up between Suns and ASU football for most popular)- so its not like there is a lack of sports in downtown Tempe. Tempe also has the Palms hotel which very nice.
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  #17  
Old Posted May 17, 2006, 7:30 PM
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The Palms Hotel, eh?
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  #18  
Old Posted May 17, 2006, 8:15 PM
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http://www.missionpalms.com/

Yes the Tempe Mission Palms. I actually couldnt recall the full name of it when I was posting, I new palms was in there somewhere, so I abbreviated. Dont worry I wasnt confusing it w/ the hotel in Vegas

Last edited by HooverDam; May 17, 2006 at 8:47 PM.
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  #19  
Old Posted May 17, 2006, 8:58 PM
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^ Oh, sorry. I knew what hotel you were talking about. I just didn't see why that was such a unique place to begin with (in comparison with everything else mentioned, at least).
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  #20  
Old Posted May 17, 2006, 10:00 PM
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Some more recent pics of Westgate:

http://www.blogarizona.com/blogarizo...rialPhotos.pdf
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