Downtown Phoenix - Reborn!

Phoenix Light Rail Will Follow Dallas Success

2009-02-08T09:52:00.005-07:00

As you know, I live in the heart of Downtown Phoenix at the Lofts at Fillmore. It is 1/2 block from our new light rail and it has been such a thrill to see it replace my car. I certainly didn't expect that - thought it would be just a novelty item rather than a way of life for me.

The unfolding of the Phoenix light rail is similar to what happened in Dallas, my hometown. Dallasites fought it all the way, saying it was a boondoogle. Today, the light rail is essential to Dallas, everyone loves it. As the light rail spreads throughout the Phoenix metroplex, as it did in Dallas, the naysayers will fade away and the negative rhetoric will change here. They, too, will expand their horizons by joining us, leaving their cars in their garages.

What Makes Living in Dowtown Phoenix So Exciting?

2008-10-05T13:04:00.001-07:00

I have been living in Downtown Phoenix for a few years now and I am constantly amazed how it makes me feel so alive. I wish I could put my finger on why. Do you guys have any thoughts on this? Does urban living FEEL different from suburban living to you?

Downtown Phoenix Public Market Just Keeps Gettin' Better

2007-07-09T07:51:00.000-07:00

All of us downtowners love walking to the Public Market every Saturday morning. Fresh produce, live entertainment, yummy things to eat and buy. But it's getting even better! By October, the market plans to open a shop in the building next door at 14 E. Pierce. They will sell fresh produce and other locally grown items 6 days a week. It's also rumored that the outdoor Public Market will be open on Wednesday nights starting this fall.

Hanny's to Be A Trendy Restaurant

2007-07-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

The Hanny's Building at First Street and Adams was built in 1947 by Vic Hanny, a local businessman. This "Distinquished Store for Men and Woman," a clothing store, brought the International/Moderate Style influence to Phoenix and sparked a major face lift in the downtown area. Now it is getting its own much needed face lift. Boarded up since 1983, this historic building is being renovated by Karl Knopp, the businessman behind Scottsdale hotspot AZ88, as well as restaurants in New York's Soho neighbhorhood. Hanny's will reopen its doors as a trendy restaurant, hopefully by December 2007. Can't wait...

Trees in the Heart of Downtown Phoenix!

2007-07-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

Last week, the master plan for the Civic Space at Fillmore and Central Ave was approved. We will have green spaces, trees, water features, and artwork. They will break ground in August and it should be completed by November 2008. Check it out! ftp://www.phoenix.gov/pub/PARKS/weave2.pdf

Chez Nous is Moving Downtown

2007-07-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

Chez Nous, a popular nightspot at 7th Avenue and Indian School Road, will be moving downtown to an undisclosed location (Central Aveue and Roosevelt?). The bar opened in 1963 and was a popular venue for jazz and blues artists. Featured in such publications as Rolling Stone, Details, Chicago Tribune and Elle, this cocktail lounge, with a distinct Rat-Pack ambience, also was the Hollywood set of the new movie, The Kingdom. The owner plans to recreate the bar, down to the red velvet wallpaper.

SoBo - Sophisticated Bohemian

2007-03-07T04:45:00.000-07:00

Avenue Communities has coined a new phrase - SoBo. This stands for Sophisticated Bohemian. Historic brick buildings, modern glass condos, locally-owned boutiques, wine bars and European themed restaurants. Sounds like Downtown Phoenix to me...

Jackson Street Entertainment District

2007-03-07T04:28:00.000-07:00

I am looking forward to Jackson Street Entertainment District. Housed between Central and 4th Street in Downtown Phoenix, this pedestrian friendly area reminds me somewhat of the Warehouse District in Dallas, my home town. Lots of live music, funky retail...

Phoenix Art Museum

2006-11-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

I have always loved the Phoenix Art Museum, but now...aaaah. This weekend I joined the other 16,000 people who oohed and aahed over the new renovation. It is 25% bigger with an entire wing of modern art, my favorite. Now it is big enough, and chic enough, to host world-class exhibits - just one more big feather in Downtown Phoenix's cap.

Phoenix Convention Center

2006-08-28T06:10:00.000-07:00

Saturday, a friend of mine called to tell me about Community Day at the brand new Phoenix Convention Center. He said there was art, entertainment, and cookies (something I adore). He also said that this Convention Center was the nicest one he had ever seen, and he is well traveled. So I packed up my loved ones and drove down (2 miles from my house) to see what he meant.

I don't really know how to describe a convention center except that it was big and beautiful. Simple, tasteful, and edgy at the same time. As I walked the halls I kept thinking how good this structure is for Phoenix. I was so proud. Then I saw the lot they are preparing for Phase II and discovered that it will be twice as big as Phase I. I was awed. You will be, too.

Kudos, Phoenix!

Classes Begin Today!

2006-08-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

5,000 ASU students begin classes today at the new ASU downtown campus. Last Friday, I decided to check it out and walked around their University Center building. I was amazed at what a nice job they did in converting this building into an energetic student environment. Once the Post Office is finished and the park across the street is alive and green, the campus will really be on its way. And, best of all, Downtown will feed off this energy. Even Beth and Bill on 99.9 were talking about how this will change Downtown Phoenix!

64% Say Downtown Phoenix Getting Better

2006-08-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

Every two years, a Community Attitude Survey is taken to gauge how Phoenix residents feel about the city and its services. This year, 64% of the respondents said they think Downtown Phoenix has become better over the past few years. The other 36% must not have been down here lately!! Gotta do something about that!!

Light Rail Will Have Synchronized Light System

2006-07-20T07:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went on a tour of the light rail system. The project manager of Archer Western was very informative showing us details of the construction process. One interesting thing he said is that the cars will go at the posted speed limit. However, as they approach lights at an intersection, a trigger in the track will change the light to green.

Next time the Downtown Phoenix Partnership has another bus tour like this, try to make it.

It's Too Hot...

2006-07-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

It's too hot for a serious Downtown Phoenix discussion. Thus, here's a review of a "Cool" Central Phoenix ice cream shop, Mary Coyle's Ol' Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor.

http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dining/chowtell/0607icecreamwk2.html

Infill Condominium Projects Fill in the Gaps

2006-07-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

There is an interesting article in the Phoenix Business Journal (7/14/06) about infill projects. These are small condominium projects built on small parcels of land. Infill projects currently under construction in Downtown Phoenix include PRD845 and 215 E. McKinley. Apparently the City of Phoenix is trying to help the developers move these along by making the permitting, etc. easier. I understand it is still quite a challenge. Perhaps the new consultant who was hired to simplify the planning process can help this along.

Homes Prices Keep Rising

2006-07-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

Median Homes Prices in Maricopa County
1st quarter 2006: $260,115
1st quarter 2005: $203,115
1st quarter 2004: $159,705

Source: Arizona Real Estate Center

What Do You Think about the Future of Downtown Phoenix?

2006-07-14T07:22:00.000-07:00

I recently attended a talk/discussion regarding the future of Downtown Phoenix. Jon Talton and Grady Gammage were the guest speakers. It is interesting to hear the differing opinions of people regarding this subject. I appear to be at the far end of the spectrum, totally optimistic about Downtown. But there are plenty of people at the other end of the spectrum. For instance, a gentleman at the meeting was quite angry about the tax dollars going into it and questioned why we needed a downtown in the first place. What do you think?

Light Rail Cars - Made in Japan

2006-07-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

First Cars for Valley are Right on Track
Japanese Maker to Start Tests Soon

Sean Holstege, The Arizona Republic, July 10, 2006

The first of the Valley's light-rail cars have rolled off an assembly line in Osaka, Japan, and soon will undergo a battery of tests before heading for Arizona.

Valley Metro officials said manufacturer Kinkisharyo International will open a facility in Arizona. Final components on the cars, such as wiring, will be installed at the new facility. The plant's location is being negotiated.

Next month, one of the two finished cars, Vehicle 102, will be exposed to Arizona-like conditions in a climate chamber as 17 other cabs are being built. It will be blasted with 127-degree heat and 95 percent humidity as it is tested to see if massive, state-of-the-art air-conditioners can maintain a constant 74 to 78 degrees inside the cars. The other car will go to New Jersey, where engineers will comb through the car to test every inch, from the seats to the public address system.

Metro plans to spend $118 million for 50 rail cars from Kinkisharyo. Work remains on schedule and on budget, according to a Valley Metro report. The train cars will begin arriving in December at a rate of two or three a month. The public will see empty vehicles on a Washington Street test track in March. The train cars are expected to be shipped across the Pacific Ocean and unloaded at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Each car is 92 feet long and seats 66 people, plus it has enough standing room for a total of 173 people. They will feature four doors, interior hanging bicycle racks, low floors and closed-circuit security cameras. The trains are capable of traveling 55 mph and are powered by a 750-volt overhead line. They have shock-absorbing bumpers to limit damage to cars in case of a crash.

There are no U.S. manufacturers of light-rail cars. Federal "buy American" laws require that 62 percent of the work be done in the United States, which is why the final assembly plant will be in Arizona. Metro's steel rails were manufactured in Austria, and fare machines are being built by a Germany-based company.

Reach the reporter at sean.holstege@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8334.

Medical School Update

2006-07-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

The second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 a.m. at Tom's Tavern (NE corner of 1st Ave and Washington), there is a breakfast discussion on various topics. Today it was about the U of A Medical School. I learned a few tidbits.

1) Arizona has a shortage of doctors. We are 45th in the nation with 207 doctors/capita versus the national average of 283 doctors/capita.

2) There has only been one other medical school built in the US in the last 30 years.

3) The three new buildings will only hold 24 students. They will build additional buildings at the 15 acre biomed complex so that they can eventually have 150 students.

4) The Arizona Biomedical Collaboration building (ABC1) building is currently under construction. It will be an ASU/UA research facility.

5) This biomed complex will eventually bring an enormous amount of money to Phoenix.

Downtown Biomed Update

2006-07-10T05:31:00.000-07:00

My son begins 7th grade in the fall. Although he seems totally entranced by on-line gaming right now, he might decide he wants to be a doctor someday and he can attend the new Bioscience High School that just broke ground a couple of weeks ago. Located at Pierce and 5th Street, smack dab in the middle of the thriving biomed complex, the $10-million will have more than 50,000 square feet of classrooms, laboratories, and student workspace. The school won't open until Spring of 2007, but the first 9th grade class begins August 7th at the temporary site of Phoenix Prep Academy.

Speaking of on-line gaming, I saw on Channel 11 that the Downtown U of A Medical School is cutting edge high tech, using joysticks for scalpels, etc. Those historic buildings apparently are the envy of the medical school world.

Create a dynamic core for downtown Phoenix

2006-07-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

Jul. 5, 2006 12:00 AM
Arizona Republic

It's the next big step to a livable downtown, to a better Phoenix.

The new Downtown Phoenix Urban Form Project will lay out the practical strategies to create a dynamic core for the nation's fifth-largest city. And it will simplify the massive, often overlapping zoning rules that can tie up progress in red tape.

The project may sound wonkish. But this is an exciting enterprise that will affect the economic vitality of the entire region.

Just ask the hundreds of people who came to the Orpheum Theatre last Thursday to hear Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon kick off the project. They know this is the crucial bridge to get a bustling downtown Phoenix from vision to reality.

Some 18 months ago, the city of Phoenix released its "Strategic Vision and Blueprint for the Future." It was an uplifting vision, outlining a 24/7 downtown that would be lively, vibrant, neighborly and inviting, both an economic engine and an entertainment mecca. A place where you could live comfortably and take your relatives when they visit or bring the kids on a Saturday afternoon.

For all its recent improvements, for all the construction activity (including a new convention center, work on a light-rail system and a convention hotel on the way), even Gordon concedes: "Downtown's a place where 30,000 people work five days a week, but no more than 500 are on the street at any one time."

There's too much vacant land. Too much steel and concrete and too little shade. It's a hot place for pedestrians and a cold one for urban dwellers. There are too few parks, public spaces, small shops, grocery stores and dry cleaners to create real neighborhoods.

We need to do better.

"We want people to want to be downtown, not just because they have to be here," Gordon said in unveiling the urban form project.

What's more, given the current hodgepodge of building codes, zoning regulations, design standards and special-district overlays, Phoenix needs to be an easier place to do business.

It needs a way to get where it wants to go.

"Your zoning code isn't written to get you what you want," observed Leslie Gould, a planner from the San Francisco consulting firm of Dyett & Bhatia.

The next step?

The Downtown Phoenix Urban Form Project.

A first-rate team, led by the city's Planning Department and Dyett & Bhatia, will use public meetings, wide-ranging local interviews and detailed analysis to translate the overarching vision of downtown into the nuts and bolts of building setbacks and park locations. They'll also work on a matching zoning code.

The project, which is expected to take 18 months and cost $800,000, got a crucial initial push from Phoenix Planning Director Debra Stark. A longtime champion of shade and urban livability, city planner Dean Brennan, is overseeing the effort.

Local partners include architect Dan Hoffman's Studio Ma, landscape designer Angela Dye, traffic engineers from Kimley-Horn, the Goodman-Schwartz public affairs firm and development attorney Grady Gammage.

But experts aren't enough. Continued community involvement will be critical.

Once completed, the plan and new zoning rules will only be as strong as the commitment from the City Council, planning staff and residents to implement them. Fortunately, the city is already making an effort to promote shade, walkability and the other goals that will be included in the ultimate urban form document.

"Phoenix has the opportunity to be one of the great downtowns, comparable to Seattle or Portland," Gould told the audience at the Orpheum Theatre.

In five to 10 years, that means we can enjoy cafes, one-of-a-kind shops and busy, well-shaded sidewalks. And even more choices for all kinds of entertainment.

We'll have thousands of people living downtown, including ASU students, high-tech workers and artists.

We're not there yet, but we've taken one big step toward that vision.

CityScape Developers are Negotiating with the City of Phoenix

2006-07-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

Developer seeks help from city
Downtown project proposed

Ginger D. Richardson The Arizona Republic Jul. 4, 2006 12:00 AM

Phoenix has agreed to negotiate with a group of developers that wants to build a massive $900 million mixed-use project across three square blocks on the southern end of downtown. The proposed high-rise development, which would include Patriots Square Park, contains four towers, about 1,200 condominium units and up to 100,000 square feet for a public plaza. It would also include a 150-room boutique hotel and retail and office space. I f it's successful, the ambitious proposal would be the largest infusion of private dollars in burgeoning downtown Phoenix.

The problem is, the developers don't think they can make it work without Phoenix's help. Neither city economic development officials nor the project's backers would be specific about what Phoenix might have to do, or give, to make the deal happen. But talks could focus on everything from city-supported parking to tax subsidies. Deputy City Manager David Krietor said negotiations would probably take place for at least the next couple of months. "We'll have to see what would make good business sense for them, and for the city of Phoenix," Krietor said.

The project, known as CityScape, is the brainchild of Scottsdale-based RED Development, which has completed retail developments in the Midwest and Southwest; Donald Cardon, a developer and former Phoenix deputy housing director; and Barron Collier Cos., a Naples, Fla.-based developer that owns the Collier Center in downtown Phoenix.

CityScape, at full-build out, has the potential to change the face of downtown Phoenix's southern section.The land on which it would sit is largely vacant or underutilized. The project would be bordered by Washington Street on the north, Jefferson Street on the south, Second Street on the east and First Avenue on the west.

Officials are confident that despite its ambitious scope it will be successful. They acknowledge that they are banking that an influx of new energy, residents and students from other major downtown projects, such as the new Arizona State University campus, will help support it. But they say that the early response has been positive."What we hear is, 'It's about time, we are glad it's happening,' " said John Bacon, a RED spokesman. "That's from people in the community."

Portions of the project could open as early as 2008, developers say. The timing is key, because that's when the first phase of light-rail comes online, the city's $600 million plus expansion of the Phoenix Convention Center will be complete, and when the second, and much larger, phase of the ASU campus opens.

A key barometer of the project's success is likely to be the retail component.Downtown Phoenix has been a challenging market for such development. The Arizona Center, for example, has struggled since opening in 1990, and traditional mall developers have avoided downtown. But Bacon said CityScape hopes to have the one thing that has eluded downtown Phoenix: a true grocery store. "Everyone has said that there needs to be a grocery store downtown," Bacon said. "And we agree with that. It's going to be the key." Other options include restaurant space and traditional shopping venues, he said.The project's plans are still very conceptual, city officials said. But it's likely that much of the public open space would be on Patriots Square Park.

The CityScape development has the backing of Mayor Phil Gordon, and most of the City Council, although some members were quick to say that they would not be in favor of giving too much assistance to the deal without having some concrete indication of how it would benefit the city. The developer has told the city that the project would create 2,900 jobs and generate about $215 million in tax revenues during the project's construction and first 20 years of operation, Krietor said.

The Jackson's Home at Orpheum Lofts

2006-07-04T07:58:00.000-07:00

A Jackson high-five for loft lifestyle
No regrets for suburbanites who relocated downtown
Susan Felt, The Arizona Republic Jul. 1, 2006 12:00 AM
Tour this home

There's something about walking into the lobby of the downtown Phoenix Orpheum Lofts. The black-and-white tiled floor. The Art Deco details. Polished black-marble walls. The valet parking. The doorman who dials the homeowner to announce a guest's arrival. The elevator ride. It's the chance to invest in the city's fledgling urban culture and help build it that attracted Verdeen and Bill Jackson. Besides, her grandchildren love to push the elevator buttons.

The Jacksons bought two units in the historic 1931 brick building remodeled in 2005 into loft condos. The 2,300-square-foot unit includes an open dining, kitchen, living-room area and a guest room, master bedroom, two baths and an office for Verdeen, who works for Arizona Wholesale Supply Co. selling high-end kitchen appliances.

The Jacksons wanted a hip, modern feel that leans more toward Pottery Barn warmth and sophistication than cold contemporary. Verdeen chose chocolate leather for a seating of four comfortable armchairs and wide-planked, hand-scraped hickory for the floors. Exposed brick walls, a bank of high double-sash windows and exposed vents and pipes overhead create an authentic loft look.

The Jacksons chose concrete for the kitchen countertops and a large angled island that separates the kitchen from the dining and living- room areas. Verdeen chose putty for the interior walls and raisin, apple-green and rich-red accent colors, along with polished stainless steel.

Galvanized, louvered doors artistically hide storage closets and a pantry off the hallway that leads from the front door into the living area. Verdeen uses frosted glass in sections of this hallway to capture light and add a serene Asian sense to the loft's feel.

The move from suburban to urban meant buying all new furniture, Verdeen says." Size really matters," she says, noting that the choice of four armchairs in the living room, rather than a sectional, not only adds to the sense of spaciousness, but also creates flexibility." We could have 20 people over watching a game," she says. Additional seating comes from the leather dining-room chairs and ottomans that are easily moved into additional seating groups.

This loft works for the urban couple, their children and grandchildren and any number of neighbors who want to drop by for an impromptu dinner of ziti and wine.

Downtown Phoenix Population

2006-07-03T17:31:00.000-07:00

Downtown residents as of last Census, 2000

Phoenix - 5,925
San Diego - 17,894
Denver - 4,230
Portland - 12,902

We are counting on D&B to do for Downtown Phoenix what they did for San Diego!

Did you go hear the Mayor?

2006-07-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

Thursday night I went to the Mayor's meeting at Orpheum Theater. The purpose was to announce the next steps in the plan to revitalize Phoenix.

The first thing he emphasized was the need for shade. We live in a hot desert and we won't walk around downtown if the sun is beating down on us. He said that people have not wanted to spend the money on trees but this is what is needed so we are going to do it. Yes. Good for him.

Next he introduced the new urban planning consulting firm, Dyett & Bhatia (D&B), who will do the following under the name Downtown Phoenix Project Urban Form

Review of the city's current land use regulatory structure.
Develop updated regulatory mechanisms based upon that review.
Develop master plans for public spaces, public art, character districts, and multi-modal transportation.
Develop implementation plan to guide the transition from what is to what will be in downtown Phoenix.

Simply put, they will simplify all the existing, non-workable codes so that it is easier to develop and they will pull together everything we have done so far into a cohesive, livable downtown.

I am thrilled!

Downtown Growth Leads to Parking Issues

2006-07-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

Downtown Phoenix parking fees likely to rise
Phoenix growth to limit spaces

Ginger D. Richardson The Arizona Republic Jun. 29, 2006 12:00 AM

Enjoy the cheap parking while it lasts because downtown boosters and city officials are toying with a proposal that could make it more expensive to leave the family sedan in downtown Phoenix.

Parking rates at Copper Square's street-side meters and publicly owned parking garages are among the lowest in the country. But now, a consultant has recommended boosting those fees, in part because a study has shown there will be a shortage of nearly 27,000 parking spaces within the next decade.

Although the hikes could be substantial, they probably won't happen for at least another couple of years. "This is not something that we are suggesting that we do tomorrow," said Brian Kearney, president and chief executive officer of the Downtown Phoenix Partnership, which commissioned the parking study. "But it is something we are going to have to look at."

Because the idea is still in its infancy, exactly how much the rates would go up has not yet been discussed. But it is likely that increases would be phased in over time, perhaps beginning in 2008, when more people are expected in the city's core. "We don't want to raise the rates now and do anything that would adversely impact the current development of downtown Phoenix," Mayor Phil Gordon said Wednesday.

Ironically, it's that rampant growth that will eventually fuel the need for the increases, officials say. Historically, the downtown area has only bustled on game nights, when either the Arizona Diamondbacks or the Phoenix Suns were playing. But in the next 24 months, officials are bracing for as many as 7,500 new students as part of Arizona State University's downtown Phoenix campus. They also are looking at scores of new residents and visitors as condominium and tourism-related projects are completed. Those projects are expected to create even more spin-off development in the form of new retail and entertainment venues, and all that could lead to a widespread parking crunch if more spaces aren't built, downtown leaders say.

The parking recommendations were presented to the City Council's Downtown, Economy, Sports and International Subcommittee on Wednesday morning. Although some members said they agreed that parking in the downtown area is too inexpensive, they refrained from taking immediate action. Instead, they asked Kearney to present the same information to other council members as soon as possible. Kearney said that the partnership expects that much of the needed parking in the downtown area will eventually be built by the private sector, not the city. But he and other Phoenix officials say it still makes sense to look at raising fees at the existing public lots and garages because they are far below current market conditions. In fact, repeated studies have found that the city's rates are paltry compared with those in other downtown areas. Meter parking is just 60 cents an hour while most major cities charge a $1 or more, said Mike Frisbie, a traffic engineer and supervisor in Phoenix's Street Transportation Department. A 2005 analysis of North American parking rates by the real estate consulting firm Colliers International found that Phoenix was one of the five least-expensive places to park when it came to median unreserved parking rates in the downtown area. It costs just $43 a month here, compared with $150 in San Diego, $147.50 in Houston, and the $317.50 in Philadelphia.

Raising the parking rate would not only increase revenue, it would encourage people to look at alternative forms of transportation, such as the Valley's $1.5 billion light-rail system, which opens in 2008, officials say.

The goal is to give more people the opportunity to come downtown, eat and shop, all of which furthers Phoenix's downtown revitalization efforts. The challenge is not to set the rates too high. "We're the last people who would want to inhibit folks from coming downtown because the rates are too high," Kearney said. "But if you look at the really successful downtowns, none of them have cheap parking.

"That logic holds true for 32-year-old David Becerra, who will be getting his doctorate in social work at the new ASU downtown Phoenix campus. "One of the things that keeps me from coming downtown is the lack of things to do," said Becerra, of Phoenix. "I am from San Diego. And, yes, parking is expensive there, but there's a lot of activities, so (you pay it). "Phoenix will also need to look at how to better control the kind of parking that is built downtown in the coming years.

Officials know they don't want any more stand-alone garages or surface lots. Land prices are at a premium, and the city has made it a priority to build mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly streetscapes and buildings. So it's likely that they will create a set of minimum parking requirements or standards to which developers will have to adhere. That could mean requiring that new projects contain underground parking or that the parking is integrated into the design of a new building in an attractive and pleasing way. In the coming months, Phoenix officials, in conjunction with the partnership, plan to form a task force to study the issue. But it will probably be the end of the year before specific recommendations are released, officials say.

City of Phoenix hires consultant to simplify codes and make city more livable!! Yes!!!

2006-06-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

Code changes aim to alter downtown

Ginger D. Richardson
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 30, 2006 12:00 AM

Anyone who currently trudges through downtown Phoenix knows that shade is hard to find and there isn't much to look at along the massive car- and construction-clogged streets. But city officials want to change that. And on Thursday, they announced that they plan to create development standards for downtown buildings and change their zoning ordinances and codes to make it easier to build visually pleasing structures in the downtown area. It's an arduous process that will likely take 12 to 18 months. But if it works, downtown visitors and workers could reap the benefits in the form of more shade, better public art and lots of pedestrian-friendly buildings with street-side retail.

"The goal is to make downtown a place where people want to be," Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said as he kicked off the Downtown Urban Form Project during a presentation at the Orpheum Theatre. "We are going to get away from looking at downtown as just steel and concrete."

The idea has its roots in the city's downtown strategic plan, which was formally adopted in December 2004. The document includes districts for government, education, entertainment, restaurants and art spaces and sets goals for new retail development, public green space and extensive shade. It is scheduled for implementation over the next decade.

Phoenix has hired Dyett & Bhatia, a San Francisco-based urban and regional planning firm, to help. The company has worked with cities from Pittsburgh to Santa Monica on their growth and design efforts."

Phoenix has the opportunity to be one of the great downtowns, comparable to Seattle or Portland," said Leslie Gould, Dyett's director of planning services. But, she added, "You have quite a number of issues." Challenges, Gould said, include the size of Phoenix's downtown, the fact that it has a great deal of vacant land, is automobile oriented and has notoriously hot summers.

Gould said Phoenix's zoning code is complicated and isn't written in a way that allows the city to get the kind of buildings it wants. Once the city simplifies its development codes, and creates minimum design standards, the City Council is expected to look at which items can be incorporated citywide.

For You Art Lovers (and that most definitely includes me!)

2006-06-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

Art museum gets $3.1 million
The Business Journal of Phoenix - June 26, 2006

Phoenix Art Museum received a $3.1 million gift from Ellen and Howard C. Katz for the new Ellen and Howard C. Katz Wing for Modern Art.

The project is one of the five major components of the museum's $41 million expansion project.

Previously, the museum has been able to place only about 5 percent of its 17,000 works of art on view at one time. The four-level wing will add more than 25,000 square feet of gallery space.

"This is an historic time for Phoenix Art Museum," said Ellen Katz, vice president of the museum's board of trustees and chair of the grand opening celebrations. "The strong support of the community for this significant expansion will enable the museum to grow and mature among the nation's leading art museums. ... My husband and I are thrilled to be able to play a role in the museum's exciting future."

Other major components of the expansion include a new lobby and entry plaza, a sculpture garden/urban oasis, more space for The Museum Store, and growth of the museum's endowment.

A Nov. 4 gala is will kick off a week of grand opening activities with the museum opened to the public Nov. 11-12.

More than a Medical School

2006-06-24T07:08:00.000-07:00

Don't miss this breakfast event on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 !!

More than a Medical School
The Statewide Impact of the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix
presented by Judy Bernas

In 2004, Arizona had only 207 doctors for every 100,000 patients, well below the national average. By 2015, class size at the new University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix Campus will grow to 150, doubling the number of MDs graduating in Arizona each year and greatly improving the number of physicians who are trained to serve the state’s growing population.

The University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix Campus was established in 2004. In collaboration with Arizona State University and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), it will be located on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix at 7th Street and Van Buren. The first class of 24 aspiring students will start their journey at the new Phoenix medical school in July 2007. By 2015, the campus will support more than 600 medical school and 800 graduate students.

I plan to be at this discussion on the community, state, economic, and collaborative benefits of the Phoenix Biomedical Campus and the UA College of Medicine. For information, and to RSVP, go to http://www.asu.edu/xed/phoenixam/index.html#details

Entertainment District Proposed for City's Core

2006-06-12T06:07:00.000-07:00

Mike Padgett , The Business Journal of Phoenix, May 29, 2006

A $300 million entertainment district with restaurants, boutique retail and nightclubs, is in the works for downtown Phoenix by one of the Arizona Diamondbacks owners, Dale Jensen, and development partner Bradley Yonover. Jensen, who also is one of the owners of the Phoenix Suns and Dodge Theatre, said he and Yonover, an East Coast developer who moved to the Valley a year ago, plan to announce more details in June about the project.

Entertainment venues are planned in an area roughly between Jackson and Jefferson streets, between First Avenue and First Street. It would include existing and planned residential condominiums and a proposed luxury hotel around Chase Field and US Airways Center.

Working on the designs with Jensen and Yonover is Wellington "Duke" Reiter, dean of Arizona State University's College of Design, and architecture students in ASU's Phoenix Urban Research Lab in downtown Phoenix. "Our goal is a successful street-level lifestyle and activities in the area (near the arenas)," Jensen said.

Jensen said he and Yonover already purchased several smaller properties in the area for about $25 million. The $300 million figure is the estimated cost at build out. So far, they have spent more than $1 million just for the designs.

The partners have kept their plans quiet until now to lessen the chance of property owners inflating their prices and to avoid dealing with property speculators getting ahead of them and boosting property prices.

Downtown hotel operators, including Wyndham Phoenix Hotel General Manager Steve Cohn, said downtown Phoenix is lacking entertainment options for conventioneers, and timing is critical because of the $600 million expansion and renovation of the Phoenix Convention Center.
In their purchases of land around the sports arenas, Jensen and Yonover also have been meeting with W Development's David Wallach, who is building The Summit at Copper Square condominium project just south of the arenas. Wallach and Yonover were fraternity brothers in Indiana. They were unaware of each other's plans in downtown Phoenix until after Yonover and Jensen began buying land in recent months.

The proposed entertainment district would envelop the luxury 39-story W Hotel, planned by Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver. The hotel is proposed between the sports arenas, facing Jefferson Street. Its $200 million price tag is not part of the projected $300 million cost of the proposed entertainment district.

Word about Yonover's and Jensen's proposal came out during their May 24 presentation to a Phoenix City Council subcommittee about an annual Indy-style race they want to schedule for 10 years, starting in November 2007. The subcommittee ordered city staff to prepare a report projecting the economic impact numbers of the race as well as what the race would cost the city and businesses near its route.

The downtown race is opposed by Phoenix International Raceway President Bryan Sperber and some state lawmakers. Sperber said the proposed Champ Car World Series race Nov. 16-18, 2007, is the weekend after the Checker Auto Parts 500 at PIR. During the subcommittee meeting, Yonover told City Council members Tom Simplot, Peggy Neely, Claude Mattox and Chairman Michael Johnson that the Champ Car race's startup costs would be paid by his and Jensen's organization, Arizona Grand Prix LLC. He later estimated those costs at $15 million. "This is on our dime, not on the city's dime," Yonover said. He also said the three-day race would generate more than $50 million annually for the city and have a total attendance of about 150,000. "We have a 10-year contract, so this would be every year for 10 years," Jensen said.

Jensen and Yonover said they are not asking the city to upgrade downtown streets to racing standards. Instead, according to their proposal to be considered by the city, they will pay for the upgrades and later seek reimbursement of part of their costs from sales tax receipts from festivals scheduled as part of the three-day race.

A Champ Car racing car resembles an open-wheeled Formula One car.

L.A. firm buys retail space at Orpheum Lofts, Tapestry

2006-06-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

May 29, 2006
The Business Journal of Phoenix
by Mike PadgettThe Business Journal

A real estate investment company in Los Angeles is buying the retail spaces in two of central Phoenix's newest residential condominium buildings.

YBM Properties Inc. in Los Angeles is buying the 10,750 square feet of retail space in Orpheum Lofts at 114 W. Adams St., and the 15,000 square feet of commercial space at the Tapestry on Central condos at Central Avenue and Encanto Boulevard.

Escrow for the Orpheum Lofts property opened May 16 and will close within 90 days. Escrow for the Tapestry property, which has seven commercial spaces facing Central, is expected to close in October.

The broker for both deals is Dennis Kolodin at Realty Executives. Kolodin also will be the leasing agent for YBM Properties.

"We're going to be leasing the space to businesses that we think are synergistic to the Orpheum residents and to the immediate area," Kolodin said.

He said the Tapestry properties could be converted into "a trendy coffee shop, book store, video store, a drop-off dry cleaner, art galleries, a trendy wine bar, those type of uses."

One of the condo owners at Orpheum is John Pasquinelli, who said he would oppose any kind of loan or bank office in the residential building.

"One thing I'd like to see downtown is a good quality market, like a Whole Foods kind of market," he said. "I would like to see something pedestrian friendly."

The seller at Orpheum Lofts was TASB LLC in Denver, the original developer of the Orpheum Lofts. At Tapestry on Central, the seller was GDC Development Corp. in Arizona.

For more: The Kolodin Group 602-315-9292 or 480-603-8220.

Downtown UA Medical Students Start Class in July 2007

2006-05-30T17:18:00.000-07:00

University of Arizona's College of Medicine - Downtown Phoenix will open in July 2006 and the first class of 24 medical students will start in July 2007. Plans call for the program to grow to 150 students per year by 2015 - more than doubling the number of MDs graduating in Arizona each year.

C&W Barometer - Downtown Phoenix a Leading Market

2006-05-29T05:48:00.000-07:00

Cushman & Wakefield recently (3/22/06) issued a report predicting office space demand and rental rate rises in 55 U.S. cities. Four regions of the country had particularly strong 24-month outlook - Northern California, Washington DC/Northern Virginia, New York City, and Phoenix.

They have labeled Phoenix a Leading Market, explaining that "the central business district is experiencing revitalization, with new residential development underway, new infrastructure improvements occurring, and expansion commitments from major employers like Arizona State University."

Just one more indication that Downtown Phoenix has turned the corner.

I Am a Blank Canvas Urbanite

2006-05-26T04:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to a wonderful 3 hour lecture and tour of the Biodesign Institute at ASU. They have brilliant minds working on such things as nanotechnology and DNA profiles. They often collaborate with our own TGen. In the talk, the director of the center, Dr. George Poste, commented that he "lived every day in the far future."

That comment hit home for me. As I was walking on the treatmill at the Downtown YMCA, I looked out the window and saw a fenced up vacant lot. Right behind that I saw the 411 building. But what I really "saw" was the beautiful park that the City of Phoenix is planning to put on that vacant lot. And the 411 building will be a part of the vibrant ASU downtown campus. Like Dr. Poste, I live every day in the future, just not the far future. To me, the vision is so much fun - I am SUCH a Blank Canvas Urbanite! (Have you taken the Urbanite Quiz on the urbanliving360.com website?)

Putting it into perspective: ASU Downtown Campus

2006-05-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

The ASU downtown campus is expected to have 15,000 students, plus staff and faculty, within 5 years. That is the equivalent of putting a Boston College, Notre Dame, or Syracuse University in our downtown core.

ASU's downtown plans fit with Phoenix's
Ginger D. Richardson
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 9, 2004 12:00 AM

High-rise Projects Send Central Phoenix Soaring

2006-05-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

Jon Talton
Arizona Republic
May 18, 2006 12:00 AM

For the first time since the early 1990s, the center city of Phoenix is sprouting cranes, a steel signal that private capital is finally coming back. Major obstacles and unknowns face the enterprise of building a "24/7" downtown. But more than 30 major skyscrapers are being proposed in downtown and the Central Corridor. Some are little more than architectural renderings and a hope that enough condominiums can be presold to get the building financed. Some observers estimate no more than 35 percent of the many projects proposed will be built anytime soon.

But some are real, such as the 34-story 44 Monroe tower and the Summit at Copper Square, both under construction. Others have solid backing. They will eventually happen. The 10 projects shown are among the high-rise projects most likely in the next five years, based on their developers, financial strength and location in the permitting pipeline. Even some of these may not be a given if the business cycle turns down too soon. Below the cranes, smaller projects are also under construction or ready to break ground. For example, pioneering urban developer Eric Brown is preparing to start on the next phase of his Artisan Lofts project on Central Avenue at Willetta Street. Together, these represent a sea change for the central core: the critical private investment that has buoyed every successful downtown in America but had evaded Phoenix's grasp. Central Phoenix is slowly moving from land speculation to building. "There used to be little reason to live downtown," said David Wallach, developer of the $55 million Summit. "Now there's a confluence of projects, and people will have a reason." In addition to Wallach and Brown, other influential developers doing "real" projects include DFD CornoyerHedrick, the partners behind Portland Place; RED Development and Don Cardon of CityScape; and Virginia developer Al Ludicello of the Central Park East skyscraper.

The change has been long in coming. Phoenix began abandoning its downtown in the 1960s and failed to catch the wave of center-city revival that began nationally in the 1980s. Even the building boom along the Central Corridor in that decade was more suburban than urban, lacking pedestrian appeal and multi-use development. Elsewhere, downtowns were making a stunning comeback even in "road warrior" cities ringed with suburbs. Yet here, successive revival efforts, such as the sports arenas, were never quite enough to create critical mass. But a tipping point has now been reached, thanks to:

The Valley Metro light-rail line, which will not only connect the center city to Tempe and its ASU campus and other areas but also allow residents to live, work and play along the line in distinctly urban lifestyles.
A downtown campus for Arizona State University, which will eventually have 15,000 students along with faculty and staff.
The biosciences campus, anchored by TGen and the University of Arizona College of Medicine, making downtown the heart of the state's most promising new industry.
A hard-fought effort by center-city entrepreneurs and artists to establish unusual galleries and shops.
Expansion of the Phoenix Convention Center and building of a city-financed Sheraton convention hotel.

Private developers are counting on these efforts to draw more people to the center city as residents, students, workers and customers. Rising gasoline prices and congestion won't hurt the appeal of center-city living either. Population growth in Greater Phoenix is another plus. If even a fraction of the millions in the metro area choose an urban lifestyle, it will fuel demand for years. At the same time, central-core office buildings are filling up, sparking plans for new towers. "Most people are going to be shocked at the changes of the Phoenix skyline over the next five years," said David Cavazos, deputy city manager charged with much of the center-city planning.

Still, the activity is coming relatively late in the current cycle. Some projects could be undone by rising interest rates, falling home sales or anxiety about a condo glut. Don Keuth, president of the Phoenix Community Alliance, the center-city economic-development organization, said he has been spending much of his time identifying promising projects and helping speed them through city permitting and other obstacles. "We need to get as many of these done before the window closes," Keuth said. Timing isn't the only potential obstacle.Land remains relatively expensive, and developers and contractors are facing rising costs for labor and material. Projects must also make peace with nearby residential neighborhoods and pass the height limit for Sky Harbor International Airport. Even the legal issue of "crane swing," where a construction crane must travel over adjacent properties while working on a compact site, is a new issue for Phoenix. City government is also only beginning to address the kinds of zoning and code provisions that make it easy to rehab an old building or build a business without suburban parking requirements. This is a particular barrier to the kinds of small entrepreneurs that thrive in cities such as Seattle. They lack the tens of thousands of dollars that can be needed to navigate the labyrinthine permitting process. The city is only beginning to move on this issue.

Small-business and gallery owners have other concerns, especially that they not be accidentally undermined as the city focuses on big projects such as ASU. Indeed, the big projects won't achieve their promise without the human-scaled "small stuff," such as lively streetscapes, abundant shade and easy connectivity among different urban districts.

Another challenge: Phoenix has lower incomes and educational levels than most cities with vibrant downtowns. Affluent, educated residents tend to be early adopters of an urban lifestyle.

Phoenix also lacks the major corporate headquarters that fill office towers. Some still question whether Phoenicians have much taste for urban living at all; hence most major local developers are still sitting out. Yet the market appears to be there. Conservative estimates put center-city office demand over the next decade and a half at 15 million square feet. That's 38 more buildings the size of Phelps Dodge Tower.

An additional 20,000 condos are also expected. That would require 75 more buildings the size of the Summit at Copper Square. Some don't need any convincing. The Summit's Wallach recently brought a group of Chicago developers to downtown, and they were impressed by the opportunity. I think the naysayers will come to regret that time on the sidelines.

Cinnabon Blast

2006-05-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

Speaking of my BRAND NEW Hybrid...the car that gets 42 mpg as I tool around downtown Phoenix...the new car that I make my son put a towel over his lap when he drinks a Gatorade...just in case he spills a drip. Yesterday he surprised me with a can of cinnamon rolls for us to bake. We accidently left the can, not in a sack, in the car overnight. The next day, we opened the car door and discovered that, lo and behold, the can had exploded. It was about 103 degrees outside so it was a nice oven temperature inside. Cinnamon, frosting, and half baked dough had spewed all over the dash, roof, seats, floor, you name it. That'll teach me to put so much value in material things! ;>) The good news is that the new car smell has been replaced by a lovely cinnamon roll smell... so that I never forget.

Why I Live Downtown - Reason #2

2006-05-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

I recently joined the newly renovated YMCA on 1st Ave and Fillmore. Yesterday, after my treadmill walk, I started talking with an artist about our love for downtown. I told him I had a hard time describing it. His eyes immediately lit up and he said that it was the "creativity" that made Downtown Phoenix so exciting. He told me there is a huge artist underground, the likes of which he has never seen. He has lived in San Francisco and London but neither compare to the energy found here. He said he would not live anywhere else. I suddently realized that, although I am not an artist or a part of this underground, I get to savor the residual of this creative energy that seems to permeate the air. Kind of like second-hand smoke - except that it is very, very healthy.

What Is New Urbanism?

2006-05-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

Congress for the New Urbanism defines New Urbanism as an urban design and development movement dedicated to implementing community-oriented principles of traditional town and city planning as an antidote to formless sprawl. New Urbanist developments are walkable, provide a diverse range of housing options, encourage a rich mix of uses and provide welcoming public spaces.

Why I Live Downtown - Reason #1

2006-05-14T21:27:00.000-07:00

Time and time again, people ask me why I live downtown and I have such a hard time explaining why it "just feels right." Perhaps I can tell them this...Two weeks ago, my 12 year old son and I decided to try out a new little coffee shop, Drip Coffee Lounge. It is only a 2 block walk and it gave us the chance to catch up his latest on-line gaming escapade. When we arrived, the owner, Gina, made us feel right at home. She made my son some "plain eggs" and we had a very nice time. But what is so remarkable is that the next weekend I walk in the door with my friend's mom to celebrate her 80th birthday. Gina immediately said, "Hi, Eva, is this your mom?" I was stunned! She remembered my name and it didn't feel like a marketing ploy. Made me feel connected to my neighbhorhood. Then, serendipitously, look what I found in the Arizona Republic today! I have reprinted an excerpt.

Home-grown urban renaissance
Angela Cara Pancrazio
The Arizona Republic
May. 14, 2006 12:00 AM

On North Seventh Street south of Thomas Road, Gina Madrid serves organic veggie sandwiches where flower arrangements were sold four decades ago. Across the parking lot, around the corner from her Drip Coffee Lounge, Lisa Giungo mixes meatballs from a family recipe inside a 1925 bungalow. Just off North Seventh Avenue north of Indian School Road, pharmacist Teresa Stickler fills prescriptions inside what was a 1960s chicken take-out restaurant. A few doors down from Stickler, her husband, Kurt, a fiery-eyed artist, shapes clay into stylish bathroom sinks. A couple of blocks south of the Sticklers, Bill Sandweg has stripped a transmission repair shop to its bones, back to the 1940s gas station that once stood here. He's pumping another type of high octane: caffeine.

As urban planners move a streamlined downtown agenda forward in Phoenix, there's a home-grown urban renaissance taking place outside the downtown core. Madrid, Giungo, the Sticklers and Sandweg aren't waiting for a "new" downtown to pursue and promote their creativity. They're self-styled new urbanists - do-it-yourselfers - who aren't exactly flush with capital but have created their own spaces. "To me, it's almost the process of the city getting so large that people are looking for a connection where they can go to feel like they live in a community," Phoenix City Councilman Tom Simplot says. "The nature of downtown redevelopment is the big-dollar projects. Whereas the neighborhood projects tend to be more home-grown, they're seizing on opportunity to do something. "In converting forgotten mid-century strip malls, small buildings and stand-alone houses into hip meeting, eating and shopping places, they established hubs that border neighborhoods. They're remaking the city. Corner by corner.

Madrid, whose father was in the Air Force, never stayed in one place very long. Neither did the other families. "It's that Sesame Street song," she says, "it's the people that you meet walkin' in the street."I sang that song but I never knew what that meant." Now when she looks up from her counter, she knows that Matt the airline pilot wants the dog bite cappuccino, Dawn the massage therapist prefers the Himalayan green tea and Brent the security guard orders the strawberry Nutella panini. At 33, Madrid now knows about what it feels like to be part of a neighborhood. Her coffee lounge is a portal into a transforming city.