"In Phoenix, signs of a downtown ready to thrive again" article (Glendale: sales, houses)

[locolife]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

I have to fully agree here. For many years, there have been numerous proposals for highrises and other developments which seemed promising, but never materialized. In addition to the canceled projects you mentioned, there was also the 39 story W Hotel downtown that was fought by a Chinese group because it was on the site of the Sun Mercantile building, which supposedly had some kind of Chinese historical significance (which has never been proven). Then there was the downtown entertainment district that was highly anticipated but went nowhere.

Other proposed highrise projects that never broke ground were Cielo near Central & Camelback, Metro Lofts near Central & Highland, a 50 story Toll Brothers condo complex near Central & Virginia, Landmark, City Centre, SWDG Condos, and Copper Pointe. You can see all of these and more on the Emporis website.
https://www.emporis.com/city/101034/...status/unbuilt

The first 31 tower building of The Link broke ground a few days ago, so that will make for 4 cranes in downtown Phoenix now with the Block 23 imminent and Barrister probably not too far behind.

Guess you can say times are changing.

[Java Jolt]

Originally Posted by GSR13

In any other time period it would indeed be progress. The problem now is that it involves an influx of whiny, snowflake, prima-donna liberal millennial hive-minded hipsters. 20 years ago the same gentrification on Roosevelt Row would have seen much cooler and level-headed Gen X counter-culture denizens moving in.

You really can't have an honest assessment of the effects of modern-day gentrification without mention of the hipster factor. Older generations uniformly consider Millennials to be the most worthless and inept generation to have ever existed.

In the final cost-benefit analysis of gentrification, you've got to consider the character of the people moving in.

It appears another internet troll has found this website to play on, aren't we lucky.

[Java Jolt]

Originally Posted by Thomasaz

Judging by what you said, if someone with your character moved in, then downtown would turn into a hell hole.

Well-written.

Gentrification is beneficial to older deteriorating neighborhoods, it brings new construction, life and energy.

Who cares about agegroups? I'm not a millennial but I'd rather see young energetic educated people occupying a gentrified area than bitter older people who pin labels on everyone who isn't exactly like them.

[new2colo]

Originally Posted by locolife

The first 31 tower building of The Link broke ground a few days ago, so that will make for 4 cranes in downtown Phoenix now with the Block 23 imminent and Barrister probably not too far behind.

Guess you can say times are changing.

Broke ground means very little in Phoenix. Block 23 "broke ground" in May and there wasn't a sign of any sort of construction activity around the site until August or September. "The Link" may have broken ground, but I won't hold my breath until there's a 31-story building open with residents. W6 sat like some third-world building shell for months as well as that building in Chandler near the 101/202 Santan that sat in the same state until it was demolished. That proposed 19-story highrise with microapartments broke ground too. The site was then abandoned and all construction equipment removed. Let's not talk about the dozens of high rise proposals in Phoenix over time that looked promising, but went nowhere.

I don't even want to talk about Barrister or any other "pie in the sky" proposals.

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by Java Jolt

Well-written.

Gentrification is beneficial to older deteriorating neighborhoods, it brings new construction, life and energy.

Who cares about agegroups? I'm not a millennial but I'd rather see young energetic educated people occupying a gentrified area than bitter older people who pin labels on everyone who isn't exactly like them.

There is a downside to gentrification, although not the loony comment about millennials. Gentrification displaces poor people who can suddenly no longer afford to live where many have lived for generations. There's some of that happening in Garfield, for example.

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

There is a downside to gentrification, although not the loony comment about millennials. Gentrification displaces poor people who can suddenly no longer afford to live where many have lived for generations. There's some of that happening in Garfield, for example.

But then you get people who say that no one has a right to live anywhere if they don't own their property, that bums me out too

[locolife]

Originally Posted by new2colo

Broke ground means very little in Phoenix. Block 23 "broke ground" in May and there wasn't a sign of any sort of construction activity around the site until August or September. "The Link" may have broken ground, but I won't hold my breath until there's a 31-story building open with residents. W6 sat like some third-world building shell for months as well as that building in Chandler near the 101/202 Santan that sat in the same state until it was demolished. That proposed 19-story highrise with microapartments broke ground too. The site was then abandoned and all construction equipment removed. Let's not talk about the dozens of high rise proposals in Phoenix over time that looked promising, but went nowhere.

I don't even want to talk about Barrister or any other "pie in the sky" proposals.

It wasn’t too long ago that The Pier project in Tempe was being called pie in the sky, crane is up on that one this week.

I don’t have any idea what % of projects move forward here versus elsewhere but I’m liking the momentum right now. The failed projects from the 2008 crash were not unique to Phoenix, look at the Fountainbleau high rise in Vegas that has been sitting as an empty shell for what a decade now? And that’s something like 40 stories tall, what an eyesore. I’m glad ours have been either finished or torn down now and there was nothing of that magnitude here.

At the end of this year central Phoenix will have 3 new or under construction 200’+ buildings for sure, being the Marriott, Banner University and The Stewart. I expect that there will be at least 2 more started by 12/31 baring any major change in the economy.

How is that not a good thing?

[ShampooBanana]

Originally Posted by locolife

It wasn’t too long ago that The Pier project in Tempe was being called pie in the sky, crane is up on that one this week.

I don’t have any idea what % of projects move forward here versus elsewhere but I’m liking the momentum right now. The failed projects from the 2008 crash were not unique to Phoenix, look at the Fountainbleau high rise in Vegas that has been sitting as an empty shell for what a decade now? And that’s something like 40 stories tall, what an eyesore. I’m glad ours have been either finished or torn down now and there was nothing of that magnitude here.

At the end of this year central Phoenix will have 3 new or under construction 200’+ buildings for sure, being the Marriott, Banner University and The Stewart. I expect that there will be at least 2 more started by 12/31 baring any major change in the economy.

How is that not a good thing?

Agree. It's a GREAT thing, and a definite sign of momentum. There are a couple big cranes right now in north Tempe, as well and several in Scottsdale. Those are a sign of faith in our market by investors who see positive signs of economic growth and progress, so they want to spend money here because they believe there is money to be made. In fact, this is really nothing all that new for Phoenix, though it was stagnant for the past decade because of fear and uncertainty after so many were shell-shocked by the real estate/housing collapse. Phoenix hasn't even approached previous NORMAL levels of construction activity yet based on historical growth, and certainly not compared to where we SHOULD be based on population and job growth.

[AZSunDevil83]

Originally Posted by locolife

It wasn’t too long ago that The Pier project in Tempe was being called pie in the sky, crane is up on that one this week.

I don’t have any idea what % of projects move forward here versus elsewhere but I’m liking the momentum right now. The failed projects from the 2008 crash were not unique to Phoenix, look at the Fountainbleau high rise in Vegas that has been sitting as an empty shell for what a decade now? And that’s something like 40 stories tall, what an eyesore. I’m glad ours have been either finished or torn down now and there was nothing of that magnitude here.

At the end of this year central Phoenix will have 3 new or under construction 200’+ buildings for sure, being the Marriott, Banner University and The Stewart. I expect that there will be at least 2 more started by 12/31 baring any major change in the economy.

How is that not a good thing?

Exactly. The only issue facing The Barrister was an appeal from Urban Phoenix Group contesting the alley abandonment proposed by the developer. Well city unanimously approved the alley abandonment and I can see this project moving fairly quickly.

Another 25-story residential tower at Collier Center (plan review underway) is moving forward. Activity (sample drilling rig on-site) is still happening at the 30+ story tower at Arizona Center. If it weren't for legal issues due to GPLET, The Derby would've already been underway. You cite projects that stalled due to recession and after economy crashed. I'll give you Central Station tower but that one was horribly designed and I'm glad it's stalled and hopefully get a better proposal.

[Java Jolt]

Light rail expansion is coming to downtown Phoenix, this is good news. Downtown Phoenix creating light-rail hub with three new stations