Tempe Development Thread

[MegaBass]

Question anyone know what ASU Athletics is building south the Verde Dickey Center aka The Bubble? Looked like SolarWings when I passed by it yesterday.

[TempeSilverFox]

The lights at West 6th are finally on at night! Don't know if folks have actually moved in, or if it is a marketing ploy to get folks excited- but either way, it looks awesome! I took these Sunday night 7/24. Love it! http://www.flickr.com/photos/63271296@N07/?saved=1

[ciweiss]

Originally Posted by TempeSilverFox

The lights at West 6th are finally on at night! Don't know if folks have actually moved in, or if it is a marketing ploy to get folks excited- but either way, it looks awesome! I took these Sunday night 7/24. Love it! http://www.flickr.com/photos/63271296@N07/?saved=1

Great pics. Its good to see that building lit up. The lights may be from the new tenants, if not I am sure they will be moving in within a week or two. They have done some extensive work on the bottom floors/entrance. Sidewalks and benchs etc. If any of you have not seen it in a month or two it is worth checking out. It is really starting to come together. I do believe it is really going to be a happening area. And it should also help the surrounding area as well. It had really became a dead zone.

On a side note - the ol Mills end coffee shop (3rd and Mill) will reopen as the breakfast/lunch place below. The food looks pretty good...

Opening Aug

http://www.ncounter.com/

[TempeSilverFox]

NCounter looks like it will be great space. I am very much looking forward to it opening.
The pedestrian bridge at the west end of Town Lake looks like it is maybe a couple weeks out from opening.

[trigirdbers]

Originally Posted by Tempe_Duck

What the word on the street is now is that any group can get a "pod." So you could have a Fraternity, next to the astronomy club, next to a sorority, next to FFA, next to the christian club, etc.

It started out as new housing for greeks and then morphed into "hey everybody come live here." Not that I am trying to say Greeks are better but it was their land and houses to begin with.

Why ASU thinks that destroying greek life will make it a better university is beyond me. Pure stupidity.

[phxSUNSfan]

Greek life hardly contributes significantly to the University in regards to prestige and networking. Plus the current row is damn ugly! I would be in favor of a Sorority/Fraternity Row similar to USC's but that would take a "Greek" community that was highly involved, focused, and funded...that isn't the case at ASU.

[Tempe_Duck]

Originally Posted by trigirdbers

Why ASU thinks that destroying greek life will make it a better university is beyond me. Pure stupidity.

Yep. Greek Like can be a great asset if the school takes and rains and focuses it attention.

[phxSUNSfan]

Originally Posted by Tempe_Duck

Yep. Greek Like can be a great asset if the school takes and rains and focuses it attention.

I believe that the "rains" (reins?) and focus must be the responsibility of the individual houses. They are not funded (and cannot be funded) by the University. They are supposed to be private entities and the University allows them access to facilities and to be chartered on campus. If Greek life is to improve then they must take it upon themselves.

[MegaBass]

Originally Posted by TempeSilverFox

NCounter looks like it will be great space. I am very much looking forward to it opening.
The pedestrian bridge at the west end of Town Lake looks like it is maybe a couple weeks out from opening.

EVT reports September.

[Tempe_Duck]

Originally Posted by phxSUNSfan

I believe that the "rains" (reins?) and focus must be the responsibility of the individual houses. They are not funded (and cannot be funded) by the University. They are supposed to be private entities and the University allows them access to facilities and to be chartered on campus. If Greek life is to improve then they must take it upon themselves.

This is true but the university does have a lot of control over what the houses can and can't do. They mandate we do certain events and community services. If Greek Like and ASU worked together it could be something special.

[ciweiss]

Monday is move-in day at West 6th tower in Tempe

Posted: Friday, July 29, 2011 11:52 am | Updated: 6:01 pm, Sat Jul 30, 2011.
Tribune | 0 comments

Residents begin moving into the West 6th apartments in downtown Tempe on Monday morning, bringing life to the once-stalled project that began as the Centerpoint Condominiums. The 22-story Tower I is opening now, along with many amenities on a sixth-floor deck that connects to the adjacent 30-story tower. The second tower is scheduled to open in December.
West 6th, at 115 W. Sixth St, has 375 units starting at $945 a month for a studio, $1,175 for a one bedroom and $1,995 for a three bedroom. The towers were supposed to open in 2008, but work stopped after the developer filed for bankruptcy protection. Work resumed in February when Ohio-based Zaremba Group bought the property for $30 million.

[ciweiss]

New canal path links Tempe, Scottsdale

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/loc...cc4c002e0.html


Posted: Friday, July 29, 2011 11:49 am
Tribune | 0 comments

A new path has opened along the Crosscut Canal in Tempe, creating a new link through Papago Park and giving joggers and bicyclists a great hilltop view. The mile-long path connects to an existing 1.25-mile path, and it also completed a regional link in the Valley’s path system by connecting Tempe with Scottsdale.
The project includes a paved path, landscaping, solar lighting, public art, three bridges and retaining walls and railings. The new segment consolidates trails in Papago Park and helps preserve the Sonoran Desert. It was funded by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and Tempe’s transit tax



I checked out this path on Friday. It is pretty cool. You can go all the way from the disc golf course (across from First Solar) all the way to the north side of the zoo. Its a really wide path as well and the view is one of the best i've seen on a bike path in phoenix. Its a bummer they went through the middle of the disc golf course but hopefully they can adapt. They may need to move some baskets.

[Tempe_Duck]

More Solar Panels for ASU + Covered Parking....

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/n...r.html?ana=twt

Arizona State University and NRG Energy Inc. are partnering on a $10.5 million deal that would allow for a 2.1-megawatt solar system to be built near Sun Devil Stadium.
The structure, named the PowerParasol, will be owned and operated by Princeton, N.J.-based NRG (NYSE: NRG) on 5.25 acres and cover about 800 spots. NRG would own the spots and then sell the power to ASU under a 25-year agreement. Neither ASU nor NRG detailed how much the solar system would cost.
The structure will be built by Strategic Solar Energy LLC, a Scottsdale-based company that owns the trademark to the PowerParasol and has several former Arizona Public Service Co. officials serving among its officers or on its board.
The deal will have ASU paying NRG a flat rate for the power produced from the solar array. Construction is scheduled to start later this month and will be finished by the end of the year.
ASU has a goal of installing 10 megawatts of solar power on its campuses by the end of the year. That includes several solar systems in Tempe and in Phoenix.

[HooverDam]

Originally Posted by Tempe_Duck

More Solar Panels for ASU + Covered Parking....

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/n...r.html?ana=twt

Thats good news. I wish we saw more of that across the Valley. Downtown is full of garages that should have solar stations and of course Sky Habror and its gigantic garages and huge roof space definitely need to go solar.

[Leo the Dog]

I don't fully understand the technology, but I'd love to see the details of the deal between ASU and NRG. Is it a win/win, or is one entity a net loser (if there is one, I suspect it's ASU).

BTW, where is SRP/APS?

[Tempe_Duck]

Originally Posted by Leo the Dog

I don't fully understand the technology, but I'd love to see the details of the deal between ASU and NRG. Is it a win/win, or is one entity a net loser (if there is one, I suspect it's ASU).

BTW, where is SRP/APS?

This is a description what they the deal is. It's from an ASU board.

This actually isn't that bad for ASU. Having a company own the system and then sell the power back is very common. Its referred to as a Purchased Power Agreement. ASU benefits because they now have solar with little risk to themselves. Having a locked-in stable rate for purchasing this power for 25 years is nice, unless the negotiated price was way too high (although the price is undoubtedly higher than almost any other energy source). All of the maintenance is on the owner. As a publicly funded entity, ASU is not eligible for many of the rebates and tax breaks that are afforded investor owned companies. These tax breaks can reduce the overall cost of the system by as much as 50%. This is why if you ever see a city or town put in solar panels, 99% of them will be using some type of PPA.

The energy company will then be able to claim all of the Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) which are very valuable in certain markets. With all of the mandates placed on utility companies to have a portfolio that includes renewables, purchasing these via a REC market is one way to accomplish that. Its potentially a win-win, and the advantage might be for ASU because a great majority of the risk involved with these types of agreements is on the company that owns them. The biggest issue in these agreements is not finding a public entity who's interested, but rather finding a private company willing to absorb the initial investment and corresponding risk. ASU was able to do that.

[MegaBass]

Work on Hayden Flour Mill Event Space and Museum Kicks Off Later This Month


New Times report on the plans that were just released for the Flour Mill and Monti's renovations.

[MegaBass]

Originally Posted by Tempe_Duck

More Solar Panels for ASU + Covered Parking....

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/n...r.html?ana=twt

I a little disappointed that they're backing off from their 2005 plan for a Packard North Parking Structure. I do like though the idea of having those ads and I recall mentioning that they should do something similar to that Legends project in Downtown to better promote events and what not.

[MegaBass]

Cubs and ASU partner for Baseball Facility?

Arizona State is in discussions with the Chicago Cubs to practice and play its baseball games at the Cubs' new spring-training complex in Mesa starting in 2014.

[Jsmscaleros]

Encore is lookin' good:

http://www.sofa-connect.org/connecte...&start=10#p131