What follows is a pedantic exercise for posterity...may I look at the tribulations in this list when I'm an old man and laugh my hip off. Also doubles as a crash course for what this city's been up to in 2007 if you've not been following the board. Dates follow some convention of accuracy between when the item was dated or when it was posted here, with early speculation about things like CityScape condensed into one point. Transportation stuff is excluded, the rest is limited to Phoenix proper's "urban" stuff. Major props go to HX Guy for originally hosting most of the development graphics, tho I have shied away from using construction photos you folks have posted.
JANUARY
1st: The Ballpark Lofts were proposed, a 16 story office development near 7th St and Jackson. Likely a stale proposal, no rendering.
4th: An image of a highrise hotel on the lot adjacent to the Barrister Building near USAC is posted here. At least, it was a hotel, now it's slated as an office development on local architect Orcutt Winslow Partnership's website despite being categorized under hospitality:
A newer rendering of the old design:
New design:
7th. The Hotel Monroe was announced, at least posted on here. Technically, it had the interior demolition permits in December 2006.
8th. "Yourland", the mixed use project on 16th St and Buckeye was announced.
10th:
- The ASU dorm development later to be known as Taylor Place was approved.
- The Grand Prix Phoenix champ car race was formally announced as well, along with the title sponsor First Data.
- Expansion of the Valley Youth Theatre was announced. Stale proposal/RFP, as far as I know.
11th: We found this tidbit for an unlikely project replacing the midcentury modern apartment complex on 3rd St and Portland. Frustratingly, that complex is the one building left on that intersection.
12th: It was announced that plans were moving forward for Cresleigh Village on the Park, where that ratty hotel was on Central next to Steele Indian School Park, but in reality, they didn't.
22nd: The Jet was formally announced as a three tower project.
30th: Negotiations began between UA and Banner for a highrise hospital.
FEBRUARY
3rd: The first news of Omega was heard. Construction was initially proposed for Q3 2007. That didn't happen.
7th
- Melrose Pointe, an attractive midrise off 7th Avenue, was approved and basically nothing was heard from it again.
- British grocer Tesco announces it's coming to Phoenix.
8th:
- In the rumor mill for a while, Jackson Street Entertainment District got its first article.
- Site plans unveiled for Patriots Square/CityScape:
12th: Solomon Tower is approved by the Central City VPC and makes no more news, other than approval by City Council on 04/14. Renderings:
14th: 24th at Camelback II gets its first article.
http://www.24atcamelback2.com/
18th: The Warehouse District was rezoned for heights up to 80' outright, with minor concessions from developers as a prerequisite for going to 140'. The possibility exists for 250' buildings through height waivers.
21st: The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU Downtown breaks ground.
22nd: CityScape's conceptual plans were approved by the parks board.
26th: One Central Park East, in permitting for a while, gets a good article about moving forward.
MARCH
3rd: New drawings for Jackson Street Entertainment District:
6th: This rendering surfaces of the interior of the new Patriots Square:
7th: CityNorth, a 144 acre urban development in the exurbs at 56th St and Loop 101 is approved with a big tax break that later gets Phoenix sued by the Goldwater Institute, a local quasilibertarian legal foundation. The sales tax rebates are argued to help with the garage parking costs, thus increasing total profitable square footage and luxury amenities.
13th:
- Omega gets another article and a rendering:
- A rendering for CPE surfaces:
19th: Downtown cheerleader Jon Talton announces he will no longer be writing the articles for the Republic that we had come to loathe and love.
29th: Portland Place 2 has its first party. We'll later find out a couple floors are added.
APRIL
The iconic Washburn Pianos building on 20th and Camelback is torn down.
1st: BSR, Africa Israel announce the $300 million One Phoenix for the annoyingly vacant lot at Central Ave and McDowell
5th: Poisoned Pen, crippled earlier by Phoenix's bumbling over code issues at their pioneering Warehouse District location, closes at the Bentley Projects.
6th: A highrise is rumored for the Arizona Democratic Party headquarters site, owned by shopping center developer Jim Pederson, at Central and Thomas, with likely plans for after the 2008 election.
9th: Early permits for Taylor Place and WCSOJ.
11th:
- Bar Smith's opening makes word.
- Cosmo Towers adds floors in the latest installment of its never-building saga, three days later we discover the project is for sale.
17th:
- Alta Phoenix, 355 units in 7 buildings up to 8 stories on 3rd St and Fillmore, breaks ground.
- Deal reached to relocate last businesses in making way for Taylor Place.
- Omega starts permitting.
23rd: Design alternatives are released for the ASU CivicSpace, named City Rhythms, Civic Quad, Great Room, and Historic Fabric.
26th
- Taylor Place approved, with renderings:
- The Jet joins the permitting flurry.
- Cityscape too.
MAY
2nd:
- $334 million Criminal Court Tower moves forward. 289', 16 floors, 725,000 square feet. It is to replace a parking garage at 1st Ave and Madison.
- Early permits for the twin 500' SWDG towers at the SEC of Central and McDowell, across from Lynwood St.
7th: The pedestrian underpass at the Biltmore opens.
8th: Phoenix gets CamelSquare Plans, a large resort thing on 44th and Camelback, while the Chase Bank site kitty-corner to it makes noise with the NIMBY's.
16th:
- Tower crane up at WCSOJ.
- The mayor hints of new air service to Europe, probably through Lufthansa, and an NBA allstar game coming to downtown during his State of the City address.
17th: The 39-story Calder Tower gets an early permit entry. It is to be on 4th Avenue and Van Buren.
31st:
- Plaza Companies and Phoenix's DDO announces an $80 million 270,000 square foot biotech complex at Ribomed's 7th st building.
- Early permits for the Gateway on Grand on 15th Avenue and the 19 story Lido on Roosevelt.
JUNE
5th: Another article for Yourland.
11th: Palmcroft Apartments on 15th Avenue and McDowell demolished for a 4-story condo development.
14th:
- The Jet is reannounced and approved as a 36 and 23 story apartment tower, 675 units on 2nd Avenue between Fillmore and Van Buren. It will cover 600 feet of parking lots, the length of two city blocks.
- Downtown Public Market announces expansion.
18th: The first phase of Portland Place opens.
23rd: Taylor Place gets a tower crane.
26th:
- The
Urban Weave concept for the ASU CivicSpace is released for comment at a public meeting.
- The famed Sliver Building is incarnated as the 43-story Momentum Hotel Tower adjacent to the Hotel Monroe.
27th: Chez Nous announces a move to downtown Phoenix, later to be on Grand Avenue.
JULY
Palette opens in the old Tera's Garden space on 4th Avenue and Fillmore.
2nd: The 2-story historic Morin House is saved from demolition. It will be relocated in September.
3rd: A highrise is rumored for the greenspace adjacent to the Herberger Theatre.
7th:
- Mercury Development surfaces. They are behind the 39 story Calder Tower, amongst others.
- Copper Pointe scales down to 29 floors.
9th: Better rendering of Alta Phoenix:
12th: Maricopa Integrated Health Systems announces its considerations of a new $600 million hospital, with two locations proposed in downtown Phoenix.
16th: Collier Center is sold in a $177 million deal, the most ever for a Phoenix office tower.
18th: A sign up for Lido. Here's the rendering:
25th: CityScape announces a long awaited rendering in Chain Store Age. Dirt finally begins to move in that project as part of a preconstruction evaluation.
27th: After a discussion with reviewers from Phoenix's Development Services Department, I report the CityScape heights at 525' and 385', a new tallest.
30th: More info on One Phoenix: 3 towers, 924 units, 375'.
31st:
- Peloquin's land portfolio is sold, likely killing 3 of his fantasy projects further, including the Brophy Towers aka Metro Lofts at Central and Highland.
- CityScape disappoints with an early rendering of the towers:
but includes a different rendering of Patriots Square 2.0
AUGUST
8th: The 500,000 square foot Imperial Plaza is announced for the Warehouse District. 22 stories between 4th and 5th Aves, Madison and Jackson.
13th: Renderings for One Phoenix:
14th: Sheraton topped off.
28th: Citing lack of sponsorship, the Arizona Grand Prix downtown champ car race is cancelled.
30th: Specifications were discussed about programming Phoenix's biomedical campus. A later massing concept:
31st: Orpheum Lofts' retail lineup announced.
SEPTEMBER
3rd: CityScape renderings, at last:
5th: A rendering for the fabled Momentum Hotel/Sliver Building:
6th: New renderings for Omega surface:
7th: Speculative Luhrs Block plans worry preservationists. Developer Hansji Hotels announces a rehab of the two main towers and likely demolition of the Luhrs Central Building on Central Ave and Madison
8th: Morin House moved. Yay.
10th: Copper Pointe's site plan meeting cancelled, further chronicling the once 3x40-story towers' woes.
13th: The FAA's OE system reports the CityScape heights at 510 and 375 ft.
19th: The W is dealt a killing blow after a judge rules the trial will move forward.
25th: The Willo neighborhood board approves One Phoenix unanimously, but Cielo in midtown is delayed to Q2 2008.
OCTOBER
1st: Night rendering for One Central Park East:
3rd: CityScape declared a presumed hazard. Diggings reveal foundations of former buildings at Block 22.
5th: The Jet secures $160 million in funding through a partnership with Desert Troon Companies.
10th:
- Washington Point Corporate Center begins construction in earnest.
- Central City VPC approves the SWDG towers with changes in the exterior. Think
but with
so you get something like:
11th: Dirt begins to move at the 24th at Camelback II site
15th:
- Arizona Biomedical Cooperative Building 1 (ABC1) opens.
- A bizarre design for a leased incarnation of Cielo comes out:
http://emvis.net/~sean/ssp/projects/cielo/CieloNew.pdf
- Four Brothers Pizza closes downtown.
17th: Digging starts at 1CPE.
20th: Copper Pointe is reincarnated as DNA, in 2 5 story buildings. Blech.
http://www.dnaphoenix.com/
22nd: CityScape officially breaks ground with Wachovia and Kimpton Hotels at the "Taste of CityScape" party at USAC. A night rendering from the 20th:
More images
here.
25th: Roosevelt 217 gets an early entry in permitting. 8 stories, 60 units, GFR, 3rd St and Roosevelt
29th: Summit at Copper Square units start closing sales.
NOVEMBER
5th: Phoenix Childrens' Hospital unveils plans to the Encanto VPC about their expansion, including a new 11-story, 208' patient tower.
7th: The CamelSquare and Arcadia Place (aka Chase Bank site) developments on the NWC and SEC, respectively, of 44th and Camelback are denied by the Council. Grace Communities' smaller project on the SWC is approved.
9th: Criminal Court Tower likely postponed.
14th: 1CPE officially breaks ground. Tower crane installed 2 days later.
23rd: JSED makes another article, with its scope increased to 20 blocks and some bickering with RED over the Jefferson St Garage.
27th: Ostensibly backburnered, Momentum is found in the FAA's Obstruction Evaluation system at 485'.
30th: In permitting for a while, McKinley Row slowly begins construction.
DECEMBER
4th:
- Metro4twelve on 4th Avenue between Fillmore and McKinley begins construction, and it's moving quickly.
- The closing of the Paper Heart is announced.
7th: A massing for a large twin tower complex on the old Jewel Box property on Central and Fillmore appears on a newsletter header for an unrelated event from ASU's PURL.
9th: Citing timing issues, Phoenix bureaucrats kill the $2.4 million Janet Echelman designed floating sculpture for the ASU CivicSpace.
10th: An existing jet-fuel pipeline running south of downtown Phoenix threatens plans for JSED.
12th: CityScape gets its first structural permit.
19th:
- Echelman's sculpture is approved by the Phoenix council.
- A rendering is found for Roosevelt 217. We find out this midrise for one of Roosevelt Row's many vacant lots is contingent on receiving affordable housing funding:
26th: Patriots Square fenced off, three months after it was supposed to as first reported in the paper.
31st: Chez Nous re-opens on Grand Avenue.
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