Downtown Tempe Lofts & Condos

Featured Property: Edgewater at Hayden Ferry Lakeside

Offered at $569,000, This large 1 Bedroom, 1 1/2 Bathroom, 1,264 s.f., condo at Tempe Town Lake includes a fireplace, large patio with fantastic views, a swimming pool, jacuzzi, and a gym. Seller is offering the following incentive with full priced offer. SELLER TO PAY 1 YEAR OF HOA FEE FOR BUYER! Call or email for more information.

Urban Realty & Development, provides full service real estate sales, consulting and brokerage services to those who, like us, are looking for their very own home in the modern world. Whether that "home" is a minimalist sanctuary in the penthouse suite, an industrial style office space with exposed ductwork and concrete floors, or a hip new retail shop on "Main Street", Urban Realty & Development is ready to show you that life is in the heart of the city.

Call us at our live/work loft in downtown Tempe. Urban Realty would love an opportunity to share with you what we know about urban living and help you find your own fresh start.

We specialize in downtown Tempe Lofts , Tempe condos , & Tempe Brownstones. Exciting properties like the Orchidhouse Lofts at the Brickyard , Edgewater at Hayden Ferry Lakeside , Bridgeview at Hayden Ferry Lakeside , Centerpoint Condominiums , The Vale , 525 Town Lake , Brownstones at Tempe , Millstone , Mosaic , Stadium Tower ... and the list goes on!

Tom Tokoph
Urban Living Broker
Urban Realty & Development
602-549-9000

http://www.UrbanRealtyAZ.com

FEATURED PROPERTY FOR RENT: The Lofts at Orchidhouse Live/Work Property

Live & Work at this Lofts at Orchidhouse 1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom, 1,078 s.f., 11ft Ceilings, loft style exposed ductwork, concrete ceilings, white gloss cabinetry. Fantastic urban location in the heart of downtown Tempe close to shopping, restaurants, walk to ASU, Tempe Town Lake and everything else downtown Tempe has to offer! Offered at $2,250 per month. Call or email for more information.

Urban Realty & Development, provides full service real estate sales, consulting and brokerage services to those who, like us, are looking for their very own home in the modern world. Whether that "home" is a minimalist sanctuary in the penthouse suite, an industrial style office space with exposed ductwork and concrete floors, or a hip new retail shop on "Main Street", Urban Realty & Development is ready to show you that life is in the heart of the city.

Call us at our live/work loft in downtown Tempe. Urban Realty would love an opportunity to share with you what we know about urban living and help you find your own fresh start.

We specialize in downtown Tempe Lofts, Tempe condos, & Tempe Brownstones. Exciting properties like Orchidhouse Lofts, Edgewater at Hayden Ferry Lakeside, Centerpoint Condominiums, The Vale, 525 Town Lake, Brownstones at Tempe, Millstone, Mosaic, Stadium Tower... and the list goes on!

Tom Tokoph
Urban Living Broker
Urban Realty & Development
602-549-9000

http://www.UrbanRealtyAZ.com

Featured Property: The Lofts at Orchidhouse

2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom, 1,340 s.f., 11ft Ceilings, loft style exposed ductwork, maple cabintes with island, in the heart of downtown Tempe close to shopping, restaurants, walking distance to ASU, Tempe Town Lake and everything else downtown Tempe has to offer! Offered at $569,900. Call or email for more information.

Urban Realty & Development, provides full service real estate sales, consulting and brokerage services to those who, like us, are looking for their very own home in the modern world. Whether that "home" is a minimalist sanctuary in the penthouse suite, an industrial style office space with exposed ductwork and concrete floors, or a hip new retail shop on "Main Street", Urban Realty & Development is ready to show you that life is in the heart of the city.

Call us at our live/work loft in downtown Tempe. Urban Realty would love an opportunity to share with you what we know about urban living and help you find your own fresh start.

We specialize in downtown Tempe Lofts, Tempe condos, & Tempe Brownstones. Exciting properties like Orchidhouse Lofts, Edgewater at Hayden Ferry Lakeside, Centerpoint Condominiums, The Vale, 525 Town Lake, Brownstones at Tempe, Millstone, Mosaic, Stadium Tower... and the list goes on!

Tom Tokoph
Urban Living Broker
Urban Realty & Development
602-549-9000

http://www.UrbanRealtyAZ.com

FEATURED PROPERTY: VILLAGIO AT TEMPE

Offered at $283,900, 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom, 1,181 s.f., patio, 2 car garage, unbelievable location just minutes from ASU and the new Tempe Marketplace & Mesa Riverview! Call or email for more information.


Urban Realty & Development, provides full service real estate sales, consulting and brokerage services to those who, like us, are looking for their very own home in the modern world. Whether that "home" is a minimalist sanctuary in the penthouse suite, an industrial style office space with exposed ductwork and concrete floors, or a hip new retail shop on "Main Street", Urban Realty & Development is ready to show you that life is in the heart of the city.

Call us at our live/work loft in downtown Tempe. Urban Realty would love an opportunity to share with you what we know about urban living and help you find your own fresh start.

We specialize in downtown Tempe Lofts, Tempe condos, & Tempe Brownstones. Exciting properties like Orchidhouse Lofts, Edgewater at Hayden Ferry Lakeside, Centerpoint Condominiums, The Vale, 525 Town Lake, Brownstones at Tempe, Millstone, Mosaic, Stadium Tower, Villagio at Tempe ... and the list goes on!

Tom Tokoph
Urban Living Broker
Urban Realty & Development
602-549-9000

http://www.UrbanRealtyAZ.com

Tempe Town Lake gets a Glimpse of it's Future

 

Suncor, the developer of the Hayden Ferry Lakeside development currently under construction (Edgewater condos & Bridgeview condos), has revealed their initial proposal for what will be the jewel of Tempe Town Lake... Marina Heights.

Although the first building of the development is not planned for completion until 2009, the project has received significant attention due to it's style & scale.

Quoting from an article in the Arizona Republic, "Marina Heights has a nautical theme. Its plans show nine new high-rise towers and three- and four-story low-rise condominiums. The parcel runs from immediately east of Hayden Ferry Lakeside to Rural Road."

The developer is very excited about the possibility of controlling the architecture along the entire length of Tempe Town Lake from Mill Avenue to Rural Road.  Randy Levin, Suncor's Vice President said, "What we don't want to do is create a series of buildings where everything is alike.  This is an opportunity to showcase a collection of architecture that runs all the way across the lake."

Finally, the article states that "Specifics on each Marina Heights building aren't defined, though the project will likely include a convention hotel, residential  units  and office and retail space, according to SunCor. The company already has a short list of about five contenders for the hotel component"

Urban Realty & Development specializes in the Downtown Tempe Lofts, Townhomes, & Condos market.  We live & work in the heart of downtown Tempe so we have a passion for the area.  We look forward to sharing that passion with you!  Remember what we say, "Life is in the heart of the city!"

Tom Tokoph
Designated Broker for Urban Realty & Development
602-549-9000

For more information on this condo visit www.UrbanRealtyAZ.com

 

 

 

The Vale is one of the most unique properties built in Arizona! Designed by renowned architect Will Bruder, this modern architectural masterpiece in Downtown Tempe has already been photographed by significant architectural and design magazines. Available for lease is a free standing one bedroom, one bathroom that includes vaulted ceilings, a large patio, walk-in closet, washer and dryer, stainless steel refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher... and beautiful architectural features. Private reserved parking space & storage unit available in an underground garage. Community includes a pool/spa and gym and is very close to ASU, Starbucks and the vibrant Mill Avenue District. Don't miss your opportunity to be one of the first to experience this unique modern loft village! Available June 1, 2007, 1 Year Lease, $1,100 per month.

Urban Realty & Development specializes in the Downtown Tempe Lofts, Townhomes, & Condos market.  We live & work in the heart of downtown Tempe so we have a passion for the area.  We look forward to sharing that passion with you!  Remember what we say, "Life is in the heart of the city!"

Tom Tokoph
Designated Broker for Urban Realty & Development
602-549-9000

For more information on this condo visit www.UrbanRealtyAZ.com

 

 

 

 

A walk through time in Tempe

Garin Groff , Tribune

No doubt countless tourists have wandered past one of Tempe’s oldest buildings without knowing a U.S. president stayed there once, as did “Buffalo Bill” Cody.

The building is best known today for the Shoe Mill store or Cafe Boa, and at a glance, it doesn’t seem historic. But the Hotel Casa Loma building was once the top tourist spot in town and even hosted President William McKinley in 1901.

History buffs hope more locals and visitors will learn more about the city’s rich but often hidden past with a historic walking tour proposed to start later this year.

The idea comes from an unlikely source: a developer building high-rise condos downtown.

Avenue Communities wants to call attention to the area’s historic sites with plaques or signs that give a bit of history — and a phone number so passers-by can use their cell phones to hear a narrator tell more.

The firm is developing the tour now and plans to maintain it. It won’t charge the city or property owners anything.

The concept is a surprise to Bob Gasser, chairman of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission. Many developers have looked at historic properties and simply wanted to bulldoze them. Or they’ll do just the minimum required by law without recognizing that history can be a big tourist draw.

“To see someone like Avenue (Communities), who’s willing to do a lot more — it’s really unexpected,” he said.

The firm came up with the idea after flooding neighborhoods around Tempe with a DVD and questionnaire called “Speak Out Tempe.” The campaign came as the company was breaking ground on Centerpoint Condominiums, which will include four condo towers, three of them 30 stories high. A 22-story tower on the site has nearly topped out.

The survey found Tempeans wanted to celebrate the area’s history, said Rick Labonte, Avenue Communities’ project manager.

The firm identified nearly 100 historic sites in the area. About 30 are in the heart of downtown and would be on the tour. The historic walk would work a bit like checking out headphones for a self-guided tour at a museum — except you could use a cell phone and only check out what you’re most interested in.

The company is still working on technical details and plans to get the tour in place this fall.

Gasser said he isn’t aware of any historic district with a feature like this.

Most tourists and locals know the downtown has some history, Gasser said, but would be surprised at the amount. Information on about everything that would be on the tour is available online through the city’s museum site, but Gasser figures few have stumbled across the information.

“It’s too daunting, and you almost have to know where to go,” Gasser said. “This sounds like it would be very, very easy.”

The tour would boost awareness of historic moments such as McKinley’s visit, Gasser said, and historic beginnings, such as how the Scottsdale-based Harkins Theatres chain was started in Tempe by Red Harkins, who eventually built the College Theatre on Mill Avenue.

The theatre is now known as the Valley Art Theatre, and the chain is run by Red’s son, Dan Harkins.

No Tempe tour would be complete without information about Monti’s La Casa Vieja, the oldest continually occupied structure in the Valley. Tempe founder Charles Trumbull Hayden built it in 1871, and later built the Hayden Flour Mill across the street.

The mill was once Tempe’s center of commerce but has sat vacant for years. Gasser expects it will again be a center of the city under current plans to turn it into shops, restaurants and offices — developed by Avenue Communities.

The firm is working to buy the mill from the city and make the building its headquarters.

Gasser has led groups on walking tours over the years and likes the fact that the firm’s plan makes the history available to anybody at any time.

“The number of people this will reach takes a whole new jump,” Gasser said.

 

Urban Realty & Development specializes in the Downtown Tempe Lofts, Townhomes, & Condos market.  We live & work in the heart of downtown Tempe so we have a passion for the area.  We look forward to sharing that passion with you!  Remember what we say, "Life is in the heart of the city!"

 

 

Urban Realty & Development specializes in the Downtown Tempe Lofts, Townhomes, & Condos market.  We live & work in the heart of downtown Tempe so we have a passion for the area.  We look forward to sharing that passion with you!  Remember what we say, "Life is in the heart of the city!"

April 11, 2007

Newman Center at ASU floats proposal for 20-story dorm

Garin Groff , Tribune

The next high-rise in downtown Tempe might not be another condo, hotel or office tower — it could be part of a church.

The All Saints Catholic Newman Center is considering a roughly 20-story tower for dorms on its property across from Arizona State University.

The tower plan seems highly preliminary and lacks specifics, according to several city officials who spoke with church officials. The Newman Center officials met with the city to see if there’s enough support to pursue the idea.

The Newman Center already has plans to tear down part of its 1960s-era building to construct new offices and a larger chapel, but the tower could put that on hold.

A Newman Center official wouldn’t discuss the tower plan Tuesday.

“I’m not going to comment on anything about that,” said Mary Macuga, the development director. “What I know is we’re so anxious to get a new chapel built.”

The Newman Center sits on 0.8 acres and includes the landmark red-brick church at the corner of University Drive and College Avenue. That red structure, built in 1903 and the Valley’s oldest church, would remain.

The dorm tower plan was too vague to suggest whether it deserves city approval, Tempe Vice Mayor Hut Hutson said.

“I couldn’t tell you right now,” Hutson said.

The Newman Center has been planning to rebuild and expand its cramped facility for years.

The church received a building permit in February for a two-story office and chapel project that was supposed to cost $5.7 million. But spiraling construction material costs in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina pushed the estimated price tag to $7.3 million.

The church put construction on hold until it could raise the extra money, Macuga said.

The Newman Center serves about 800 students and nearby residents, who often attend standing-roomonly masses. Most services are held in a ‘60s-era room designed when the campus was a fraction of its current size. It seats 250 people, but up to 500 worshipers can show up. The new chapel would seat 600 to 700.

“We just want to get that chapel built as soon as possible and we desperately need more space to accommodate our growing community,” Macuga said.

 

Urban Realty & Development specializes in the Downtown Tempe Lofts, Townhomes & Tempe Condos market.  We live & work in the heart of downtown Tempe so we have a passion for Tempe real estate.  We look forward to sharing that passion with you!  "Life is in the heart of the city!"

 

 

April 8, 2007

Tallest Tempe building still rising

Garin Groff , Tribune
A new condo tower has become Tempe’s tallest building — and it’s not even finished yet. The Centerpoint Condominiums building has reached 17 stories and is growing one level every week.

That means workers will top off the 22-story tower in about five weeks.

Then they’ll set a new city record with a 30-story tower next door. That should top out at year’s end.

The latest addition to the downtown skyline has gone up with little fanfare after some initial complaints that the project was too tall.

Project developer Ken Losch said he could understand some objections from Arizona natives who were used to houses on big lots with pools. But Losch, a principal in Avenue Communities who lived in major Canadian cities, said more and more people from other big cities are demanding the types of high-rises popping up across the Valley.

“Remember, half the people who live here are from urban centers and we’re really dying for urban experiences, and we don’t have it,” Losch said. “People are starving for it.”

They’re not just looking for something tall, he said. Rather, they want to walk to restaurants and offices and live near a transportation system like the Metro light-rail line.

Avenue Communities has 200 workers on site, busy 24 hours a day. Most of the building remains a concrete shell, but workers have installed framing, plumbing and even a few glass panels on the lower floors. Residents should be able to move in this spring. About 100 potential buyers are on a waiting list and the company is just starting to write contracts for some units, Losch said. The condos range from 400 square feet to 8,000 square feet with selling prices ranging from $300,000 to $3 million.

The company plans to build two more 30-story towers on the site, perhaps starting them in 18 months.

The condos will eventually reach 370 feet, making them taller than Hayden Butte. Tempe has limited other downtown buildings to 300 feet, but even some elected officials think the city has given developers too much vertical leeway.

Councilman Ben Arredondo said he’s concerned about the towers blocking views and flooding the downtown with too many cars and people. “I don’t think we’ve done a real close analysis of the impact those buildings are going to have,” Arredondo said.

Arredondo grew up in Tempe and recalls running through downtown to play in Tempe Beach Park. He said he understands Tempe can’t stay the small town of his youth, but he said he doesn’t want it to become another Manhattan. “At what point do you become too dense for a small community?” he said.

Tempe’s tallest
Centerpoint 30-story tower: 345 feet, 370 feet with equipment Hayden Butte: 332 feet Centerpoint 22-story tower: 258 feet Hayden Ferry Lakeside 12-story office building: 198 feet Sun Devil Stadium: 186 feet Hayden Flour Mill silos: 168 feet Manzanita dorm at ASU: 163 feet

 

Urban Realty & Development specializes in the Downtown Tempe Lofts, Townhomes & Tempe Condos market.  We live & work in the heart of downtown Tempe so we have a passion for Tempe real estate.  We look forward to sharing that passion with you!  "Life is in the heart of the city!"