Downtown Tempe Lofts & Condos

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.

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