Developers have proposed a large mixed-use project for one of the best development opportunities in Downtown Phoenix.
"The Phoenix City Council will vote April 3 on a proposal to replace the Phoenix Central Station transit center — which sits between Polk and Van Buren streets — with apartments, student housing, office space, retail, restaurants and a hotel," reports Jessica Boehm.
"Currently, Central Station is mostly open space and covered seating areas used by people waiting for buses or light rail, which runs on both the east and west sides of the site," explains Boehm.
Developer Medistar plans to invest $231 million to build two high-rise buildings on the site. The development will add apartment, hotel, office and retail uses. "The project would also maintain the bus transfer areas along Polk Street and create a 'beautiful restaurant- and retail-filled breezeway,'" according to Boehm.
Read the full story: A second downtown Phoenix grocery store? $231 million high rises to replace transit center
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority