Phoenix City Living

Palmcroft apartments razed for Encanto Parkside

The Palmcroft apartments at 15th Ave & McDowell Rd. went to dust Monday in preparation for the planned Encanto Parkside townhouse complex.  The 87-unit four-story upscale units are seen as a dramatic improvement from the drugs and crime infiltration that had recently darkened the doorways of the apartments.  Located in the Encanto-Palmcroft Historic District, the 1940's complex was originally built as inexpensive housing for returning GI's, and while preservationists tried to keep the apartments as a homage to Phoenix's past, the developer Scott Haskins saw the existing structures as a lost cause and moved forward with residential structures more inline with the upscale nature of the area.

Haskins elaborates, "The Encanto-Palmcroft neighborhood is a treasure in the heart of Phoenix.  With Imagination and creativity, we are replacing tired, worn-out apartment buildings that had minimal historic value and destabilized the neighborhood with first-class, modern residences.  I want this neighborhood to rejuvenate McDowell Road as a gateway to downtown, while enhancing property values of the surrounding neighborhood."

The Development will include ground-floor commercial spaces, gated access, underground parking, and community facilities.  Construction is slated to begin in early 2008, with completion expected mid-2009.  Sales prices are expected to range from $400-900K.  Local architects Virginia Senior and Kim Kristoff of SRK Architects are designing the project.

Read more:
Developer takes on city hall
40's era apartment complex set to be demolished

Roosevelt 11 - going Vertical!

Located in downtown Phoenix's historic Garfield District at Roosevelt and 9th Street, Roosevelt 11 offers an intimate community of 11 townhome-style condominium residences.  Each home has a three level floorplan with a private garage, individual front yard, and entrance on the ground floor.

With prices starting at $299,900 and floorplans ranging from 1295 to 1620 square feet, Roosevelt 11 offers an aesthetically powerful yet affordable housing option for those looking to live in the heart of Phoenix.  Construction began in December and is expected to be completed late summer or early fall.

Read our full post at www.urbanvertical.com.  For more information on available units, floorplans, and pricing, please contact Durnford Group or visit www.roosevelt11.com.

Construction efforts underway for condominium project - Village on the Park

On November 3, 2006, excavators moved-in and demolition began on the old Holiday Inn on Central near Indian Steele Park.  This site is where Cresleigh Homes will be building the condominium community...Village on the Park.  A recent email received from Cresleigh Homes states that they have not yet determined pricing, but estimate that they will begin pre-selling in mid-2007.  Read more....

Roosevelt 11 - infill project breaks ground

I'm a big advocate of the Garfield District for a variety of reasons and so I'm psyched for two planned projects Portland 38 and Roosevelt 11.  My hope is that the Garfield District becomes a mix of restored bungalows, renovated small multi-family rental buildings, and new small infill projects.....and I think we're definitely on our way!

Aaaahhh.....the sound of a bulldozer was music to my ears this morning!  Roosevelt 11 has officially broken ground.  The project will consist of 11 units on the SW corner of Roosevelt and 9th St.    Roosevelt 11 is a project by JAG Development's Allan Gutkin and Sam Greene of MacyMetro Development and designed by architect, Michael Underhill.  The project is being built by UrbanEdge Builders and will "take cues from Willetta 9".

A trailer has been put in place on an empty lot across the street on the north side of Roosevelt.  As soon as it opens, I will provide more details on the project.  The Department of Real Estate does not yet have a Public Report available for this project on the ADRE's website, so again I'll keep you posted. 

GEORGE caters to professional families seeking urban lifestyle

Located at 5600 N. 12th Street, the new development GEORGE broke ground in July and is expected to be completed early in 2007.  The architect, Studio Ma, also designed PRD845 in downtown Phoenix as well as the remodel of the Heard Museum and various projects for ASU.  Based in downtown Phoenix, Studio Ma "is embodied by the concept of 'Ma', a Japanese term that acknowledges the dynamic relationship between objects and their surrounding environment."  This philosophy can clearly be seen and appreciated in their various projects throughout the city.  GEORGE is comprised of 8 detached, townhome units.  Starting in the low $700s, each unit is 2,400 sf with 3 bedrooms plus den, 2.5 baths, and a 2 car garage.   Wespac Residential Inc. is the project's general contractor.

Urban Form Plans New In-Fill Project

Urban Form, the developer/builder of 215 E. McKinley and 414 E. Roosevelt, has announced plans for their next project - 802 N. 2nd Street - located on the SE corner of 2nd St. & McKinley.

Urban Form plans to break ground on this new project at the beginning of 2007.  Currently the plans include 52 residential units that range from 770-1020 sq.ft. and starting in the $200s. 

Plans for the project are currently at the city for site plan approval, so I'll keep you posted on its progress and changes.

Portland Place Condos....Making Progress

I took these photos this afternoon of the construction at Portland Place Condos (www.portlandplacecondos.com).   Things seem to be moving along!  According to the sales agent, they have approximately 18 units left in Phase I (out of 50+) ranging from studios to the penthouse floorplan.  The Public Report for Phase II is expected in late summer/early Fall. 

Click on the photo for a larger image.

The third picture was taken from Margaret T. Hance Park (on the North side of the project).  If you're not familiar with the area, between Margaret T. Hance Park and the project sits the Japanese Friendship Gardens (on the other side of those trees)......so you can see that owners in units on the North side of the building will have a beautiful view of the gardens and the park.

Let it be 'affordable'

The Holiday Inn on Central, just North of Indian School Rd., is now slated for re-development.  A May 12th article in the Arizona Republic ("Hotel to give way....") briefly describes the plan for Cresleigh Homes of Arizona to raze the existing hotel and build an 'affordable' condo project.  As you can see from the photo, we're not losing a building of any historical or architectural significance but gaining a prime site on the Central Corridor.

While I am cautiously optimistic that the downtown condo market will not get overbuilt (assuming developers look at tomorrow's market rather than today's hype), I believe a project geared towards 'workforce' and 'affordable' housing will do very well.  There are not many options for anyone looking in the sub-$225k range in downtown Phoenix, yet the demand is there if the end product is good.  Building 'affordable' housing is not easy with the price of land and construction costs.  However, given Cresleigh Homes is a part of the group that includes Stanford Hotels, which owns/operates this Holiday Inn, let's hope they will bring the project out of the ground geared towards the buyer segment that finds itself squeezed on price in today's market. 

The project is in an excellent location - walk out your door for a jog in Steele Indian School Park or catch a movie in the park (Moonlight Movie), jump on the light rail (Station Platform - Indian School/Central), and pop across Central for a great cup of coffee at Lux or a fabulous sandwich at Pane Bianco.  It also provides close proximity to a handful of schools and easy access to Hwy 51.  The location and price should also appeal to the workforce and students that will come with downtown ASU and the UofA Medical School.

More information on the project can be found on the builder's website (Cresleigh Village on the Park) and the architect's website (JG Johnson Architects).