By Roland Murphy for AZBEX BEXclusive
Regional beverage manufacturer and distributor Swire Coca-Cola, USA has submitted a proposal to the City of Tempe to redevelop its 42.5-acre industrial site at the NEC of Interstate 10 and Elliot Road.
Through engineering and planning firm Kimley-Horn & Associates, the company has requested a planned area development, a use permit and a development plan review for the site at 1850 W. Elliot Road. The PAD will modify development standards for building height from the current 90 feet up to 160 feet, while the use permit will create an exception for the maximum allowable parking on the site so it can accommodate three 24-7 shifts of workers. The development plan review is necessary for the addition of a manufacturing building and a storage building.
The current site has 442KSF of existing buildings, according to the City staff report on the proposal. The redevelopment plan would remove 107.8KSF and replace it with 207KSF of new construction.
According to the project explanation submitted as part of the proposal, “The proposed expansion will consist of the removal of the two office buildings along Harl Avenue as well as the old fleet building and point of sales storage building on the north side of the existing manufacturing facility. The removal of these buildings will allow for the construction of approximately 125KSF feet of new storage space, approximately 62KSF of new manufacturing and approximately 20KSF for a new fleet building.”
It goes on to say, “The objective of the proposed expansion of the manufacturing facility will optimize areas within the site to allow for increased efficiency of deliveries and overall site circulation. The new storage space height is needed to enable the new line configurations which will allow this facility to meet the demands of the future while remaining in the City of Tempe.”
The proposal had its first preliminary site plan review last June and its first formal review this February. Following multiple meetings and exchanges between City staff and the development team, final plans and materials were submitted on May 13.
A neighborhood meeting was held on April 15, but no members of the public attended. City staff received no calls for information or statements of concern.
The Tempe Development Review Commission recommended approval of the requests on a 7-0 vote in its May 28 meeting.
The project owner is Swire Coca-Cola, USA. Kimley-Horn & Associates is the engineer, planner and landscape architect. The design-build team consists of Whiting-Turner and Hixson Architecture, Engineering, Interiors.
