By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
The Arizona State University and City of Tempe Joint Review Committee has recommended approval of a planned area development overlay amendment that will enable the next round of development in the Novus Innovation Corridor.
The recommendation was approved in a 7-0 vote at the Committee’s March 4 meeting.
AZBEX has published nearly 50 articles and news items about NIC on our website over the years. Those pieces are available here.
NIC master developer Catellus Development Corporation has requested a zoning map amendment and zoning code text amendment for roughly 5.5 acres at the NWC of Rural Road and Rio Salado Parkway, just east of Phase I of the Marina Heights development.
According to the submitted materials, “The applications will remove the Marina Heights East PAD Overlay from the site and apply use parameters and development standards associated with (ASU Athletic Facilities District Planning Area) Rio Salado and Rural Mixed-Use Subdistrict to the site.”
The submitted explanation describes NIC by saying, “Created by state legislation in 2010, the Athletic Facilities District/Novus is a multi-phase, mixed-use redevelopment initiative that transforms underutilized ASU-owned land adjacent to the Tempe campus and Tempe Town Lake into a world-class urban community. Branded as the Novus Innovation Corridor, the project was conceived as both a real estate development strategy and an innovative funding mechanism for ASU athletic facilities. At build-out, Novus will encompass approximately 350 acres and deliver more than 10MSF of development, including offices, residences, hotels, retail stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues, integrated with the university’s NCAA-quality athletic fields and facilities.”
The ASU AFDPA sets “a structured entitlement framework for Novus” and splits the overall district into designated areas with development rights for 4,175 residential units, 4.87MSF of office space, 650.5KSF of retail/restaurant/service space, more than 1,400 hotel rooms and 205.7KSF of community and civic space.
Novus 5F
The site is currently used as surface parking and is zoned Mixed-Use Educational (MU-Ed) Rio Salado Overlay District (RSOD) as part of the Marina Heights – East PAD Overlay district.
The Marina Heights East PAD was originally approved for a regional office campus, and five buildings totaling nearly 2MSF of office and 50KSF have been constructed. The site currently under consideration was originally planned as the last phase of that development, with two buildings totaling more than 587KSF of office space.
“While the prior PAD remains in effect,” the materials say, “the final phase was never constructed. In light of the Site’s location within Novus, the existing MU-Ed zoning and the adoption of the AFDPA in 2018, the PAD no longer reflects the appropriate planning framework to guide the future redevelopment of the Site.”
Under the updated vision and resulting rezoning request, the site will be redeveloped “with two mid-to-high rise towers providing office space, multifamily residential units, and restaurant/retail space along with associated site, landscape, and parking improvements.”
The materials assert the planned uses align with Tempe’s vision for a mixed-use lakefront development and with the General Plan’s Mixed-Use Urban Core land use and density expectations. “It also reflects the Site’s established high-rise context within Novus, and its proximity to public transit, the ASU campus, downtown Tempe, and regional freeways.”
Under the General Plan, the Mixed-Use Urban Core development standard calls for a residential density of more than 65 units/acre and sets an intent for a combination of residential and commercial uses to create a live/work/play environment. The application specifically plans to retain the mixed-use classification for the site.
The application concludes by saying, “Catellus is enthusiastic about the continuing opportunity to be part of the transformation of Novus, as well as advancing Phase 5 of Novus. The approval of the Application will facilitate the transformation of a surface parking lot at a prominent location along Tempe Town Lake and within Novus into two high-quality, contemporary towers providing needed office, multifamily residential, and flex restaurant/retail use spaces along with integrated structured parking and significant landscape and pedestrian realm enhancements.
“The appropriate scale and contemporary design of the future towers will complement Marina Heights, as well as planned uses within Phase 5 of Novus. In the broader context, the provision of high-quality commercial office, urban housing, and dining and retail options will both serve as a catalyst for future redevelopment opportunities along the Lake that will continue the transformation of Novus into a world-class, mixed-use urban community. These improvements will serve both the community and ASU for generations to come.”
Catellus Development Corporation is the project owner. The land use attorney for the requests is Gammage & Burnham, PLC.