Wood Partners is planning to develop its third Alta-branded apartment community in Chandler. Alta Uptown will deliver 425 units on an 11.66-acre infill site at the SEC of Arizona Avenue and Corporate Place, slightly more than half-a-mile south of Elliot Road.
The developer has requested rezoning from Regional Commercial to Planned Area Development, along with approval for its preliminary development plan with a mid-rise overlay and the preliminary plat.
The Chandler Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the requests for approvals in its June 1 meeting. The proposal will now go to the City Council for a hearing and vote.
Wood Partners’ first Alta development – the 273-unit Alta San Marcos at Chandler Blvd. and Dakota Street – was completed in November of 2018. The other project – the 293-unit Alta Chandler at the Park on Chandler Blvd. west of Alma School Road – is under construction and scheduled to deliver sometime next year.
Alta Uptown will feature three four-story buildings with design features reminiscent of the French Eclectic style, but with modifications intended to better fit the Arizona climate – such as not precisely holding to the mansard roof style or exposed wood detailing. Units will have five studios, 296 one-bedroom, 114 two-bedroom and 10 three-bedroom floorplans. Sizes will range from 642SF to 1,614SF.
Open space and pedestrian circulation are key features in the Alta Uptown design. Pedestrian paths are provided throughout the site to connect living areas with amenities spaces and public sidewalks. According to the submitted request, the pedestrian space along Arizona Avenue will be a primary consideration, featuring a 10-foot-wide multiuse path with a patterned tree canopy and architectural canopies to provide visual emphasis. The wide sidewalk will be of particular importance if and when a rapid transit system is ever developed in the area. The developer intends to work with City staff to determine shade features along Arizona Avenue. The shade component will be a maximum of 60 feet in length and is expected to vary in height between eight and 12 feet.
The development will have a primary amenity area with both active and passive open space. According to the submittal, “Additional amenities include a double-height clubhouse with gourmet kitchen area, conference/business center, TV/entertainment lounge area and state-of-the-art fitness center. Outdoor amenities will include an oversized courtyard with a pool, spa and structured shade, outdoor grills, and dog park. The east side of the development includes active program for those health focused residents. A push-up station, pull-up bar, balance beam and stepping blocks, create an integrated circuit training environment. This is enhanced with a stair area to get those steps in for the day leading down to a turf area to round out the day with wind sprints. This additional amenity area adds to the great diversity of active program provided within the Alta Uptown development.”
The Chandler Multifamily Development Market
Like all Valley cities, Chandler has seen significant population growth. According to World Population Review, the city’s 1990 population was 90,533. That had nearly doubled to 176,581 by 2000. By 2010 the population had hit 236,454, and the estimated population in 2022 is 273,102.
Chandler was one of the first Valley cities to see a major uptick in industrial and technology employment growth. As a result, it was comparatively ahead of the trend when it came to multifamily development.
Since its launch in 2016, DATABEX has tracked a total of 34 multifamily developments in Chandler, with a total unit count of 7,588 and project valuations totaling more than $1.3B.
Of those, 15 projects have finished construction, delivering a total of 3,612 units valued at $610.7M. Only one project – 396 units and $48.5M – has been proposed and then canceled. Ten developments totaling 1,912 units and valued at $306.3M are currently under construction.
All this early development has led to a smaller pipeline than currently exists in many cities, with only seven projects in various stages from design through pre-construction, totaling 1,422 units and $303.5M, roughly equivalent to the volume currently under construction. Alta Uptown brings that total to eight and adds another 425 units to the mix.
Chandler officials have expressed a desire to reignite large-scale apartment development in the city to maintain its attractiveness and affordability for new and existing residents.
