By Roland Murphy for Arizona Builder’s Exchange
Berry Riddell, LLC has submitted a proposal to the City of Scottsdale on behalf of Trammell Crow Residential to develop a $60M, eight-building, 282-unit mixed-use residential community at 2001 N. Scottsdale Road, just north of East Palm Lane.
The Trammell Crow Residential website lists 75 Alexan-branded developments and a mixture of multifamily properties in 13 states. While Trammell Crow Company has four Arizona projects in various stages of development, this appears to be Trammell Crow Residential initial foray into the state.
The proposal requests “a rezoning from Commercial C-3 (2.1+/- net acres) and Residential R1-7 (5.5+/- net acres), a total of approximately 7.6+/- net acres and approximately 8.26+/- gross acres, to PUD.”
The Neighborhood
If approved and built, Alexan Scottsdale will offer 282 residential units and 11KSF of shared amenity space, including office co-working space that will be available to the public. Most of the proposed site is currently vacant, save for one single-family home and three existing businesses — a bar, a limousine service and a car audio sales and installation outlet.
The site was targeted as mixed-use under the Scottsdale Character Area Plan when it was adopted in 2010. Scottsdale Road through this area has some of the city’s older commercial and residential developments, and redevelopment and modernization of the area as Urban Character Type has been a city goal for some time. The proposal refers to the property as being located in “an aging area” and notes many of the structures along Scottsdale Road were built in the 1950s and 60s.
In keeping with that focus, the proposal states, “The Property is designated as an Employment Core, and is surrounded by retail, service, and single-family residential uses. The proposed development will not only provide much needed density to serve the housing needs of the area, but, through its mixed-use nature, co-work style office space, and shaded open areas, it will provide community amenities for neighborhood residents that are currently lacking. There is a growing need for co-working space with data demonstrating that approximately 40 percent of residents in similar developments work from home at least three days per week. The proposed development will also allow employees to live closer to their jobs and to walk or bike to work, while beautifying the area at large and stimulating reinvestment.”
Elsewhere in the proposal, the applicants state, “This project exemplifies ‘urban revitalization’ by taking an underutilized, predominantly vacant property and developing it into a thriving mixed-use community in an area of town that is eager for new housing options to serve its vast employment base. Lastly, the innovative design of the project, including the co-work office component, will provide a publicly available amenity for Alexan residents and the many neighborhood residents that often work from home, but do not need a traditional office space.”
It also notes the increased number of residents will likely result in an increased number of patrons for area businesses and service providers.
Alexan Scottsdale Features
Residential buildings are planned with two- and four-story heights. Plans call for 14 studio, 169 one-, 85 two- and 14 three-bedroom units. Average unit size will be 850SF. In addition to the eight residential buildings, three one-story garages will occupy the southern boundary along Palm Lane, and a total of 425 vehicle and 42 bicycle parking spaces will be provided. The residential area is projected to cover 335GSF, and the non-residential component will be 10.8GSF.
Planned amenities include a fitness center, lounge, business center and outdoor recreation spaces.
The landscaping plan calls for desert-centric plants that thrive in the area’s intense heat and sun and offer a variety of color, shade and visual texture while maintaining low overall water use.
The development’s massing is intended to address its location facing Scottsdale Road and its transition to the adjacent single-family neighborhood. Two buildings flanking the Scottsdale Road entry point will create a sense of arrival, while the varied rooftops are intended to provide a comfortable and mature-appearing streetscape.
Buildings on the east side of the site, adjacent to the existing single-family neighborhoods, are arranged around a green space that will feature a pool, barbeque area, building entrances and a garden space. A central courtyard is intended to provide a buffer between the four-story and two-story areas.
The predominant architectural style will be mid-century modern and includes horizontal planes with overhangs for shade and visual variety. Masonry piers will “provide a unifying vertical element. Masonry is also featured at the base of the buildings and transition to stucco at the middle of the massing and terminate at the top with metal fascia creating a clear, base/middle/top design aesthetic. A siding material intended to emulate wood provides another detail often seen in mid-century modern architecture and is used to accent the fenestration throughout the project.”
In its conclusion, the proposal states, “The architecture, landscaping, and development standards will enhance the aesthetics of the surrounding area, which will not only enhance the experience of residents, neighbors, and visitors, but will invite further investment into the area increasing property values and supporting existing businesses.”
