By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
Creation is pivoting on how it wants to develop a 6.03-acre property at the NWC of Priest Drive and 3rd Street in Tempe.
In its meeting this week, the Tempe Development Review Commission is scheduled to take up the developer’s request for a General Plan land use and density map amendment that would change the site designation from mixed-use urban to industrial. Creation is also requesting rezoning from mixed-use to industrial so it can put a two-building development of approximately 117KSF on the site.
AZBEX originally reported on Creation’s plans for the location in April 2022. Originally known as Priest & 3rd Street Multifamily and later renamed Fourteen Hundred Tempe, the project was to feature a four-story multifamily development of 398 units. (AXBEX; April 22, 2022)
In May of that year, Tempe City Council approved a General Plan land use amendment, planned area development overlay and rezoning from industrial to mixed-use. In August 2022, Creation officials estimated a mid-2023 construction start, which was updated to mid-2024 in May 2023. A review of Tempe permitting last September showed no permits had been issued, and the project was listed as “On Hold” in the DATABEX project database.
Priest & 3rd (Industrial)
The new requests show a return to form for the property, reverting it from the mixed-use designation won in 2022 back to industrial uses.
The site plan shows two buildings, one of 45.9KSF and a second of 71.2KSF. Uses would be split between office and warehouse space. Office is planned at 32.7KSF, with warehouse space planned for 82.4KSF. Heights for both buildings are planned for approximately 43 feet.
The site is surrounded by hotel and office/industrial uses to the north, office and vacant industrial-zoned property to the south on the opposite side of 3rd Street, and office uses to the west and southwest.
Comments in the staff report provide context for the proposed change and describe the surrounding area. “The site is made up of 10 parcels and was most recently utilized as a service yard and is currently unused, with several existing vacant buildings on the property,” it says. “The site is currently entitled for a mixed-use development, but existing covenants, conditions, and restrictions has rendered the residential component of the development infeasible.”
Creation is the project owner. The design firm is LGE Design Group. Landscape planning is through T.J. McQueen & Associates, Inc. Hunter Engineering is the civil engineer. The project is represented by Gammage & Burnham, PLC.
Tempe DRC is scheduled to hear the requests in its Jan. 14 meeting.
