By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
Toll Brothers Apartment Living is planning a new 420-unit luxury apartment community on 14.98 gross acres at the SEC of Arizona Avenue and Grace Blvd. in Chandler.
The developer has requested approval for a planned area development, preliminary development plan and preliminary plat for the property. The Chandler Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the requests for approval by City Council in the Commission’s Sept. 18 meeting.
The property was first developed 40 years ago as an automotive dealership and is currently used by Earnhardt Chevrolet, according to the project narrative. “To the north of the Property is an in-progress multi-family development which was formerly a parking lot that was used for Earnhardt’s related operations,” it says. “That site was recently rezoned to a PAD to allow multi-family development due to market circumstances. Similarly, because of the inflationary environment and interest rates, together with the locational attributes of the dealership, the Property and viability of it as an auto dealership have been impacted. Conversely, there is a significant statewide shortage of housing, and demand for quality housing – including within this area of Chandler. As such, this PAD provides a framework for re-development of the Property as a high-quality multi-family apartment community.”
To provide an aesthetic compatible with the area’s function as a high-capacity transit corridor, the Toll Brothers Uptown community will feature an urban and contemporary design with four-story buildings reaching 47 feet with parapets and 53 feet with architectural features. The proposed unit mix calls for 44 studios, 213 one-bedroom, 131 two-bedroom and 32 three-bedroom apartments. Unit sizes will range from 650SF to 1.45KSF.
“The architectural approach is a crafted regional/contextual eclectic design, referencing local characteristics of the existing built environment while considering the dynamic and growing nature of this area of Chandler,” the submitted narrative says. “The two buildings fronting Arizona Avenue flank the project’s entry, with impactful tower elements emblazoned with the project name and articulated with vertical metal screen elements. These screens reference a similarly distinctive feature found in nearby Chandler City Hall. At the terminus of the project’s entry is another building that surrounds a generously sized and landscaped amenity courtyard.”
It goes on to say, “All the buildings feature four-sided architecture, with a harmonious transition between the horizontal and vertical volumes that is articulated through massing and material, providing elements of human scale to the architecture. Use of multi-height parapets, individual deep balcony spaces with a variety of undulation treatments and spacious patios at the ground level provide visual interest and depth to the elevations. The buildings’ fenestration creates varying patterns of gridded windows and grouped openings framed within larger scaled massing.”
Planned amenities include a resort-style area with two full-sized swimming pools, a sundeck, a spa and cabanas. Other enhancements include a 10.8KSF clubhouse/leasing office area, an entertainment pavilion with an outdoor kitchen, a “tot lot” play area, a pickleball court, games tables and additional sports courts, a dog park, and event and activity lawns.
Parking at Toll Brothers Uptown will feature 803 total spaces, including 135 garage spaces, 135 tandem spaces, 285 covered spaces and 248 open spaces. Electric vehicle-ready/EV charging parking will make up 6% of the total, or 49 spaces.
Speaking with AZBEX in the days following the Commission vote, Jason Morris of the land-use law firm Withey Morris Baugh said, “The fact that we were able to secure a recommendation of approval for a project of this scale on the consent agenda is a real testament to the quality of effort and engagement between the development team, City staff, the Commission and community stakeholders leading up to the vote.”
Toll Brothers Apartment Living is the project owner. The design firm is Biltform Architecture. The civil engineer is Bowman. Landscape architecture is through Collaborative-V Design Studio, Inc. The traffic engineer is Lōkahi, LLC. The project is represented by Withey Morris Baugh PLC.
The City Council hearing date has not been scheduled as of press time.
