By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
Mayo Blvd. and 64th Street has long been something of a buffer between the trendy retail and residential outlets nearer to Scottsdale Road and the ever-expanding healthcare-related development around the Mayo Clinic to the west.
Two recent sets of activity ensure that buffer status is about to change from a zone of separation into one of transition.
64th & Mayo Planned Unit Development
Developer JLB Partners has submitted a planned unit development request to the City of Phoenix for a master-planned development on more than 51 acres at the NEC of 64th Street and Mayo. According to the narrative, the mixed-use project would deliver a “combination of up to 1,300 dwelling units, 300 hotel keys, 40,000 gross square feet of retail space, 20,000 gross square feet of restaurant space, and 250KSF of office space.”
The development will be divided into four parcels anchored by multifamily uses, which will be prominent in three of the four sections. The narrative says, “The residential component of the Development is anticipated to provide a high-end living experience through a mix of residential unit types, expansive outdoor open space and elevated residential amenities. With additional housing choices, the Development will offer a variety of unit types and living environments to (complement) other housing options in the area. These future residents will provide the customer base to support other non-residential uses within the Development.”
The non-residential users have not yet been identified, but the PUD is intended to establish development standards that will appeal to a wide array of uses to tie together the overall project area and surrounding neighborhood.
Each of the four parcels is intended for standalone development, but the narrative says the overall plan will provide for a cohesive and consistent harmony across the various components, with a focus on walkability and unity between the new development and the existing properties nearby.
The PUD request includes six key items:
- Establishing a primary internal drive from 66th Street,
- Preserving the existing wash corridor and including adjacent pedestrian improvements,
- Establishing uniform development standards and design guidelines,
- Strengthening walkability,
- Respecting the site’s high visibility, and
- Focusing on a modern and contemporary architectural style.
The City of Phoenix has not yet announced any meeting or hearing schedules for the request.
The developer is JLB Partners. Womack + Hampton Architects LLC is the architect. The landscape architect is Hillman Workshop. Civil engineering is through Kimley-Horn & Associates, and CivTech is the traffic engineer. The project is represented by Snell & Wilmer, LLP.
Land Auction at the SEC
Not only is a major development planned at the NEC, but the SEC could soon see its own major changes as well.
Mark Edelman, executive planner for special projects and economic development initiatives at the Arizona State Land Department, posted a message on LinkedIn recently congratulating developer Michael Lieb and partner K. Hovnanian on the recent successful auction purchase of approximately 44 acres at the SEC of Mayo and 64th Street.
The purchase price, according to Edelman and the ASLD website, was $20.9M.
The property is currently zoned for single-family uses. Given the density and type of development in the surrounding area, a rezoning and land-use change is highly likely, but requests for plan information submitted to K Hovnanian were not returned by press time.
