By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
COVID and the social and market repercussions of the post-pandemic shift have created new development opportunities yielding tens of millions of square feet and hundreds of thousands of new units, not to mention hundreds of millions of words written about the phenomenon over tens of thousands of news articles.
One equally interesting but less frequently reported on phenomenon is how the market changes have brought many projects that had previously sat idle off the sidelines and back into the development pipeline.
One such project that’s certain to add significantly to the coverage word count once other outlets realize it exists is the plan for The Central Park from Pivotal Group. After sitting on hold for nearly four years, Pivotal Group recently applied to the City of Phoenix for a Planning Hearing Officer action to modify or remove seven stipulations attached to the original approval so the project may once again move forward and incorporate the changes spurred by “the new normal.”
The hearing is scheduled for August 16, according to a notice from the Phoenix Planning & Development Department.
Central Park History
The original development plan called for six towers between 165 and 355 feet in height with office, multifamily, senior living, hotel and retail components on more than 17.8 gross acres at the NEC of Central Avenue and Indian School Road in Phoenix next to Steele Indian School Park.
When the project rezoning was approved by Phoenix City Council in July 2019, it was touted as a “catalyst and a linchpin” that could spur development in the area. Groundbreaking at the time was expected by August 2021.
The original plan called for:
- 250 market-rate apartments,
- 150 condominiums,
- 200 senior-housing units,
- 760KSF total of commercial office space divided between two towers, and
- A 200-room hotel.
In March 2020, it was reported that Pivotal representatives said they were working with the City to finalize plans and were marketing the project to potential tenants, adding that the final construction timeline would be determined by tenant commitments and market demand.
And there the status lingered.
A review of status notes for the project in the DATABEX project database shows Pivotal Group maintained an interest in the project and remained responsive to requests for information, but that there was little in the way of actual movement. Highlights from the DATABEX status timeline include:
- 8/12/20: Representatives said: “In regards to if we will be developing all portions or selling off any parcels to separate developers, no direction has been decided yet.”
- 11/30/20: “No new information available.”
- 3/1/21: “The project is on hold.”
- 10/22/21: “The project is still on hold.”
- 1/3/22: “A Zoning Adjustment was applied for and approved in November 2021 that gives the developer 2 years to apply & pay for building permits.”
- 4/22/22: “…nothing new has been submitted to the City.”
- 12/21/22: “The project is still on hold with no plans to move forward at this time.”
- 12/28/22: “They are doing a re-visioning design charrette in January and should have a better idea about the new direction of their project by then.”
- 2/20/23: “They are currently in the review process, once finalized and ready they will reach back out to us.”
- 5/29/23: “Per Phoenix planning as of 5/9/23: Nothing new has been filed with the City.”
Then, finally, enough stars aligned to warrant this entry:
- 7/14/23: “Stipulation Modification request is scheduled to be heard at the 8/16/23 Planning Hearing Officer meeting. The scope of the project has changed from 6 buildings to 7 buildings.”
The New Vision
The application requesting the stipulation changes prepared by Withey Morris Baugh, the firm representing the project, lays out how the vision has evolved since the original 2019 approval: “This firm represents Central Park I, LLC in its request to update the stipulations from its 2019 zoning case and allow the development of a modern urban mixed-use development as envisioned by original approvals. In the four years that have passed since this project was originally approved, the world has changed dramatically – and along with it the market and demand for land uses across the spectrum both locally and globally. The City of Phoenix is in the midst of a serious housing supply crisis, and a global pandemic has forever changed the way people work, shop, and dine. The new land use plan reflects these new realities – responding to the City’s housing supply challenges with a more robust residential component, reducing the commercial office offerings, and reimagining the retail and restaurant experience to reflect consumer preferences and patterns.
“This four-year intermission has also provided the development team an opportunity to evaluate the functionality and practicality of the original conceptual design more carefully and thoughtfully. The updated site layout reflects the lessons learned with a simpler, more efficient, and more accessible configuration that maintains fidelity to the intent of the original development concept and the Uptown TOD Plan. Central Park I, LLC is pleased to bring this application forward for a unique, walkable, and vibrant mixed-use development that will provide the urban hub of activity that has long been envisioned for this site and for the Uptown Phoenix corridor.”
In total, the updated plan for The Central Park features 1,450 residential units, 245KSF of office and 78KSF of ground-floor retail and restaurant space. The seven buildings are configured in three “blocks” to be accessed by internal streets on both north/south and east/west orientations. The project was originally planned on a diagonal corridor, but the updated proposal claims the new grid configuration will be more accessible for both vehicle-based and pedestrian users.
According to the narrative project overview, “The northwest block of the development (buildings D, E, and G as noted on the Conceptual Site Plan) will feature a 21-story residential tower, an 18-story office tower, and a market/grocer space with an adjacent restaurant. The northwest block (buildings H and F) will offer a 21-story condo tower and a 320-unit senior independent living community over an 8KSF ground-floor restaurant/retail space. The residential and office towers in the northwest and northeast blocks will feature podium construction and each building will accommodate its own parking.”
It goes on to say, “The updated design concept is anchored by a centralized open space plaza that will serve as the center of activity and gathering place for the development. Flanked on three sides by ground-floor restaurant and retail spaces with outdoor patios, this space is designed to be the nucleus of The Central Park… As illustrated in the renderings, the plaza will be adorned with turf areas, shade trees, seating areas, lighting, and art to create a comfortable, inviting, and vibrant space for visitors to dine, shop, gather, and relax. Above the ground-floor restaurant and retail spaces in the southern block of the development are a pair of eight-story luxury multi-family communities (buildings A, B, and C), bisected by the grand pedestrian corridor and gateway running from the corner of Central & Indian School to the main plaza.”
The PHO hearing is scheduled for August 16. The Pivotal Group (Central Park I LLC) is the owner and developer. AO Architects is the design firm, and the project is represented by Withey Morris Baugh, PLC.
