At the Sept. 7 Regular Council Meeting, the Tempe City Council acknowledged its commitment to the project and its partners, Guina Affiliated Development and Desert Viking Development.
Danelle Plaza first opened in 1963 at the southwest corner of Mill and Southern avenues. Over the last nearly 60 years, dozens of restaurants, bars and retail shops have been located in the mall, including music venues and a skateboard park. A temporary Tempe City Hall was once housed in the plaza while the current City Hall was under construction.
Today, Danelle Plaza has several vacancies and is in need of rejuvenation. While there have been other efforts to redevelop Danelle Plaza over the last 30 years, none have come as far as the current opportunity with Guina Affiliated Development and Desert Viking. This team has significant experience in re-envisioning and redeveloping historic properties. Yucca Tap Room’s ownership is working with the development teams and is fully supportive of the project.
Danelle Plaza’s development was a very innovative concept at the time. Retailers purchased parcels within the development, much like residential condominiums. At one point, there were 50 landowners. This condition has created roadblocks to assembling the property. There are six remaining property owners. The City of Tempe is the primary landowner of Danelle Plaza, holding 3.14 of the 14-acre property.
City staff is working with property owners and developers to complete the final property assemblage so that a vision for the land can be created. Without the exact parameters, it is nearly impossible to design a project.
Tempe’s Economic Development staff is in the process of evaluating the purchase price of City-owned parcels, exploring public benefits and considering economic incentives that would allow the creation of a Development Agreement. It is expected that an agreement will be ready for Tempe City Council’s consideration by Dec. 1.
The Council action on Sept. 7 did not include the sale of city-owned land at Danelle Plaza or approval of any project. That will require additional Council approvals and will involve a traditional Development Agreement. People will have opportunities to provide comments on a proposed project at Danelle Plaza.
(Source: City of Tempe)
