Phoenix wants to transform its downtown transit hub into a vibrant mixed-use development. The 2.56-acre site, a full city block in the heart of the Innovation District (PHX Core), is described as “one of the most valuable pieces of land in downtown Phoenix.”
With the issue of a request for proposals (RFP) at the end of June, the city has officially begun its search for a developer to enhance downtown’s Central Station with retail, restaurant, office and residential components.
The Site
The Central Station site, located at 300 N. Central Avenue, is a multi-modal transit hub and the primary transfer point for the city’s light rail and bus systems. The parcel was appraised in October 2017 at $12.286 million.
Its zoning is Downtown Code–Business Core, which permits residential, commercial and office space.
According to the appraisal, this is one of the largest development sites in the downtown area. Vacant parcels are hard to find here, and sites within the Business Core zoning district that are eligible for high-rise development are especially rare.
More than 195,000 employees work in Phoenix’s Central Business District, where urban renewal activity has accelerated, thanks to such large-scale projects as the multiphase CityScape development, the Freeport-McMoRan Center office tower, and the Phoenix Convention Center—which brings in nearly a million guests annually and has been ranked among the country’s top ten convention centers.
Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix campus and the Phoenix Biomedical Campus—which will eventually include more than six million square feet of clinical, research and medical office space—have contributed to the growth of a dynamic tech sector here.
The Central Station site is bordered on the north by Civic Space Park. Other nearby highlights include Chase Field stadium (home of the Arizona Diamondbacks), Talking Stick Resort Arena and the Roosevelt Row Artists’ District. In addition to an array of dining, shopping and urban living options, the downtown area offers 14 live music venues.
The development site includes a 4,960-square-foot, one-story terminal building, which was built in 1997 and refurbished in 2010. The winning proposal is expected to include enhanced transit passenger amenities at this terminal, such as shade structures, seating and bicycle racks.
The Project
The city wants to see Central Station transformed into an iconic transit-oriented development. The goal is to add compatible mixed-use elements that will support “transit ridership as well as urban living.” These new components may include office, hotel, retail, restaurant, residential, and/or civic space.
“If the proposed development is residential in nature,” according to the RFP, “the proposer should consider a variety of dwelling unit types and ownership models to attract a range of household income brackets.”
The proposed project must maintain the site’s current transit uses while also incorporating “enhanced pedestrian-oriented amenities” and “promoting walkability.” In addition, all aspects of the project should emphasize sustainability.
Because the site is adjacent to the historic Board of Education Building, the RFP specifies that improvements near that structure “shall be subject to design review by the City’s Historic Preservation Office (HPO) during the permitting process.”
The Proposal
The deadline for submission of proposals is August 23, 2018. In order to qualify for consideration, a developer must have completed at least one vertical project of at least seven stories within the last five years.
The city also stipulates a minimum annual lease payment of $614,300, with a Consumer Price Index adjustment to be applied every ten years. In addition to the financial return to the city, proposals should detail “other tangible public benefits,” which may include “new jobs, business opportunities, increased transit ridership, civic space, community amenities, bicycle facilities, shared public parking, workforce housing, pet friendly spaces, and/or public art.”
Proposals will be evaluated and scored by a panel made up of city, community and development representatives. The city council will then make the final decision. The winning proposal is expected to be announced this fall.
