by bryan | Oct 26, 2011 | Light Rail Business, light rail corridor, News & Information
October 26, 2011 Opinions [Editor’s Note: Cityscape is a significant development in downtown Phoenix and to the growth of business success in the light rail corridor. Light Rail Advisors founded LightRailConnect.com and LightRailConnect Magazine to complement this goal] Exciting developments are happening in Phoenix. Not only is Phoenix one of the most desirable places in America to live, it is becoming one of the most ideal places to work. Phoenix is receiving another boost in the coming months with UnitedHealthcare’s move to the CityScape building in downtown. As one of the state’s largest health and well-being companies, serving more than 1.2 million Arizonans, UnitedHealthcare employs a broad workforce in Phoenix, including information-technology specialists, claims processors, clinical teams and health-plan leadership. This relocation further reinforces the company’s commitment to Phoenix as both an employer and community partner. We have been working with business leaders for months to bolster the economic engine that is downtown; and with UnitedHealthcare transferring such a large workforce there, nearby businesses should also benefit from increased foot traffic and economic activity. UnitedHealthcare’s move to CityScape represents yet another positive step in further establishing Phoenix as a world-class city. We are excited about building upon this recent success and can’t wait to see what the future holds for Phoenix and our residents. – Phil Gordon, Phoenix– Jeri Jones, Phoenix Gordon is mayor of Phoenix. Jones is CEO of UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual of Arizona. ...
by bryan | Oct 26, 2011 | Entertainment, Light Rail Business, light rail corridor, light rail expansion, Mesa City
by Southeast Valley editorial board – Oct. 26, 2011 Our View Courtesy of the Arizona Republic [Editor’s Note: Light Rail Advisors fully supports the 3.1 mile light rail extension into downtown and to Mesa Drive. The company started LightRailConnect.com and the LightRainConnect Magazine to support business and economic growth in the light rail corridor] Mesa has a rare light-rail mulligan. And, thankfully, it knows it. The city dithered on advance planning for its initial, half-mile leg. It didn’t do enough to encourage and integrate development at its initial station. By the time it finally offered some much-needed direction for the area, the economy was in freefall. Not surprisingly, where Phoenix and Tempe have reaped billions of dollars in investment along light rail, Mesa has yet to see any appreciable economic benefit. But that’s not likely to be the case this time, now that the city is preparing for its next 3 miles of track. Mesa began studying options for redevelopment as soon as it approved the route through downtown to Mesa Drive and, eventually, Gilbert Road. Two years later, the city has created its Central Main Street Plan, a detailed yet flexible set of guidelines to help manage the change it knows is coming. Mesa also is nearly finished with a form-based zoning code for the area, which would focus less on segregating uses and more on ensuring buildings are well-designed. Those documents should be in place long before light rail opens in 2016, offering the clarity and predictability investors need to make serious infill and redevelopment proposals. And that’s important, even if the market for condominiums and high-rise buildings remains weak, because...
by bryan | Oct 26, 2011 | Entertainment, Event Calendar, Light Rail Business, light rail corridor, LightRailConnect.com Magazine, News & Information
Halloween on Mill Avenue Mill Avenue District Mill Avenue and University DriveTempe, AZ, 85281 PHONE: 480-921-2300 October 28, 2011 – October 31, 2011 Monday, Friday, Saturday [Editors Note: Light Rail Advisors supports nightlife and events in the light rail corridor. We have developed LightRailConnect.com and the LightRailConnect Magazine to push Live, Work, Play near the tracks.] Mill Avenue plays host to an unintentional costume parade each Halloween. Early in the day, families march their adorable ghosts and goblins up and down Mill. When the sun sets, young adults bounce from bar to bar in their showiest outfits. There will be plenty of life, or the undead, roaming throughout the weekend, so be sure to get there early to get into the bar of your choice. Pop into Canteen Modern Tequila for a great dance floor and tasty cocktails, Mill Cue Club to mingle with Arizona State University students, or Rula Bula for a more eclectic and laidback vibe....
by bryan | Oct 26, 2011 | Entertainment, Light Rail Business, light rail corridor, News & Information
by Megan Finnerty and Kellie Hwang – Oct. 19, 2011 Courtesy of The Arizona Republic [Editors Note: Light Rail Advisors developed LightRailConnect.com and the LightRailConnect Magazine that make it easy to Live, Work, and Play near the light rail tracks.] Although downtown Phoenix’s dining and drinking destinations are on the rise, quality late-night options can seem limited. Here’s a sampling of five of the best. Hanny’s This stylish lunch, dinner and late-night restaurant is known for super-thin-crust pizzas and idiosyncratic offerings, including Pork Milanese, a prosciutto and hearts of palm sandwich and an arugula salad. Crowds come for the cocktails and to see and be seen. Details: 40 N. First St., Phoenix. 602-252-2285, hannys.net. District American Kitchen and Wine Bar The bar and restaurant at the Sheraton Downtown Phoenix is a comfortable and unexpectedly trendy place to grab happy hour with the post-work crowd, to see live DJs on weekends or to slip in for a late drink after a show at the Herberger Theater Center. Details: 320 N. Third St., Phoenix. 602-817-5400, districtrestaurant.com. Copper Blues At CityScape, this bar and lounge serves the Stand Up Live comedy club with a classed-up comfort food menu designed by notable Valley chef Aaron May. The second-story patio offers stunning views of downtown. Details: 50 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix. 480-719-5005, copperblueslive.com. Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery This rowdy chain restaurant and bar is known for skimpy-kilt-wearing servers and hearty portions of Shepherd’s Pie, potato skins and Gaelic chicken. That said, it’s mostly about the sexy servers. Details: 2 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. 602-293-3888, tiltedkilt.com. Coach & Willie’s This upscale sports bar and restaurant has an inviting patio and an interior filled with cushy seating, almost-countless televisions and several...
by bryan | Oct 24, 2011 | light rail corridor, light rail expansion
by Gary Nelson – Oct. 21, 2011 01:50 AM Courtesy of the Arizona Republic [Editor’s Note: Light Rail Advisors, owners of LightRailConnect.com, supports the continued development of light rail further east to Gilbert Drive in Mesa] Downtown Mesa is going to change. Always has, always will. The question, city planner Jeff McVay told the City Council on Thursday, is whether those coming changes will create a viable, livable city center or something less attractive. That’s why he has overseen a citizens committee developing a comprehensive plan for the light-rail corridor from Country Club Drive to Gilbert Road After 21 meetings over the past two years, that committee’s work is done and the plan is now headed toward council approval, probably early this coming winter. As if to dispel any nostalgia for the downtown of old, McVay showed the council several pictures showing that there have been several such downtowns – the horse-and-buggy downtown, the downtown that existed when Main Street was actually U.S. 60, and the eclectic downtown of today. The next one will be the downtown of light rail, possibly evolving into a dense urban core of mid-rise buildings with a variety of business and residential uses. The most intense uses are expected to be in the square-mile downtown area and next to future light-rail stops where Main Street intersects with Stapley Drive and Gilbert Road. It’s not just light rail that will transform the area, McVay said. Baby Boomers are showing an increased proclivity for living in transit-rich urban areas with numerous amenities, so downtowns are likely to draw new residents in coming decades. The plan outlines five basic...
by bryan | Oct 24, 2011 | light rail corridor, News & Information
Phoenix, AZ. October 24, 2011 Information Line. Today the LRA Real Estate Group announced the expansion of their property management division into the important light rail corridor in the Phoenix metro area. The company will initially focus on single family homes for local and out of state investors, but is developing the platform for commercial property management. “This is a natural progression in our service offerings to our clients”, stated Bryan Watkins, the Designated Broker for the firm. He added: “we have calls every month asking about property management options, and felt it was the right time to respond to client requests.” LRA Real Estate manages portfolios of properties in Phoenix, Mesa and Gilbert, and is poised to expand into other metro cities in the next few months. If an investor has questions about the property management service, please call Bryan Watkins @ 480.734.7878 to discuss your unique requirements. LRA Real Estate Group, LLC is a locally owned and operated real estate firm that was formed in 2010 to provide residential and commercial real estate brokerage, consulting, and property management services....
