by bryan | Apr 18, 2011 | Apartments, light rail corridor, News & Information
by Sadie Jo Smokey – Apr. 17, 2011 The Arizona Republic City bought apartments in 2009; buildings renovated Residents may begin moving into five blocks of affordable housing in north-central Phoenix by the end of May. The two-story brick buildings at Park Lee Apartments have fresh paint and new carpeting and appliances. The community clubhouse and three pools look new and sparkling. In December 2009, Phoenix used federal funds to buy the apartments, 1600 W. Highland Ave., to provide stability and affordable-housing options near the light-rail line. Park Lee is closest to the stop at Camelback Road and 19th Avenue. Tom Elgin, who lives in the Grandview Neighborhood east of the 523-unit community, said he’s extremely happy with the city’s effort to clean up the blighted area. “The police used to be there a lot,” Elgin said. “Drugs, graffiti . . . was a real problem. I’d paint over graffiti every weekend. All of that has basically gone away.” Kim Dorney, Phoenix Housing Department director, said the city paid about $5.2 million to buy the community, built in 1955. It consists of 34 buildings and sits on nearly 32 acres. Councilman Tom Simplot, who represents the area, told residents at a neighborhood meeting that city staff uncovered extensive water damage and vandalism in the multifamily community. Some units required extensive electrical repairs and upgrades. Angela Duncan, deputy housing director, said the city budgeted $5.36 million to rehabilitate the community in phases. Approximately 160 apartments will be available to rent by the end of May. Chain-link fencing surrounds the community to deter criminal activity. In July 2010, juvenile-arson-caused fires destroyed 12...
by bryan | Apr 16, 2011 | Event Calendar, News & Information
by Luci Scott – Apr. 14, 2011 The Arizona Republic The “SanTan Wheelie Jam,” a bicycle and beer festival, is scheduled for April 23 at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix. WHEN, WHERE Noon to 4 p.m. at the park, Central Avenue and Indian School Road. Light-rail stops are Central and Indian School or Central and Campbell Avenue. WHO For fans of road bikes, mountain bikes, BMX and tricycles. Festival is sponsored by the Tempe Bicycle Action Group and SanTan Brewing Company of Chandler. ACTIVITIES Wheelie competition, bike polo, roller racing, BMX demonstration, custom bike show, foot down/slow ride, bike mechanic build-off, mini/tall bike races, trials/fixie tricks demo, kids bike rodeo and safety demo, kids helmet decorating and displays of bikes. Beer sales will benefit Valley bike groups. MUSIC Necronauts, Hello the Mind Control, Liam & the Ladies, Tremulants and Amen Cowboy. Emcees include Leslie Barton and Tim Tagtmeyer. INFORMATION biketempe.org. Read...
by bryan | Apr 11, 2011 | Business, light rail corridor, News & Information
Healthy Choices, Fresh Produce in one easy location By Lynlee Smith This is a must visit whether you’re a local or just passing through the area, The Phoenix Public Market is a great place to pick up fresh locally-sourced produce, meats, dairy and packaged food items. Visit the Wine Bar, selling some of Arizonas finest gems, an extensive range of Arizona’s finest beer and wine. If your feeling the desire for a meal the Market Café offers great daily breakfast specials as well as delicious sandwiches, soups and salads to eat in or on the run. This market was introduced to the Phoenix area to increase the access to fresh and healthy food in an underserved area. It brings together the specialties of many local producers into one central location. The market has created a lot of job opportunities along with helping micro-businesses get started and build their capacity. This market is a great addition to the Phoenix area, creating a vibrant gathering place in the heart of the community. Open Hours– Year Round Rain or Shine Urban Grocery and Wine Bar Tuesday through Saturday, 7:00 am to 8:00 pm First Fridays, 7:00 am to 11:00 pm Open-Air Market Wednesdays, 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm Saturdays, 8:00 am to Noon (May through September) Saturdays, 8:00 am to 1:00 pm (October through April) The Market Accepts Mastercard, Visa and Food Stamps (SNAP) in both the Urban Grocery and Open Air Market. The Open-Air Market also accepts AZ FMNP, WIC cash value vouchers This is located on 721 N. Central, Phoenix, AZ. Get down and support your local...
by bryan | Apr 5, 2011 | light rail expansion, News & Information
by Gary Nelson – Apr. 4, 2011 The Arizona Republic Long before tracks are laid for Mesa’s next leg of light rail, the city is doing early spade work on an additional two miles of the line. The first light-rail extension, 3.1 miles from Sycamore Street to about Mesa Drive, is scheduled to open in 2016, provided federal and county money is available as promised. It is seen as a likely catalyst for redevelopment along Main Street, the western stretches of which are marked by numerous empty storefronts. But Mesa has said for years that ending the line near Mesa Drive doesn’t make sense, transportationwise. Pushing it to Gilbert Road, planners say, would greatly increase ridership by giving far more people easy access to the trains. So far, that idea has been nothing but talk. On Monday night, however, the City Council is likely to approve spending $500,000 to do early planning for the extra two miles. Mesa will contract the study with Valley Metro Rail Inc., which in turn will hire HDR Inc. to conduct the study. HDR did much of the planning for the Mesa Drive extension, which is now being designed. Mike James, Mesa’s transportation director, said the study will assess how much the extra tracks will cost, funding sources and issues for future environmental assessments. In a report to the council, James also said the study “involves identifying station locations, street configuration, significant utility relocations” and necessary support facilities. Public input would be part of the process. Money for the study became available, James said, through one-time savings in this year’s transportation budget. The Maricopa Association of...
by bryan | Apr 4, 2011 | light rail corridor, Market Report, News & Information
Light Rail Corridor Real Estate Trend: .5 miles from the tracks Residential Sales by Property Type: 3-year Trend Average and Median Sales Prices: 3-year Trend by Bryan Watkins, Light Rail Advisors We all know what happened during the past 3-4 years in the real estate economy here in the Phoenix Metro area, right? So what happened in the light rail corridor during that same time? Let’s focus on the light rail corridor, that spot in which taxpayers invested $1.4 Billion, or $13,258 per linear foot. Home prices stood in Q4 2007 at an average price of $266,000, and a median price of $215,000. The next 5 quarters were all downhill. The slide stopped in Q1 2009 at an average price of $104,000, and has been relatively flat up until the current time. We can see that actual numbers and trends in the chart below: Interesting to note is the type of property that was reported sold on MLS. Q1 2007 reported total sales at 86 units of all residential property types, with the breakdown as follows: 31 Single Family Detached 16 Apartment Style 5 Loft Style 30 Townhouse 4 Patio Home 86 Total From Q12007 forward, sales of residential property types started increasing until the current point at Q1 2011, where MLS reported the following: 110 Single Family Detached 139 Apartment Style 20 Loft Style 53 Townhouse 2 Patio Home 324 Total The light rail corridor real estate market has been moving along at an average 300+ unit quarterly sales rate for the past 4 quarters. Prices...
by bryan | Apr 2, 2011 | light rail expansion, News & Information
by Sean Holstege – Apr. 15, 2010 The Arizona Republic Planned extensions and routes Regional planners are mapping new light-rail lines in places that were inconceivable a few years ago, as they grapple with how urban Arizona takes shape in the coming half-century. Preliminary studies show that sufficient demand will exist for light rail to succeed on 44th Street, Camelback Road, south Central Avenue, Bell Road and other routes not previously planned, building a web far more expansive than what is currently envisioned. Officials at the Maricopa Association of Governments, Arizona Department of Transportation and Metro say the conceptual routes are not intended to replace the voter-approved plan for 57 miles of track. But early findings support leading transportation figures who say the Phoenix region has a historic opportunity to rethink light rail’s role – and maybe change some original routes. Driving the new ideas are changes in national policies, demographic trends and a deepening awareness of the causes and effects of the Great Recession. The federal government plans to ease funding for urban mass-transit projects, and Valley cities are adjusting their plans to cash in. Whatever happens may be decades away, with no money identified to build any of it. But transit and other leaders say the country is at a pivotal moment that could shape the future of cities like Phoenix. “It’s not economically sustainable to continue the infrastructure investments of the past. The times are long gone that highways and master-planned developments can be financed, publicly or privately,” said Shannon Scutari, ADOT’s director of rail and sustainability. Central Phoenix Councilman and Metro Chairman Tom Simplot said the changing...
