Phoenix Art Museum offers free
admission
LightRailToday.com
Looking for something free to do on
a Tuesday evening? The Phoenix Art Museum offers free admission on Tuesdays
from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. While this may not include the special admissions
exhibits, it does include several main galleries. The Phoenix Art Museum has a
little bit of something for everyone: Modern, Contemporary, American, Latin
American, European, Asian and Fashion design. The museum is also free on First
Friday evenings (the first Friday of every month) from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The
Phoenix Art Museum is located at 1625 N. Central Ave.
METRO Light Rail Safety
LightRailToday.com
METRO is testing the light rail trains
more frequently throughout the Valley. Once light rail opens in late December,
there will be up to 50 trains operating on a daily basis. Many residents and
visitors are unaware of light rail operating procedures and safety issues. In
an effort to help inform the public, we are listing safety tips. Please visit
valleymetro.org for more information.
At intersections, never stop or park your car or bike on light rail tracks.
Stop on red and turn left only with a green arrow.
Never try to beat a train through the intersection.
Light rail trains are quiet. Listen for warning bells and watch for flashing headlights on the train.
Look both ways before crossing the tracks by car or bike.
Never drive a car or ride a bike in the light rail guideway.
Treat METRO high-voltage power lines with the same respect as utility company lines.
Don’t walk on or stand near the tracks.
Jaywalking is illegal and unsafe. Cross only at crosswalks and obey the crosswalk signals.
Be alert when near the tracks.
Remind your children to stop, look and listen – especially around light rail tracks.
Teach children to cross intersections only in a crosswalk and to obey all crosswalk signs.
Never allow children to play near the tracks and never fly kites or models near the high-voltage overhead power lines.
When walking with children, keep them together and away from the tracks.
Skateboarding, rollerblading and riding bicycles in the guideway or on light rail platforms is not permitted and is unsafe.
Light rail in the Valley is entirely new. Being aware of the light rail trains and tracks is key to being safe. Serious accidents - usually caused by pedestrians or motorists - have occurred in other cities with light rail. Do your part to help make METRO Light Rail the safest in the country and please stay alert.
Comedian Bill Maher is coming to
town
LightRailToday.com
Bill Maher, host of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, will be
performing stand-up comedy at Dodge Theatre on August 9 at 8 p.m. Dodge
Theatre is located in Downtown Phoenix at 400 W. Washington St. The
comedian/political satirist/commentator/author is the former host of Comedy
Central’s late-night talk show Politically
Incorrect. Bill Maher is ranked #38 on Comedy Central’s 100 Greatest
Stand-Ups of All Time list. Tickets start at $38.00 and can be purchased online
at LiveNation.com.
Head to Downtown Phoenix hotel for a
pool party
LightRailToday.com
Hotel San Carlos, at 202 N. Central
Ave., is hosting three pool parties a week until Labor Day. The Poolside parties
begin on Friday evenings and continue Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. Live
bands, DJs and a full bar are on hand every Friday. DJs provide entertainment
at the rooftop pool on Saturdays and Sundays, plus there’s no cover charge.
Revelers must be 18 or older. Hotel San Carlos is a historic, 121 room boutique
hotel in the heart of Downtown Phoenix. Mae West, Clark Gable, Cary Grant,
Spencer Tracy, Jean Harlow, Gary Cooper and Humphrey Bogart were all guests of
the hotel. Hotel San Carlos is located one block south of the Van Buren &
Central light rail station.
Mesa to celebrate arrival of light
rail
LightRailToday.com
On the morning of August 6th,
Mesa will host a commemorative light rail ride. Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, Mesa
City Council members, METRO CEO Rick Simonetta and others, will be onboard for
the first commemorative ride into Mesa. The light rail train is scheduled to
arrive at the Main St. and Sycamore station at 10 a.m. A celebration will be
held at the Sycamore Transit Center.
New ASU Downtown Phoenix dorm to
welcome first residents on August 20th
LightRailToday.com
Taylor Place, at 120 E. Taylor St.
in Downtown Phoenix, will open its first of two student housing towers on
August 20th. The 13-story dorm will provide living space for 744 students. The
second residential tower, to open in August of 2009, will house an additional
544 students. Taylor Place is a full service dorm that will feature in-hall
dining, an in-hall fitness center, in-hall UPS store and retail stores, in-hall
tutoring services, laundry facilities and lounges on each floor and a 24 hour
courtesy desk. Rooms are fully furnished and all utilities, basic cable and
high-speed internet are included in the rent. Taylor Place is located two
blocks northeast of the Van Buren and Central Ave. light rail station.
New mixed use projects going up in
Downtown Tempe
LightRailToday.com
Tempe Gateway and the Fifth &
Mill Building are both mixed use projects that are currently under construction
in Downtown Tempe. Tempe Gateway, at the northwest corner of 3rd St. and Mill
Ave., will have 235,000 sq. ft. of office space and 25,000 sq. ft. of street
level retail. The project will bridge the gap that once existed between the
Mill Avenue District and Tempe Town Lake. Tempe Gateway is adjacent to the 3rd
St. and Mill Ave. light rail station.
The Fifth and Mill Building, at the
northeast corner of Fifth St. and Mill Ave., will have street level retail and
11,000 sq. ft. of office space on the second floor. The third floor will be
residential, featuring a pool and large outdoor decks with landscaping. The
Fifth and Mill Building is two blocks south of the 3rd St. and Mill Ave. light
rail station and two blocks west of the new Tempe Transit Center and the Fifth
St. and College light rail station.
Light rail rolls through downtown
Phoenix
LightRailToday.com
July 10, 2008 - This morning marked
the first time that a Metro light rail train entered downtown Phoenix. This was
the first daylight "live wire" test of the new system in downtown. At
about 10:30 a.m., the train traveled west along Washington St. and turned north
on Central Ave., coming to a stop at the Washington and Central Station.
Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, Metro's CEO Rick Simonetta and Chairman Tom Simplot
were along for the historic ride. Dozens of curious onlookers, Valley Metro
employees and the local media were in attendance. Regular testing will continue
in downtown, with plans to run the trains to the Montebello and 19th Ave. light
rail station later this summer.
Phoenix's urban street railway
history goes back 121 years
LightRailToday.com
New ASU Tempe student housing to
open in August
LightRailToday.com
Vista Del Sol, a new 10-building
student residential community at 701 E. Apache Blvd., will open in August. The
housing development will provide living space for 1,866 students. Developed by
American Campus Communities, the modern apartment community will feature
furnished 1,2,3 and 4-bedroom units.
Vista Del Sol will feature a 23,000 sq. ft. community center with a fitness
center, social lounge, game room, computer center and movie theater. The
project will also include a resort-style swimming pool, large sun deck, outdoor
lounge areas, basketball court and sand volleyball court. Vista Del Sol is
within walking distance of the Dorsey & Apache Blvd. light rail station.
Central and Camelback project could
reach 400 feet tall
LightRailToday.com
Towers at the southwest corner of
Central and Camelback could become the tallest outside of downtown Phoenix.
Local developer Reid Butler has plans to build three, 400 foot-tall skyscrapers
which will include 1,000 residential units, a 300 room hotel, retail and office
space. Butler will have to receive approval from the city for the height
increase, for which the site is currently approved for 250 feet. The site is
viewed as a crucial piece of the light rail community’s future. The newly
constructed Central Ave. and Camelback Rd. light rail and bus station runs
through the site.
Jaywalking
citations for light rail begin soon
LightRailToday.com
Police will
begin issuing citations in the amount of $156 to those who jaywalk across light
rail tracks. Police have begun issuing verbal warnings in an effort to educate
the public. Light rail safety will become a major issue with the public when
the trains begin operating. The cities involved hope to limit any future
injuries by informing the public of safety concerns. Using designated
crosswalks is the only safe and legal means of crossing the light rail tracks
and reaching light rail stations.
Morrison
Institute releases “Megapolitan” study
LightRailToday.com
ASU’s
Morrison Institute For Public Policy has released a study titled “Megapolitan:
Arizona’s Sun Corridor. The study creates a hypothetical, yet realistic
scenario for the year 2035. The study covers the state’s “Sun Corridor” which
runs from Prescott to Nogales. Currently, this corridor has a population of approximately
5 million and is expected to reach 10 million by 2040. Transportation is one of
the many topics covered by the study. Passenger rail is mentioned as a “real
means of reducing congestion along the Phoenix-Tucson I-10 corridor”. According
to the study, 225,000 vehicles currently use the I-10 daily and 400,000 are
projected for 2030.
End of light
rail construction celebrated
LightRailToday.com
A ceremony
was held today, April 28th, in celebration of a milestone – the end
of Metro’s light rail construction.
While miles of electrical line remain to be strung and station platform
work continues, the concrete pours and laying of steel track are complete on
the initial 20-mile route. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, Councilman Tom Simplot,
CEO of Metro Rail, Rick Simonetta and others marked the occasion at a ceremony
held at the Camelback Road and Central Avenue light rail station. A
commemorative silver plaque was laid upon the concrete near the station.
Metro Rail
will now focus on completing the required 2,000 hours of testing. Metro also
plans to launch an educational campaign to inform the public of light rail
operating procedures. The grand opening day is scheduled for December 27th
of this year.
Future light
rail corridor growth areas identified
LightRailToday.com
Colliers
International recently released a new report on the Valley’s future growth
areas. Not surprisingly, the light rail corridor, downtown Phoenix and downtown
Mesa are among the key growth areas for future commercial and mixed-use
projects. The annual report, called 2020 Vision, identifies 32 categories of
commercial and industrial real estate.
The report
states that the 20-mile light rail corridor will be the most active area of
growth in the near future. A new Mesa Community College, partnered with NAU and
Mesa Public Schools, is planned to be built on four acres at University and
Mesa Drives. The bioscience campus in downtown Phoenix is also cited as a major
development that will continue to attract new development. New commercial and industrial
development within the light rail community will increase the demand for
residential housing.
Luxurious
light rail apartments in Tempe
LightRailToday.com
Apache
Boulevard will soon be home to a brand new 408 unit luxury apartment complex
that will feature 300 parking spaces for light rail commuters. Equinox, by Gray
Development, is a $75 million rental community being built at the corner of
Apache Boulevard and McClintock Drive. The city of Tempe worked with Gray
Development to incorporate the required park and ride spaces into the project.
The
apartments will be built around a 956 space parking structure, 300 of which are
set aside for light rail park and ride commuters. The apartments will range in
size from 483 square feet up to 1,060 square feet and will be available as
one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. Monthly rent will start at approximately
$850. The community will feature apartments with 9-foot ceilings, full-size
washers and dryers, security systems, secure parking, a clubhouse and fitness
center, swimming pool and spa. This project is the first luxurious residential
rental community to be built along Apache Boulevard.
Light rail
cracks: Mystery Solved!
LightRailToday.com
Zeta-Tech
Associates, of New Jersey, has solved the mystery of the light rail cracks.
According to their report, the use of plasma torches to cut drainage areas
caused damage, which created brittle areas and small cracks. Sharp angle
cutting also caused additional damage, the report states. The repairs are being
made and Metro says that this will not delay the scheduled opening in late
December.
It is still
not clear as to who will pay for the cost of repairs and the $60,000
consultation fee to Zeta-Tech. Metro is currently determining the issue of
accountability.
CityScape
set to reshape downtown Phoenix
LightRailToday.com
CityScape, the
2.5 million square foot, three city block, $900 million mixed-use development,
has announced major tenants for its first phase. Wachovia will not only move
into the new, 600,000 square foot office tower upon completion in late 2009,
but will also have the naming rights to the building. RED Development also
announced that Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, based in San Francisco, will
build a 250-room luxury boutique hotel at CityScape called Hotel Palomar.
Other
companies that have already committed to CityScape are AJ's Fine Foods, Twelve
Hotels & Residences, P.F. Chang's China Bistro and Squire, Sanders &
Dempsey L.L.P. AJ’s Fine Foods will be the first full-service grocery store to
open in downtown. The first phase of CityScape is projected to open in late
2009, with final phases completed by 2011.
Marriott
moving into downtown Tempe, replacing old college bars
LightRailToday.com
Marriott has
begun construction of an 11-story, 185 room hotel at the corner of Fifth Street
and Forest Avenue in downtown Tempe. The site is located directly across the
street from the new light rail transit center. The site was once home to a
popular college bar called Bandersnatch Brew Pub. The new Marriott Residence
Inn will feature a ground floor restaurant and retail as well as an adjacent
parking structure. Select items from Bandersnatch will be placed inside the new
restaurant.
Marriott is
also expected to begin construction of another hotel at the corner of Mill
Avenue and Seventh Street, just blocks away from the Marriott Residence Inn.
The new Marriott Club Sport will feature 240 rooms, a 46,000 square foot health club and 25,000
square feet of meeting space. This site was also once home to a popular Tempe
college bar called Long Wong’s. No word regarding whether or not any
memorabilia from Long Wong’s will make its way into the new development.
Scottsdale
joins Valley Metro Rail
LightRailToday.com
The
Scottsdale City Council voted 4-3 in favor of joining Valley Metro Rail.
Scottsdale is the seventh city to join Metro Rail, which now includes the
cities of Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, Peoria and Scottsdale. The
city will spend $50,000 annually to take part in future light rail expansion
studies. There have been some unofficial reports that Scottsdale plans to
extend light rail north along Scottsdale Road through Old Town. However, there
are currently no official plans by Scottsdale or Metro Rail to add light rail
to the city.
Sheraton
opens Four Points Hotel in Tempe
LightRailToday.com
Starwood
Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has opened a 187 room Four Points Hotel at
the Southeast corner of Apache Boulevard and Rural Road in Tempe. The 40
year-old property was a Holiday Inn, which Sheraton spent seven months and $10
million renovating. The newly renovated Four Points Hotel features a
full-service restaurant, a Seattle's Best coffee bar, a deli and a bar. The
company also bought an adjacent property and plans to build a 150 room,
extended-stay hotel which will open in late 2009. Both properties are within
walking distance of two light rail stations.
