Controversial development near Steele Indian School Park gets Phoenix City Council approval

Corina Vanek, Arizona Republic
·2 min read
1

A plan to develop a long-vacant lot adjacent to Steele Indian School Park was unanimously approved by the Phoenix City Council on Wednesday, despite some opposition from neighbors who claimed a previous version of the project was preferable.

The development, called Central Park, was first approved in 2019 by the Phoenix City Council, but the office-centric development is no longer a feasible option, said Benjamin Tate, an attorney who is representing Central Park’s developer, Phoenix-based Pivotal Group.

“We had been moving full-steam ahead in 2019, but COVID changed everyone’s plans,” Tate said.

The project now has a more residential focus, with 1,450 residential units, including for-rent and for-sale options, planned on the roughly 18-acre site.

In total, the proposed project includes:

  • A 21-story apartment tower.

  • Two eight-story apartment towers.

  • An 18-story office tower.

  • A grocery store.

  • A 21-story condominium tower.

  • A 320-unit senior living complex.

  • 78,000 square feet total of restaurants and retail space.

  • A public open-space plaza.

  • 1,450 total residential units.

Most of the proposed retail, except the grocery store, is accessed through the interior of the site, not the major thoroughfares that border the land.

Opponents contend new design less compatible with park

Ken Waters, a resident who appealed the previous approval from the city’s planning hearing officer, said the changes between the 2019 proposal and the new plan have made the project unpalatable.

Waters said the adjustments, which altered the orientation of the buildings and disrupted the view corridor for historic buildings in the park, made the site less walkable and less compatible with the park.

Farrington Drive, which marks the northern boundary of the site, could be a remarkable gateway into the park, Waters said, calling it “a diamond in the rough.”

“Farrington is the gateway into our premier park,” Waters said. “Right now, it is in dog doo-doo shape.”

The pedestrian corridor through the planned Central Park site now leads to Farrington, instead of closer to the park’s entrance, which was proposed in 2019.

Waters suggested putting approval on pause and having Pivotal Group, the council and the public convene on possibilities for the site and come up with a plan that would maximize the use and benefit the park.

Councilwoman: Plan includes what neighbors wanted

Councilmember Laura Pastor, whose district includes the site, said the proposal includes most of the elements that the community had been asking for, including restaurants and connectivity with the park.

“Indian School and Central is key, because it connects everything,” Pastor said.

2024 resolutions: Here's what Phoenix council members want to see for the city in the new year

Reach the reporter at cvanek@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @CorinaVanek.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix council OKs 18-acre project near Steele Indian School Park