A downtown Phoenix redevelopment project that has been years in the making is nearing the start of construction, with early preconstruction activity on Central Station expected to begin in the first quarter of 2022.
Nick Wood, partner at Snell & Wilmer and zoning attorney for the project, said the developer, Houston-based Medistar Corp., is in the process of obtaining final permits for demolition and construction for the project.
The Phoenix City Council approved the lease and development agreement for the transit depot, located at Central Avenue and Polk Street, in April 2019 after a request for proposals was issued for redevelopment of the transit depot site, and Medistar was the chosen developer. Respondents to the request were required to submit ideas that incorporated the two light rail stations and bus station that are already on the site.
The Covid-19 pandemic did cause plans for the project to alter slightly, Wood said. The original plan called for a tower that would include apartment and hotel units, and a tower that would include Arizona State University student housing.
“Once Covid hit, the hotel industry got hit very hard,” Wood said.
