More than 20 tenants in downtown Phoenix must find new homes before their offices are transformed into ASU classrooms -- but several say they don't have hard feelings.
The city of Phoenix has acquired two buildings for ASU classrooms - the Park Place building at 500 N. 3rd St., which will house the College of Nursing, and an office building at 411 N. Central Ave., which will eventually be home to the College of Public Programs and the University College.
"It was actually convenient for us," said Shannon Hickey, a manager at Alcock & Associates, which was in the Central Avenue building. "We were planning on moving anyway."
While Joan Borter, executive director of Arizona Masonry Guild, was disappointed about leaving behind "a beautiful masonry interior office" in the Central Avenue building, she said she hoped ASU would rejuvenate downtown business.
"We're very happy in our new location" at 99 E. Virginia Ave. in Phoenix, Borter added.
Each tenant's fate was based on their lease agreements, said Mary Vivian-Woodrow, deputy finance director for Phoenix. Businesses would have to relocate if they were in a space ASU needed.
But if ASU did not need a particular office, a new lease with the new owners would be signed, she said.
Phoenix has spent $100 million to purchase about 16 acres for the Downtown campus and to renovate two office buildings, said Jason Harris, Phoenix's economic development program manager.
The city has acquired five other properties through eminent domain for the campus, Harris said. Those properties are on Central Avenue and First Avenue, and no specific uses for the areas have been defined.
Lease negotiations for two other properties that will be a major part of ASU's Downtown Phoenix campus could be completed by the end of the year, said Steve Nielsen, assistant vice president for University real estate development.
ASU is in discussions to use the Ramada Inn-Downtown for student housing next fall.
The University is also finalizing a lease agreement with the historic post office at the corner of Central Avenue and Fillmore Street, Nielsen said.
ASU hopes to occupy the space by July 2006 with student services, as well as the Provost's Office, he said. The retail counters and mailboxes would remain while mail delivery would be moved.
By fall 2008, a new student union could be created at the post office, Nielsen said.
Reach the reporter at grayson.steinberg@asu.edu.
