Penthouses for the well-heeled will top Chandler‘s tallest building.
Elevation Chandler, a 15-story residential/office tower planned just south of Chandler Fashion Center, got off the ground Thursday with unanimous approval from the City Council. No buildings in Chandler top five stories, although some industrial towers are taller, said city spokesman Dave Bigos.
The 194-foot building on the southwestern corner of Chandler Boulevard and Loop 101 will be part of a complex that also includes a future 10-story Marriott Renaissance ClubSport Hotel and a three-story parking garage.
The previously approved hotel tower also will be topped by penthouse condominiums.
In the adjacent 15-story tower, bottom floors will be set aside for businesses, with upper levels built as condos selling for an estimated $300,000 to $4 million. The hotel is expected to be open in 2007 and the offices and condos in 2008, said developer spokeswoman Lindsay Hicks.
Two residents who had earlier opposed the project because of its height didn’t speak before Thursday’s vote, which came after several other neighbors raved about the tower and its potential to increase surrounding property values.
Bill Donaldson and Leigh Rivers, who live in the Hearthstone neighborhood about a half-mile from the future tower, urged the council earlier not to allow such tall buildings.
"It’s OK to become more urban," developer Jeff Cline told the council, promoting his tower as an alternative to sprawl or commercial buildings that generate heavy traffic.
Although most of the parking spaces in the adjoining garage will be reserved for tower residents and businesses, about 100 spaces will be open to the public, potentially relieving parking problems at the adjoining mall, Cline said.
Edythe Jensen
The Arizona Republic
