Arizona State University’s drive to develop lakeshore land went from slow to fast to slow again — all in the course of a week.
The university shifted into slow mode Friday on its planned Marina Heights by telling Tempe it wasn’t ready for the city to formally consider the massive development at Town Lake.
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But earlier in the week, ASU surprised the city by begging for rapid approval of the longstalled project.
Several groups bristled at ASU’s request for a quick approval because of plans for a pair of roughly 300-foot towers near Hayden Butte.
The tall buildings disturbed Tempe, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Tempe-based US Airways because they’re under a flight path.
ASU and its developer, Tempe-based SunCor, realized the plan had worried others and decided to slow things down.
“We just don’t want a project that one of those entities isn’t going to feel completely satisfied about,” said Randy Levin, a SunCor executive. “That’s just the kind of company we are.”
Marina Heights would run along Town Lake’s south shore and include 3.8 million square feet of offices, condos, hotel rooms and shops. It would meld with the existing Hayden Ferry Lakeside at Rio Salado Parkway and Mill Avenue, which is another SunCor project, and give the developer control of the lakefront from Mill to Rural Road. That’s a mile.
Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman said he was pleased Sun-Cor wanted to slow down because it didn’t seem ASU, the airline and SunCor had talked to each other enough yet.
“I’m grateful that SunCor has recognized that those conversations need to take place to work out all of those issues,” Hallman said.
The mayor questioned the density and the project’s “absurdly tall” buildings earlier in the week. He figures it’s the largest project in the city’s history and suggested its scope means more time is needed before the city considers it.
The City Council had been scheduled to consider Marina Heights at its regular meeting Thursday night. The requested delay means the city could postpone action until ASU and SunCor are ready again.
ASU has been studying how to develop its roughly 26 acres of lakeshore land since 2001. SunCor holds development rights and would buy about 10 acres for roughly $20 million under the current plan. ASU would lease the rest to Sun-Cor.
Tensions have run high between Tempe and ASU for years. The city has pressured the university to develop the land so it can get on the tax rolls, and so Tempe can collect fees for lake maintenance.
ASU asked the city on Tuesday to approve the plan by the end of June so the Arizona Board of Regents could approve the sale the same month. The delay makes it nearly impossible to meet ASU’s desired deadline.
Even communication between ASU and SunCor appeared problematic Friday. Levin said his company and ASU jointly requested the delay. But it was SunCor, not ASU, that requested the delay, said Virgil Renzulli, the university’s vice president for public affairs.
Garin Groff, Tribune
