Title
Southeast Corner of Central Avenue and Broadway Road - Authorization to Issue Disposition and Redevelopment Solicitation - District 7
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the disposition and redevelopment of City-owned property located at the southeast corner of Central Avenue and Broadway Road.
Report
Summary
The City owns several vacant parcels located at the southeast corner of Central Avenue and Broadway Road (Site). This Site is comprised of approximately 3.35 acres and is adjacent to the South Central Light Rail. The Site has a mixture of zoning including C-1 - Neighborhood Retail, P-1 - Parking, and R-5 - Multifamily and the majority of the site is zoned as C-3 - General Commercial.
In the early 1990s, the Neighborhood Services Department (NSD) purchased the Site for the elimination of blight, and NSD continues to manage the Site. In 2022, City Council approved an updated list of City-owned parcels ideal for affordable or mixed-income housing development, consistent with the third initiative of the Housing Phoenix Plan, Redevelop City-Owned Land with Mixed-Income Housing. The Site is included on this list.
City staff are pursuing rezoning of the Site to Walkable Urban Code (WU Code) to be consistent with the recommendations in the South Central Transit-Oriented Development Community Plan. Rezoning the Site prior to issuing a solicitation will allow for more significant proposals that meet the intent of the Housing Phoenix and the adopted South Central TOC plans.
With approval, CED will issue a solicitation seeking redevelopment proposals for the Site. Proposers will be required to demonstrate experience successfully completing at least one mixed-use development and at least one affordable housing development within the last five years. Staff has commissioned an appraisal of the Site, which will be issued with the RFP. Proposers may offer a combination of public benefit or cash compensation for the fair market value of the Site. The RFP will seek proposals that:
- Are transit-oriented and mixed-use, which includes the project oriented toward Central Avenue.
- Provide affordable housing and ground floor commercial space.
- Restrict a minimum of 50 percent of units as affordable housing to households earning 80 percent or less of the area median income as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
- Capitalize on the prominent corner location adjacent to the South Central Light Rail.
- Focus on community place-making, including public art.
- Support NSD initiatives and long-term plans.
- Implement the recommendations and community vision outlined in the South Central Transit-Oriented Development Community Plan and other relevant City plans.
- Includes a small local development partner.
Procurement Information
Responsive proposals will be evaluated by a panel including City staff and community representatives. The evaluation criteria will be:
- Concept to Activate the Site 0-375 points
- Return to the City 0-350 points
- Proposer's Qualifications and Experience 0-275 points
The Concept to Activate the Site will also include a review of the proposed architecture for the developments, which shall be scored as part of the points given to any project. Additional points will also be given for sustainable developments including micro-mobility and on-site generation.
Following negotiations with the recommended proposer, staff will present business terms to the Economic Development and Housing Subcommittee for review and recommendation and subsequently to the full City Council for approval.
Financial Impact
This action will have no financial impact on the General Fund.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
This item was recommended for approval at the Economic Development and Housing Subcommittee meeting on March 26, 2025 by a vote of 4-0.
Public Outreach
Staff held a community meeting on March 11, 2025 at the Travis L. Williams Family Services Center to receive feedback from the general public on the proposed RFP.
Location
Southeast corner of Central Avenue and Broadway Road. Assessor Parcel Numbers: 113-33-001A, 113-33-002, 113-33-006A, 113-33-007B, 113-33-007D, 113-33-007E, 113-33-008B, 113-33-009 and 113-33-010B.
Council District: 7
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Managers John Chan and Alan Stephenson and the Community and Economic Development and Neighborhood Services departments.