The sandlot near Taylor Place on the Downtown campus may stay vacant for at least another year despite city attempts to attract developers, a Phoenix official said.
The city put out a request for proposals almost two years ago to develop the property, which is managed by the Valley Youth Theatre and located between First and Second streets.
But the city did not receive any responses that fit the criteria of the request for the nearly 28,000 square feet of property and does not anticipate receiving any in the near future, Phoenix Redevelopment Program manager Jeremy Legg said.
“That site is underutilized, and we would like to see something happen there,” Legg said. “But given the economy and the lack of responses to the first request, I don’t see anything occurring in there this year for sure.
By closing the request for proposals, the city could then reissue it with looser criteria in hopes that it would appeal to a broader audience and get more proposals, Legg said.
“Part of the reason that possibly nobody responded to it was because of the detailed criteria in [the first request for proposals],” Legg said.
Some of the criteria in the proposal included developing mixed-use facilities for residential, retail and commercial spaces as well as conforming to the area’s aesthetics. The proposal also asked that developers incorporate the youth theater into plans or assist in funding a new youth center.
There have also been discussions about the property becoming available to the University in the future, possibly for more student housing, should the Valley Youth Theatre relocate, said Patrick Panetta, assistant director of ASU Real Estate Development.
Producing Artistic Director of the Valley Youth Theatre Bobb Cooper said because of the state of the economy, he thinks no major decisions will happen within the next year.
“Right now it’s just a waiting game to see how the economy can recover,” Cooper said.
Cooper said he would like to see a Valley youth center for the arts on that site in the future. Depending on how the city chooses to develop the property, the Valley Youth Theatre could be relocated by the city or incorporated into future plans.
“Valley Youth Theatre is a great tenant, and they’re a great cultural asset to the city,” Legg said. “Hopefully, we can include them in future plans.”
Daryl Bjoraas, a journalism freshman, said that while the vacant property is not a nuisance, he would like to see development.
“My main problem is that I wish we had more things downtown to do, and that lot would probably be a good place to put something,” Bjoraas said.
Reach the reporter at snrodri2@asu.edu.