Guidelines aimed at creating an urban, pedestrian-friendly city center in downtown Chandler as private interests invest in area redevelopment received the City Council’s unanimous approval Thursday night.
The total area Chandler officials have targeted for redevelopment in the coming decades is bounded by Chandler Boulevard, Pecos Road, South Palm Lane and South Delaware Street, but excludes the city’s historic square. The guidelines call for multi-story buildings along Arizona Avenue containing apartments or condos on the top floors and retail or office space on the ground floor.
Building heights would transition downward to blend into adjacent residential neighborhoods, officials have said.
The guidelines have gone hand-in-hand with a $10 million city project, called the South Arizona Avenue Corridor Area Plan, to narrow Arizona Avenue from six lanes to four through Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, and to widen sidewalks and enhance the corridor’s landscaping.
“Together, the design guidelines and the Arizona Avenue improvements provide a complete picture of what Arizona Avenue may look like in the future,” according to David de la Torre, a city planner.
The proposed guidelines do not prescribe a specific architectural theme for the corridor but rather encourage a mix of architectural styles, according to de la Torre.
