CHANDLER, Ariz. — The Chandler City Council has granted preliminary zoning approval for developers to transform a large vacant lot in the downtown area into a seven-story building.
Known as One Chandler, the development project is expected to house up to 291 new residential units and 17,100-square-feet of ground floor retail space. The large building would be built on the corner of Arizona Avenue and Chandler Boulevard, around an existing fast food restaurant.
At street level, One Chandler's design would include a shaded arcade and an art gallery, which are intended to attract the attention of pedestrians walking along Chandler Boulevard.
The council tentatively approved on Thursday an ordinance that would rezone the empty lot for mixed-use development reaching a building height of up to 120 feet.
Some stipulations were included in the ordinance that dictate what types of commercial uses will be permitted inside One Chandler.
For example, the building's first-floor businesses shall not include "tattoo and body piercing parlors, dry cleaners and laundromats, and sexually-oriented businesses," according to the city's ordinance.
Jackson Dearborn Partners, the firm developing One Chandler, described the project as a rare opportunity for the city, considering the lack of empty space that's available for a building of this size.
"Not often does a large, vacant, infill property become available at the gateway to a burgeoning downtown in the midst of a vibrant revival," planning documents state. "Through stunning urban design, thoughtful planning, and a balanced mix of land uses that offers something for everyone, One Chandler will become a landmark development for the City."
Back in October, the city reached an agreement with One Chandler's developers to sell a piece of city-owned property located at the project site for nearly $3 million. As part of the deal, developers agreed to begin construction within two years of the agreement's effective date.
