REDEVELOPMENT DIVISION

City of Tempe Redevelopment/ Special Projects Division
P.O. Box 5002
21 E. Sixth St, Ste. 208
Tempe, Arizona 85280
(480) 350-8028
(480) 350-8913 (TDD)
(480) 350-2951 (FAX)

Apache Blvd. Project Area Committee (APAC)

Apache Redevelopment Area

Staff Contacts

Zoning and Development Code

Transportation Overlay District (TOD)

Common Questions + Answers

Objective

Encourage reinvestment in the Apache Boulevard area in order to build a more desirable neighborhood in which people will enjoy living and working. Enhance the positive aspects of this area and promote desirable reuse of the land.

History

Apache Boulevard, formerly designated as U.S. Highway 60 or State Route 89, was used as a connection from Tucson to Phoenix and Prescott. Over the years many typical "highway commercial" uses sprang up along Apache Boulevard. These included tourist attractions, motels, service stations, restaurants and recreational vehicle parks. In more recent years, the viability of Apache Boulevard as a commercial strip has changed significantly, due in part to the freeway system bypassing the area. The area's extensive concentration of highway commercial zoning has become obsolete in its current context. Furthermore, the increasing age of many buildings along with a lack of maintenance are contributing factors to the conditions which have existed along many areas of the Boulevard. This pattern of disinvestment, combined with a large amount of underutilized or vacant land, makes this area a prime candidate for redevelopment.

During the early 1990's aesthetic improvements were made in response to a request from the community. These included landscaping, underground power lines and low signs. Although these improvements were widely visible, they did not address the land use problems in the area which have motivated the need for redevelopment of the Apache Boulevard area.

More recently, many positive changes are being seen along Apache Boulevard and in the surrounding neighborhood. Several new construction projects are underway (please see "Project Update") and many more developments are in the planning phase. Overall, there is now significant momentum in the redevelopment area with positive changes occurring on numerous sites.