Apache Central Center

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Apache Central Center and two adjacent properties comprise a nearly 8-acre site that the city envisions as a living and shopping destination in the heart of the Apache corridor. Plans call for a significant expansion of affordable housing and new grocery store for the neighborhood.

The city is negotiating with Urban Development Partners, LLC and Palindrome (primary) on the development plan.

The Apache Central project is designed to help meet the goals of the city’s Affordable Housing Strategy and Hometown for All initiative to greatly expand affordable and workforce housing in Tempe. The city's Request for Proposal included:

Mixed-income multi-family housing with 50-90% of units designated as affordable
Ground-floor urban-scale grocer (approximately 10,000 square feet)
Adequate parking and supporting site amenities
Alignment with the City’s goals for food education and accessibility as championed by the EnVision Center located immediately adjacent to the project sites.

Development plans for the property include a mixed-use development consisting of approximately 400 units, 90% of which will be designated for affordable housing with 10% at market rate. The development will also include a grocery store.

The City of Tempe purchased Apache Central, the former Food City site, in 2021; the adjacent lots were previously owned by the city. The site is located near Apache Boulevard and Dorsey Lane.

Apache Central Center RFP map Apache Central Center-740

About the property

Tempe purchased the Apache Central Center in 2021 following the closure of Food City, the anchor tenant at the center. The city acted quickly to buy the property in response to neighborhood concerns about the possibility of unattainable housing being developed onsite. Neighborhood leaders also lamented the loss of a grocery store, creating a food desert in the area.

The city used $10.7 million in General Fund dollars to buy the property. The city previously owned two parcels to the west of Apache Central that are part of the development.

The site comprises 7.55 acres located at the northeast corner of Dorsey Lane and Apache Boulevard, and southwest corner of Lemon Street and Dorsey Lane.

Read the news release about the sale.

Hometown for All

The Hometown for All initiative provides a dedicated funding stream to accelerate the growth of affordable and workforce housing and reflects the desire by Woods and the City Council to ensure that Tempe has a variety of housing types.

For every new development project built in Tempe, certain permitting fees paid to the city’s General Fund go to support the nonprofit Tempe Coalition for Affordable Housing. Those funds are used to purchase land and properties and reimagine city-owned parcels for future development.

Apache Central Center was purchased using General Fund dollars. But the city is also using funds generated through Hometown for All to conduct site preparation work such as environmental remediation at city-owned lots for future development. Apache Central is included in that work. Funding this pre-development work accelerates the pace of building, to make affordable and workforce housing come online faster.