The Palmcroft Apartments at 15th Avenue and McDowell are shuffling off to the dump at last. They are to be replaced by 87 decidedly upscale townhomes.

From the Arizona Republic:

The 1940s-era Palmcroft Apartments at the corner of 15th avenue and McDowell Road are scheduled to be demolished at 8:30 a.m. Monday. Developer Scott Haskins plans to build Encanto Parkside, a four-story, 87-unit upscale townhouse complex.

The apartments, located in the Encanto-Palmcroft Historic District, were built in the mid-1940s as inexpensive housing for returning GIs.

Some preservationists tried to keep the apartments from being torn down because they are part of Phoenix’s history. But the Haskins, who bought the 2.2-acre property in mid-2006, argued that in recent years, the apartments were a haven for drugs, robbery and prostitution, and some of that crime spilled over into the otherwise idyllic neighborhood to the north.

Construction on the Encanto Parkside development is expected to begin in early 2008, with completion slated for mid-2009. Sales prices are projected to be in the $400,000 to $900,000 range. Local architects Virginia Senior and Kim Kristoff of SRK Architects are designing the development.

Key quote from developer Scott Haskins:

“The Encanto-Palmcroft neighborhood is a treasure in the heart of Phoenix. With imagination and creativity, we are replacing tired, worn-out apartment buildings that had minimal historic value and destabilized the neighborhood with first-class, modern residences. I want this development to rejuvenate McDowell Road as a gateway to downtown, while enhancing property values of the surrounding neighborhood.”

Putting 87 townhouses on 2.2 acres sounds like a tight fit, but this project will be a better introduction to the splendor that is Encanto-Palmcroft than the crummy little slum buildings that were standing on that parcel until today.

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As I mentioned the other day, Modern Phoenix is holding its 3rd Annual Modern Phoenix Expo this weekend. I hope you were more successful than I finding the time to enjoy the seminars today. Maybe better luck for me tomorrow…

Speaking of the distinctive MoPho style, did you notice the sale, reported in today’s Arizona Republic, of Chase Tower for $166.9 million?

The state’s tallest building sold this month for the highest price ever paid for an office building in metropolitan Phoenix.

This beautiful, shiny skyscraper, originally home to Valley National Bank, was built in the early ’70s, but the idea of the tower, meant to revitalize downtown Phoenix, had been envisioned for a decade before it was built.

Valley Bank Center was designed by important mid-Century modern architect, William Becket. Becket is well known for his influence on commercial LA buildings, including the Capital Records Building and Cinerama Dome. I’m personally glad that the grand building he brought to our town is one of soaring, sleek elegance rather than kitsch. Whatever flavor of Modern Phoenix you prefer, here is a building that surely makes you proud of our downtown.

A fun side-note for Modern aficionados is this reflection I found in Matt Hinrichs’ Scrubbles.net archives:

Wednesday, July 19, 2000
This is strange – from the August 1973 issue of Phoenix magazine, concept sketches of a nightclub in downtown Phoenix’s newest hotspot, the Valley Bank Center (now the Bank One building). “The Prime Interest, located at the concourse level, will feature a cocktail lounge and separate dining/dancing area.” A veritable swingers’ paradise, I’m sure. Of course, it may have never looked this exciting. When I first went there in the mid-’90s, the Eero Saarinen tables and chairs were all that remained – and they were gone within two years. The mirrored ceiling is a nice touch; very Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice.

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