The Discovery Triangle Development Corporation (DTDC) announces the appointment of Tom Kelly, chief executive officer for Schaller Anderson, as its new board chairman. The outgoing chairman is Martin Shultz, senior policy director for Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber and Schreck.

“We are delighted to welcome Tom as our new board chairman,” said Don Keuth, president of the Discovery Triangle Development Corporation. “As a founding board member, Tom has helped lead the advancement of the Discovery Triangle vision. His experience and leadership will be critical as we continue to progress with key initiatives.”

Kelly spent more than 20 years consulting with healthcare companies and Medicaid agencies before joining Schaller Anderson, an AETNA company in 2006. As president and chief operating officer, he is primarily responsible for finance, human resources and commercial and behavioral health plan operations.

Kelly has been involved with the DTDC since 2009. 

“Metro link, Papago Park, and two vibrant and burgeoning downtowns make the Discovery Triangle the place to be for the design of a new urban experience. I’m delighted to be a small part of it,” said Tom Kelly.

As board chairman, Kelly will lead the DTDC’s multi-pronged tactical plan designed to ensure the region reaches its optimal level of success. The plan places a major emphasis on connectivity and mixed land use, infill development and urban form and aims to be a model for sustainable and responsible development.

Kelly received his B.A. from Wesleyan University and a masters from New York University. In addition to the Discovery Triangle, Kelly also serves on the boards of Fidelis Care, Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center and Covenant Health System.

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It’s been nearly 15 years since the public has been allowed on the grounds of the Hayden Flour Mill.

The mill and silos have been locked behind fences since 1998. Tempe’s most iconic buildings have been inaccessible.

Until now.

The fences will come down from around the Hayden Flour Mill on Tuesday, May 22 and the public will be welcome to explore the grounds.

“The Hayden Flour Mill is the namesake and gateway into our downtown. It has long been an eyesore. We are excited that it will now be a welcoming entry point while also opening up the long-needed connection between the businesses on Mill Avenue and our unique asset of Tempe Town Lake,” said Nancy Hormann, president of the Downtown Tempe Community. “By programming the mill grounds with activities, we can keep that Mill and Lake connection flowing.”

HISTORY: The Hayden Flour Mill and Hayden’s Ferry were among the first businesses to open in Tempe. Mill Avenue was named after the Hayden Flour Mill.

“History should not be something that can only be read about in books. Tempe’s history is very evident throughout our city. The Hayden Flour Mill, being one of the first businesses in our city and one of the very reasons for our founding, is a visual reminder of our past. Now, our community will be able to touch the very beginning of our modern history,” said Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman.

Those interested can watch a short video about Tempe’s history on YouTube. Details on the history of the Mill can be found here.

PRESENT DAY: Work on the Mill site began last May. Since then, the Rio Salado Foundation has raised $350,000 to convert the historic Hayden Flour Mill site from an eyesore to an event venue. It’s expected that thousands of people will watch movies, enjoy concerts, picnic, get married and celebrate special moments at the Hayden Flour Mill. The Downtown Tempe Community will book the event space beginning in late fall. Details on how to book the venue will be available on May 22.

Improvements to the site include a stage and grassy lawn, a grove of trees for shady picnics, an interpretative museum, lighting, cleaning of the overall site and much more. Work remains to be completed: the Mill will be painted or sealed and the last sections of landscaping on the grounds will be installed.

“Many generations have cherished the land that this mill rests upon, from early Native Americans to pioneers, from our Hispanic roots to our modern day workforce. I am proud to see the Hayden Flour Mill become, once again, a vital part of our community.”

A grand opening event with music, historic tours, food and fun will take place on Thursday, Sept. 20, 5 – 10 p.m. This will also be the fall kickoff of the Third Thursday series for Mill Avenue. Details will be posted at www.tempe.gov/haydenflourmill as they are finalized.

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Mayor Stanton welcome Kelly into his new home

Incoming Discovery Triangle Board President Tom Kelly is a big supporter of downtown Phoenix and in sustainability. He’s so committed that he has moved into one of three modern, environmentally friendly fabricated homes that have arrived in Phoenix.

Kelly, president and CEO of Schaller Anderson, moved into a v100 Mod Box earlier this week at the southern edge of downtown Phoenix.

The fabricated home is one of three on the site. Each comprises two 10-foot cubes with an 8- by 10-foot covered patio in between.

The prefab structures are designed with a high-end feel and state-of-the-art appliances. However, everything is based on low energy consumption, and all construction materials are either recycled or recyclable.

The cube units can be stacked or placed side by side. In Kelly’s home, one cube houses the kitchen, and the other has the bedroom and sitting area with a bathroom and shower.

Read and see more at the Phoenix Business Journal. 

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A series of free community presentations offered by local artists will highlight the city of Phoenix’ public art collection of more than 1,000 artworks during the months of May and June.

The presentations on May 17, 24 and 31, and June 14 and 21, will be from 7 to 8 p.m. at Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave., Pulliam Auditorium.

The presentations will highlight the diversity of art and artists in the city’s historic Municipal Art Collection.  Works by several of the artists are now on display at the city’s recently inaugurated Gallery @ City Hall, 200 W. Washington St., first floor.  The exhibition features 23 paintings, photographs and prints highlighting the landscape-inspired visions of artists working in the West.  The speakers will offer insights about these and other artworks from their careers.

• Joe Segura, owner of Segura Publishing Company, and Brent Bond, owner of Santo Press and master printer for Segura Publishing Company, will discuss “Printmaking Collaborations with Artists,” on Thursday, May 17.  Segura is a collaborative artist working in both printmaking and film with national and international artists. Bond is a limited edition fine art publisher and artist, specializing in relief prints.

• Anne Coe, a painter and fourth generation Arizonan, will discuss her work and life, “Mood Swings: Delusion over Despair,” on Thursday, May 24. The talk, about art and life, will be filled with humor and interaction. One of Coe’s paintings, “Snake Crossing,” an acrylic on canvas, currently is on display at the Gallery @ City Hall.  She also has designed terrazzo flooring at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

• Alberto Rios, nationally known author of books, poetry and short stories, will discuss “Creative Collaborations between Artists and Writers,” on Thursday, May 31.  Rios collaborated with artist Enrique Chagoya on a lithograph titled, “You are Here 2002,” which is also on display in the gallery.  He is a Regents’ professor at Arizona State University, where he has taught for more than 30 years. His works are regularly taught and translated, and have been adapted to dance and both classical and popular music.

• Mark Klett, internationally known landscape photographer, will offer his perspective on “Southwest Landscape Photographs: 30 Years” on Thursday, June 14.  His photograph “Ed Abbey Taking Notes in Turkey Pen Ruins (Grand Gulch, Utah),” a gelatin silver print, is on display at the Gallery @ City Hall.  Trained as a geologist before turning to photography, Klett’s documentary photographs reveal the diversity of the land of the southwestern United States.

• Betsy Fahlman, art historian and author, will discuss “Arizona Women Artists” on Thursday, June 21.  She will highlight several of the women artists included in the city’s municipal art collection focusing on artists currently on display at the Gallery @ City Hall. Fahlman is a specialist in American Art of the 19th and 20th centuries and has taught art at ASU since 1988.

The Gallery @ City Hall is presented by the city of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture and the Phoenix Arts and Culture Commission.  The Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture works to foster a sense of cultural identity, celebrate diversity and ensure an outstanding quality of community life.  The office manages the city’s public art program, administers a grants program; promotes arts education; conducts research; advocates for the arts, provides information and technical assistance to artists and cultural organizations; and oversees the city’s cultural planning.

For more information on the Office of Arts and Culture or the Gallery @City Hall, visit phoenix.gov/arts or call 602-262-4637.

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Rendering of the future StarShine Academy

StarShine Academyis beginning construction on its new location, the StarShine Academy Creative Community in the heart of the Discovery Triangle. At 3535 E. McDowell Road, demolition is underway and new buildings will rise at the site in a few weeks.

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Marriott Residence Inn Rendering

Adding to the wave of new development happening in downtown Tempe, a new Residence Inn by Marriott will open in late 2013/early 2014.
The 173-room hotel will be located on Fifth Street and Forest, just a block from Mill Avenue and across the street from the Tempe Transportation Center. The developer has the permit and could start construction this month.

The hotel is being developed by Miami-based Finvarb Group and managed by Marriott International. Access Point Financial, Inc., (APF) a direct full-service lending and advisory firm focused on the hospitality industry, is providing first mortgage financing.

“The Tempe market is poised for strong growth and we are confident that this is the best location in the market,” said Ronny Finvarb, principal of the Finvarb Group. “We believe we will be able to establish a market-leadership position given the outstanding quality of our location, brand and management team.”

Tempe has led the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in economic rebound. A new 10-story commercial building was announced for Hayden Ferry Lakeside on Tempe Town Lake last month. The Hub, a nearly 300-unit apartment complex, is under construction. Downtown office space is nearly at capacity. Mill Avenue has added 48 new retail businesses since 2009 that are open and thriving – the vacancy rate has gone from 32.4 percent in April 2009 to about 20.5 percent.

The new Residence Inn hotel will feature guest suites containing fully-equipped kitchens and will offer state-of-the-art amenities, including an outdoor rooftop pool and fire pit with panoramic views of downtown, about 3,500 square feet of meeting space and 5,700 square feet of ground-level retail space.

“Tempe’s hotel occupancy rate is among the highest in Arizona. The meeting space, additional rooms and amenities that this hotel will bring our downtown will allow us to take better advantage of events like the PF Chang’s Rock n Roll Marathon and Ironman while serving those visitors who want to stay in downtown Tempe. We are looking forward to the completion of this hotel,” said Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman.

“Our knowledge of respected developers like The Finvarb Group, the markets and the brands give us the confidence to finance strategically smart ground up hotel projects,” said Jon Wright, president and CEO of Access Point Financial. “We are fully engaged in all types of hotel financing and on schedule with our previously-stated target of placing $1 billion in three years.”

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Commercial Loan Participant Super L Ranch Market

Energize Phoenix, an energy efficiency upgrades and savings program, has announced that businesses participating in the commercial loan program are now eligible to receive additional rebates from the commercial rebate program.

The program rebate cap for businesses that secure an Energize Phoenix commercial loan has been increased from $200,000 to $500,000. The rebate cap remains $200,000 for those who do not obtain a loan from Energize Phoenix.

For a limited time, low fixed-rate terms (as low as 3.99%) are available for loans starting at $50,000 (after rebates) with term length between 12-120 months, subject to credit approval.

Businesses considering installing energy efficiency improvements such as lighting, HVAC, chillers, motors, controls, windows or other energy efficiency measures are encouraged to take advantage of this rare opportunity to receive unprecedented rebates and low-cost financing.

Energize Phoenix loans and rebates are available on a first-come-first-served basis until funding is depleted. With the Energize Phoenix program scheduled to end in May 2013 and summer right around the corner, now is the best time to save energy and money. To take advantage of this opportunity, interested businesses should visit energizephx.com or call Mitchell Hayden at (602) 534-2002 for more information.

ABOUT ENERGIZE PHOENIX

The city of Phoenix was awarded a $25 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Better Buildings Neighborhood Program through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to launch the Energize Phoenix program in partnership with Arizona State University and with support from Arizona Public Service. The Energize Phoenix program saves energy, creates jobs and will transform a diverse array of neighborhoods along the Metro light rail.

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The University of Arizona College of Medicine in downtown Phoenix invites you to participate in an upcoming Start Smart or Science Cafe lecture.

Start Smart and Science Cafe are free lectures that bring cutting edge topics to the community and are presented by the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix faculty and affiliates. The intention of the series is to provide informative discussion in informal settings.

Upcoming programs:

Music, Memory and Aging
7:30 – 8:30 a.m., Friday, May 11

Asking the Hard Questions: Medical Ethics in the Third World
5:30 – 6:30 p.m., Monday, May 21

Click each link for more information and locations.

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Urbanologist Alan Ehrenhalt, author of “The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City,” visits Phoenix on Wednesday, May 2, to discuss “Can Sprawling Cities Find Their Centers?”

Sponsored by Zócalo Public Square, a project led by ASU’s Center for Social Cohesion, Mr. Ehrenhalt will lead a discussion in the shift of people to walkable urban areas from suburbia. Instead of urban blight, now cities are grappling with the challenges of suburban blight.

Western cities and their fast pace of sprawl pose additional questions: What should sprawling cities do to accommodate new tastes? Should they make themselves denser—with all the attendant traffic, strain, and crowding? Should local governments try to create new urban cores? Should the market simply take care of it?

Join Mr. Ehrenhart and discuss where sprawling cities go from here.

6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 2
Phoenix Art Museum
1625 N. Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ
Free parking lot available. Entrance off Central & Alvarado. Also accessible from McDowell METRO light rail station.

Click here for more information and to register for this free event.

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As reported by KTAR.com, Phoenix ranks among the top 20 in energy efficient metropolitan areas, according to a new report.

On Wednesday the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its annual list of metropolitan areas with the most Energy Star certified buildings for 2011. Phoenix ranks 13th on the list in 2011, four places up from 2010.

“More and more organizations are discovering the value of Energy Star as they work to cut costs and reduce their energy use,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “This year marked the twentieth anniversary of the Energy Star program, and today Energy Star certified buildings in cities across America are helping to strengthen local economies and protect the planet for decades to come.”

Nationally, Energy Certified buildings have saved about $2.3 billion, and in Phoenix 143 certified buildings have helped save $20.6 million in annual utility bills.

Energy use in commercial buildings accounts for nearly 20 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at a cost of more than $100 billion per year, while commercial buildings that earn the EPA’s Energy Star must perform in the top 25 percent of similar buildings nationwide. They must be independently verified by a licensed professional engineer or a registered architect, and on average use 35 percent less energy than typical buildings.

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