By Dianna M. Náñez | The Arizona Republic
Downtown Tempe’s steady climb out of the economic hole left by the recession has received yet another boost.
On Friday, city officials announced that AMC Theatres will open a movie complex on Mill Avenue and that a high-profile developer has tapped the city center for a six-story apartment complex.
The news comes just two weeks after plans were unveiled to build a $600 million commercial development north of Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Stadium that will be anchored by an 18-story headquarters for State Farm. That project is being touted as Arizona’s largest office development.
The movieplex and 341-unit apartment complex will be part of the 22-acre Centerpoint on Mill development, which marks downtown Tempe’s southern gateway.
Mayor Mark Mitchell said the two projects are further proof that Tempe is recovering from a recession that derailed development projects and sucked some life out of the Mill Avenue District. The theaters, he said, will give downtown another entertainment draw.
