By Chris Coppola | The Republic
A proposal that would bring a 13-story apartment building to the edge of downtown Tempe has revealed sharp divisions between business owners, residents and elected officials that go beyond the project itself.
At stake is the question of where the city should literally draw the line between dense, urban construction and traditional neighborhoods west of Farmer Avenue.
Project backers say the 13-story building, and the 281 units it would include, will be another way to draw more residents to the area, boosting local businesses and fueling the city’s vision for an urbanized downtown area where people live and work.
