AZBigMedia
As you round a curve on the eastbound Loop 202, a transformation comes into view.
Just over a decade ago, the Hayden Flour Mill and Silos and Hayden Butte were the most noticeable structures visible from west of downtown Tempe. Sure, there were other buildings visible, but nothing that could be considered a skyline existed in Tempe.
Today, downtown Tempe is looking more and more like an urban center, complete with tall buildings already standing and other large structures rising alongside them.
As an emerging population and commerce core, the downtown Tempe area, which includes the sprawling Arizona State University campus, is faced with transportation issues that just couldn’t be solved by bus service alone.