South Pier, a “resort-inspired” community with apartments, shopping and dining, is planned on the south bank of Tempe Town Lake east of Rural Road. (Via Facebook)
By Sam Kmack | Arizona Republic
Tempe is locked in a legal battle with a citizens group that wants the city to roll-back its approval of a $1.8 billion development deal along Tempe Town Lake, arguing that the project doesn’t do enough for affordable housing and that voters should decide whether it moves forward.
The project, called South Pier at Tempe Town Lake, is located on Vista Del Lago Drive near the lake’s south bank. It’s currently an empty plot of city-owned land that developers hope to transform into a “resort-inspired” community with apartments, stores and restaurants.
The developer also agreed to donate $10 million to a city program that officials said takes a new “innovative” approach to creating affordable housing in Tempe, where some essential workers — like elementary school teachers — can’t afford rent on their typical salaries, according to a recent analysis by pro-housing advocacy group Home Arizona.
“Tempe’s innovative approach in setting up a fund to develop affordable housing units is something being considered as genius by many municipalities.“
–Jordan Rose, Rose Law Group founder and president
