Release Date: Wednesday, June 1st 2011
Hayden Mill remake pondered
The Arizona Republic
TEMPE - Tempe will consider a proposal to renovate the Hayden Flour Mill in downtown Tempe and market the land as an events venue.
At the height of the real-estate boom, the iconic silos had been targeted for a major face-lift that included a redevelopment plan for retail, a restaurant, a hotel and office space. The project stalled amid the economic crash.
The mill, at the base of a desert butte on the southeastern corner of Rio Salado Parkway and Mill Avenue, is considered a key northern gateway into downtown Tempe. Some downtown landowners have called the site an eyesore and lobbied the city to clean up the property.
Last week, Tempe announced it would consider the redevelopment proposal at a June meeting. The $70,000 public/private proposal would include repainting the silos, installing a portable stage for concerts, planting trees and other landscaping, installing a sprinkler system, removing some fencing around the mill and installing a lighting system to deter vandalism. The silos would not be opened as part of this plan.
If the proposal is approved, the site would be open to the public by October.
Tempe is hoping the additional space will be as successful as Tempe Beach Park. The proposal states that the fees to host events at the site would boost revenue for Tempe while the city waits for the real-estate-development market to return.
