Elevation Chandler Becoming Chandler Viridian
“What doesn’t go up, must come down.” The unfinished Elevation Chandler project is now proof of it. But unlike gravity, this was painfully slow. The shell of a structure was just demolished after more than 8 years in limbo at a high profile location on the southeast side of the Chandler Fashion Center.
Elevation Chandler barely got off the ground when construction was halted in Spring 2006. The concrete skeleton by developer Jeff Cline was haunted by financial problems which morphed into legal issues. The property went through years of lawsuits, bankruptcy, foreclosure, and more lawsuits.
If you were a resident of Chandler or just passing through on the Loop 101/Loop 202 Freeways, you saw one of Arizona’s biggest eyesores. What you didn’t see was the heartache felt by well-intended investors who lost millions of dollars. What you didn’t see were the headaches felt by all of the well-intended people at the City of Chandler and in private industry who tried to fix the problem.
Eventually Hines Had the Solution
Thank goodness the international real estate firm, Hines, has an office in Phoenix. Thank goodness their managing director Chris Anderson isn’t a quitter. Through plenty of trials and tribulations, patience and perseverance, Hines efforts got them to being able to purchase the property.
You can see in the video below, the Elevation Chandler demolition was in itself cause for major celebration.
Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny, all of the members of City Council, and many interested members of the community were on hand to watch the razing of the Elevation Chandler structure in ruins. The mayor got to take the first swipe at it. This was well-deserved since he couldn’t go anywhere in public without folks lashing out at him about the eyesore.
Today, there is more cause for celebration. Hines is kicking off its new project called, Chandler Viridian. The mixed-use development will feature luxury apartments, a six-story hotel, office space, and retail options promoting walkability to and from the Chandler Fashion Center.
Construction of the family living is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2015. The commercial properties are scheduled to begin in the second quarter, while the hotel, office, and retail construction starts later in 2015 and 2016.
Hallelujah Hines.
By Thomas Baldrick
Thomas Baldrick is an Emmy Award-winning on-camera talent and producer/writer based in Arizona. From script to screen in video production services, he helps companies, organizations, and individuals across the country to achieve the success they and their target audience want.
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