A “vision plan” for 2030 would expand the Capitol Mall area west to 19th Ave.

A new proposal to redevelop the land surrounding the state Capitol calls for transforming the west side of the Capitol Mall to make it as prominent as the east side by 2030, but the so-called "vision plan" conflicts with the long-term expectations of private property owners at the southeast corner of 19^th Ave and Adams St.

On Oct. 15, the Arizona chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) released plans for proposed architectural changes to the Capitol and surrounding area for the upcoming Centennial celebration in 2012. The idea was to provide more cohesiveness to the Capitol corridor and eliminate the what has been called a hodge-podge of state government buildings.

While the plans for 2012 show the corner unchanged, a longer-term plan released by the Arizona chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (AzASLA) in collaboration with the AIA shows the corner as part of a tree-lined park, with only a note that says "Future Building" to indicate that a structure might be present.

The vision plan represents an idea of what the Capitol Mall will look like 20-30 years from now. It was given a "favorable review" by the Legislative Governmental Capitol Mall Commission, according to a press release by AIA. It has not received final approval, however, and money to pay for it has not been identified.

Right now, the southeast corner of the 19^th and Adams intersection is occupied by the Association of General Contractors (AGC), the Arizona Tax Research Association (ATRA), the Arizona League of Cities and Towns, and the Arizona Capitol Times building.

Ken Stroebeck, executive director of the Arizona League of Cities and Towns, said that he was not aware of any long-range plans to redevelop the corner as park space. In fact, the League, AGC, and ATRA have been considering a new, three-story building that would combine offices for the three organizations.

Stroebeck said he would be willing to work within a larger plan, if feasible, but said the needs of existing organizations would need to be considered.

"There are certain realities that not only involve the cost of doing things but also who owns the property," Stroebeck said. "I don't see any reason we couldn't fit into much of what they envision, but we're certainly not willing to just roll over and donate our property or move our location."

Kevin McCarthy, ATRA president, said he had not heard of any new plans for the area. He said that the new building he was discussing with the League and AGC would definitely be in use 20 or 30 years from now.

"I'm pretty sure the Capitol Mall folks were familiar with that," he said, referring to the plans for a new building, "I would be really surprised if they had developed a plan that would include taking everybody's … properties from underneath them."

Jim Coffman was AzASLA chapter president until Oct. 6 of this year and still serves as a member of the executive committee. He described himself as one of the lead people working on the project. Coffman said the plans did not constitute specific strategic steps to remove any tenants from the site.

"We weren't really worried about that at this point, it was a long-term vision," Coffman said. "If there was a will to do such a thing, the private land potentially could be purchased."

The fact that the plan includes the use of private property was purposefully disregarded, Coffman said. The priority was to identify a plan that would work best for the Capitol and then address potential roadblocks sometime in the future.

"We knew there was private property there, and we just kept thinking, ‘This is a vision. We really need to deal with what the Capitol is and what it stands for,'" he said.

Rep. John Kavanagh, R-8, a member of the Legislative Governmental Mall Commission, said he was not aware of the specific plans but said the state certainly did not have any plans to use eminent domain, for example, to take any private property in the Capitol Mall area.

Kavanagh said any plans for renovation of the Capitol area may be academic and not practical, considering Arizona's financial crisis and looming budget shortfalls.

"We're facing a budget crisis of unprecedented proportions," Kavanagh said. "I wouldn't worry about the corner going green until the state gets some green."

WHAT IT WILL COST

The improvements to the Capitol and surrounding area will come with a hefty cost, although final cost estimates have not been released.

Plans for the 2012 Centennial will focus on a renovated historic statehouse – the original state Capitol building from 1900 – which includes an executive office for the governor and caucus rooms for members of the Legislature.

Wesley Bolin Plaza and Capitol grounds also will be redesigned.  Additional offices are planned for the state Senate and House, as well as renovation of existing structures.

Solar panels will be installed on the roofs of all post-1920 buildings, including the Senate and House buildings and the Executive Tower.

Here is a partial list of estimated costs, according to Patrick Panetta, Phoenix section chair for AIA's Phoenix Metro Chapter:

-$2 million for renovations to the historic Capitol building

-$15.6 for urban reforestation with 42-inch box trees

-$1.5 million for Bolin Plaza parking removal and grass replanting

-$13 for Bolin Plaza monument reorganization and landscape enhancements

-$25 million for a subterranean connection under the Capitol Plaza between the House and Senate

-$15 million for a new parking garage on 19^th Avenue

-$200,000 for the Phoenix Community Flagwalk Project

-$10 million for 11^th Avenue enhancements along two blocks

-$20 million for 15^th Avenue enhancements along four blocks

In addition, costs are still in development for the following projects:

-Downtown Capitol trolley

-Centennial Boulevard solar canopies

-Three mixed-use private investment centers

-7,000 new privately financed rooftops

Panetta said there were still a lot of unknowns to fill in and said AIA would provide a total cost as soon as possible.