asu in the news 02-06-08 to - ASU News - Arizona State University

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Get ASU Nursing School design right
Memorandum to Re
sponsible parties on
at Phoenix Nursing School ex
pansion City of Phoenix
not SmithGroup architects and
and Arizona State University
Re The new building
Message Get this right
When approved Phoenix a quarter voters
billion in bonds to
build a downtown campus for
Arizona State University they
hoped to accomplish two im
portant goals
¦ First create higher
tion opportunities for a com
munity whose economic vital
ity depends on education
And second revitalize
downtown
Two simple goals Not easy
of not inexpensive but clear
And the ^23 million bond is
currentsue
devoted to ASU repreJ
sents the Phoenix residents
commitment A large one A
generous one
So naturally we were con
cerned as were many down
The Arizona Republic
Circulation: 382414
DMA: Phoenix, AZ
town activists that the sec
ond phase of the Nursing
School s development —
the corner of Third Street
and Fillmore — might
meet our expectations Those
concerns have eased At a
meeting this week between
citizens and the project s
planners itseems obvious
you the responsible parties
are listening In recent weeks
more shade and softening de
sign elements have been add
ed City staffers pocketed sev
eral of the design variances
they had initially requested
That s very promising
Think back Recall the mis
sion the idealism the vision
and the eloquence that ac
companiedthe proposal to
bjing ASU downtown
~ This newspaper was part
that promise i
¦ Downtowns
evolution is the rnosi impor
tant period of change in the
urban core since y 1924
More than ever we need to
get it right The Arizona Re
public May 13 2007
¦For downtown
to flourish economically and
socially it must be friendlier
more appealing to visitors
shoppers tourists students
and their parents Shade glo
rious shade It s coming we re
told The Arizona Republic
June 8 2007
And your words were reas
suring The city launched the
Urban Form Project pronuV
ing greater activity and con
nectivity
The SmithGroup architects
for the nursing school expan
sion seemed to be on board
But when initial details came
out about the new nursing
building some city planners
and downtown activists
balked
Blank walls do not a city
make commented Steve
Weiss chairman of the
Downtown Voices Coalition
Obviously some of us were
hoping for a more enticing
streetscape An outward look
© Copyright 01/25/2008 The Arizona Republic Cision USA, Inc.
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Unlicensed Reproduction, Sale or Republication Prohibited.
City: Phoenix
State: AZ
Account: 2565G0
Date: 01/25/2008
Pub Num: AZ­D90
Section/Page: PH13
Page Count: 1 / 1
to the building More shade
More green
Since then officials of ASU
the city and the architects
have been huddling And they
have made progress —
promise to keep people in
formed Weiss and members
of the Downtown Voices Coa
lition are encouraged
Here s our philosophy
Shade and design of the ASU
downtown campus are criti
cally important aspects to the
whole plan Voters did not
tax themselves for mediocre
drab edifices like the disap
pointing downtown Sheraton
Hotel which was financed by
revenue bonds It will be paid
for by guests tourists But it s
the residents of Phoenix who
are paying for ASU
The nursing college expan
sion will be the entrance to
the ASU campus front the
north The first thing motori
sts and visitors see It must
be done right Something
we ll be proud of Keep work
ing
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