As Phoenix Grows Up, Preserving Buildings and Redeveloping Obsolete Sites a Focus for Cities, Developers

By Corina Vanek - Arizona Republic

As cities like Phoenix mature, there is a push to repurpose buildings that create a sense of place and preserve character. At least that is the take from Lorenzo Perez, co-founder of Phoenix-based Venue Projects. “People love old buildings, sites and stories," he said. Perez, who was a panelist in a discussion about adaptively reusing real estate and redevelopment hosted by the Arizona Association for Economic Development, said it is more sustainable and preserves a place and its culture.

Many issues that can get in the way of repurposing old buildings are regulatory, Amy Malloy, managing principal of Evolve Ventures, said. “In many cities the development codes are really catered toward a 300-to-500-(apartment) unit, ground-up development,” she said.