Nick Bastian's Blog

Last week, I was in San Francisco for two different real estate conferences. I had a great time, and enjoyed the convenience of utilizing San Francisco's public transportation system. I specifically picked a hotel that was between the two conferences and was adjacent to a BART station so that I could try it all out. From the airport, during traffic, I was at my hotel in less than a half hour and the cost was just over five bucks. The bus system on Market street was surprising to me as well. I recall seeing at least 4 different types of bus that stopped directly in front of my hotel. For a buck fifty, I could get to most parts of the city and yes, it took me within a block of my conference on Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, I rode BART toward down town and exited within a very short walk of the other conference as well. Before my trip, I made sure to brush up on my etiquette by reading "Muni Manners." I think it came in handy a couple of times. :-) Here in Arizona, there is incredible opportunity to create some really cool things along the new light rail line. Some of the areas are largely un-developed and others are already pretty cool. Prime examples of where we have opportunities to create some really great new environments would be along Washington Street between Tempe and downtown Phoenix and along the Apache Corridor in Tempe. Tempe has done a really cool study along the Apache Corridor and there have been recommendations for creating transit oriented developments (TOD's) along the boulevard. These exciting new areas should incorporate street facing shops, café's and businesses along with pedestrian friendly access, off street parking (rear of buildings?) bike path's to access the area, ample shade and a vibrancy that we currently have very little of. RailLife.com, is going to be a great place to learn about the changes that WILL be coming to the areas along the light rail route. Keep up with some of the areas surrounding the new light rail line by joining this "Light Rail Flicker Group" which will be sharing all kind of pics of things on and near the new light rail line. There will be lot's of cool changes to these areas in our future!

We don't need to become San Francisco, we need our own face, our own identity but we will embrace a new style of living to enhance the other many options that our state has. Tourists will love the convenience of the light rail route. The ability to get to the Mill Avenue District and yet be a few minutes from Downtown Phoenix and see a play, a baseball or basketball game, get to the convention center etc etc.. This place is changing right before our eyes. It is nice to see the excitement building in these upcoming areas. With gas prices changing the way many people think about their commute, the housing demand near transportation (mainly light rail) has become very appealing to many people. These trends should continue well in to the future. Take a look at this video I shot at a light rail stop in the Mill Avenue District this past 4th of July. It was one of the rare times when the public has had access to the trains and the reaction was very positive! (they begin service in December)

Tempe is a growing, vibrant community with excellent access to amenities.. To Live, work and play, our great city is hard to beat! Tempe is very centrally located with easy access to our freeway systems and to the airport. Here, you will find some amazing housing opportunities, a great arts community, wonderful restaurants, great schools, lot's of different jobs, enthusiastic sports fans and a wonderful lifestyle in an amazingly convenient location that is close to many of the things our great state has to offer.

If you have any questions about the community of Tempe Arizona, please feel free to visit our web site at http://www.nickbastian.com/ or feel free to call us at 602-803-6425 or toll free at 1-888-343-6425.

As we get closer to December when the new light rail trains begin to carry passengers in Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa, we are seeing a lot more media coverage. A few weeks ago, there was a story in the AZ Republic talking about the development along the 20 mile route and the amount of public and private development created since 2004. The figure; SIX Billion dollars. 

According to the article.. "The price tag includes projects already completed, developments under construction and announced projects within a half-mile radius of the line that officials from those cities say will likely come to fruition, according to Ben Limmer, a Metro light rail planner." They also had a breakdown (as provided by Metro) that mentioned the following. (yes, we know the real estate market is different today than it was a few years ago)

$6 billion Total value of public and private investment in transit oriented projects along the light-rail line since 2004.
15,000 Approximate number of residential units that are planned, under construction or already completed along light rail since 2004.
7 million square feet Amount of commercial space that is planned, under construction or completed close to light rail since 2004.
1800 Approximate number of hotel rooms that are planned, under construction or completed along the line. 

While that is a lot of cabbage, it is important to note (also mentioned in the article) that much of this development is in areas that would have built even without light rail. However, there is no doubt that many projects have been put in the works because of their proximity to the line. You see, rail is more appealing to many because it is more tangible than say, a bus route. ie: The stops create more opportunity to build community, to build small business etc. 
The timing for light rail in Arizona couldn't get much better. As gas prices continue to climb, people are embracing public transportation more than ever. While the "cost" of the  20 mile system has been reported as $1.4 Billion, there are many factors to consider when evaluating future expansion and success of the overall project. Time will tell how many people will ride, how many will be occasional users and how many will use it as an effective way to get to school and work every day. Following the project a little more closely than the average person, I have been amazed at the amount of work, planning and design that has gone in to bringing light rail to Arizona. I get the feeling that many people believe someone throws down a few tracks, buys a few "electric buses" and bam, we have a new transportation system. This just isn't the case.. Come December though, I bet Metro hopes to make everything look "easy."

Below is a pic of the new stop near Chase Field. How cool to be able to get to a baseball game so easily. Actually, the Suns play just on the other side of this stop as well! Other places of interest along the line include ASU, the Mill Avenue District, Central Avenue in Phoenix, several museums etc. etc.. Yep, times are a changin' in the valley. Come on along for the ride..

To Live, work and play, our great city is hard to beat! Tempe is very centrally located with easy access to light rail, our freeway systems and to the airport. Here, you will find some amazing housing opportunities, a great arts community, wonderful restaurants, great schools, lot's of different jobs, enthusiastic sports fans and a wonderful lifestyle in an amazingly convenient location that is close to many of the things our great state has to offer.

If you have any questions about the community of Tempe Arizona, please feel free to contact Nick Bastian - Realty Executives, Tempe AZ via the web or feel free to call us at 602-803-6425 or toll free at 1-888-343-6425.