Good news for Downtown Phoenix: Pie Zanos is rumored to be opening a location in the Luhrs Tower on Jefferson between Central and 1st Avenue.
The redevelopment of that block, a project known as the Luhrs City Center is stunning, both in how it looks and that it is actually being completed. The project respects the historical importance of this site and original structures and mixes the old art deco style with the the modern. The redevelopment is thrilling and I stand behind it. (There is talk of the “D” word, Demolition, for part of the block, specifically the 1914 Luhrs Central Building on Madison and Central.) I think that this particular part of the plan totally sucks and I’m surprised that a city like Phoenix with so few historic structures left manages to find ways to knock down the ones still standing. The promise is that there will be a new, 200 foot high hotel built on the site.
I’ve heard that before. I’ve lived in Phoenix long enough to know what that means.
But so far this developer isn’t just talking the talk and flashing pretty architectural renderings of their proposed vision. The Luhrs Building and Luhrs Tower have been renovated, people are working in those buildings and space has been leased to new tenants, like (maybe) Pie Zanos. I wasn’t able to dig up more specifics on possible tenants, but I’ve got my eyes and ears open. If I owned a business, this is where I’d want to be.