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.
Tags: art deco architecture, downtown phoenix, Luhrs Tower, Phoenix Redevelopment, pie zanos
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I am really excited to hear about this renovation! I always thought this was a cool area of downtown that needed some work. There are so few historic places in Phoenix though, I would hate to see anything get torn down – especially to build a big hotel! Hopefully they will continue to renovate the Luhrs Towers area and add modern aspects to it without destroying any of the historical significance.
[...] Phoenix Art Deco Redeveloped [...]
Hi Rudi2011
Pretty lame I think. But they have the right idea about preservation. They’ve done a great job so far.
The day this story ran I got to go up to the top of the Luhrs Building. It was amazing! I saw their plans for the rest of the block and it looks cool, but they will tear down the Luhrs Central Building.
How is it renovation when a building is torn down? I’d hate to see the Luhrs Building torn down. It’s got such character, not to mention history.
Hi Liz, I agree, I hate to see anything torn down. But there is no plans to tear down the Luhrs Building, only the Luhrs Central Building which is on Madison and Central. And trust me, I’m not happy about that. That building was built in 1914 and was the first in Phoenix to be built out of adobe. It will be a terrible loss. I took some pictures of the renderings they have. Shoot me an email and I’ll forward them to you: seth@jsethanderson.com
Thanks, Seth! I will send you an email. Would love to see the pics.