The Downtown Phoenix skyline already includes a variety of high-rise buildings and skyscrapers. The tallest currently of which is the 40-story Chase Tower, which rises 438 feet, and the U.S. Bank Center, designed in the International Style, a modernist architectural take that values on volume over mass. Over the years, the city’s horizon has expanded to also include dozens of notable buildings and you can now find 18 of Arizona’s 20 tallest buildings here.

Per the Phoenix Business Journal, 2018 could be the year when change comes once more to the skyline with a slew of new projects slated. Many of these are already under construction, while some are still in the planning or proposal stages. 

Christine Mackay, director of the Phoenix Community and Economic Development, told the Biz Journal that, over the next 18 months, she thinks the skyline “is going to change significantly with potentially as many as 12 mid- and high-rise buildings going up.” 

The allure for drawing developers from all over the U.S. may be in Phoenix’s reputation as one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. Per Growth Nation, the fifth-largest U.S. city is expected to become the fourth-biggest by 2020. By 2030, the city population is expected to hit 2.2 million while the metro population will reach 6.3 million.

As that population increases, so do housing demands. Phoenix has long tried to entice residents to the downtown core. It’s starting to work with millennials but there is so much more room for growth. Multiple projects are in the works that include residential units, hotels, or mixed-use.

Courtesy of Maccandace

Ro2

Phoenix recently approved Ro2, a multi-use development in the Roosevelt Row Arts District in Downtown Phoenix. The 19-story tower, part of a larger four-structure project, will include 32 residential units, 305,000 square feet of commercial office space, and 77,000 square feet of retail space.

Courtesy of Amstar and Transwestern

Derby Roosevelt Row

A $36 million project by Amstar/McKinley LLC called Derby Roosevelt Row will include a 19-story residential tower featuring micro-units with rents starting at $1,350 in Evans Churchill. According to AZ Central, the 211 units inside will average 400 square feet, making it one of the densest developments Downtown, per city economic leaders.

Courtesy of The Link Phoenix

The Link PHX

The Link PHX will have a big role in reshaping the skyline. Already under construction and slated for a 2019 debut, the 30-story luxury residential tower, adjacent to the popular McKinley Condominiums, will be part of a three-phase, mixed-use development. Per AZ Big Media, plans call for 600 residences and 21,000 square feet of retail space, making it one of the biggest projects close to Roosevelt Row.

Courtesy of Omni Plan

Block 23

Finally, there’s Block 23, a mixed-use project that has already gained fame as the home of Downtown Phoenix’s first grocery store (Fry’s). Along with a store, the complex will also include a restaurant and other retail space on the lower levels. Above that will be 330 apartments and several floors of high-tech offices.

This project is being closely watched by multiple developers as it’s arrival in Midtown is seen as a symbol that Phoenix’s central business district has “arrived as a live-work area,” per Phoenix Business Journal. It could also indicate an interest in new office space demand, which has been lacking since the last real estate boom.