By Dillan Ducar ’13
THE ROUNDUP

The neighborhood around Brophy could look different in the near future if a condominium tower proposed in nearby lots receives city approval.

The condominiums would be built north of Brophy on the corner of Central and Pearson avenues, just south of the M&I Bank building. The property currently houses vacant buildings along Central with an empty lot behind those.

“The buildings on the east side of Central … are owned by a developer out of LA,” said Mr. John Graham, owner of Sunbelt Holdings and a member of the Brophy Board of Trustees, in an e-mail. “They have attempted to rezone the parcel for a 20-plus story condominium tower.”

The plans for the high rise have been in development for a while, but have yet to receive a Planning Department stamp of approval.

The plot in question is a designated mid-level condominium and residential property; in essence no one can develop a high rise condominium tower without the City of Phoenix Planning Department rezoning the area.

The developer and owner of the planned high rise filed in 2006 to get the area rezoned to allow construction and placement of a building of this size, but the Planning Department denied the request.

“At a later date, another application was filed on the same property and the same zoning district was being requested,” said Phoenix Public Administrations Officer Michael Hammett. “At that time, the applicant was informed that he would be required to wait one year before the Planning Department could consider the same request on the same property.”

As of now the application is listed as pending.

There are no plans for another vacant lot near campus, the one across the street from Brophy’s front lawn on the west side of Central Avenue.

Mr. Graham’s company owns this property and allows customers from several nearby businesses to park there. He also said it will be used as temporary parking for Xavier in the future during a building project.