Industrial space sometimes conjures images of dark buildings or dirty warehouses, but a project in the northwest Valley aims to change that.
Construction on the first phase of Park303 is underway. The project is named after its location along Loop 303 between Bethany Home Road and Glendale Avenue. David Krumwiede with Lincoln Property Company described the industrial space as an employment center.
“It’s got every bell and whistle you can imagine,” he said. “Indoor, outdoor spaces, we’ve got outdoor barbecues, we’ve got places to play cornhole and any other game you want.”
Krumwiede said the first phase will include two buildings that can be combined into a single building with more than 1.25 million square feet. More than 140 glass windows will maximize natural light.
“It’s back to attraction and retention,” he said. “You need to fill these things with a lot of people and they need to have amenities that are not dissimilar to office buildings and/or mixed-use projects.”
Offering different amenities was a message echoed by Curt Kremer at Urban Land Institute Arizona’s Trends Day.
“We’re really thinking about what the experience is for that end user,” he said.
Kremer’s company, George Oliver, turned a 30-year-old complex in central Phoenix into modern office space called CASA. There’s a coffee shop, yoga studio and a meditation room with four bunk beds that's used often.
“It doesn’t mean that that person is not successful or not working hard the rest of the day,” he said. “They just need a place they can go for 10, 15, 20 minutes and mentally kind of check out and then go back to their desk and be rested and ready to go. “
Kremer and his wife, Abby Freisinger Kremer, a lead designer with the company, find inspiration by visiting hotels, coffee shops and restaurants.
“We really try and cultivate what are those experiences they're looking for, what are those work environments they’re looking for,” he said.
Other tenant amenities include a lounge and cafe, fitness area, courtyards with water features, private offices and a training center.
