First opened in 1963, Tempe’s Danelle Plaza serves as a hub for local artists and musicians and is home to the iconic Yucca Tap Room. But its future remains uncertain, as the city continues a renovation project at the site near Southern and Mill avenues.
The city says that despite the plaza’s deterioration, no demolition is scheduled. Officials say some type of redevelopment is planned, and art murals on removable panels will need to be relocated to allow for soil remediation.
Rob Moore is a coordinator of the Danelle Project, an effort to highlight the site’s cultural and artistic aspects.
“What's left of its powerfully delicate creative ecology is vulnerable to the impacts of redevelopment, making it so important to respect its existing value and mitigate unintended consequences that undermine this unique stronghold, creative culture and its active contribution to the community," he said.
Mayor Corey Woods says the challenges are linked to the historic aspect of the plaza.
“It became a half-built shopping center that's unfortunately had a lot of challenges for the entire duration that it's been in existence," he said. "It's had historically a very complicated ownership structure that made getting it to function or redevelopment almost, nearly impossible."
The city will work with two developers and the property owners in the redevelopment efforts. Woods says he is confident the city has the right developers for the project.
People can sign up for email updates on the Danelle Plaza project and visit Tempe’s website for more information.
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