Edward Gately, The Republic | azcentral.com

Families and young professionals from all over the country are among the first wave of new apartment dwellers along south Scottsdale’s McDowell Road corridor.

A major part of the corridor’s redevelopment includes adding hundreds of apartment units. SkySong Apartments, with 325 units near Scottsdale and McDowell roads, was the first to hit the market.

The complex is part of SkySong, the Arizona State University Scottsdale Innovation Center, which already has brought more than 1,000 jobs to the corridor.

In late October, Mark-Taylor will begin delivering 40 units per month over 11 months at its sprawling San Travesia apartment complex just east of SkySong. When completed, the gated community will have 572 units.

Chason Development plans to build its 154-unit Las Aguas apartment complex on the parcel that formerly housed Pitre Buick, on the north side of McDowell west of 68th Street.

“These new residents will affect the overall demographics in the area, which will in time also affect the attraction of new retail and restaurant options in the area that employers in locations like SkySong are already clamoring for with 1,000 daytime employees on site,” said Danielle Casey, Scottsdale’s economic development director.

Chris Brozina, vice president of Mark-Taylor Development, said he expects San Travesia to bring a “nice mix” of young professionals, “atypical students,” empty-nesters and Baby Boomers to the corridor.

“They’re the largest units you’ll see in the Valley, so you’re going to attract a higher-end demographic that’s probably moving up the corporate ladder, upwardly mobile in their lives,” he said.

Closer to activities

Couple Tuan Dao, 35, and Vy Nguyen, 34, moved from Chino, Calif., to Scottsdale in early July with their three children, ages 4, 3 and eight months. They rented a unit at SkySong Apartments while Dao completes his fellowship at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

“We wanted an apartment because my husband’s fellowship is just going to be a year, so we don’t know where we’re going to be after that year,” Nguyen said. “An apartment is the ideal thing for us right now, we don’t have to worry about mowing the lawn or selling the house, or things like that.”

The family hasn’t had time yet to do much exploring in the area, but Nguyen said Scottsdale is known for being a good community to live in and raise a family.

“Community-wise, I don’t know my way around here a lot, but I know that they have things for the kids like libraries and parks, and places to go eat … and businesses are just blooming,” she said. “It feels like home, very similar to California despite the hot weather, and I like that a lot.”

Another couple, Brooks and Jeannie Beck, ages 43 and 41, moved to the corridor from north Scottsdale in late March. She’s an operations analyst at Mayo Clinic and he works part time in State Farm’s customer-service department.

“We were in a condominium in north Scottsdale and we wanted to be a little closer to where Brooks works, a little less of a commute,” Jeannie said. “We saw SkySong and it fit all of our criteria, and we moved here.”

The couple are originally from Illinois and moved to Arizona eight years ago. Jeannie said the McDowell area is growing on her with its “convenience to the greenbelt, the bike paths and running paths, and there’s a lot to do around here.”

“It’s actually kind of what we were looking for years ago when we first came to the Valley,” Brooks said. “We wanted to be kind of more in the city.”

Residents guide retail

Prospective retailers want to know everything they can about a particular area’s residential population as they “often make business decisions on very well-defined demographic and trade-area data so they can ensure adequate sales,” Casey said.

Kevin Turner, a performance trainer who was born in Jamaica and raised in New York City, said he enjoys the current atmosphere of the corridor, but looks forward to its continued growth and increasing population, as well as the addition of new retailers. He’s a tenant at SkySong Apartments.

“In the coming years, it will probably be more of a place to be than it is currently,” he said. “I’m from New York, so I like seeing a ton of people. My thing is I don’t necessarily want to engage with you unless I choose to, but I want that opportunity, and with most places around, there’s not really that opportunity to sit and engage with anyone.”

One thing that would make the corridor more inviting would be a fresh-foods market such as a Whole Foods or a Sprouts, Turner said.

“With a Whole Foods or other health-food store, this whole area will change based on that,” he said.

Jeannie Beck also said it would be nice if a fresh-foods market would open within walking distance along McDowell.

Hawke Rayes, a SkySong Apartments resident who works in the leasing office, said he looks forward to seeing more restaurants and retail come to the corridor.

“I remember a few years back, this was not necessarily a place that was a popular area, but now I’m finding it is and I think it will be good to bring that vitality and life back to the area,” he said.

New apartments in south Scottsdale

• San Travesia — Just east of SkySong, construction is progressing on Mark-Taylor’s 572-unit, gated apartment community. The first buildings will be open later this year.
• Alta Scottsdale — Wood Partners’ four-story, 218-unit apartment complex is being built on the site of Rural/Metro Corp.’s former billing and operations center, northeast of Indian School and Granite Reef roads.
• Stetson West — Alliance Residential Co. took over Triyar Cos.’ two planned apartment projects, Industry East and Industry West, which have since been renamed Stetson East and Stetson West. Stetson West is under construction on the north side of Stetson Drive between Wells Fargo Avenue and 75th Street.
• Broadstone Waterfront — Alliance Residential Co. has nearly completed the first phase of the 259-unit high-end apartment complex with 8,000 square feet of restaurant space along Marshall Way.
• Portales — Construction is progressing on the 369-unit complex near Scottsdale and Chaparral roads. JLB Partners is the developer and the project is being built in one phase with completion slated for early 2015.