Danelle Plaza

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The City of Tempe is partnering with Guina Affiliated Developers and Desert Viking Development, LLC to redevelop Danelle Plaza.

Despite holding a warm place in our community's heart, Danelle Plaza has deteriorated. That being said, there is no demolition scheduled.

Through creative volunteer efforts with the City's support, the central building has been used as an “art canvas” to give local artists the opportunity to showcase their talents. The art murals are being removed. We have provided two options for their relocation– storage within a Danelle Plaza building or a chance to be displayed on an Apache Boulevard building.

On Feb. 17, 2024, the City entered an agreement with the two primary private owners, Guina Affiliated Development and Desert Viking Development, to create a new plan to rejuvenate Danelle Plaza.

• Local art and music are important elements to this agreement. These are the spirit of Danelle Plaza. The City of Tempe has been unwavering in its commitment to including local art and music in any project at Danelle Plaza.
• The agreement commits the City of Tempe and the developers to work to create new public spaces that include the artworks that have been created on removable panels on the original central building. The agreement sets aside large portions of the new project buildings to be adorned with new art created in the same way that the temporary art has been installed on the existing buildings.
• The City and the developers are working with the iconic Yucca Taproom and plan to create a new, publicly accessible park with an outdoor performance venue.
• The redevelopment effort requires design and creates spaces that preserve the Plaza's iconic local identity while enlivening the plaza with the uses our residents want and need the most. That includes workforce and affordable housing, retail, restaurant and entertainment options, all in a safe environment. While the public amenities for any future project would be agreed upon as part of the final development plan, it is expected that these would include art walls in honor of the existing murals, an outdoor amphitheater, multimodal pathway options, EV charging stations and more.

There is still work to be done and this will take time. Significant private investment is needed to get the site in an improved condition. Developers are working on the overall plan for the project.

Once a plan is created, it must go through the city public involvement process. This includes neighborhood meetings, Development Review Commission meetings and at least two Tempe City Council public hearings. These approvals are required before any kind of redevelopment takes place by developers.

There is no demolition scheduled.

While several of the existing structures will have to be removed to allow the soils to be remediated, no development plan has been submitted and the parties have not arranged for demolition of any facilities.

We want to ensure that everyone who loves Danelle Plaza and cherishes the memories made there will have a chance to review the plans and provide comments. Residents will be invited to participate in the process and contribute to a project that further enhances our quality of life in Tempe.