MUST SEE
NEW SHOW ADD ED!
“
I’ve reviewed about 4,000 shows. None can compare to what I saw tonight.” —Richard Connema, renowned Broadway critic
Tucson • Phoenix • Mesa
AT LEAST ONCE in YOUR LIFETIME
MARCH 7 - 22
THE VOICE OF THE EAST VALLEY SINCE 1891 AND WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR LOCAL REPORTING
Fish frys: Not just for Lent PAGE 26
Chandler/Tempe Edition
THE SUNDAY
Tribune
Spring Training Guide 2017
EAST VALLEY
FREE ($1 OUTSIDE THE EAST VALLEY) | EastValleyTribune.com
AVAILABLE NOW
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Development explodes along light rail line COVER STORY BY GARY NELSON Tribune Contributing Writer
hrough the universal language of music and dance, Shen Yun weaves a wondrous tapestry of heavenly realms, ancient legends, and modern heroic tales, taking you on a journey through 5,000 years of genuine Chinese culture. Its stunning beauty, purity, and tremendous energy leave audiences greatly uplifted and deeply inspired. A Shen Yun performance features 100 world class performers, over 400 sets of exquisite handmade costumes, a unique orchestra blending East and West, and dazzling animated backdrops – creating a spectacular performance beyond imagination. Experience divine culture! Experience Shen Yun!
Sold Out Shows Across North America MAR 7–8
ORDER NOW!
Tucson Convention Center
Mar 8, Wed 2:00pm
— Kenn Wells, former lead dancer of the English National Ballet
“Exquisitely beautiful. An extraordinary experience for us and the children.”
“Priceless.” “It is food for my heart and soul...”
— Cate Blanchett, Academy Award–winning actress
— Segfried & Roy, “Magicians of the Century”
“The 8th
“The orchestra is phenomenal. They are very, very on top.”
People have no idea what they’re missing until they come here and see the show.”
— Roger Tallman, Seven-time Emmy Award– winning composer/producer
—Joe Heard, former White House photographer, watched Shen Yun 6 times
“Mesmerizing! Reclaiming the divinely inspired cultural heritage of China. I encourage everyone to see and all of us to learn from.” — Donna Karan, creator of DKNY
MAR 14–19
Orpheum Theatre, Phoenix Mar 19, Sun 6:00pm
wonder of the world.
“Absolutely the greatest of the great!
It must be experienced.”
—Christine Walevska, “goddess of the cello”, watched Shen Yun 4 times
“A MUST-SEE!” MAR 21–22
lkeda Theater, Mesa
— Broadway world
Tickets ShenYun.com/AZ 800.880.0188
ShenYun.com/AZ
T
“ABSOLUTELY THE NO.1 SHOW IN THE WORLD.”
800.880.0188
ALL-NEW SHOW WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA
The Arts Connecting Heaven & Earth
I
t was one of the most legendary roads in America. Winding from Virginia to downtown Los Angeles, old U.S. 60 carried generations of families across the country and right through the neon-lit hearts of Tempe and Mesa. The remains of that highway are now called Apache Boulevard in Tempe, and Main Street in Mesa. Aging motels, trailer parks, car-sales lots and auto repair shops are reminders of its heyday. But from Mesa’s venerable Mormon temple, westward through Tempe’s towering downtown, there is something new, something those bygone motorists might never have expected: Railroad tracks. The sleek trains that ride those tracks deliver passengers, to be sure. Far more, however, they are delivering a tide of urban redevelopment that promises new residents, jobs and a vertical, futuristic new streetscape. The first leg of light rail opened in late 2008, traversing Tempe and poking only a mile or so into Mesa’s west side. One of the very earliest rail-oriented projects, Papago Gateway Center, was completed in April 2008, even before the trains began rolling. But by the time rail service began,
(Larry Mangino/Tribune Staff Photographer)
Apartment construction takes shape near the Light Rail tracks in Tempe. A wave of urban redevelopment along the route promises new residents, jobs and a vertical, futuristic new streetscape.
the Great Recession had rendered Arizona’s construction industry all but comatose. For a while, most of the rail-oriented projects came in the form of low-income housing, financed in large part by tax credits that enable developers to charge minimal rents. The Arizona Housing Department gave priority to such projects near mass-transit routes, and because of that policy some low-
income housing came to downtown Mesa even before train service began there in 2015. Tempe developer Charles Huellmantel spearheaded several such projects. Encore on Farmer, a 56-unit senior complex near Fifth Street and Farmer Avenue in Tempe, is an example. See
DEVELOPMENT on page 6
Chandler, Gilbert rail addition not likely soon BY GARY NELSON Tribune Contributing Writer
I
f light rail ever comes to Chandler and Gilbert, the most likely route would be south from Main Street in Mesa along Country Club Drive/Arizona Avenue. As with the existing rail line in Mesa and Tempe, such a route would follow a historic
highway – in this case, State Route 87. It would brush the far northwest corner of Gilbert before heading straight for downtown Chandler. At present, however, no such project is even on the books for Valley Metro, the agency that operates the region’s light rail line. That could change depending on a series of studies examining the need for high-capacity
transit in that corridor. A final report on one such study is due this spring, examining prospects along SR87 and in southwest Mesa’s Fiesta District. “At this point, we’re just looking at highcapacity transit, with several different alternatives that it can be,” said Chandler city See
NOT LIKELY on page 8