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So Atari's motto is futuristic since forever.
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And so we really wanted to play up on that
because it's not we're not looking it's not a
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backward yes.
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There's nostalgic parts of it.
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Of course, it's the original gaming console.
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So there is nostalgia.
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However, it's not a backward looking project.
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It's very forward looking.
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You know, gaming has exploded since COVID.
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It dwarfs most or if not all forms of
entertainment at this point.
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Hey, everybody.
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Welcome back to another episode of Building
Scale, specifically the building connection
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series where I get to talk to awesome people I
meet here in the wild and here in the valley
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and or anywhere I kind of stumble myself into.
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But this week, Zach Cohen is definitely a
valley guy.
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Not a valley guy, but a the valley as in the
Arizona Phoenix Valley.
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He runs a little company called Intersection
Development or is a cofounder of it, and
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they're doing something really, really cool
here in the valley, which is the Atari Hotel,
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which we talk at nauseum about.
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As well as like, how do you, as a developer,
you know, think of these awesome ideas, find
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partnerships and things like that.
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And maybe a hair, a peek into the box as me and
Zach, and a couple other developers are gonna
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have a little panel at the National
Construction Board of Influence, AEC
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Development Day in a couple months here.
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Less than fifty days.
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Exciting times.
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Absolutely.
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But, yeah, Zach is my buddy.
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I enjoy Zach a ton.
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He's fun.
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He speaks his mind, which I love.
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And I think you're gonna really enjoy this
episode as well.
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Also, he's a two time building scale, building
connections person.
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So he's he's practically royalty around here.
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So, yes, sit back, relax, enjoy the fun
banterings of of me and Zach Cohen.
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Zach, Zach, Zach, my friend.
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I am so happy to see you.
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You're beautiful, man.
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Luscious hair that I've It's all up.
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It's all tied up.
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They're all tied up.
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I I I I'm always thinking, like, how can I do
more stuff with Zach?
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And and, obviously, you're doing big stuff here
in the valley makes it easy to say, hey, like,
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well, let's do some podcast stuff because this
is this is just a lot of fun for me.
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Yeah.
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Well, the interesting part is I is I never see
you anywhere.
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Oh, wait.
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Actually, I see you all the time.
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Exactly.
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And that's a good thing.
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But, yeah, the Atari Hotel.
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This is the big, newest, baddest, coolest
thing.
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I'm a total video game I had an Atari when I
was a little kid.
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So, like, I I love that.
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I I play Nintendo games with my my son now.
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So, like, it's just, like, a thing that I'm all
about.
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So, fun.
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Where did this idea come from?
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How did how did you and your band of, ragtag
awesome badasses think of this?
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Well, I I wish I could take credit for the the
idea for Atari Hotel, but that would go to my
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my partners, Jordan Taylor, Jason Merck, and
Shelly Murphy.
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Awesome.
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Who
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hatched this idea a while ago and and purchased
the the global rights to Atari hotels as a
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licensing agreement from Atari.
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So I can't really speak to how that happened.
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I mean, I know like the gist of it, but I don't
wanna misspeak.
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So I am not the brainchild behind the idea for
Atari.
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Okay.
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Well, maybe back it up then.
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It seems like all this stuff that you guys do
is always just cool.
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Like, it's always just like awesome shit.
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What how does that happen?
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There's so many developers that, you know,
build the same shit over and over again.
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You guys are like, no.
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How can we just, like, one up that last thing
we did and and make a cool space?
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I don't know if it's if it's one upping, but, I
mean, we definitely believe in in human centric
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developments, things that make communities
better, make people more proud of their
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communities, that evoke discussion and thought.
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We try to approach every project by first
envisioning the human who's going to occupy
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that space or participate or work or play or
live in that space and design outward from his
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perspective out.
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The problem with a lot of architects and
developers is they design, they first do a site
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plan, then they do a massing study, and then
they try to fit some human elements within the
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space that's already been designed to maximize
square footage.
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We do it the other way.
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So it's just a different approach.
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We feel it's just a, as I said, like a more
human centric holistic approach to the design
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where we're really trying to, in the case of
Atari, instead of building an Atari themed
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hotel, I always say it's not themed, it's
played.
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But much like a video game, we are trying to
actually do world so that you are fully
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immersed in the space in the world of Atari,
rather than being at a hotel that just happens
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to have some some Atari decorations and some
video games on the wall.
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So so it's a much different approach to to to
the hotel business, and it's a a much different
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approach to development.
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The design of it, because it's seen the
renderings of it, and all, like, the little
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nuance stuff to it is all it's just super cool.
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Like, the shapes of, like, the windows and or
or the bases.
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I I remember looking at it and be like, oh my
god.
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That's, like, asteroid or whatever, the Galaga.
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Like, it's like I was like, this is amazing.
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This is so so cool where it's like such a
nuanced it's not like in your face like, get
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me.
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I'm a giant Pac Man, which maybe that happens
and that's cool too.
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But, like, I feel like there's a I don't know.
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It's like it's like a playful way to do it in
comparison to, like, a let me just drown you
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in, like, a gift shop of Atari.
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Yeah.
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Again, that goes back to world building again.
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We don't want it to be derivative.
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We don't want it to be, you know, exactly
pictures of old games on the wall, though there
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will be old games and future looking
experiences.
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But the you know, we we really leaned into Tron
and Blade Runner for for the design.
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I mean, I feel like they those go hand in hand
with that era and with futurism.
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There's Tetris you can see in the facade.
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There's certainly references to Pong by the way
the buildings interact, the two sides interact
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with each other.
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The pools are exact shapes from the game
asteroid.
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Yeah.
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There
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are light elements in the facade that are meant
to reference the original circuitry from game
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boards, from from the original Atari and and
old That's so gaming systems.
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So so that's just a few of the Easter eggs that
that we or design elements that we've
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incorporated into the building.
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I mean, we're really trying it's a game.
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It should be playful when we do other buildings
outside of Rainbow because that's also based on
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a game.
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You know, we we we really want this to be a
playful user experience that gamers can call
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home, that people in Phoenix can come visit for
entertainment with their kids or their parents
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or if they're music fans.
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I mean, there's a lot of different programming
that I'm sure we'll get into.
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But, yeah, I mean, we we really wanted to be
playful with the design.
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It's a game.
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It should be played.
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And so that's sort of where the the inspiration
came from.
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Okay.
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That's awesome.
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So as you were thinking of the human that is
gonna exist here or as the team is thinking
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about the human that exists here, what what are
the the things that you drew up?
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Obviously, you mentioned the the aspects of the
game, but, like, it's also not just thinking
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like, hey.
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This game that existed, I don't know, I thought
it came out forty years ago.
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Don't know.
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Whenever it came out.
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But also future.
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Wow.
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Holy crap.
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So, like, longer than that.
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That's insane.
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That's like that's that's a very long time ago.
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So but the future aspect of it.
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Because it's not just like, let's live in that
time, but what does the future look like?
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And how do how do you put that person, that
human, and say like, hey.
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I want you to have that nostalgia, but I also
want the forward facing future stuff.
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So Atari's motto is futuristic since forever.
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And so we we want really wanted to play up on
that because it's not we're not looking it's
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it's not a backward yes, there's nostalgic
parts of it.
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Of course it's the original gaming console.
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So there is nostalgia.
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However, it's not a backward looking project.
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It's very forward looking, you know, gaming has
exploded since COVID.
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It dwarfs most, or if not all forms of
entertainment at this point.
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So we really wanted to lean in what the user
experience is going to be and what they're
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looking for.
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And so we have a huge underground music venue,
which would be 2,200 capacity music venue, all
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underground.
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Wow.
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Okay.
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It's going to be I mean, what you're picturing
in your head is probably 50% what it's gonna be
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like.
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It's gonna be really amazing, and we have an
incredible partner on that.
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But I think that press is coming shortly, so I
actually can't jump the gun there.
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Mum's the word.
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All right.
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Yeah.
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But we have a great music partner.
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Then we're gonna do a an esports venue, esports
gaming venue with a with a sports book along
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with it.
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So that's going to to cater to, you know,
sports fans, music fans, gaming fans.
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There's just a ton of digital programming in
it.
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We're looking to have hologram front desks so
that you're checked in by AI holograms rather
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than Oh
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my
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rather than by actual human beings.
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There'll be facial recognition so that if
you're a guest at the hotel, you could put in
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your preferences and the hotel will actually
change as you pass through it.
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I mean, we're looking at a lot of just
incredible technology that hasn't been
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available.
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And, you know, there's a three year build out.
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We hope to break ground in in December.
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So to be open by December '28.
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So who knows what will be going on at that
point in time.
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But but we do have Intel as a partner to ensure
our infrastructure backbone allows us to be
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able to implement the the most current, the
most forward thinking technology to to really
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enhance user experiences and make people just
it plays more back into this world building
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that I'm that I'm talking about.
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We're really trying to create not a hotel where
you play games, but but an entire world of
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Atari here in Phoenix.
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That's unbelievable.
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I am very excited to see the technology you're
talking about now and it's like two years from
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now, three years from now, what does that then
become?
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AI is moving so fast, so it's like, oh my
goodness.
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I mean, two years ago, nobody even AI was like
a myth.
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Right?
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So it's crazy how fast it's moving.
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And I'm excited to see how it can help us
really deliver great experiences to guests who
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people don't want a hotel anymore where they
just go and spend the night.
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They want experiences.
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That whole old model is sort of gone.
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People are over it.
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They want to really enter a new world and be
detached from their regular lives.
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And so we're trying to play upon that to to get
them but to be like the the the future of what
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what hotel concepts will be.
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So, I mean, I rambled a little there, but
that's alright.
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No.
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That's to do.
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That's amazing.
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So you mentioned partners, both the music
partner that is is still under wraps and then
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Intel.
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So how how do you how do you choose great
partners?
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How do you how do you go down that path as
you're looking to do things that are not in the
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boxes that have historically been done?
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And you're looking to say, we wanna do things
differently.
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We want to be seen as future especially in this
project being very futuristic is forever
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whatever Atari is
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futuristic forever?
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Since forever.
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Since forever.
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Yeah.
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Yes.
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So how do you find partners that also have that
same vibe?
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Well, we've been really lucky in that almost a
100% of the partners that we've reached out to
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express some interest in being a part of this.
234
00:11:37,950 --> 00:11:43,004
They see I mean, they see what we see, that
this is an opportunity to really do something
235
00:11:43,004 --> 00:11:43,804
incredible.
236
00:11:44,044 --> 00:11:49,004
And, know, our, we have other cities planned
coming up after Phoenix, but, know, we live
237
00:11:49,004 --> 00:11:49,245
here.
238
00:11:49,245 --> 00:11:50,125
We love Phoenix.
239
00:11:50,125 --> 00:11:51,644
The city has been a great partner.
240
00:11:51,644 --> 00:11:54,204
So, we're gonna do the first one here in
Phoenix.
241
00:11:54,204 --> 00:11:59,059
It's, but I think I'm falling away from your
original oh, partners.
242
00:11:59,059 --> 00:11:59,460
Yeah.
243
00:11:59,460 --> 00:12:02,019
So so Intel has been a partner for a while.
244
00:12:02,019 --> 00:12:06,100
I mean, it's there hasn't been a lot of work
done to this point, but but they're going to to
245
00:12:06,100 --> 00:12:08,259
work with us to do the backbone infrastructure.
246
00:12:08,259 --> 00:12:12,375
We've reached out to sound partners, obviously
our EDM partner.
247
00:12:12,375 --> 00:12:17,575
There's a ton of different potential
experiences that are gonna be contained because
248
00:12:17,575 --> 00:12:22,214
it's a 100,000 square feet of entertainment
space and only 91 keys.
249
00:12:22,214 --> 00:12:27,309
So fully 60 to 70% of the hotel will be an
entertainment venue.
250
00:12:27,309 --> 00:12:32,990
And, you know, therefore only 40% is going to
be dedicated to the hotel.
251
00:12:32,990 --> 00:12:35,470
So it's not a hotel.
252
00:12:35,470 --> 00:12:37,470
It's not a hotel that offers entertainment.
253
00:12:38,075 --> 00:12:41,595
It's a entertainment venue with a hotel
attachment.
254
00:12:41,914 --> 00:12:45,115
There's only 91 keys and that means something
too.
255
00:12:45,115 --> 00:12:51,514
There's 19 suites and 72 standard rooms because
Atari again was founded in 1972.
256
00:12:51,514 --> 00:12:54,330
So there's a little a little call out right
there.
257
00:12:54,330 --> 00:12:57,129
And and those are kinda peppered throughout.
258
00:12:57,129 --> 00:12:58,649
So yeah.
259
00:12:58,649 --> 00:13:00,009
That's I love that.
260
00:13:00,009 --> 00:13:02,809
So then it it really goes back to the idea of
community.
261
00:13:02,809 --> 00:13:03,210
Right?
262
00:13:03,210 --> 00:13:05,129
Because, like, it's not just a hotel.
263
00:13:05,129 --> 00:13:12,975
It's actually more of entertainment space that
has the hotel piece to it, but it is for I
264
00:13:12,975 --> 00:13:16,735
think you said 2,200 Capacity.
265
00:13:16,894 --> 00:13:18,414
Of 2,200.
266
00:13:18,414 --> 00:13:19,134
Music venue.
267
00:13:19,690 --> 00:13:20,090
Yeah.
268
00:13:20,090 --> 00:13:24,170
That's that is that is a separate thing that is
for the community.
269
00:13:24,170 --> 00:13:27,370
Obviously, people staying at the hotel can use
it, but, like, people that aren't staying at
270
00:13:27,370 --> 00:13:30,970
the hotel can use it, which is a big piece of
your your ethos, I think.
271
00:13:30,970 --> 00:13:31,210
Yeah.
272
00:13:31,210 --> 00:13:36,095
A 100,000 square feet for 91 keys would be a
lot of entertainment space per person.
273
00:13:36,095 --> 00:13:36,414
Yeah.
274
00:13:36,414 --> 00:13:38,894
So, no, it it really is community focused.
275
00:13:39,054 --> 00:13:43,534
We we own as you I don't know if you know or
not, but we own the whole block except for the
276
00:13:43,534 --> 00:13:43,934
Stewart.
277
00:13:43,934 --> 00:13:49,799
And so we're actually planning Atari as part of
a larger entertainment district, if you will.
278
00:13:50,039 --> 00:13:50,679
Okay.
279
00:13:50,839 --> 00:13:54,360
So south of the Atari site, I look over there
because it's right there
280
00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:54,839
Yeah.
281
00:13:54,839 --> 00:13:57,639
Is where our office is, and and Barcoa is
there.
282
00:13:57,639 --> 00:14:00,440
They're, of course, a famous bar, incredible
bar.
283
00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:04,694
They're doing something on on the former space,
which is at the front of this building, which
284
00:14:04,694 --> 00:14:06,214
is f and b related.
285
00:14:06,214 --> 00:14:09,894
They haven't announced what that is yet, so I'm
not gonna get into that.
286
00:14:10,375 --> 00:14:13,495
South of that is our Sisu Manzana building.
287
00:14:13,495 --> 00:14:20,110
And so we will have both 1st Ave and Alley
facing F and B in that that building.
288
00:14:20,590 --> 00:14:27,870
Then south of that are the bungalows in the
historic Stoddard Harmon house, Clive, and Tell
289
00:14:27,870 --> 00:14:31,070
Your Friends and Neon Spur and all those great
concepts.
290
00:14:31,125 --> 00:14:35,284
They're gonna do three separate concepts there
that'll have both alley facing.
291
00:14:35,284 --> 00:14:41,365
And I mean, are there's one called Ada, which
is kind of a raw bars, you know, oysters and
292
00:14:41,845 --> 00:14:44,644
crab, like sort of a traditional seafood raw
bar.
293
00:14:44,879 --> 00:14:50,879
Then they have a one called love call, which is
gonna be meats and that one's really futuristic
294
00:14:50,879 --> 00:14:53,120
in the way that that's been designed.
295
00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:56,559
And then they're doing a Japanese verbatim
grill called kusatori.
296
00:14:56,894 --> 00:14:59,455
So that those will all those will all sort of
activate.
297
00:14:59,455 --> 00:15:05,695
And then on the other side, central, we've got,
you know, Furumi over there and, like, central
298
00:15:05,695 --> 00:15:07,774
central records and all that.
299
00:15:07,774 --> 00:15:12,014
So what we're trying to do is sort of create
the first alley experience down here.
300
00:15:12,014 --> 00:15:12,095
Okay.
301
00:15:12,870 --> 00:15:14,389
And the capstone is Atari.
302
00:15:14,389 --> 00:15:17,429
So so there'll be food and beverage and
entertainment.
303
00:15:17,429 --> 00:15:22,789
There's also a outdoor entertainment venue for
about 300 people that'll be part of that Clive
304
00:15:22,789 --> 00:15:24,629
Collective space that's called Mode.
305
00:15:25,125 --> 00:15:29,445
So there'll be all kinds of food and beverage
and entertainment up and down both First Dev
306
00:15:29,445 --> 00:15:34,804
Central and in the alley to sort of bring the
whole new center of entertainment right here to
307
00:15:34,965 --> 00:15:39,190
not that it's not the energy's here at
Roosevelt Row already, but just, you know, to
308
00:15:39,190 --> 00:15:41,589
bring a whole lot more of that to this area.
309
00:15:42,470 --> 00:15:46,709
How do you this is such a huge it's not just
one thing.
310
00:15:46,709 --> 00:15:46,950
Right?
311
00:15:46,950 --> 00:15:51,990
It's it's like how do we collectively come
together to make an unbelievable experience for
312
00:15:51,990 --> 00:15:55,205
everybody inside the hotel, outside the hotel,
like literally everywhere.
313
00:15:55,205 --> 00:15:57,044
How do you how do you get that to happen?
314
00:15:57,044 --> 00:16:01,125
Like, it's it's awesome when you go somewhere
and you're like, this place is great.
315
00:16:01,125 --> 00:16:02,085
I love this.
316
00:16:02,164 --> 00:16:03,445
You can walk to all these places.
317
00:16:03,445 --> 00:16:07,125
There's all these, you know, restaurants and
bars and, like, cool shit to do.
318
00:16:07,205 --> 00:16:09,269
But, like, how does that actually come
together?
319
00:16:09,269 --> 00:16:10,389
Like, how how does that happen?
320
00:16:10,389 --> 00:16:13,350
Obviously, working with the city has to be a
piece of that, I would assume.
321
00:16:13,350 --> 00:16:19,430
But, like, how how do how do you get some big
idea like that to actually inground and then up
322
00:16:19,430 --> 00:16:19,750
in a building?
323
00:16:20,315 --> 00:16:23,274
I mean, honestly, I I wish I could take credit
for that too.
324
00:16:23,274 --> 00:16:28,154
I have great partners that are open to a lot a
lot of different ideas, and they come up with
325
00:16:28,154 --> 00:16:29,115
many of the ideas.
326
00:16:29,115 --> 00:16:33,720
You know, I work on the on the design and
construction side, but, you know, Jordan and
327
00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:39,240
Jason and Shelly are are are great partners and
they all have real big ideas.
328
00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:44,200
And so I'm I'm lucky to have such partners that
think much in terms like I do.
329
00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:46,920
Like, how do we make our neighborhood better?
330
00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,455
How do we provide, you know, public access to
things?
331
00:16:50,455 --> 00:16:52,455
We we don't like walled gardens.
332
00:16:52,455 --> 00:16:56,134
All of the of the buildings that we do have
some public component to them.
333
00:16:56,615 --> 00:17:02,375
We don't so we don't have any pure residential,
you know, you lock the door concepts that they
334
00:17:02,375 --> 00:17:04,740
all want to be part of the community.
335
00:17:05,140 --> 00:17:10,740
That goes back to how I see architecture, which
is architecture is art.
336
00:17:10,740 --> 00:17:16,259
It's livable, walkable art, and it should be
enjoyed by those who walk by it.
337
00:17:16,515 --> 00:17:20,994
I make the analogy all the time and I should
probably do it because I'm in jeopardy of
338
00:17:20,994 --> 00:17:23,954
having all of my interviews sound somewhat the
same.
339
00:17:23,954 --> 00:17:30,400
But, you know, when you walk around in great
cities like Rome or or or Paris or Naples or
340
00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:38,160
wherever, you feel a sense of or Madrid or
Barcelona or wherever, you feel a sense of
341
00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:43,855
something bigger because the architecture makes
you feel like you're connected to some kind of
342
00:17:43,855 --> 00:17:49,055
source really, to some kind of expression of
human existence.
343
00:17:49,055 --> 00:17:54,650
And we're sorely lacking that in Phoenix, but I
mean, that's sort of how my that sort of vision
344
00:17:54,650 --> 00:18:01,369
has has grown over the years is is to look at
each property as how can this make the people
345
00:18:01,369 --> 00:18:05,930
who live in it or near it or walk past it,
prouder of the city that they live in?
346
00:18:05,930 --> 00:18:09,764
How does it make them feel like a part of
something bigger?
347
00:18:10,164 --> 00:18:14,644
How does it make them connect and want to come
back and tell stories?
348
00:18:14,644 --> 00:18:16,644
When they're out of town, Hey, you know what?
349
00:18:16,644 --> 00:18:18,724
We have this going on in Phoenix.
350
00:18:19,924 --> 00:18:26,099
So that's sort of the ethos of how we approach
all of our projects, whether it's a TI in
351
00:18:25,940 --> 00:18:32,019
adaptive reuse historic building, like we're
going to do with Ada in the Stoddard Harmon
352
00:18:32,019 --> 00:18:38,244
house, or whether we're doing the Atari Hotel,
which is $150,000,000 capstone hospitality and
353
00:18:38,244 --> 00:18:39,204
entertainment piece.
354
00:18:39,204 --> 00:18:41,045
But, yeah, that's that's you asked the
question.
355
00:18:41,045 --> 00:18:42,164
I hope I answered it.
356
00:18:42,325 --> 00:18:43,204
But but yeah.
357
00:18:43,204 --> 00:18:44,085
Absolutely.
358
00:18:44,164 --> 00:18:46,724
I you have it's just in conversations with you.
359
00:18:46,724 --> 00:18:48,805
You've made me see design differently.
360
00:18:48,805 --> 00:18:49,045
Right?
361
00:18:49,045 --> 00:18:51,125
Like, I originally from Chicago, lots of
architecture.
362
00:18:51,169 --> 00:18:52,450
Lots of like, it's it's a thing.
363
00:18:52,450 --> 00:18:57,809
And then moving to Phoenix and not seeing the
same kind of things, it was not something I I
364
00:18:57,809 --> 00:18:59,250
understood immediately.
365
00:18:59,250 --> 00:19:03,169
But then obviously, talking with you, talking
to other designers, other architects, it's
366
00:19:03,169 --> 00:19:04,929
like, oh, because it everybody says it.
367
00:19:04,929 --> 00:19:06,369
Like, Phoenix just doesn't have that.
368
00:19:06,369 --> 00:19:09,164
And it's like, well, how do you how do you
right.
369
00:19:09,164 --> 00:19:12,525
Like like, is that for me, I'm like, well, why
couldn't you just take an old building and make
370
00:19:12,525 --> 00:19:12,845
it better?
371
00:19:12,845 --> 00:19:17,005
And then it's like, well, it doesn't there's so
many so many red tape that goes into that, and
372
00:19:17,005 --> 00:19:19,565
there's a lot more challenges when you take an
old building.
373
00:19:19,565 --> 00:19:23,700
But to start new, like because like at some
point, somebody had to build that architecture,
374
00:19:23,940 --> 00:19:25,380
that beautiful piece of art.
375
00:19:25,380 --> 00:19:31,380
And it's like it sounds like what you try to do
with your projects is that even though it's not
376
00:19:31,380 --> 00:19:35,554
like I can't go back seventy years and and
recreate a building.
377
00:19:36,034 --> 00:19:41,154
There are some great adaptive reuse projects
going on in Phoenix right now.
378
00:19:41,474 --> 00:19:44,274
And there has been great architecture in the
past.
379
00:19:44,434 --> 00:19:46,914
The issue for me isn't the old architecture.
380
00:19:47,269 --> 00:19:52,069
The issue for me is that Phoenix, because it
developed so much later and there are so many
381
00:19:52,069 --> 00:19:56,789
opportunities downtown to build new buildings,
you know, it's not as dense as other cities.
382
00:19:56,789 --> 00:19:59,109
There's opportunity to do cool stuff here.
383
00:19:59,109 --> 00:20:06,744
My issue is that the opportunity to create an
architecturally distinct city with unique
384
00:20:06,744 --> 00:20:13,305
projects that move people is largely being
filled in to this point by developers and
385
00:20:13,305 --> 00:20:18,529
architects who are doing cookie cutter
buildings that are really indistinguishable
386
00:20:18,529 --> 00:20:19,329
from the next.
387
00:20:19,329 --> 00:20:23,490
I mean, they're basically taking, in my
opinion, this is just my opinion.
388
00:20:23,490 --> 00:20:29,649
They're taking the sort of the master plan
community model where where all the houses are
389
00:20:29,894 --> 00:20:33,575
similar to the similar, if not identical to the
one next door.
390
00:20:33,575 --> 00:20:37,575
And they're just doing a vertical version of
that where, you know, they're involved in this
391
00:20:37,575 --> 00:20:43,414
amenities race and they really don't care what
the what the outside of the building looks
392
00:20:43,414 --> 00:20:43,734
like.
393
00:20:43,734 --> 00:20:53,070
They only care like, does it have a pickleball
court or how many foosball or pool tables does
394
00:20:53,070 --> 00:20:53,549
it have?
395
00:20:53,549 --> 00:20:58,190
It's like, go to these buildings and it's sad
because if you go to all these amenities,
396
00:20:58,190 --> 00:20:59,230
they're largely empty.
397
00:20:59,230 --> 00:21:00,509
It's just wasted space.
398
00:21:00,644 --> 00:21:06,404
So we have a very different approach to what we
do and how we see architecture.
399
00:21:06,724 --> 00:21:12,484
Yeah, what we'd like and what we hope for is to
be the catalyst to have some people think
400
00:21:12,484 --> 00:21:17,390
differently about how they do their own
buildings or design buildings for Phoenix and
401
00:21:17,390 --> 00:21:22,269
maybe take more creative artistic license with
with what they're doing here and and build
402
00:21:22,269 --> 00:21:26,990
something not to maximize every dollar that
comes out of the project, but instead to build
403
00:21:26,990 --> 00:21:30,109
something that that increases the value of the
community as a whole.
404
00:21:31,474 --> 00:21:36,595
I I think of your other project Rainbow Road
and how that isn't just a box, which is I feel
405
00:21:36,595 --> 00:21:41,154
like to what you're talking about is, like, how
do we just stack on top of each other the same
406
00:21:41,154 --> 00:21:42,994
box on box on box box on box?
407
00:21:42,994 --> 00:21:47,970
And so it's cool to see that you are taking
that approach of saying, like, there's more to
408
00:21:47,970 --> 00:21:51,569
this than just how do I get x amount of dollars
out of this project?
409
00:21:51,569 --> 00:21:52,210
It's, hey.
410
00:21:52,210 --> 00:21:57,649
Like, you're leaving much a much bigger impact
and people should take that more seriously.
411
00:21:57,649 --> 00:22:00,609
Like, that's not like you're giving the gift of
being able to have impact.
412
00:22:00,955 --> 00:22:05,355
You should use that to your advantage or to the
community's advantage and not just your soul
413
00:22:05,355 --> 00:22:05,835
in.
414
00:22:06,154 --> 00:22:12,394
I mean, it's not we also believe, like, these
buildings will be worth more over time than,
415
00:22:12,394 --> 00:22:18,679
you you know, much like a much like a custom
home will be or a unique home will be worth
416
00:22:18,679 --> 00:22:22,279
more over time than a track home or a mass
produced home.
417
00:22:22,279 --> 00:22:27,960
We believe that buildings that have their own,
you know, their own soul will be worth more
418
00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:29,399
than buildings that are soulless.
419
00:22:29,755 --> 00:22:32,954
So, I mean, just believe that's true.
420
00:22:32,954 --> 00:22:36,474
And so far we've been exploring that and we'll
see how it goes.
421
00:22:36,474 --> 00:22:39,835
Prudential or mixed use is different than
hospitality, right?
422
00:22:39,835 --> 00:22:42,714
So hospitality, I think going forward has to do
this.
423
00:22:42,930 --> 00:22:45,809
I think people are tired of solace hotels.
424
00:22:46,130 --> 00:22:51,890
People, at least in Phoenix, need to get used
to I would love it if if people in the valley
425
00:22:51,890 --> 00:22:53,970
would demand more from architecture.
426
00:22:53,970 --> 00:22:57,330
It truly truly affects people in more ways than
they know.
427
00:22:58,615 --> 00:22:59,174
Yeah.
428
00:22:59,174 --> 00:23:04,055
That's something that I've come to appreciate
more and more having conversations where it's
429
00:23:04,055 --> 00:23:07,494
it's not just that it looks nice, that there's
more to it.
430
00:23:07,494 --> 00:23:09,575
There's more science actually behind it, which
is pretty cool.
431
00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:12,480
Alright.
432
00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:13,839
Big project happening.
433
00:23:13,839 --> 00:23:18,399
How how does this how does the load work in
regards to, like, focus that you have with
434
00:23:18,399 --> 00:23:19,519
design and construction?
435
00:23:19,519 --> 00:23:21,119
You have other projects going on as well.
436
00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:27,244
Like what when you take on something as big and
as, you know, impactful and future driven as
437
00:23:27,244 --> 00:23:32,045
Atari Hotel, what what what are the like, on
the behind the scenes, like, does that work?
438
00:23:32,045 --> 00:23:34,365
Like, how how does your work structure happen?
439
00:23:34,365 --> 00:23:38,605
Because you're also doing other stuff, but this
seems like it's such a big thing.
440
00:23:39,450 --> 00:23:39,769
Yeah.
441
00:23:39,769 --> 00:23:44,169
We will we will break ground on our Sisu
Apartments, which is just to the south of our
442
00:23:44,169 --> 00:23:44,809
office here.
443
00:23:44,809 --> 00:23:46,650
That's part of that entertainment zone.
444
00:23:46,650 --> 00:23:49,210
There's a 125 apartments there.
445
00:23:49,369 --> 00:23:50,809
It's 12 stories tall.
446
00:23:51,345 --> 00:23:56,464
It has Ground Floor f and b, three three floors
of podium parking, and then one level of office
447
00:23:56,464 --> 00:23:58,784
where we'll eventually move our offices to.
448
00:23:59,025 --> 00:24:00,065
Oh, that's awesome.
449
00:24:00,224 --> 00:24:01,505
So that'll break ground.
450
00:24:01,505 --> 00:24:05,825
We're just we're just working our our final
comments from the city, and so we'll get that
451
00:24:05,825 --> 00:24:10,259
back into them in the next three weeks and
hopefully be approved, well, mid April, so we
452
00:24:10,259 --> 00:24:12,500
can get started maybe the May 1.
453
00:24:12,500 --> 00:24:14,259
And so we're really excited about that.
454
00:24:14,259 --> 00:24:18,820
We have another high rise plant down in
Roosevelt Road that we haven't begun designing
455
00:24:18,820 --> 00:24:20,580
yet, but we have acquired the land.
456
00:24:20,580 --> 00:24:21,779
So we'll start working on that.
457
00:24:21,779 --> 00:24:24,474
But we've expanded from intersection.
458
00:24:24,474 --> 00:24:29,035
We've we've expanded to a Dallas office that
Jordan Taylor is running out there now.
459
00:24:29,035 --> 00:24:29,674
Wow.
460
00:24:29,755 --> 00:24:31,355
So we're we've moved into Dallas.
461
00:24:31,355 --> 00:24:34,394
So we're starting to look at at lands to do
some things there.
462
00:24:34,394 --> 00:24:38,250
And then we've we've secured land in Denver for
a project coming up.
463
00:24:38,250 --> 00:24:42,890
So we're actively looking in we're actively
working in multiple markets right now, and we
464
00:24:42,890 --> 00:24:44,970
are actively seeking more projects.
465
00:24:44,970 --> 00:24:49,450
So if there's if people listen to listen to
this, they're landowners or wanna do a project,
466
00:24:49,450 --> 00:24:50,329
you know, hit me up.
467
00:24:50,329 --> 00:24:50,730
Let's go.
468
00:24:51,384 --> 00:24:52,025
Love that.
469
00:24:52,025 --> 00:24:52,505
That's cool.
470
00:24:52,505 --> 00:24:55,144
I didn't I didn't even know about the Dallas
connection there.
471
00:24:55,144 --> 00:24:59,384
We gotta talk more about some connections there
that may be helpful for you in general.
472
00:24:59,384 --> 00:25:00,345
So that's that's
473
00:25:00,345 --> 00:25:00,904
super cool.
474
00:25:01,144 --> 00:25:01,545
Right.
475
00:25:03,559 --> 00:25:04,440
What what else?
476
00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:07,480
What what what are the things about maybe just
Phoenix in general?
477
00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:13,400
Like, obviously, you you're a big component
downtown that Roosevelt Row area and just,
478
00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:15,640
like, change changing completely.
479
00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:19,734
Every time I talk to somebody, they're like,
ten years ago, none of this existed.
480
00:25:20,295 --> 00:25:22,615
Zach popped up, and then now it all exists.
481
00:25:22,694 --> 00:25:23,015
No.
482
00:25:23,015 --> 00:25:27,894
It was at first, my team partners were here
before I was, but but the team popped up for
483
00:25:27,894 --> 00:25:28,214
sure.
484
00:25:28,214 --> 00:25:29,734
But ASU is the real catalyst.
485
00:25:29,734 --> 00:25:33,160
ASU Downtown is what really was the catalyst to
change this whole
486
00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:33,880
Go Devils.
487
00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:37,559
You know, I'm never gonna be upset if you're
you're given, you know, a Sun Devil credit.
488
00:25:37,559 --> 00:25:38,839
That's always good for me.
489
00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:39,320
Yeah.
490
00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:41,320
But we're I personally am really excited.
491
00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:44,039
I don't I don't know if you've been to our new
bar, Tropic Thunder.
492
00:25:44,039 --> 00:25:47,694
It's it's Julian Wright's bar, but we're
partners with him on that.
493
00:25:47,694 --> 00:25:53,855
And it's it's it's, you know, Julian from Pedal
House and Saki House and, you know, Lucky's and
494
00:25:53,855 --> 00:25:54,974
all of his concepts.
495
00:25:55,294 --> 00:26:00,490
But he's he's really got his own take on what a
tiki bar should be, and it's it's incredible.
496
00:26:00,490 --> 00:26:06,410
So I I highly suggest anybody who is looking
for a real experience, that's a good spot to
497
00:26:06,410 --> 00:26:07,289
begin at.
498
00:26:07,289 --> 00:26:12,089
If you come to our first Friday next, in April,
maybe we'll bump over there together afterwards
499
00:26:12,089 --> 00:26:12,650
and check it
500
00:26:12,650 --> 00:26:12,970
out.
501
00:26:12,970 --> 00:26:13,529
Excellent.
502
00:26:13,529 --> 00:26:15,115
I'm all about Yeah.
503
00:26:15,115 --> 00:26:15,595
Yeah.
504
00:26:15,835 --> 00:26:16,794
But so yeah.
505
00:26:16,794 --> 00:26:17,035
No.
506
00:26:17,035 --> 00:26:17,994
We're excited about that.
507
00:26:17,994 --> 00:26:20,875
We've got the Clive partnership that we're
excited about.
508
00:26:20,875 --> 00:26:24,315
We've got in rainbow partnerships with the
Vavilli concepts.
509
00:26:24,315 --> 00:26:31,089
Skylar Reeves doing a really interesting
immersive sort of take on Italian fusion food.
510
00:26:31,250 --> 00:26:35,329
Don't want to get into describing his menu
because I'm going to describe it wrong, but
511
00:26:35,650 --> 00:26:37,249
it's really, really cool.
512
00:26:37,250 --> 00:26:42,664
He's got another concept in our, what used to
be the Sutra building called Pizzanista, which
513
00:26:42,664 --> 00:26:48,585
is his and a skateboarder named Salman Agat out
of out of they have two locations in LA, one in
514
00:26:48,585 --> 00:26:50,345
Tokyo and one in Seoul, Korea.
515
00:26:50,345 --> 00:26:51,944
And so we're getting the next one here.
516
00:26:51,944 --> 00:26:54,105
So, I mean, I think that's amazing That's so
cool.
517
00:26:54,105 --> 00:26:56,744
It's not New York or San Francisco or
something.
518
00:26:56,744 --> 00:26:58,960
It's it's here in Phoenix in Roosevelt Row.
519
00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:02,640
So we're we're honored and delighted that that
he's bringing those concepts here.
520
00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:04,399
So we're we're excited about that.
521
00:27:04,799 --> 00:27:09,680
You know, there's a different there's a
different energy in Roosevelt Row than the rest
522
00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:10,720
of the valley, I think.
523
00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,515
It it's it's a very youthful energy.
524
00:27:13,515 --> 00:27:15,115
It's it's a growing energy.
525
00:27:15,914 --> 00:27:17,835
You can feel it when you're down here.
526
00:27:18,315 --> 00:27:21,914
There's thousands of people moving into all of
these new buildings down here.
527
00:27:21,914 --> 00:27:25,115
And so it's exciting to be a part of it and to
see it grow.
528
00:27:25,115 --> 00:27:29,899
We're the only we have a 95 walk score, which
is the highest in the state of Arizona.
529
00:27:30,299 --> 00:27:35,259
So I mean, it's it's really if you're looking
for an urban kind of lifestyle where you don't
530
00:27:35,259 --> 00:27:37,980
have to rely on a car, it's an incredible place
to be.
531
00:27:39,224 --> 00:27:40,345
That's so cool.
532
00:27:40,984 --> 00:27:44,744
What about where does it expand to?
533
00:27:44,744 --> 00:27:44,904
Right?
534
00:27:44,904 --> 00:27:47,865
So, obviously, Roosevelt Row, that's existing.
535
00:27:48,184 --> 00:27:52,589
Is it does it take over all of Phoenix, say, I
don't know, fifteen years from now, twenty
536
00:27:52,589 --> 00:27:53,070
years from now?
537
00:27:53,070 --> 00:27:59,150
How quickly can we make Phoenix the absolute,
without question, best city in the country, if
538
00:27:59,150 --> 00:28:00,029
not the world?
539
00:28:00,109 --> 00:28:02,990
I mean, I I choose to live in Arizona by
choice.
540
00:28:02,990 --> 00:28:06,430
So when I moved back from Europe, I I I could
have lived anywhere.
541
00:28:06,430 --> 00:28:07,575
I I love it here.
542
00:28:07,575 --> 00:28:10,134
So I'm not trying to say that this isn't a
great city.
543
00:28:10,134 --> 00:28:10,774
It is.
544
00:28:11,255 --> 00:28:14,615
We're just trying to add a little bit more
artistry to it.
545
00:28:14,615 --> 00:28:14,934
No.
546
00:28:14,934 --> 00:28:18,375
I mean, to answer your question, Atari is gonna
be a big catalyst for that.
547
00:28:18,375 --> 00:28:22,369
I mean, I I think that it's going to change how
people see Phoenix.
548
00:28:22,369 --> 00:28:24,929
That's the reason why they brought us up to
CES.
549
00:28:24,929 --> 00:28:29,730
We we went with with the city of Phoenix and
presented at their their booth because Phoenix
550
00:28:29,730 --> 00:28:35,889
is becoming a tech hub and and they see it's
Aria as being a a a representative aspect of
551
00:28:35,889 --> 00:28:37,525
the future of Phoenix.
552
00:28:37,525 --> 00:28:44,085
And so, you know, we were completely honored to
to to accompany them up to to Las Vegas to to
553
00:28:44,085 --> 00:28:46,325
present with them, and it was a great
experience.
554
00:28:46,325 --> 00:28:46,565
Yeah.
555
00:28:46,565 --> 00:28:51,525
So to I mean, to go back to your question of of
what does it look like in ten to fifteen years,
556
00:28:51,525 --> 00:28:58,329
it's anyone's guess, but we're hopeful that, as
I said before, that there'll be more developers
557
00:28:58,329 --> 00:29:02,169
and more architects who are willing to take
some risks.
558
00:29:02,409 --> 00:29:08,404
Really fifteen years, maybe Phoenix could be an
example of architecture done correctly and and
559
00:29:08,404 --> 00:29:13,044
a city that that grows up the right way to give
back to the people who live there and to create
560
00:29:13,044 --> 00:29:14,484
a a unique experience.
561
00:29:15,204 --> 00:29:16,164
I love that.
562
00:29:16,164 --> 00:29:16,884
That's so cool.
563
00:29:16,884 --> 00:29:18,005
This has been a ton of fun.
564
00:29:18,005 --> 00:29:21,519
If somebody wanted to get ahold of you,
especially in your new markets, what's the best
565
00:29:21,519 --> 00:29:23,279
way for them to do that, Zach?
566
00:29:23,599 --> 00:29:27,119
Hit us up on inter intersectiondev.com.
567
00:29:27,679 --> 00:29:28,240
Awesome.
568
00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:28,559
Awesome.
569
00:29:28,559 --> 00:29:28,799
Awesome.
570
00:29:28,799 --> 00:29:32,240
And then is there anything else you'd like to
say to the people before we say our goodbyes?
571
00:29:33,215 --> 00:29:33,855
No, man.
572
00:29:33,855 --> 00:29:35,934
Just that I love talking to you, brother.
573
00:29:35,934 --> 00:29:36,335
Yeah.
574
00:29:36,335 --> 00:29:37,134
Good stuff.
575
00:29:37,615 --> 00:29:38,174
Appreciate it.
576
00:29:38,414 --> 00:29:38,815
Awesome.
577
00:29:38,815 --> 00:29:39,134
Cool.
578
00:29:39,134 --> 00:29:40,654
This has been a ton of fun, listeners.
579
00:29:40,654 --> 00:29:42,734
I hope you had as much fun as me and Zach.
580
00:29:42,734 --> 00:29:44,575
And until next time, adios.
581
00:29:45,169 --> 00:29:45,569
Alright.
582
00:29:45,569 --> 00:29:46,450
Thanks, brother.
583
00:29:46,769 --> 00:29:48,690
Thanks for listening to building scale.
584
00:29:48,690 --> 00:29:54,529
To help us reach even more people, please share
this episode with a friend, colleague, or on
585
00:29:54,529 --> 00:29:55,329
social media.
586
00:29:55,569 --> 00:30:01,244
Remember, the three pillars of scaling a
business are people, process, and technology.
587
00:30:01,884 --> 00:30:08,204
And our mission is to help the AEC industry
protect itself by making technology easy.
588
00:30:08,684 --> 00:30:13,779
So if you think your company's technology
pillar could use some improvement, book a call
589
00:30:13,779 --> 00:30:18,900
with us to see how we can help maximize your IT
cybersecurity strategy.
590
00:30:19,220 --> 00:30:24,099
Just go to buildingscale.net/help.
591
00:30:24,739 --> 00:30:26,259
And until next time.
592
00:30:27,139 --> 00:30:28,419
Keep building scale.
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,679
So Atari's motto is futuristic since forever.
2
00:00:03,839 --> 00:00:09,679
And so we really wanted to play up on that
because it's not we're not looking it's not a
3
00:00:09,679 --> 00:00:10,639
backward yes.
4
00:00:10,639 --> 00:00:12,160
There's nostalgic parts of it.
5
00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:14,400
Of course, it's the original gaming console.
6
00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:15,599
So there is nostalgia.
7
00:00:16,054 --> 00:00:18,935
However, it's not a backward looking project.
8
00:00:18,935 --> 00:00:20,295
It's very forward looking.
9
00:00:20,295 --> 00:00:23,095
You know, gaming has exploded since COVID.
10
00:00:23,095 --> 00:00:27,574
It dwarfs most or if not all forms of
entertainment at this point.
11
00:00:27,574 --> 00:00:28,535
Hey, everybody.
12
00:00:28,535 --> 00:00:33,809
Welcome back to another episode of Building
Scale, specifically the building connection
13
00:00:33,809 --> 00:00:38,609
series where I get to talk to awesome people I
meet here in the wild and here in the valley
14
00:00:38,609 --> 00:00:41,890
and or anywhere I kind of stumble myself into.
15
00:00:41,890 --> 00:00:47,604
But this week, Zach Cohen is definitely a
valley guy.
16
00:00:48,005 --> 00:00:53,204
Not a valley guy, but a the valley as in the
Arizona Phoenix Valley.
17
00:00:53,204 --> 00:00:57,844
He runs a little company called Intersection
Development or is a cofounder of it, and
18
00:00:57,844 --> 00:01:03,530
they're doing something really, really cool
here in the valley, which is the Atari Hotel,
19
00:01:03,530 --> 00:01:05,609
which we talk at nauseum about.
20
00:01:05,609 --> 00:01:11,209
As well as like, how do you, as a developer,
you know, think of these awesome ideas, find
21
00:01:11,209 --> 00:01:12,650
partnerships and things like that.
22
00:01:12,650 --> 00:01:18,635
And maybe a hair, a peek into the box as me and
Zach, and a couple other developers are gonna
23
00:01:18,635 --> 00:01:23,834
have a little panel at the National
Construction Board of Influence, AEC
24
00:01:23,834 --> 00:01:27,194
Development Day in a couple months here.
25
00:01:27,194 --> 00:01:28,155
Less than fifty days.
26
00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:29,599
Exciting times.
27
00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:30,400
Absolutely.
28
00:01:30,479 --> 00:01:32,159
But, yeah, Zach is my buddy.
29
00:01:32,159 --> 00:01:33,920
I enjoy Zach a ton.
30
00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:34,959
He's fun.
31
00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,200
He speaks his mind, which I love.
32
00:01:37,439 --> 00:01:40,079
And I think you're gonna really enjoy this
episode as well.
33
00:01:40,079 --> 00:01:43,605
Also, he's a two time building scale, building
connections person.
34
00:01:43,605 --> 00:01:45,844
So he's he's practically royalty around here.
35
00:01:45,844 --> 00:01:52,004
So, yes, sit back, relax, enjoy the fun
banterings of of me and Zach Cohen.
36
00:01:52,564 --> 00:01:54,484
Zach, Zach, Zach, my friend.
37
00:01:54,484 --> 00:01:56,325
I am so happy to see you.
38
00:01:57,019 --> 00:01:58,539
You're beautiful, man.
39
00:01:58,539 --> 00:02:01,579
Luscious hair that I've It's all up.
40
00:02:01,899 --> 00:02:02,379
It's all tied up.
41
00:02:02,379 --> 00:02:03,259
They're all tied up.
42
00:02:03,259 --> 00:02:07,420
I I I I'm always thinking, like, how can I do
more stuff with Zach?
43
00:02:07,420 --> 00:02:11,655
And and, obviously, you're doing big stuff here
in the valley makes it easy to say, hey, like,
44
00:02:11,655 --> 00:02:14,455
well, let's do some podcast stuff because this
is this is just a lot of fun for me.
45
00:02:14,455 --> 00:02:14,694
Yeah.
46
00:02:14,694 --> 00:02:17,495
Well, the interesting part is I is I never see
you anywhere.
47
00:02:17,495 --> 00:02:18,215
Oh, wait.
48
00:02:18,534 --> 00:02:20,055
Actually, I see you all the time.
49
00:02:20,215 --> 00:02:20,935
Exactly.
50
00:02:20,935 --> 00:02:21,735
And that's a good thing.
51
00:02:21,750 --> 00:02:23,669
But, yeah, the Atari Hotel.
52
00:02:23,669 --> 00:02:27,110
This is the big, newest, baddest, coolest
thing.
53
00:02:27,110 --> 00:02:30,469
I'm a total video game I had an Atari when I
was a little kid.
54
00:02:30,629 --> 00:02:32,229
So, like, I I love that.
55
00:02:32,229 --> 00:02:34,870
I I play Nintendo games with my my son now.
56
00:02:34,870 --> 00:02:37,294
So, like, it's just, like, a thing that I'm all
about.
57
00:02:37,294 --> 00:02:38,094
So, fun.
58
00:02:38,174 --> 00:02:40,254
Where did this idea come from?
59
00:02:40,254 --> 00:02:45,775
How did how did you and your band of, ragtag
awesome badasses think of this?
60
00:02:46,174 --> 00:02:52,389
Well, I I wish I could take credit for the the
idea for Atari Hotel, but that would go to my
61
00:02:52,389 --> 00:02:55,909
my partners, Jordan Taylor, Jason Merck, and
Shelly Murphy.
62
00:02:55,989 --> 00:02:56,469
Awesome.
63
00:02:56,469 --> 00:02:56,629
Who
64
00:02:56,629 --> 00:03:03,215
hatched this idea a while ago and and purchased
the the global rights to Atari hotels as a
65
00:03:03,215 --> 00:03:05,535
licensing agreement from Atari.
66
00:03:05,855 --> 00:03:09,455
So I can't really speak to how that happened.
67
00:03:09,455 --> 00:03:13,055
I mean, I know like the gist of it, but I don't
wanna misspeak.
68
00:03:13,055 --> 00:03:17,055
So I am not the brainchild behind the idea for
Atari.
69
00:03:17,789 --> 00:03:18,270
Okay.
70
00:03:18,270 --> 00:03:19,789
Well, maybe back it up then.
71
00:03:19,789 --> 00:03:23,550
It seems like all this stuff that you guys do
is always just cool.
72
00:03:23,550 --> 00:03:25,629
Like, it's always just like awesome shit.
73
00:03:25,949 --> 00:03:27,229
What how does that happen?
74
00:03:27,229 --> 00:03:31,254
There's so many developers that, you know,
build the same shit over and over again.
75
00:03:31,254 --> 00:03:32,375
You guys are like, no.
76
00:03:32,375 --> 00:03:35,895
How can we just, like, one up that last thing
we did and and make a cool space?
77
00:03:36,055 --> 00:03:41,894
I don't know if it's if it's one upping, but, I
mean, we definitely believe in in human centric
78
00:03:41,894 --> 00:03:46,659
developments, things that make communities
better, make people more proud of their
79
00:03:46,659 --> 00:03:50,020
communities, that evoke discussion and thought.
80
00:03:50,659 --> 00:03:58,944
We try to approach every project by first
envisioning the human who's going to occupy
81
00:03:58,944 --> 00:04:04,865
that space or participate or work or play or
live in that space and design outward from his
82
00:04:04,865 --> 00:04:05,824
perspective out.
83
00:04:05,824 --> 00:04:10,129
The problem with a lot of architects and
developers is they design, they first do a site
84
00:04:10,129 --> 00:04:17,970
plan, then they do a massing study, and then
they try to fit some human elements within the
85
00:04:17,970 --> 00:04:20,850
space that's already been designed to maximize
square footage.
86
00:04:21,185 --> 00:04:22,625
We do it the other way.
87
00:04:22,625 --> 00:04:24,944
So it's just a different approach.
88
00:04:24,944 --> 00:04:29,824
We feel it's just a, as I said, like a more
human centric holistic approach to the design
89
00:04:29,824 --> 00:04:35,519
where we're really trying to, in the case of
Atari, instead of building an Atari themed
90
00:04:35,519 --> 00:04:38,639
hotel, I always say it's not themed, it's
played.
91
00:04:38,879 --> 00:04:44,719
But much like a video game, we are trying to
actually do world so that you are fully
92
00:04:44,719 --> 00:04:50,014
immersed in the space in the world of Atari,
rather than being at a hotel that just happens
93
00:04:50,014 --> 00:04:53,694
to have some some Atari decorations and some
video games on the wall.
94
00:04:53,694 --> 00:04:59,455
So so it's a much different approach to to to
the hotel business, and it's a a much different
95
00:04:59,455 --> 00:05:00,415
approach to development.
96
00:05:01,850 --> 00:05:06,169
The design of it, because it's seen the
renderings of it, and all, like, the little
97
00:05:06,169 --> 00:05:09,129
nuance stuff to it is all it's just super cool.
98
00:05:09,129 --> 00:05:13,529
Like, the shapes of, like, the windows and or
or the bases.
99
00:05:13,529 --> 00:05:15,370
I I remember looking at it and be like, oh my
god.
100
00:05:15,370 --> 00:05:17,595
That's, like, asteroid or whatever, the Galaga.
101
00:05:17,595 --> 00:05:19,274
Like, it's like I was like, this is amazing.
102
00:05:19,274 --> 00:05:23,675
This is so so cool where it's like such a
nuanced it's not like in your face like, get
103
00:05:23,675 --> 00:05:23,914
me.
104
00:05:23,914 --> 00:05:26,714
I'm a giant Pac Man, which maybe that happens
and that's cool too.
105
00:05:26,714 --> 00:05:29,400
But, like, I feel like there's a I don't know.
106
00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:33,720
It's like it's like a playful way to do it in
comparison to, like, a let me just drown you
107
00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:35,960
in, like, a gift shop of Atari.
108
00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:36,360
Yeah.
109
00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:38,439
Again, that goes back to world building again.
110
00:05:38,439 --> 00:05:40,199
We don't want it to be derivative.
111
00:05:40,199 --> 00:05:45,835
We don't want it to be, you know, exactly
pictures of old games on the wall, though there
112
00:05:45,835 --> 00:05:48,634
will be old games and future looking
experiences.
113
00:05:49,915 --> 00:05:54,634
But the you know, we we really leaned into Tron
and Blade Runner for for the design.
114
00:05:54,634 --> 00:05:59,420
I mean, I feel like they those go hand in hand
with that era and with futurism.
115
00:05:59,420 --> 00:06:01,980
There's Tetris you can see in the facade.
116
00:06:02,060 --> 00:06:07,819
There's certainly references to Pong by the way
the buildings interact, the two sides interact
117
00:06:07,819 --> 00:06:08,699
with each other.
118
00:06:08,699 --> 00:06:12,524
The pools are exact shapes from the game
asteroid.
119
00:06:12,764 --> 00:06:13,084
Yeah.
120
00:06:13,084 --> 00:06:13,485
There
121
00:06:13,884 --> 00:06:20,845
are light elements in the facade that are meant
to reference the original circuitry from game
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00:06:20,845 --> 00:06:24,764
boards, from from the original Atari and and
old That's so gaming systems.
123
00:06:24,764 --> 00:06:29,220
So so that's just a few of the Easter eggs that
that we or design elements that we've
124
00:06:29,220 --> 00:06:30,819
incorporated into the building.
125
00:06:30,980 --> 00:06:32,819
I mean, we're really trying it's a game.
126
00:06:32,819 --> 00:06:37,860
It should be playful when we do other buildings
outside of Rainbow because that's also based on
127
00:06:37,860 --> 00:06:38,340
a game.
128
00:06:38,340 --> 00:06:43,785
You know, we we we really want this to be a
playful user experience that gamers can call
129
00:06:43,785 --> 00:06:48,585
home, that people in Phoenix can come visit for
entertainment with their kids or their parents
130
00:06:48,585 --> 00:06:49,944
or if they're music fans.
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00:06:49,944 --> 00:06:52,904
I mean, there's a lot of different programming
that I'm sure we'll get into.
132
00:06:52,904 --> 00:06:55,865
But, yeah, I mean, we we really wanted to be
playful with the design.
133
00:06:55,865 --> 00:06:56,689
It's a game.
134
00:06:56,689 --> 00:06:57,730
It should be played.
135
00:06:57,810 --> 00:07:01,410
And so that's sort of where the the inspiration
came from.
136
00:07:02,050 --> 00:07:02,529
Okay.
137
00:07:02,529 --> 00:07:03,089
That's awesome.
138
00:07:03,089 --> 00:07:08,610
So as you were thinking of the human that is
gonna exist here or as the team is thinking
139
00:07:08,610 --> 00:07:13,145
about the human that exists here, what what are
the the things that you drew up?
140
00:07:13,145 --> 00:07:17,384
Obviously, you mentioned the the aspects of the
game, but, like, it's also not just thinking
141
00:07:17,384 --> 00:07:18,025
like, hey.
142
00:07:18,025 --> 00:07:21,064
This game that existed, I don't know, I thought
it came out forty years ago.
143
00:07:21,064 --> 00:07:21,384
Don't know.
144
00:07:21,384 --> 00:07:22,264
Whenever it came out.
145
00:07:22,264 --> 00:07:23,705
But also future.
146
00:07:23,705 --> 00:07:24,105
Wow.
147
00:07:24,105 --> 00:07:24,824
Holy crap.
148
00:07:24,870 --> 00:07:26,470
So, like, longer than that.
149
00:07:26,470 --> 00:07:27,350
That's insane.
150
00:07:27,350 --> 00:07:29,509
That's like that's that's a very long time ago.
151
00:07:29,509 --> 00:07:31,189
So but the future aspect of it.
152
00:07:31,189 --> 00:07:35,110
Because it's not just like, let's live in that
time, but what does the future look like?
153
00:07:35,110 --> 00:07:38,709
And how do how do you put that person, that
human, and say like, hey.
154
00:07:38,709 --> 00:07:43,855
I want you to have that nostalgia, but I also
want the forward facing future stuff.
155
00:07:44,014 --> 00:07:47,615
So Atari's motto is futuristic since forever.
156
00:07:47,854 --> 00:07:53,454
And so we we want really wanted to play up on
that because it's not we're not looking it's
157
00:07:52,980 --> 00:07:56,180
it's not a backward yes, there's nostalgic
parts of it.
158
00:07:56,180 --> 00:07:58,420
Of course it's the original gaming console.
159
00:07:58,420 --> 00:07:59,940
So there is nostalgia.
160
00:08:00,180 --> 00:08:02,980
However, it's not a backward looking project.
161
00:08:02,980 --> 00:08:07,084
It's very forward looking, you know, gaming has
exploded since COVID.
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00:08:07,084 --> 00:08:11,404
It dwarfs most, or if not all forms of
entertainment at this point.
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00:08:11,404 --> 00:08:16,365
So we really wanted to lean in what the user
experience is going to be and what they're
164
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looking for.
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00:08:16,925 --> 00:08:24,759
And so we have a huge underground music venue,
which would be 2,200 capacity music venue, all
166
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underground.
167
00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:25,800
Wow.
168
00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:26,040
Okay.
169
00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:33,424
It's going to be I mean, what you're picturing
in your head is probably 50% what it's gonna be
170
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like.
171
00:08:33,745 --> 00:08:37,024
It's gonna be really amazing, and we have an
incredible partner on that.
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00:08:37,024 --> 00:08:41,825
But I think that press is coming shortly, so I
actually can't jump the gun there.
173
00:08:41,825 --> 00:08:42,625
Mum's the word.
174
00:08:42,625 --> 00:08:42,945
All right.
175
00:08:42,945 --> 00:08:43,184
Yeah.
176
00:08:43,184 --> 00:08:45,345
But we have a great music partner.
177
00:08:46,209 --> 00:08:52,529
Then we're gonna do a an esports venue, esports
gaming venue with a with a sports book along
178
00:08:52,529 --> 00:08:52,929
with it.
179
00:08:52,929 --> 00:08:58,690
So that's going to to cater to, you know,
sports fans, music fans, gaming fans.
180
00:08:59,705 --> 00:09:02,504
There's just a ton of digital programming in
it.
181
00:09:02,504 --> 00:09:08,024
We're looking to have hologram front desks so
that you're checked in by AI holograms rather
182
00:09:08,024 --> 00:09:08,504
than Oh
183
00:09:08,504 --> 00:09:08,985
my
184
00:09:08,985 --> 00:09:10,665
rather than by actual human beings.
185
00:09:12,199 --> 00:09:16,199
There'll be facial recognition so that if
you're a guest at the hotel, you could put in
186
00:09:16,199 --> 00:09:21,720
your preferences and the hotel will actually
change as you pass through it.
187
00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:26,555
I mean, we're looking at a lot of just
incredible technology that hasn't been
188
00:09:26,555 --> 00:09:27,195
available.
189
00:09:27,195 --> 00:09:29,355
And, you know, there's a three year build out.
190
00:09:29,355 --> 00:09:31,754
We hope to break ground in in December.
191
00:09:31,754 --> 00:09:34,235
So to be open by December '28.
192
00:09:34,235 --> 00:09:37,835
So who knows what will be going on at that
point in time.
193
00:09:37,835 --> 00:09:43,750
But but we do have Intel as a partner to ensure
our infrastructure backbone allows us to be
194
00:09:43,750 --> 00:09:49,750
able to implement the the most current, the
most forward thinking technology to to really
195
00:09:49,750 --> 00:09:54,404
enhance user experiences and make people just
it plays more back into this world building
196
00:09:54,404 --> 00:09:55,764
that I'm that I'm talking about.
197
00:09:55,764 --> 00:10:01,605
We're really trying to create not a hotel where
you play games, but but an entire world of
198
00:10:01,605 --> 00:10:03,445
Atari here in Phoenix.
199
00:10:04,580 --> 00:10:06,179
That's unbelievable.
200
00:10:06,179 --> 00:10:10,660
I am very excited to see the technology you're
talking about now and it's like two years from
201
00:10:10,660 --> 00:10:12,820
now, three years from now, what does that then
become?
202
00:10:12,820 --> 00:10:15,220
AI is moving so fast, so it's like, oh my
goodness.
203
00:10:15,220 --> 00:10:18,179
I mean, two years ago, nobody even AI was like
a myth.
204
00:10:18,179 --> 00:10:18,500
Right?
205
00:10:18,500 --> 00:10:20,794
So it's crazy how fast it's moving.
206
00:10:20,794 --> 00:10:30,074
And I'm excited to see how it can help us
really deliver great experiences to guests who
207
00:10:30,315 --> 00:10:33,914
people don't want a hotel anymore where they
just go and spend the night.
208
00:10:33,995 --> 00:10:35,730
They want experiences.
209
00:10:35,889 --> 00:10:38,529
That whole old model is sort of gone.
210
00:10:38,529 --> 00:10:39,649
People are over it.
211
00:10:39,649 --> 00:10:45,649
They want to really enter a new world and be
detached from their regular lives.
212
00:10:45,649 --> 00:10:51,004
And so we're trying to play upon that to to get
them but to be like the the the future of what
213
00:10:51,004 --> 00:10:53,085
what hotel concepts will be.
214
00:10:53,165 --> 00:10:55,485
So, I mean, I rambled a little there, but
that's alright.
215
00:10:55,485 --> 00:10:55,725
No.
216
00:10:55,725 --> 00:10:56,365
That's to do.
217
00:10:56,365 --> 00:10:57,485
That's amazing.
218
00:10:57,485 --> 00:11:01,965
So you mentioned partners, both the music
partner that is is still under wraps and then
219
00:11:01,965 --> 00:11:02,365
Intel.
220
00:11:02,429 --> 00:11:05,309
So how how do you how do you choose great
partners?
221
00:11:05,309 --> 00:11:09,629
How do you how do you go down that path as
you're looking to do things that are not in the
222
00:11:09,629 --> 00:11:12,029
boxes that have historically been done?
223
00:11:12,190 --> 00:11:14,909
And you're looking to say, we wanna do things
differently.
224
00:11:14,909 --> 00:11:20,754
We want to be seen as future especially in this
project being very futuristic is forever
225
00:11:20,914 --> 00:11:21,955
whatever Atari is
226
00:11:21,955 --> 00:11:23,154
futuristic forever?
227
00:11:23,154 --> 00:11:24,115
Since forever.
228
00:11:24,355 --> 00:11:25,315
Since forever.
229
00:11:25,394 --> 00:11:25,634
Yeah.
230
00:11:25,634 --> 00:11:26,035
Yes.
231
00:11:26,035 --> 00:11:28,835
So how do you find partners that also have that
same vibe?
232
00:11:29,710 --> 00:11:35,629
Well, we've been really lucky in that almost a
100% of the partners that we've reached out to
233
00:11:35,710 --> 00:11:37,950
express some interest in being a part of this.
234
00:11:37,950 --> 00:11:43,004
They see I mean, they see what we see, that
this is an opportunity to really do something
235
00:11:43,004 --> 00:11:43,804
incredible.
236
00:11:44,044 --> 00:11:49,004
And, know, our, we have other cities planned
coming up after Phoenix, but, know, we live
237
00:11:49,004 --> 00:11:49,245
here.
238
00:11:49,245 --> 00:11:50,125
We love Phoenix.
239
00:11:50,125 --> 00:11:51,644
The city has been a great partner.
240
00:11:51,644 --> 00:11:54,204
So, we're gonna do the first one here in
Phoenix.
241
00:11:54,204 --> 00:11:59,059
It's, but I think I'm falling away from your
original oh, partners.
242
00:11:59,059 --> 00:11:59,460
Yeah.
243
00:11:59,460 --> 00:12:02,019
So so Intel has been a partner for a while.
244
00:12:02,019 --> 00:12:06,100
I mean, it's there hasn't been a lot of work
done to this point, but but they're going to to
245
00:12:06,100 --> 00:12:08,259
work with us to do the backbone infrastructure.
246
00:12:08,259 --> 00:12:12,375
We've reached out to sound partners, obviously
our EDM partner.
247
00:12:12,375 --> 00:12:17,575
There's a ton of different potential
experiences that are gonna be contained because
248
00:12:17,575 --> 00:12:22,214
it's a 100,000 square feet of entertainment
space and only 91 keys.
249
00:12:22,214 --> 00:12:27,309
So fully 60 to 70% of the hotel will be an
entertainment venue.
250
00:12:27,309 --> 00:12:32,990
And, you know, therefore only 40% is going to
be dedicated to the hotel.
251
00:12:32,990 --> 00:12:35,470
So it's not a hotel.
252
00:12:35,470 --> 00:12:37,470
It's not a hotel that offers entertainment.
253
00:12:38,075 --> 00:12:41,595
It's a entertainment venue with a hotel
attachment.
254
00:12:41,914 --> 00:12:45,115
There's only 91 keys and that means something
too.
255
00:12:45,115 --> 00:12:51,514
There's 19 suites and 72 standard rooms because
Atari again was founded in 1972.
256
00:12:51,514 --> 00:12:54,330
So there's a little a little call out right
there.
257
00:12:54,330 --> 00:12:57,129
And and those are kinda peppered throughout.
258
00:12:57,129 --> 00:12:58,649
So yeah.
259
00:12:58,649 --> 00:13:00,009
That's I love that.
260
00:13:00,009 --> 00:13:02,809
So then it it really goes back to the idea of
community.
261
00:13:02,809 --> 00:13:03,210
Right?
262
00:13:03,210 --> 00:13:05,129
Because, like, it's not just a hotel.
263
00:13:05,129 --> 00:13:12,975
It's actually more of entertainment space that
has the hotel piece to it, but it is for I
264
00:13:12,975 --> 00:13:16,735
think you said 2,200 Capacity.
265
00:13:16,894 --> 00:13:18,414
Of 2,200.
266
00:13:18,414 --> 00:13:19,134
Music venue.
267
00:13:19,690 --> 00:13:20,090
Yeah.
268
00:13:20,090 --> 00:13:24,170
That's that is that is a separate thing that is
for the community.
269
00:13:24,170 --> 00:13:27,370
Obviously, people staying at the hotel can use
it, but, like, people that aren't staying at
270
00:13:27,370 --> 00:13:30,970
the hotel can use it, which is a big piece of
your your ethos, I think.
271
00:13:30,970 --> 00:13:31,210
Yeah.
272
00:13:31,210 --> 00:13:36,095
A 100,000 square feet for 91 keys would be a
lot of entertainment space per person.
273
00:13:36,095 --> 00:13:36,414
Yeah.
274
00:13:36,414 --> 00:13:38,894
So, no, it it really is community focused.
275
00:13:39,054 --> 00:13:43,534
We we own as you I don't know if you know or
not, but we own the whole block except for the
276
00:13:43,534 --> 00:13:43,934
Stewart.
277
00:13:43,934 --> 00:13:49,799
And so we're actually planning Atari as part of
a larger entertainment district, if you will.
278
00:13:50,039 --> 00:13:50,679
Okay.
279
00:13:50,839 --> 00:13:54,360
So south of the Atari site, I look over there
because it's right there
280
00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:54,839
Yeah.
281
00:13:54,839 --> 00:13:57,639
Is where our office is, and and Barcoa is
there.
282
00:13:57,639 --> 00:14:00,440
They're, of course, a famous bar, incredible
bar.
283
00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:04,694
They're doing something on on the former space,
which is at the front of this building, which
284
00:14:04,694 --> 00:14:06,214
is f and b related.
285
00:14:06,214 --> 00:14:09,894
They haven't announced what that is yet, so I'm
not gonna get into that.
286
00:14:10,375 --> 00:14:13,495
South of that is our Sisu Manzana building.
287
00:14:13,495 --> 00:14:20,110
And so we will have both 1st Ave and Alley
facing F and B in that that building.
288
00:14:20,590 --> 00:14:27,870
Then south of that are the bungalows in the
historic Stoddard Harmon house, Clive, and Tell
289
00:14:27,870 --> 00:14:31,070
Your Friends and Neon Spur and all those great
concepts.
290
00:14:31,125 --> 00:14:35,284
They're gonna do three separate concepts there
that'll have both alley facing.
291
00:14:35,284 --> 00:14:41,365
And I mean, are there's one called Ada, which
is kind of a raw bars, you know, oysters and
292
00:14:41,845 --> 00:14:44,644
crab, like sort of a traditional seafood raw
bar.
293
00:14:44,879 --> 00:14:50,879
Then they have a one called love call, which is
gonna be meats and that one's really futuristic
294
00:14:50,879 --> 00:14:53,120
in the way that that's been designed.
295
00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:56,559
And then they're doing a Japanese verbatim
grill called kusatori.
296
00:14:56,894 --> 00:14:59,455
So that those will all those will all sort of
activate.
297
00:14:59,455 --> 00:15:05,695
And then on the other side, central, we've got,
you know, Furumi over there and, like, central
298
00:15:05,695 --> 00:15:07,774
central records and all that.
299
00:15:07,774 --> 00:15:12,014
So what we're trying to do is sort of create
the first alley experience down here.
300
00:15:12,014 --> 00:15:12,095
Okay.
301
00:15:12,870 --> 00:15:14,389
And the capstone is Atari.
302
00:15:14,389 --> 00:15:17,429
So so there'll be food and beverage and
entertainment.
303
00:15:17,429 --> 00:15:22,789
There's also a outdoor entertainment venue for
about 300 people that'll be part of that Clive
304
00:15:22,789 --> 00:15:24,629
Collective space that's called Mode.
305
00:15:25,125 --> 00:15:29,445
So there'll be all kinds of food and beverage
and entertainment up and down both First Dev
306
00:15:29,445 --> 00:15:34,804
Central and in the alley to sort of bring the
whole new center of entertainment right here to
307
00:15:34,965 --> 00:15:39,190
not that it's not the energy's here at
Roosevelt Row already, but just, you know, to
308
00:15:39,190 --> 00:15:41,589
bring a whole lot more of that to this area.
309
00:15:42,470 --> 00:15:46,709
How do you this is such a huge it's not just
one thing.
310
00:15:46,709 --> 00:15:46,950
Right?
311
00:15:46,950 --> 00:15:51,990
It's it's like how do we collectively come
together to make an unbelievable experience for
312
00:15:51,990 --> 00:15:55,205
everybody inside the hotel, outside the hotel,
like literally everywhere.
313
00:15:55,205 --> 00:15:57,044
How do you how do you get that to happen?
314
00:15:57,044 --> 00:16:01,125
Like, it's it's awesome when you go somewhere
and you're like, this place is great.
315
00:16:01,125 --> 00:16:02,085
I love this.
316
00:16:02,164 --> 00:16:03,445
You can walk to all these places.
317
00:16:03,445 --> 00:16:07,125
There's all these, you know, restaurants and
bars and, like, cool shit to do.
318
00:16:07,205 --> 00:16:09,269
But, like, how does that actually come
together?
319
00:16:09,269 --> 00:16:10,389
Like, how how does that happen?
320
00:16:10,389 --> 00:16:13,350
Obviously, working with the city has to be a
piece of that, I would assume.
321
00:16:13,350 --> 00:16:19,430
But, like, how how do how do you get some big
idea like that to actually inground and then up
322
00:16:19,430 --> 00:16:19,750
in a building?
323
00:16:20,315 --> 00:16:23,274
I mean, honestly, I I wish I could take credit
for that too.
324
00:16:23,274 --> 00:16:28,154
I have great partners that are open to a lot a
lot of different ideas, and they come up with
325
00:16:28,154 --> 00:16:29,115
many of the ideas.
326
00:16:29,115 --> 00:16:33,720
You know, I work on the on the design and
construction side, but, you know, Jordan and
327
00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:39,240
Jason and Shelly are are are great partners and
they all have real big ideas.
328
00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:44,200
And so I'm I'm lucky to have such partners that
think much in terms like I do.
329
00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:46,920
Like, how do we make our neighborhood better?
330
00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,455
How do we provide, you know, public access to
things?
331
00:16:50,455 --> 00:16:52,455
We we don't like walled gardens.
332
00:16:52,455 --> 00:16:56,134
All of the of the buildings that we do have
some public component to them.
333
00:16:56,615 --> 00:17:02,375
We don't so we don't have any pure residential,
you know, you lock the door concepts that they
334
00:17:02,375 --> 00:17:04,740
all want to be part of the community.
335
00:17:05,140 --> 00:17:10,740
That goes back to how I see architecture, which
is architecture is art.
336
00:17:10,740 --> 00:17:16,259
It's livable, walkable art, and it should be
enjoyed by those who walk by it.
337
00:17:16,515 --> 00:17:20,994
I make the analogy all the time and I should
probably do it because I'm in jeopardy of
338
00:17:20,994 --> 00:17:23,954
having all of my interviews sound somewhat the
same.
339
00:17:23,954 --> 00:17:30,400
But, you know, when you walk around in great
cities like Rome or or or Paris or Naples or
340
00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:38,160
wherever, you feel a sense of or Madrid or
Barcelona or wherever, you feel a sense of
341
00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:43,855
something bigger because the architecture makes
you feel like you're connected to some kind of
342
00:17:43,855 --> 00:17:49,055
source really, to some kind of expression of
human existence.
343
00:17:49,055 --> 00:17:54,650
And we're sorely lacking that in Phoenix, but I
mean, that's sort of how my that sort of vision
344
00:17:54,650 --> 00:18:01,369
has has grown over the years is is to look at
each property as how can this make the people
345
00:18:01,369 --> 00:18:05,930
who live in it or near it or walk past it,
prouder of the city that they live in?
346
00:18:05,930 --> 00:18:09,764
How does it make them feel like a part of
something bigger?
347
00:18:10,164 --> 00:18:14,644
How does it make them connect and want to come
back and tell stories?
348
00:18:14,644 --> 00:18:16,644
When they're out of town, Hey, you know what?
349
00:18:16,644 --> 00:18:18,724
We have this going on in Phoenix.
350
00:18:19,924 --> 00:18:26,099
So that's sort of the ethos of how we approach
all of our projects, whether it's a TI in
351
00:18:25,940 --> 00:18:32,019
adaptive reuse historic building, like we're
going to do with Ada in the Stoddard Harmon
352
00:18:32,019 --> 00:18:38,244
house, or whether we're doing the Atari Hotel,
which is $150,000,000 capstone hospitality and
353
00:18:38,244 --> 00:18:39,204
entertainment piece.
354
00:18:39,204 --> 00:18:41,045
But, yeah, that's that's you asked the
question.
355
00:18:41,045 --> 00:18:42,164
I hope I answered it.
356
00:18:42,325 --> 00:18:43,204
But but yeah.
357
00:18:43,204 --> 00:18:44,085
Absolutely.
358
00:18:44,164 --> 00:18:46,724
I you have it's just in conversations with you.
359
00:18:46,724 --> 00:18:48,805
You've made me see design differently.
360
00:18:48,805 --> 00:18:49,045
Right?
361
00:18:49,045 --> 00:18:51,125
Like, I originally from Chicago, lots of
architecture.
362
00:18:51,169 --> 00:18:52,450
Lots of like, it's it's a thing.
363
00:18:52,450 --> 00:18:57,809
And then moving to Phoenix and not seeing the
same kind of things, it was not something I I
364
00:18:57,809 --> 00:18:59,250
understood immediately.
365
00:18:59,250 --> 00:19:03,169
But then obviously, talking with you, talking
to other designers, other architects, it's
366
00:19:03,169 --> 00:19:04,929
like, oh, because it everybody says it.
367
00:19:04,929 --> 00:19:06,369
Like, Phoenix just doesn't have that.
368
00:19:06,369 --> 00:19:09,164
And it's like, well, how do you how do you
right.
369
00:19:09,164 --> 00:19:12,525
Like like, is that for me, I'm like, well, why
couldn't you just take an old building and make
370
00:19:12,525 --> 00:19:12,845
it better?
371
00:19:12,845 --> 00:19:17,005
And then it's like, well, it doesn't there's so
many so many red tape that goes into that, and
372
00:19:17,005 --> 00:19:19,565
there's a lot more challenges when you take an
old building.
373
00:19:19,565 --> 00:19:23,700
But to start new, like because like at some
point, somebody had to build that architecture,
374
00:19:23,940 --> 00:19:25,380
that beautiful piece of art.
375
00:19:25,380 --> 00:19:31,380
And it's like it sounds like what you try to do
with your projects is that even though it's not
376
00:19:31,380 --> 00:19:35,554
like I can't go back seventy years and and
recreate a building.
377
00:19:36,034 --> 00:19:41,154
There are some great adaptive reuse projects
going on in Phoenix right now.
378
00:19:41,474 --> 00:19:44,274
And there has been great architecture in the
past.
379
00:19:44,434 --> 00:19:46,914
The issue for me isn't the old architecture.
380
00:19:47,269 --> 00:19:52,069
The issue for me is that Phoenix, because it
developed so much later and there are so many
381
00:19:52,069 --> 00:19:56,789
opportunities downtown to build new buildings,
you know, it's not as dense as other cities.
382
00:19:56,789 --> 00:19:59,109
There's opportunity to do cool stuff here.
383
00:19:59,109 --> 00:20:06,744
My issue is that the opportunity to create an
architecturally distinct city with unique
384
00:20:06,744 --> 00:20:13,305
projects that move people is largely being
filled in to this point by developers and
385
00:20:13,305 --> 00:20:18,529
architects who are doing cookie cutter
buildings that are really indistinguishable
386
00:20:18,529 --> 00:20:19,329
from the next.
387
00:20:19,329 --> 00:20:23,490
I mean, they're basically taking, in my
opinion, this is just my opinion.
388
00:20:23,490 --> 00:20:29,649
They're taking the sort of the master plan
community model where where all the houses are
389
00:20:29,894 --> 00:20:33,575
similar to the similar, if not identical to the
one next door.
390
00:20:33,575 --> 00:20:37,575
And they're just doing a vertical version of
that where, you know, they're involved in this
391
00:20:37,575 --> 00:20:43,414
amenities race and they really don't care what
the what the outside of the building looks
392
00:20:43,414 --> 00:20:43,734
like.
393
00:20:43,734 --> 00:20:53,070
They only care like, does it have a pickleball
court or how many foosball or pool tables does
394
00:20:53,070 --> 00:20:53,549
it have?
395
00:20:53,549 --> 00:20:58,190
It's like, go to these buildings and it's sad
because if you go to all these amenities,
396
00:20:58,190 --> 00:20:59,230
they're largely empty.
397
00:20:59,230 --> 00:21:00,509
It's just wasted space.
398
00:21:00,644 --> 00:21:06,404
So we have a very different approach to what we
do and how we see architecture.
399
00:21:06,724 --> 00:21:12,484
Yeah, what we'd like and what we hope for is to
be the catalyst to have some people think
400
00:21:12,484 --> 00:21:17,390
differently about how they do their own
buildings or design buildings for Phoenix and
401
00:21:17,390 --> 00:21:22,269
maybe take more creative artistic license with
with what they're doing here and and build
402
00:21:22,269 --> 00:21:26,990
something not to maximize every dollar that
comes out of the project, but instead to build
403
00:21:26,990 --> 00:21:30,109
something that that increases the value of the
community as a whole.
404
00:21:31,474 --> 00:21:36,595
I I think of your other project Rainbow Road
and how that isn't just a box, which is I feel
405
00:21:36,595 --> 00:21:41,154
like to what you're talking about is, like, how
do we just stack on top of each other the same
406
00:21:41,154 --> 00:21:42,994
box on box on box box on box?
407
00:21:42,994 --> 00:21:47,970
And so it's cool to see that you are taking
that approach of saying, like, there's more to
408
00:21:47,970 --> 00:21:51,569
this than just how do I get x amount of dollars
out of this project?
409
00:21:51,569 --> 00:21:52,210
It's, hey.
410
00:21:52,210 --> 00:21:57,649
Like, you're leaving much a much bigger impact
and people should take that more seriously.
411
00:21:57,649 --> 00:22:00,609
Like, that's not like you're giving the gift of
being able to have impact.
412
00:22:00,955 --> 00:22:05,355
You should use that to your advantage or to the
community's advantage and not just your soul
413
00:22:05,355 --> 00:22:05,835
in.
414
00:22:06,154 --> 00:22:12,394
I mean, it's not we also believe, like, these
buildings will be worth more over time than,
415
00:22:12,394 --> 00:22:18,679
you you know, much like a much like a custom
home will be or a unique home will be worth
416
00:22:18,679 --> 00:22:22,279
more over time than a track home or a mass
produced home.
417
00:22:22,279 --> 00:22:27,960
We believe that buildings that have their own,
you know, their own soul will be worth more
418
00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:29,399
than buildings that are soulless.
419
00:22:29,755 --> 00:22:32,954
So, I mean, just believe that's true.
420
00:22:32,954 --> 00:22:36,474
And so far we've been exploring that and we'll
see how it goes.
421
00:22:36,474 --> 00:22:39,835
Prudential or mixed use is different than
hospitality, right?
422
00:22:39,835 --> 00:22:42,714
So hospitality, I think going forward has to do
this.
423
00:22:42,930 --> 00:22:45,809
I think people are tired of solace hotels.
424
00:22:46,130 --> 00:22:51,890
People, at least in Phoenix, need to get used
to I would love it if if people in the valley
425
00:22:51,890 --> 00:22:53,970
would demand more from architecture.
426
00:22:53,970 --> 00:22:57,330
It truly truly affects people in more ways than
they know.
427
00:22:58,615 --> 00:22:59,174
Yeah.
428
00:22:59,174 --> 00:23:04,055
That's something that I've come to appreciate
more and more having conversations where it's
429
00:23:04,055 --> 00:23:07,494
it's not just that it looks nice, that there's
more to it.
430
00:23:07,494 --> 00:23:09,575
There's more science actually behind it, which
is pretty cool.
431
00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:12,480
Alright.
432
00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:13,839
Big project happening.
433
00:23:13,839 --> 00:23:18,399
How how does this how does the load work in
regards to, like, focus that you have with
434
00:23:18,399 --> 00:23:19,519
design and construction?
435
00:23:19,519 --> 00:23:21,119
You have other projects going on as well.
436
00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:27,244
Like what when you take on something as big and
as, you know, impactful and future driven as
437
00:23:27,244 --> 00:23:32,045
Atari Hotel, what what what are the like, on
the behind the scenes, like, does that work?
438
00:23:32,045 --> 00:23:34,365
Like, how how does your work structure happen?
439
00:23:34,365 --> 00:23:38,605
Because you're also doing other stuff, but this
seems like it's such a big thing.
440
00:23:39,450 --> 00:23:39,769
Yeah.
441
00:23:39,769 --> 00:23:44,169
We will we will break ground on our Sisu
Apartments, which is just to the south of our
442
00:23:44,169 --> 00:23:44,809
office here.
443
00:23:44,809 --> 00:23:46,650
That's part of that entertainment zone.
444
00:23:46,650 --> 00:23:49,210
There's a 125 apartments there.
445
00:23:49,369 --> 00:23:50,809
It's 12 stories tall.
446
00:23:51,345 --> 00:23:56,464
It has Ground Floor f and b, three three floors
of podium parking, and then one level of office
447
00:23:56,464 --> 00:23:58,784
where we'll eventually move our offices to.
448
00:23:59,025 --> 00:24:00,065
Oh, that's awesome.
449
00:24:00,224 --> 00:24:01,505
So that'll break ground.
450
00:24:01,505 --> 00:24:05,825
We're just we're just working our our final
comments from the city, and so we'll get that
451
00:24:05,825 --> 00:24:10,259
back into them in the next three weeks and
hopefully be approved, well, mid April, so we
452
00:24:10,259 --> 00:24:12,500
can get started maybe the May 1.
453
00:24:12,500 --> 00:24:14,259
And so we're really excited about that.
454
00:24:14,259 --> 00:24:18,820
We have another high rise plant down in
Roosevelt Road that we haven't begun designing
455
00:24:18,820 --> 00:24:20,580
yet, but we have acquired the land.
456
00:24:20,580 --> 00:24:21,779
So we'll start working on that.
457
00:24:21,779 --> 00:24:24,474
But we've expanded from intersection.
458
00:24:24,474 --> 00:24:29,035
We've we've expanded to a Dallas office that
Jordan Taylor is running out there now.
459
00:24:29,035 --> 00:24:29,674
Wow.
460
00:24:29,755 --> 00:24:31,355
So we're we've moved into Dallas.
461
00:24:31,355 --> 00:24:34,394
So we're starting to look at at lands to do
some things there.
462
00:24:34,394 --> 00:24:38,250
And then we've we've secured land in Denver for
a project coming up.
463
00:24:38,250 --> 00:24:42,890
So we're actively looking in we're actively
working in multiple markets right now, and we
464
00:24:42,890 --> 00:24:44,970
are actively seeking more projects.
465
00:24:44,970 --> 00:24:49,450
So if there's if people listen to listen to
this, they're landowners or wanna do a project,
466
00:24:49,450 --> 00:24:50,329
you know, hit me up.
467
00:24:50,329 --> 00:24:50,730
Let's go.
468
00:24:51,384 --> 00:24:52,025
Love that.
469
00:24:52,025 --> 00:24:52,505
That's cool.
470
00:24:52,505 --> 00:24:55,144
I didn't I didn't even know about the Dallas
connection there.
471
00:24:55,144 --> 00:24:59,384
We gotta talk more about some connections there
that may be helpful for you in general.
472
00:24:59,384 --> 00:25:00,345
So that's that's
473
00:25:00,345 --> 00:25:00,904
super cool.
474
00:25:01,144 --> 00:25:01,545
Right.
475
00:25:03,559 --> 00:25:04,440
What what else?
476
00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:07,480
What what what are the things about maybe just
Phoenix in general?
477
00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:13,400
Like, obviously, you you're a big component
downtown that Roosevelt Row area and just,
478
00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:15,640
like, change changing completely.
479
00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:19,734
Every time I talk to somebody, they're like,
ten years ago, none of this existed.
480
00:25:20,295 --> 00:25:22,615
Zach popped up, and then now it all exists.
481
00:25:22,694 --> 00:25:23,015
No.
482
00:25:23,015 --> 00:25:27,894
It was at first, my team partners were here
before I was, but but the team popped up for
483
00:25:27,894 --> 00:25:28,214
sure.
484
00:25:28,214 --> 00:25:29,734
But ASU is the real catalyst.
485
00:25:29,734 --> 00:25:33,160
ASU Downtown is what really was the catalyst to
change this whole
486
00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:33,880
Go Devils.
487
00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:37,559
You know, I'm never gonna be upset if you're
you're given, you know, a Sun Devil credit.
488
00:25:37,559 --> 00:25:38,839
That's always good for me.
489
00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:39,320
Yeah.
490
00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:41,320
But we're I personally am really excited.
491
00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:44,039
I don't I don't know if you've been to our new
bar, Tropic Thunder.
492
00:25:44,039 --> 00:25:47,694
It's it's Julian Wright's bar, but we're
partners with him on that.
493
00:25:47,694 --> 00:25:53,855
And it's it's it's, you know, Julian from Pedal
House and Saki House and, you know, Lucky's and
494
00:25:53,855 --> 00:25:54,974
all of his concepts.
495
00:25:55,294 --> 00:26:00,490
But he's he's really got his own take on what a
tiki bar should be, and it's it's incredible.
496
00:26:00,490 --> 00:26:06,410
So I I highly suggest anybody who is looking
for a real experience, that's a good spot to
497
00:26:06,410 --> 00:26:07,289
begin at.
498
00:26:07,289 --> 00:26:12,089
If you come to our first Friday next, in April,
maybe we'll bump over there together afterwards
499
00:26:12,089 --> 00:26:12,650
and check it
500
00:26:12,650 --> 00:26:12,970
out.
501
00:26:12,970 --> 00:26:13,529
Excellent.
502
00:26:13,529 --> 00:26:15,115
I'm all about Yeah.
503
00:26:15,115 --> 00:26:15,595
Yeah.
504
00:26:15,835 --> 00:26:16,794
But so yeah.
505
00:26:16,794 --> 00:26:17,035
No.
506
00:26:17,035 --> 00:26:17,994
We're excited about that.
507
00:26:17,994 --> 00:26:20,875
We've got the Clive partnership that we're
excited about.
508
00:26:20,875 --> 00:26:24,315
We've got in rainbow partnerships with the
Vavilli concepts.
509
00:26:24,315 --> 00:26:31,089
Skylar Reeves doing a really interesting
immersive sort of take on Italian fusion food.
510
00:26:31,250 --> 00:26:35,329
Don't want to get into describing his menu
because I'm going to describe it wrong, but
511
00:26:35,650 --> 00:26:37,249
it's really, really cool.
512
00:26:37,250 --> 00:26:42,664
He's got another concept in our, what used to
be the Sutra building called Pizzanista, which
513
00:26:42,664 --> 00:26:48,585
is his and a skateboarder named Salman Agat out
of out of they have two locations in LA, one in
514
00:26:48,585 --> 00:26:50,345
Tokyo and one in Seoul, Korea.
515
00:26:50,345 --> 00:26:51,944
And so we're getting the next one here.
516
00:26:51,944 --> 00:26:54,105
So, I mean, I think that's amazing That's so
cool.
517
00:26:54,105 --> 00:26:56,744
It's not New York or San Francisco or
something.
518
00:26:56,744 --> 00:26:58,960
It's it's here in Phoenix in Roosevelt Row.
519
00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:02,640
So we're we're honored and delighted that that
he's bringing those concepts here.
520
00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:04,399
So we're we're excited about that.
521
00:27:04,799 --> 00:27:09,680
You know, there's a different there's a
different energy in Roosevelt Row than the rest
522
00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:10,720
of the valley, I think.
523
00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,515
It it's it's a very youthful energy.
524
00:27:13,515 --> 00:27:15,115
It's it's a growing energy.
525
00:27:15,914 --> 00:27:17,835
You can feel it when you're down here.
526
00:27:18,315 --> 00:27:21,914
There's thousands of people moving into all of
these new buildings down here.
527
00:27:21,914 --> 00:27:25,115
And so it's exciting to be a part of it and to
see it grow.
528
00:27:25,115 --> 00:27:29,899
We're the only we have a 95 walk score, which
is the highest in the state of Arizona.
529
00:27:30,299 --> 00:27:35,259
So I mean, it's it's really if you're looking
for an urban kind of lifestyle where you don't
530
00:27:35,259 --> 00:27:37,980
have to rely on a car, it's an incredible place
to be.
531
00:27:39,224 --> 00:27:40,345
That's so cool.
532
00:27:40,984 --> 00:27:44,744
What about where does it expand to?
533
00:27:44,744 --> 00:27:44,904
Right?
534
00:27:44,904 --> 00:27:47,865
So, obviously, Roosevelt Row, that's existing.
535
00:27:48,184 --> 00:27:52,589
Is it does it take over all of Phoenix, say, I
don't know, fifteen years from now, twenty
536
00:27:52,589 --> 00:27:53,070
years from now?
537
00:27:53,070 --> 00:27:59,150
How quickly can we make Phoenix the absolute,
without question, best city in the country, if
538
00:27:59,150 --> 00:28:00,029
not the world?
539
00:28:00,109 --> 00:28:02,990
I mean, I I choose to live in Arizona by
choice.
540
00:28:02,990 --> 00:28:06,430
So when I moved back from Europe, I I I could
have lived anywhere.
541
00:28:06,430 --> 00:28:07,575
I I love it here.
542
00:28:07,575 --> 00:28:10,134
So I'm not trying to say that this isn't a
great city.
543
00:28:10,134 --> 00:28:10,774
It is.
544
00:28:11,255 --> 00:28:14,615
We're just trying to add a little bit more
artistry to it.
545
00:28:14,615 --> 00:28:14,934
No.
546
00:28:14,934 --> 00:28:18,375
I mean, to answer your question, Atari is gonna
be a big catalyst for that.
547
00:28:18,375 --> 00:28:22,369
I mean, I I think that it's going to change how
people see Phoenix.
548
00:28:22,369 --> 00:28:24,929
That's the reason why they brought us up to
CES.
549
00:28:24,929 --> 00:28:29,730
We we went with with the city of Phoenix and
presented at their their booth because Phoenix
550
00:28:29,730 --> 00:28:35,889
is becoming a tech hub and and they see it's
Aria as being a a a representative aspect of
551
00:28:35,889 --> 00:28:37,525
the future of Phoenix.
552
00:28:37,525 --> 00:28:44,085
And so, you know, we were completely honored to
to to accompany them up to to Las Vegas to to
553
00:28:44,085 --> 00:28:46,325
present with them, and it was a great
experience.
554
00:28:46,325 --> 00:28:46,565
Yeah.
555
00:28:46,565 --> 00:28:51,525
So to I mean, to go back to your question of of
what does it look like in ten to fifteen years,
556
00:28:51,525 --> 00:28:58,329
it's anyone's guess, but we're hopeful that, as
I said before, that there'll be more developers
557
00:28:58,329 --> 00:29:02,169
and more architects who are willing to take
some risks.
558
00:29:02,409 --> 00:29:08,404
Really fifteen years, maybe Phoenix could be an
example of architecture done correctly and and
559
00:29:08,404 --> 00:29:13,044
a city that that grows up the right way to give
back to the people who live there and to create
560
00:29:13,044 --> 00:29:14,484
a a unique experience.
561
00:29:15,204 --> 00:29:16,164
I love that.
562
00:29:16,164 --> 00:29:16,884
That's so cool.
563
00:29:16,884 --> 00:29:18,005
This has been a ton of fun.
564
00:29:18,005 --> 00:29:21,519
If somebody wanted to get ahold of you,
especially in your new markets, what's the best
565
00:29:21,519 --> 00:29:23,279
way for them to do that, Zach?
566
00:29:23,599 --> 00:29:27,119
Hit us up on inter intersectiondev.com.
567
00:29:27,679 --> 00:29:28,240
Awesome.
568
00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:28,559
Awesome.
569
00:29:28,559 --> 00:29:28,799
Awesome.
570
00:29:28,799 --> 00:29:32,240
And then is there anything else you'd like to
say to the people before we say our goodbyes?
571
00:29:33,215 --> 00:29:33,855
No, man.
572
00:29:33,855 --> 00:29:35,934
Just that I love talking to you, brother.
573
00:29:35,934 --> 00:29:36,335
Yeah.
574
00:29:36,335 --> 00:29:37,134
Good stuff.
575
00:29:37,615 --> 00:29:38,174
Appreciate it.
576
00:29:38,414 --> 00:29:38,815
Awesome.
577
00:29:38,815 --> 00:29:39,134
Cool.
578
00:29:39,134 --> 00:29:40,654
This has been a ton of fun, listeners.
579
00:29:40,654 --> 00:29:42,734
I hope you had as much fun as me and Zach.
580
00:29:42,734 --> 00:29:44,575
And until next time, adios.
581
00:29:45,169 --> 00:29:45,569
Alright.
582
00:29:45,569 --> 00:29:46,450
Thanks, brother.
583
00:29:46,769 --> 00:29:48,690
Thanks for listening to building scale.
584
00:29:48,690 --> 00:29:54,529
To help us reach even more people, please share
this episode with a friend, colleague, or on
585
00:29:54,529 --> 00:29:55,329
social media.
586
00:29:55,569 --> 00:30:01,244
Remember, the three pillars of scaling a
business are people, process, and technology.
587
00:30:01,884 --> 00:30:08,204
And our mission is to help the AEC industry
protect itself by making technology easy.
588
00:30:08,684 --> 00:30:13,779
So if you think your company's technology
pillar could use some improvement, book a call
589
00:30:13,779 --> 00:30:18,900
with us to see how we can help maximize your IT
cybersecurity strategy.
590
00:30:19,220 --> 00:30:24,099
Just go to buildingscale.net/help.
591
00:30:24,739 --> 00:30:26,259
And until next time.
592
00:30:27,139 --> 00:30:28,419
Keep building scale.
