Shalimar Course owner refutes neighbors' claims

Land-use and zoning changes are a political and economic problem, says an ASU real estate expert.

In this article published June 23, 2025, in The Tempe Tribune:

You know, it's interesting here, because you're kind of damned if you do, damned if you don't. This is about land-use change in an urban area. Tempe is the geographic center of metro Phoenix, one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the country.

And it is experiencing changes that result in these land-use changes as it matures. Employment growth creates significant demand, and this property is proximate to the (Loop) 101, which is transit accessibility and employment.

Places go through life cycles, and you achieve obsolescence at a certain point. It's this whole concept of highest and best use, and I think what you’re seeing here is the highest and best use in a classic sense. You're going from a use that's lower revenue producing to proposed uses that have much higher value because of the proximity to transportation, jobs, amenities.

— Mark Stapp, Fred E. Taylor Professor in Real Estate, director of the Master of Real Estate Development program, and director of the Experiential Learning Lab at the Center for Real Estate Development