Tempe — The Tempe City Council on Tuesday approved a zoning map amendment, planned area development (PAD) changes and a development plan for a 29‑story mixed‑use project at 108 East Seventh Street, a project team said will add housing and commercial space while preserving two historic buildings.

The applicant described the project as a major downtown investment. Darren Sender of Sender Associates and Sam Gordon of Wexford Development told the council they had worked with staff and neighbors since 2018 to refine the plan. “We are very excited to move forward with this process,” Gordon said, and said the project team plans to activate retail along Seventh Street and to preserve two historic buildings, including elements the developers said will pay homage to the long‑running House of Tricks restaurant.

Developers also said they will relocate and preserve the Harry Walker House and invest in public‑realm improvements on Seventh Street. Doug Tishner of Core Spaces said the team will make capital investments in ground‑floor tenant improvements to reduce barriers for restaurant operators and other retailers and to avoid leaving ground‑floor spaces empty.

Council members asked about retail activation and parking. The applicant told the council that minor site‑data changes had been made since the previous hearing: the PAD reflects an increase in building height from 315 feet to 325 feet after the addition of a parking level and a parking ratio of 0.195 spaces per bed (city‑requested ratio) for the project. Project documents presented to council list the site as 1.53 acres and include a high‑density mixed‑use program; the council record shows the item passed on second and final reading 7–0.

Neighboring stakeholders spoke in support. Omar Abdallah, an attorney representing the Islamic Community Center of Tempe, thanked the applicant and staff for accommodations the parties negotiated. A longtime resident urged appreciation for the preservation work, noting family events linked to the site’s church building.

Council took the final vote during the meeting’s second public hearing on the ordinance and adopted the zoning change and development plan by a 7–0 vote.