Phoenix-based Gray Development Group has the northwest corner ofCentral Avenue and McDowell Road tied up with plans to buildCentral Square, a mixed-use development that will have 75,000 sf ofoffice space, 25,000 sf of retail and 384 apartment units.

A six-story building on a corner would provide the office space,with retail going on the bottom floor, says Bruce Gray, presidentof Gray Development Group. In addition, the four-story buildingsalong both Central Avenue and McDowell would include retail on thebottom story with residential units above. A major restaurantcompany has already expressed interest in taking space, Graysays.

"That's unheard of in Phoenix but something that people in otherparts of the country take for granted," he says. "This kind ofurban mix is common place. Some people like that kind of activityand vitality, and being able to walk to the corner for a quart ofmilk."