Come November, Venue Projects, along with John Douglas Architects, will unveil a 17,227-square-foot mixed-use multi-tenant space in the now-defunct Beef Eaters Restaurant on Third Avenue and Camelback Road.
The Newton, named for Beef Eaters' late founder Jay Newton, will include a Phoenix location of Changing Hands Bookstore, a co-working space called The Lively Hood, and a restaurant concept by Phoenix chef Justin Beckett of Beckett's Table (stay tuned to Chow Bella for more details).
See also: - Tempe's Changing Hands Bookstore Is One Step Closer to a Second Location in Phoenix - Disappearing Ink: What Will Happen to All the Books?
This morning, John Kitchell and Lorenzo Perez of Venue Projects spoke to a neighborhood crowd about their plans for the project, as well as the floor plan (pictured above).
Perez noted that though the new Changing Hands was one of the worst-kept secrets in Phoenix -- we reported it last April -- they would still keep a few surprises up their sleeves for the opening celebration, which is slated for early November.
"We believe communities need independent bookstores, now more than ever," writes Changing Hands co-owner Gayle Shanks in her monthly newsletter, released this morning. "We all need places where we can meet, greet, laugh, play, relax, think, communicate, celebrate the arts, bring our children, connect with the great authors of the past, and discover new voices with their own unique visions to share."
According to Shanks, Phoenix Changing Hands will be 5,000 square feet with a selection of new and used books, as well as gift items. Plans for author visits and book signings are in the works, along with a wine and beer bar.
"The new bookstore at The Newton will build on the strengths of its sister Tempe location, and put to good use all that we've learned in creating a local gathering place," she writes.
The Lively Hood will be one of the first tenants of The Newton. The space will include co-working membership opportunities for Phoenix professionals in an open work area as well as private offices and meeting rooms. The Lively Hood's Kristin Bornstein will be taking membership reservations starting mid-2013.
Plans for the building include utilizing the existing 16,300-square-foot building, including original framing and adobe walls, as well as the reuse of the original furniture and lighting fixtures.
According to Perez, John Douglas, a Phoenix-based architect behind Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and the Botanical Gardens, will help the group "peel back the layers" of the building to expose the original Midcentury Modern architecture of the building, which dates to 1961.
Before The Newton, Venue Projects was responsible for the adaptive reuse of Phoenix Windsor/Churn on Central Avenue. Perez says he and Kitchell were approached to create an adaptive reuse plan for the Beef Eaters building more than three years ago, and that with the help of local government officials and community activists (and a lot of patience), they've been given the green light.
Construction begins this month.
For more information, check out The Newton website.
