This article originally appeared in the Scottsdale Progress.
After nearly two years of planning and battles with neighbors, the controversial Greenbelt 88 mixed use development will become a reality – but not for a while.
Scottsdale City Council on Feb. 8 voted 5-2 to approve the project, which will include 228 apartments and 25,000 square feet of retail space where the Lucky Plaza shopping center now stands at the corner of Hayden and Osborn roads.
But embattled owner Todd Silver was forced to make further concessions to gain Council’s vote to rezone the land and allow the planned unit development on the site.
Council only voted to approve the development after Silver agreed to reduce the number of apartments from 238 to 228, cut the top fourth floor by another 30 percent and reserve 4,000 square feet of “flex space” for public use.
The project initially proposed 338 apartments and 21,000 square feet of retail space in a five-story building.