Widewaters and Trammell Crow are pursuing approvals for a new 376-unit multifamily community planned next to the Emerald City mixed-use project in Tempe. The development is slated for a roughly 12-acre vacant parcel that is currently used as a parking lot adjacent to Emerald City, a 25-acre project that already includes retailers and services such as IKEA, LifeTime Fitness and White Castle.
The apartment community is designed with a diverse unit mix aimed at a range of renters. Plans call for 37 studio apartments, 207 one-bedroom units, 117 two-bedroom units and 15 three-bedroom residences. This configuration would give the property a substantial base of smaller-format units while still offering a meaningful number of two- and three-bedroom options.
Planned amenities for residents include a pool and spa, as well as a gym and yoga room that support fitness-focused lifestyles. The project is also expected to offer meeting spaces, giving residents access to areas for work, study or small gatherings within the community. These shared amenities are intended to complement the broader retail and service offerings already in place at Emerald City.
The land for the broader Emerald City project is owned by the Maricopa County Community College District, which acquired the 25.29-acre property in November of last year for $27 million. The seller in that transaction was The Widewaters Group Inc., which had purchased the site only a few months earlier, in August 2025, from Target Corp. for $20.5 million. Those back-to-back trades set the stage for the district to work with private-sector partners on the next phase of development around Emerald City.
According to the district, a key objective for the proposed apartment project is to create more opportunities for people employed at businesses within Emerald City to live closer to their jobs. By adding housing immediately adjacent to a major employment and retail hub, the district aims to help reduce commute times for workers and strengthen the linkage between local jobs and nearby housing options.
