The Tempe City Council unanimously approved the purchase of a 3-acre lot, formerly the home of a Big Lots store near East Baseline Road and Rural Road. The acquisition cost about $6.6 million, and the city used money from a 2024 voter-approved $32 million bond.
Affordable housing and a fire station are both dire needs in central and south Tempe. It’s hoped the new development will address the needs of the community. Although no official site plan has been publicly released, the project is expected to include a minimum of 50 affordable housing units above a fire station.
The earliest construction can begin is 2028, as two tenants currently have leases until then…