Novus Innovation Corridor in Tempe was initially started as a district supporting Arizona State University’s athletic facilities.
As it continues to develop, it’s shaping up to be a destination for all Valley residents.
Universities have struggled to provide the necessary upkeep of sports facilities without taxpayer and student funding, and a 2010 state bill allowed for Arizona’s three public universities to create university athletic districts to address the issue.
As a result, ASU and Catellus Development Corp. partnered on a public-private collaboration that’s come to be known as the Novus Innovation Corridor. Here, the two continue to develop a “unique innovation ecosystem” that aligns education with employment.
Jay Donnelly, vice president of University Real Estate Development at ASU, says given the development’s scale along with the offerings it has, Novus Innovation Corridor is like “a city within a city.”
He said certain revenue generated from the district goes toward building new facilities like Mullett Arena and relocating or maintaining other athletic facilities. This allows the university to hold its own in the “very competitive athletic landscape” in a way that doesn’t use student dollars.
Novus Innovation Corridor is comprised of 10 million square feet of mixed-use space on 355 acres, which will include 6.5 million square feet of Class A office space once it’s finished. It is also expected to add nearly 40,000 jobs by 2035 with its private partnerships.
Novus is one of eight ASU-supervised innovation zones, which have the goal of co-locating ASU’s knowledge assets with private sector companies, according to Donnelly. He said it’s a symbiotic relationship for ASU and the private companies housed within the innovation zone.
“What happens then is collaboration on curriculum research and (it) allows us basically to provide educational experiences for our students (and) create talent pipelines for those private sector companies,” Donnelly said.
The corridor continues to be built out, and there’s still much to come that will cater to the people and students working on site, also providing an entertainment and dining aspect for people around the Valley.
There has been major headway with the development in 2025 with the heart of the district, Novus Place, bringing about new eateries, housing, parking and more in recent months.
Stefanie Caimol, marketing manager with Catellus Development, said the team behind Novus Place has been thoughtful with the office and retail tenants brought to the new development.
“This experience is way different than Mill (Avenue) or anywhere else that you would go that’s been around in Tempe for ages,” Caimol said.
The district is young and evolving, welcoming a host of attractions residents have yet to experience, according to Caimol.
The recent openings of restaurants like Flower Child, Eureka and Blue Sushi Sake Grill have been fun to see as they provide dining options for those who work at Novus and bringing in diners from across the Valley, Caimol said.
Options for parking are also plentiful, and Caimol highlighted that Novus Place offers plenty of green space with an outdoor stage and shade structure, which will allow for future programming like live music and events for the community and ASU.
With the new garage for Novus shared with ASU and valet parking available, the area is accessible to those visiting the north Tempe area. The new structure created 1,800 additional parking stalls.
Donnelly said as Novus Place and the corridor continue to develop, there will be a surge of activity not related to the university, given that there’s an environment to bring in more attractions like concerts and other events at Mullett Arena and other locations throughout Novus.
Along with the entertainment features, Novus is creating 4,100 urban homes including luxury apartments, multifamily housing and micro-units for busy professionals. A Hyatt Place is expected to open in August with the development’s third phase.
“It’s an exciting time as a Tempe resident, especially for those who sit in South Tempe that maybe haven’t ventured up here,” he said. “Maybe now is a good time to check it out.”
Work on the Novus Innovation Corridor continues, with Donnelly saying the development is serving as a model for urban redevelopment, specifically with public and private collaborations.
Being around and growing near universities proves to be less of a risk for private developers, according to him, and coupled with the fact ASU has decided to generate resources with Novus, it’s an ideal opportunity for both sectors.
“It allows an opportunity for these very complex public/private partnerships where public agencies, whether it be a university or someone else who has access to real property, to partner with the private sector, to monetize it to carry on their actual core mission,” Donnelly said.
But he did note this type of approach won’t necessarily be the best for every development. For example, with one of ASU’s innovation zones in downtown Phoenix, it wasn’t necessary for a developer to create new dining or entertainment as with Novus, given the wealth of options available.
But with Novus, ASU and Catellus had the opportunity to create a place that fulfills the goals of the university and the developer, supporting the university’s athletic programs while also creating new buildings for office, housing and retail.
As it stands, Donnelly said Novus Place’s retail district is 98% leased, but there is still more to be built to complete the district. The next development phase will work to connect Novus to ASU’s athletic venues and the community.
“Really embedding this next year and taking advantage of all the traffic generated by those athletic venues, and you have Gammage, you have other things in the area that we really need to connect it to, because I think there’s a real symbiotic relationship,” he said.
Future additions to the corridor include the hotel in August, some projects along Tempe Town Lake and even some remaining green space at Novus Place in the development’s third phase.
Donnelly said the “grand opening” of the Novus Place Entertainment District is targeted for the fall, with all its tenants expected to be moved in and operating just in time for the rush of traffic from ASU move-in.
“We think that’s a really good way… (to) really draft off that and make sure the broader community at ASU knows about the project,” Donnelly said.
Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines. Reporter Caroline Yu can be reached at cyu@iniusa.org
Caroline Yu
Reporter | Tempe
Meet Caroline
Caroline Yu joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2020 as a summer intern covering Scottsdale. As an intern, she continued her coverage of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Tempe. After graduating in 2022, Caroline became a full-time reporter for Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. She is currently reporting for the Tempe market.
Community: She is a supporter of the environment and tries to get involved with related community events.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications, with a minor in French.
Random Fact: She used to be a ballet dancer for 10 years.
Hobbies: Hiking, painting and crocheting.
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