The Tempe City Council has approved an apartment complex in the Emerald Shopping Center near Interstate 10 and Priest Drive in southwest Tempe.
The 376-unit building will be home to both residential and commercial space in a complex called The Dewitt.
The approval comes after Councilmember Brooke St. George asked the developers from law group Huellmantel and Affiliates to increase the number of two and three-bedroom options to accommodate those who want to live in the Kyrene school district.
Alexis Proper presented the case and told St. George that they had a study performed by Greystar, a commercial landlord that manages over a million apartment buildings nationwide, that showed that the existing plans for the number of two and three-bedroom units were within the recommended ranges for the population of the area.
“The range for two bedrooms is 25-30%, which we are at 30%; and for three bedrooms is 0-5% and we are at 4%,” Proper said.
St. George said she appreciated the follow-up for the council and audience.
“I really appreciate your follow-up on that and announcing that publicly so that we could all be aware of that. Thank you for your due diligence,” St. George said.
Families who live in the area are zoned for Kyrene Middle School and Mariposa Elementary School.
The district closed three schools in Tempe in 2025 after a decline in enrollment and budgeting challenges. Kyrene Traditional Academy will close at the end of the 2026-27 school year.
Mayor Corey Woods was concerned with traffic in the area as the adjacent lot is for commercial use, and home to several large stores like IKEA, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Total Wine.
Shelly Seyler, deputy transportation and sustainability director from the city, explained that staff reviewed the traffic study and accepted the changes.
“All study intersections were shown to operate within an acceptable level of service, which is one of the things that we review,” Syler said.
The item passed unanimously with no public comments at the Oct. 15 meeting.
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Madeline Bates joined Independent Newsmedia in 2025 as a Phoenix/Tempe reporter. Before graduating college, she spent a semester in Washington as a Congressional reporter in the first 100 days of the second Trump administration. But local news is where her heart is. She is excited to be in Phoenix full time and exploring new parts of the city (as long as they have AC).
Community: After living in East Phoenix for two years, she fell in love with Paradise Valley, Mesa, Tempe, and everywhere in between. She recently discovered the beauty of the South Mountain Reserve and hopes to continue exploring should the weather comply.
Education: Madeline has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and a certificate in Political History and Leadership.
Random Fact: She is a self-taught nail tech. No, she cannot do your nails.
Hobbies: Hiking (when its not 100 degrees), fiction writing, cooking, baking and trying new coffee shops.
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