Tomorrow: Second public hearing and vote on proposed Tempe Entertainment District

The Tempe City Council will hold its second public hearing and vote on three aspects of the primarily privately funded Tempe Entertainment District proposal from Bluebird Development, the affiliate for the Meruelo Group and the Arizona Coyotes.

Those items include: a Zoning Map Amendment and a Planned Area Development (PAD) Overlay; a General Plan Amendment; and the Development and Disposition Agreement (DDA). The DDA includes the specific elements of the proposed development, which are all commitments between the city and the developer, including the environmental remediation of the land and the developer’s purchase of the city land.

An abbreviated factual breakdown of notable elements of the full 75-page DDA is available here. The agenda and all materials for the Nov. 29 meeting have been published online here. Attendance is possible virtually and in person in Council Chambers, 31 E. Fifth St. Visit tempe.gov/clerk for details. People can also watch the meeting live at tempe.gov/tempe11.

Join us for Council Committee meetings

To create more involvement opportunities for the public, align with Tempe's strategic priorities and provide forums to tackle larger issues in more detail, the Tempe City Council has re-established Council Committees. 

All committees are open to the public. Meeting formats vary; all are held virtually via WebEx and some dates also include an in-person option at the Tempe City Hall Council Chambers, 31 E. Fifth St. Agendas, with meeting format, will be posted about a week prior to meeting dates.

Find upcoming meeting dates and agendas on each committee webpage: Human Services and Community Safety, Sustainability and Economic Vitality and Workforce Readiness and Livable Communities. 

Miss a meeting? Recordings are available on the Tempe 11 YouTube channel. Search our playlists for each committee.

Time to get your holiday shop on!

The Tempe Festival of the Arts will take over downtown this weekend, Dec. 2-4. Explore creations from nearly 350 artists while you enjoy tasty treats from local vendors, take in live performances and participate in arts programming. Find street closures and transit impacts here. Stay up-to-date on event street restrictions, visit tempe.gov/StreetClosures or sign up for event emails here.

Celebrate Tempe’s history at Petersen House

Experience a Christmas tradition like no other at Tempe’s historic Petersen House Museum! The valley’s Victorian jewel will be decorated in high style, with an emphasis on its Danish heritage. Enjoy free self-guided historic house tours, refreshments, entertainment, a pop-up store and fun activities. Free admission, no registration necessary. Learn more.

Tempe Center for the Arts two-day holiday sale

Experiences make the best gifts. Save 50% on memberships and tickets to select shows and events at Tempe Center for the Arts – today and tomorrow only! Shop now.

Support your favorite nonprofit serving Tempe

Don't forget: Nov. 29 is GivingTuesday, the global movement encouraging people to give back. A celebration of all types of generosity, GivingTuesday inspires people around the world to give gifts of time, skills, goods, advocacy and more, showing that everyone has something to give and every act of generosity counts. Last year, an estimated 35 million adults participated in many ways on GivingTuesday in the U.S. alone, a 6% increase over 2020

Looking for ideas? 

- Give blood

- Consider adopting or fostering an animal

- Lend your voice to a cause

- Pledge an hour of your skills to a nonprofit

- Help an elderly neighbor with yard work

- Write a letter of appreciation to a teacher or healthcare worker

- Organize a park cleanup

Find more ways to give in the community here.

Homeless outreach volunteer opportunities

Volunteer are needed to work alongside our HOPE homeless outreach team. The process begins with shadowing, so no formal experience is needed. Volunteers must be 18 years and older and fingerprinted. Questions: [email protected].

Find the best family-friendly dining in Tempe

Looking for a great restaurant for the whole family? Tempe has plenty to offer, from easy breakfast spots to fun dinner destinations all across the city. Check out Tempe Tourism's blog for details on neighborhood spots, mall options, downtown restaurants - even one fun place overlooking a golf course. Bonus: the blog highlights places with outdoor dining, great views, pet-friendly patios, entertainment, kids' menus and more.

Have a holly, jolly holiday movie party

Is Die Hard a holiday movie or an action movie? Well, it isn't among this year's holiday movie line-up at Tempe's Majestic Theater, 1140 E. Baseline Road, but maybe next year? Get ready to sing, dance and recite your favorite movie lines at the interactive holiday movie parties. The theater even provides props.

New south Tempe mercantile

Gather Mercantile, opened in south Tempe about four months ago, is a one-stop shop for holiday and home goods, custom gifts, candles and diffusers and stocking stuffers for everyone. The family owned and operated small business specializes in holiday and seasonal decorations. Stop in at 1840 E. Warner Road. Find Gather Mercantile on Instagram and Facebook.

National Cookie Day Dec. 4

Visit your favorite Tempe bakery and celebrate National Cookie Day Dec. 4. Here are a few to try: Tracy Dempsey Originals, Honeymoon Sweets, Insomnia Cookies, Squarz Bakery and Cafe and Crumbl Cookies. 

Arizona Mills is also hosting a Cookie Giveaway at the Santa set Dec. 4, starting at noon, while supplies last.

North side of Kiwanis Park is ready for a refresh

Proposed concepts include improvements for the inclusive playground, concessions and restroom buildings as well as potential designs for a new dog park and other amenities. Share your ideas for the north side of the park (Baseline Road to Kiwanis Lake) by taking the survey through Dec. 4 here.

Year-end COVID-19 vaccine push

The White House last week launched a six-week push to encourage Americans to get their updated COVID-19 vaccine before the end of the year. The latest campaign focuses on seniors and vulnerable communities hardest hit by the virus, but officials note that the vaccine is the best protection for everyone.

The push comes as more than 35 million Americans have already received the updated, bivalent booster shot, according to the CDC. That represents just over 11% of eligible Americans age 5 and older. 

The new National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan focuses on four key goals:

- Protect against and treat COVID-19

- Prepare for new variants

- Prevent economic and educational shutdowns

- Continue to lead the effort to vaccinate the world and save lives

Have questions about COVID-19 vaccines? Check out the CDC's myths and facts page here.

City Council special meeting

Nov. 29
6 p.m.
Council Chambers
Second public hearing on the proposed Tempe Entertainment District.

Tempe City Council meeting

Dec. 1
6 p.m.
City Council Chambers
Regular City Council meeting

Performances at the Museum

Dec. 2
8 p.m.
Tempe History Museum
Driftwood Quintet offers a celebration of Latin music

Tempe State of the City Address

Dec. 2
7:30 a.m. 
Marriott Phoenix Resort Tempe 
Tempe Chamber of Commerce ticketed event
Mayor Corey Woods highlights Tempe’s accomplishments and future.

Adult Book Craft Series

Dec. 3
2 p.m. 
Tempe Public Library – Ironwood Classroom
Give old books new life with this free, adult book craft series. Learn how to make 3D Snowflakes from book pages. Registration required.

TCA Presents

Dec. 3
7:30 p.m. 
Tempe Center for the Arts 
$5-20
Celebrate the holidays with Brazillian flare and singer-songwriter Caro Pierotto.