Eight of The Newport’s colorful 38 single-family homes are set to open this December. Standing tall at two and three stories between Tempe and Scottsdale, the Newport Beach-inspired properties perfectly blend with the culture and lifestyle of its nearby downtown areas.
The Newport is the first of its kind to be built in Tempe in the last five years and is the only single-family housing in the pipeline for the area. Scheduled for a grand opening in December, the project recently finished its first phase of development. Four of the modern units are ready for move-in and tours. Unique design features include ground-floor office space and rooftop patios that provide 360-degree views of The Valley.
As someone who is always on the move, developer Joe Risi wants his properties to encourage connectivity in the urban environment with easy access to modern and active amenities — such as Tempe Town Lake. That’s why all new homeowners will receive two customized beach cruisers when they move in. When Risi isn’t flying along the bike paths of Tempe himself. Risi, as long-time Valley residents may recall, has a storied history with Tempe.
Arizonans may know Risi as one of the state’s first craft brewers. More specifically, as the founder of Bandersnatch in Tempe in the late ‘80s. Now, the commercial developer has hundreds of homes and multifamily projects to his credit — including 50 new condos and The Newport in Tempe. Raw land is a blank canvas to Risi. When people see his artistic departure from Arizona’s browns and taupes in their neighborhoods, they know it’s a Risi project. He’s been recently inspired by mid-century modern aesthetics and is blending that with the topography and vibe of southern California with The Newport.
“(Newport has) been a place I’ve traveled to from the time I was a kid,” says Risi, who bought the Tempe land in 2011. “I hoped to live there one day. I’ve always loved the seaside experience. I love water, water sports and regional things California has to offer. (The Newport is) my little way of bringing the Newport experience to Arizona, vicariously.”
Risi has worked on an expansive, 500-acre project in Wyoming that allowed him to fish and ride snowmobiles on his own construction property, yet the 2.3-acre infill project in Tempe is topping that experience.
“The Newport is truly one of the most exciting projects I’ve ever done because it embraces that concept of new urbanism to its fullest,” Risi says. “(The Newport) encourages residents to interact with their neighbors and interact within their community.”
The taupes and browns of Arizona aren’t going to change themselves. The Newport — and Risi — are here to do that.
There are currently four model units and four move-in ready units. Units have three and four bedrooms and three and three-and-a-half bath. North & Co. was recently awarded the brokerage for The Newport.
