Novus Place just had its first brush with the devil — and he’s open for business. Sparky’s Shop at Novus Place cut the ribbon on Sep. 2, offering Sun Devil merchandise to fans and students visiting the area. The shop will be the first retailer in the development, which is within walking distance of Arizona State University’s flagship arenas for basketball, football and hockey.

Graham Rossini, athletic director for Sun Devil Athletics was present at the ribbon cutting; as were Tempe Mayor Corey Woods; Morgan Olsen, executive vice president, treasurer and CFO of ASU; and Sparky himself.

“I always remember thinking that it would be perfect if there was a spot that’s easy to pull into the campus, park, run into the shop, and get back on your day. And now today we have that with Sparky’s Shop here at Novus,” Rossini says, recalling the times he ran to the Tempe campus shop as a student looking for ASU gear to wear to the game.

The Follett-owned spirit shop will join three other ASU-affiliated stores located in and around ASU’s Tempe campus, and will offer more upscale fan gear and accessories than other Follett shops on- and off-campus.

The event featured free giveaways and free catering from other Novus Place restaurants including Starbucks, Over Easy and Nautical Bowls.

READ MORE: Novus Innovation Corridor will add upscale hotel in Tempe

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Sparky’s Shop is located in Novus Place, part of the sprawling Novus Innovation Corridor. A collaborative project between Arizona State and Banbury Development, the vision for the Novus Innovation Corridor is to build a “city-within-a-city” in North Tempe, with 350 acres of walkable and sustainable mixed-use development.

The main thoroughfare of Novus Place runs from 6th St. to University Dr., with the Piedmont — a 318-unit luxury apartment complex at the north end. The Piedmont is one of three residential developments in the Novus Innovation Corridor, joined by Mira and Vero to the east and west.

Heading south down Novus Place, visitors and residents will find a small park covered by a mirrored shading structure. This park plays host to events including movie screenings, yoga classes, and live music.

Flanking the park on all sides are 11 restaurants, including Flower Child and Blanco Cocina + Cantina from Fox Restaurant Concepts.

At the south end is 777 Tower, which contains Sparky’s Shop and The Melt on the ground floor. Above the ground-floor retail lies over 160,000 square feet of Class A office space.

777 Tower is currently occupied by Infosys, Meditrain, and offices of ASU’s University City Exchange – all highlighted by Morgan Olsen during the event.

“Those companies are locating here because of all of the assets and the experiences that they have. In terms of recruiting and retaining talent, it’s all about the experience,” Olsen explains.

Located directly opposite Sparky’s Shop is the site of a future Marriott Bonvoy hotel. The seven-story hotel is planned to have 168 rooms, a 2,700 square-foot meeting space, and a rooftop pool and bar. The ground floor of the hotel will also play host to other retailers.

The hotel is expected to break ground in Q1 of next year as the final piece of Novus Place’s first phase of development. The second phase would see Novus Place extend north to 3rd St, allowing direct access to Mullett Arena on foot. No timeframe has been set for Phase 2.