One of the most iconic and historic structures in downtown Tempe is on the verge of a major renovation.
The Hayden Flour Mill for decades produced tons of flour and grain daily until its then-owner, the Bay State Mill Company, moved its operations to nearby Tolleson in the spring of 1998.
In the years since that closing, the facility and the larger 5-acre site has been the subject of redevelopment proposals calling for the property with its distinctive commanding white grain silos to be turned into a mixed-use project.
Now City of Tempe officials, working with the Chicago-based Baum Development, have settled on a plan that will see a revitalization of the property beginning in 2018.
First phase plans for the site call for the development of 14,200 square feet of office space, 8,300 square feet of restaurant space, and 2,000 square feet for an outdoor dining area.
The plans also include repurposing the silos into a hotel, with the construction of a separate building that will serve as the hotel’s lobby.
Final plans for the property are expected to be submitted to the Tempe City Council early next year, with construction starting by spring.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the flour mill, located on the southeast corner of Mill Avenue and the Rio Salado Parkway, was built in 1918. It replaced two earlier mills on the site dating back to 1895.
