[Source: Matt Culbertson, ASU Web Devil] -- One of Tempe's oldest buildings could soon get a facelift in the form of high-rise condominiums and retail establishments. Michael Monti, the owner of Monti's La Casa Vieja, a restaurant on Mill Avenue, said he will submit revised plans to the Tempe Historic Preservation Commission Thursday to build a hotel and condominium tower. It is important for the restaurant to make a dramatic statement for people entering Tempe since it is one of the first buildings visitors see when they arrive via Mill Avenue, Monti said. "We want people to have a dramatic awareness that they have entered into a unique downtown," he said. The Tempe Historic Preservation Office submitted a staff report last week to the commission with recommendations for how to redevelop Monti's but still keep the historic value of the building. Monti's, built as a home in 1871, is arguably the most significant historic resource in Tempe, according to the staff report.[Note: To read the full article, click here. Photo source: Monti's.]
