A project aiming to transform a Scottsdale office building into a restaurant and retail destination has begun construction, a process that will take about a year.
Four businesses, including two restaurants that will open their first locations in Arizona, have announced plans to locate in the project, called the Lakefront. The development is located at Scottsdale Road and McCormick Parkway.
Sushisamba, a seafood restaurant with dishes inspired by Japan, Peru and Brazil, will open its first Arizona location at the Lakefront, Omar Gutierrez, co-CEO of the company, said. The restaurant started in New York City in 1999 but recently has focused on international expansion in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, Gutierrez said. The company had been looking
for new U.S. locations but did not find anything in Scottsdale until seeing the possibilities at the Lakefront, he said.
V Modern Italian will open its first Arizona location in the development. The high-end pizza and pasta restaurant has several U.S. locations, including Nashville, Tampa and Kansas City.
La La Land Kind Café will also open a location at the development, reusing a former bank building.
Workshop Pilates has also announced a location at the Lakefront.
Scottsdale-based Diversified Partners bought the roughly 100,000-square-foot building in May from Forever Living Products for $25.5 million, according to real estate database Vizzda. Forever Living Products had used the building for its corporate headquarters.
Buying and converting the building had always been a dream of Walt Brown Jr., CEO of Diversified Partners, his wife, Ruth Brown, said at the ceremonial groundbreaking September 24.
Walt Brown Jr. said the project has received more attention from potential tenants than any other he has ever done. The company has three more businesses that have signed nondisclosure agreements with Diversified Partners, he said.
“They are tenants that the community and the city will be proud of,” he said. “My wife and I physically handpicked them.”
Roughly 10% of the building is still available for lease, but Diversified Partners has several letters of intent from businesses seeking to occupy the space.
The first phase of the project, which includes retail and restaurants, is expected to be completed by November 2027. The second phase, which will include office space on the second level, is expected to be completed in mid-2028, Brown said. He had wanted to move his company’s headquarters to the building but said Diversified Partners has received interest from office users that could take up all the space.
Brown has also proposed adding a marina with Duffy boats available to rent on the lake, but that addition requires approval from the homeowners association.
Corina Vanek covers development for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at cvanek@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X @CorinaVanek.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Scottsdale office conversion lands first-to-Arizona restaurants
