TEMPE, Ariz. — The neighborhood around Sun Devil Stadium is quickly evolving. College Avenue in particular is becoming an impressive stretch between the House of Heat and the university.

First we welcomed College Avenue Marketplace which includes street level eating establishments just north of the modern ASU Foundation building at University. Then came the University House(formerly named Hub Tower), the ultra-hip, high-rise student apartment complex where Veteran’s Way meets College Avenue.

Also on tap for the new gateway along College Avenue is a street scape known as the ASU Recruitment Walk. The focal point of the area will be the 1950s-style red-brick schoolhouse that once housed ASU football’s weight room during the Frank Kush era and most recently, the ASU Art Annex.

Postino Wine Cafe

The 7,000+ square foot Annex just south of the University House is being re-purposed to house two separate 3,500 square foot restaurant spaces including the aptly named Postino ANX.

The wildly-popular Wine Café that originated in Arcadia before opening two more locations in the valley, one on Central in uptown Phoenix and one in downtown Gilbert.

ASU Alumni-owned Upward Projects  which includes the foursome of Craig and Kris DeMarco and Lauren and Wyatt Bailey are excited to bring their establishment to fans, alumni and students of their alma mater.

Each of them has history in the surrounding area, having worked at or around Mill Avenue. Craig honed his early bar skills at Balboa Café and while Lauren studied art at Arizona State, she actually ended up working at the Art Annex.

Craig also noted how deep their connection is to ASU, and the significance of them being alumni and huge Sun Devil fans while restoring the ASU building. The structure was a perfect match for them in that they like to capture the original essence of the buildings that their restaurants occupy.

Like their other Postino locations, you’ll see the large roll-up garage doors on College Avenue that offer an indoor-outdoor element of Postino locations. Their newest location will create both a casual and sophisticated “social vibe,” which should be a nice touch in the immediate area surrounding Sun Devil Stadium.

College Avenue Commons between Veterans Way and University Dr.

Postino ANX is scheduled to open before the fall semester and ASU Football’s season-opener.

With the creation of Postino ANX, the DeMarcos and the Baileys are proving that they are DieHard Sun Devils.

The revamping of College Ave. is far from done.

The new College Avenue Commons, a multi-purpose, five-story building on the west side of College at Seventh St. is nearing completion. The building will house:

• the ASU School of Sustainable Engineering
• the Sun Devil Marketplace which is an impressive collection of small specialty stores
• a massive home for ASU apparel, gifts, books and student supplies
• open green patio areas for people to enjoy