Get past downtown?

The expected backlash is on-- today's Arizona Republic published a story claiming that Phoenix voters have tired of the mayor and council's downtown focus and want the attention of the next mayor on their various outlying neighborhoods.

At first blush, that seems like a bad thing for downtown. But the more I reflect on the article, I think it may not be so bad if city hall leaves central Phoenix alone for a few years or more. The downtown focus of the past decade wasn't necessarily a plus-- the outcome of the Gordon era was another suburban-type megablock shopping center in CityScape, continued teardowns of historic properties at Madison Square Garden and the City Hall-backed gutting of the Sun Mercantile Building (shelved when the economy tanked), and virtually nothing done about the dirt lots that are everywhere around downtown.

If that was what a downtown focus got us, I'm all for City Hall paying attention to other parts of Phoenix. In fact, I'm OK with a decade where Phoenix leadership does only two things for downtown: (1) cut red tape for businesses that want to open downtown and (2) improve neighborhood infrastructure by narrowing sidewalks, eliminating some of the one-way streets in and around downtown, adding streetlights and perhaps plunging the power lines along Roosevelt Street underground.

Let's let other parts of Phoenix 'benefit' from City Hall's attention.

St. Matthew's to be spared?

In a stunning development, Metro light rail recently decided not to request the Phoenix City Council’s approval in May for the portion of the western extension that was slated to run from I-17 to downtown along Jefferson Street and through the St. Matthew’s neighborhood. Instead, Metro is planning to study alternative routes and the historic preservation effects of the Jefferson Street alignment for the next 6-8 months. Metro specifically mentioned that it would consider as an alternative the alignment favored by the neighborhood activists, in which the light rail follows Van Buren Street from I-17 before turning south on 19^th Avenue and then heading east on Jefferson Street past the capitol and on to downtown.

While the decision certainly doesn’t guarantee anything for the St. Matthew’s neighborhood proponents who did not want to see the train run down the portion of Jefferson (between I-17 and 19^th Avenue) that has historic single-family residences on either side of the street, the fact that Metro has abandoned its all-out push for approval is welcome news.

This blog applauds Metro and the Phoenix City Council for their willingness to stop and listen to the concerns of the St. Matthew’s residents. It will be interesting to see where this story goes next.

Finally!

Dirt lots are one of the scourges of downtown Phoenix, so it was great to get an e-mail today from the Roosevelt Row CDC about the launch of their A.R.T.S. project (active reuse of temporary space), a "dirt lot activation program that addresses the blight of vacant space." Apparently their first project is to clean up and spread mulch over the dirt lot at 408 E. Roosevelt Street, across from Modified Arts.

With development at a standstill, projects like these are a must if we're to beautify (or at least de-uglify) downtown Phoenix. Hope this is the first of many!

Flashy signs are great, but let's not get carried away

The recent announcement that 50-foot electronic billboards will soon loom over the southern portion of downtown Phoenix is fine, but a couple boosters went way overboard in their praise of the move.

"The point is...to really put some excitement on Jefferson Street," claimed Judd Norris, the guy who's going to head up the billboard district.

Phoenix City Manager David Cavazos went him one better.

"It's going to activate downtown. That was one of the best ideas I had all year."

I don't have a problem with the signs, at least conceptually. But these guys are wildly delusional that a few bright signs are going to liven up Jefferson, let alone rejuvenate downtown. You need housing, restaurants, shops and offices to do that. It helps if they face the street, too. Too bad the city helped kill part of Jefferson when they approved the inward-facing CityScape project, which turns the back end of CVS and Oakville Grocery to Jefferson between Central and First Street.

Light rail loses its way

I’ve been an unabashed supporter of light rail for years. And I still strongly support the existing line and the Mesa extension. But I cannot support the so-called western extension of the train that ADOT has proposed. Instead of moving through existing city streets and spurring economic development like the current line, the western extension is set to move along I-10 in the middle of the freeway. Essentially, ADOT is trying to turn light rail into commuter rail. I predict we’ll see busy trains at rush hour and then empty trains the rest of the time (will this line even need to run on the weekends?), and increased criticism of light rail from drivers who most of the time will zoom past empty light rail trains.

When the western extension turns off the freeway, things get even worse. Right now the train is slated to turn off I-10 and head south with I-17 on one side and a huge cemetery on the other. (Obviously, there is minimal opportunity for development.) At Jefferson, the track turns and heads down the center of a residential street until it runs by the capitol on the way to downtown. Oh, and when the light rail crosses the train track near 19^th Avenue, the track apparently will need to rise some 40 feet in the air, which should be really pretty.

A much better route would have been down McDowell or Thomas over I-17 and turning at 19^th Avenue down a commercial street before heading east at Jefferson and joining the original route. Apparently the current route isn’t set in stone, but this route appears to be ADOT’s favorite, and ADOT is famous for tuning out dissenting views.

The good news? This route won’t be built until 2021 at the earliest.

PastaBar closed, but it's not the end of the world

The closing of PastaBAR this week and Verde a little while back probably has downtown’s critics and haters gleeful. But the reality is that the downtown Phoenix restaurant scene is like everyplace else right now: driven by value. In PastaBAR, you had a great product at prices that were too high, and at Verde you had decent prices but an inferior quality of food. Those are both killer combinations in a challenging environment for restaurants, especially given how competitive the downtown market has suddenly become. Downtown dining is a symbol of the area’s health— it’s the real estate market that is the cause for concern.

Saying the right things but doing the wrong things at CityScape

With CityScape's grand opening looming, the Republic ran a story featuring this amazing quote from RED Development's Jeff Moloznik:

"I think what separates CityScape from Arizona Center is that when you do
take the wrapping paper off and our tenants are open, people will really see an
engaged street front," Moloznik said. "If you want to have retail on this site,
it has to be facing the street."

With all due respect, what in the world is he talking about? Anyone with two eyes can see that CityScape mostly turns its back to the street. In that regard, at best the development is a marginal improvement on the Arizona Center.

Working counter-clockwise from the west side of CityScape's primary retail block at Central Avenue and Washington Street, the west side features an entry to the parking garage, a teeny little auxiliary door for Five Guys, and a back door for CVS at the southwest corner.

The south side is more of the same-- from west to east you have the CVS back door, a blank wall with some measly posters and windows, another parking garage entrance, and on the east side an entry for Oakville Grocery.

The east side is open as you look across the concrete jungle that a very few people still call "Patriot's Park" to the true front doors of CVS and Lucky Strike (recessed far away from the street in true suburban fashion).

And the north side features a secondary building that has no entrances facing the street.

I'm sorry, but a couple token windows and back doors do not "engage" the street. A walk down the street of virtually any major urban center in the world would illustrate the difference. Either RED is being disingenuous or, more likely, this is more proof that they're suburban developers that simply didn't have a clue about building an urban structure.

Only 20 years of progress?

The Downtown Phoenix Partnership is at it again. The people who brought us "Copper Square" now have plastered billboards around downtown and on I-10 celebrating "Downtown Phoenix: 20 Years of Progress."

20 years? How about 150? Yes, DPP is in its twentieth year of existence, but downtown Phoenix existed long before there was a Downtown Phoenix Partnership.

And all we have to celebrate is 'progress?' I'm all for truth in advertising, but 'progress' is a pretty weak thing to brag about. That word practically buys into the mentality that some suburbanites here still cling to-- that downtown was a ghetto that has marginally improved thanks to the presence of a couple ballparks. How about something a little more positive-- like '150 years as Arizona's urban capitol,' or something to that effect?

Downtown Phoenix and the Arizona built environment: not a favorite of our leadership

The azcentral voters' guide offers a fascinating bit of insight regarding our state's politicians. When asked in questionnaires to name their "favorite place in Arizona," almost all of the state-level candidates and most of the legislative aspirants responded by mentioning natural locations such as the Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater or (the red rocks of) Sedona.

A few central Phoenix candidates mentioned downtown-ish spots: Bob Thomas mentioned the Willo District, Katie Hobbs named the Encanto Neighborhood, and Lela Alston cited, of all places, downtown Phoenix.

But other central Phoenix politicos like Kyrsten Sinema (Camelback Mountain), Paul Yoder (Workman's Creek) and Ken Clark (Humphreys Peak) followed suit with natural locations.

Obviously, Arizona is a beautiful state and its natural environment is really unparalleled. But what does it say about the built environment that we've created that so few of our leaders find it memorable?

Dirt Lot List update

I recently updated the Downtown Phoenix Dirt Lot/Parking Lot list in anticipation of the teardown of the Sahara Hotel (which, despite a temporary lull, I still expect).

Indy film in downtown Phoenix?

Who knows how legitimate it is, but a pretty provocative tweet went out today about an independent movie theatre and bar opening in late 2010 on Second Street just south of Roosevelt Street. For years locals have said that the demographics were right for such a venture, so let's hope this comes together. Mrs. Downtown_resident and I are in for sure.

CVS, lose the booze

Cruising on the light rail next to the backside of CityScape (yes, as predicted CityScape turns its back to the light rail stop and the Luhrs buildings in true suburban fashion) one can see that the soon-to-open CVS store seeks a liquor license. Again, CityScape and its tenants demonstrate a profound lack of understanding for their downtown environment. The last thing downtown Phoenix or the poor souls struggling with addiction need is another place to purchase single-serving alcoholic beverages. CityScape’s CVS should follow the lead of its sister store at Central and McDowell as well as some of the Circle K stores nearby and abandon its pursuit of a liquor license.

Bandwagon City

I've complained about it before, but nothing illustrates Phoenix's shortcomings the way its sports fan base can. The latest example of what has been a decades-long issue in town played out during the last three nights when the New York Yankees came to town to take on the Diamondbacks, as Chase Field had to have been two-thirds to three-quarters Yankees partisans. You'd never see an embarassing display like that in places like Boston, Chicago, or even Los Angeles.

It's often argued that fandom in a local sports team is an expression of civic pride. If that's the case, what does it mean when the locals turn out solely to root against the home team?

All press is good press

Downtown and midtown Phoenix got some unexpected positive press recently from a pretty unlikely source. Paul Rogers of MyFord Magazine, a publication produced by Ford Motor Company and sent to all registered Ford owners, spent a few days in Phoenix to test out the new Ford Fiesta and-- instead of staying in the typical suburban environs-- spent his time downtown.

And when I say 'downtown,' I mean it...we're talking not about the relatively predictable and more tourist-friendly spots like the Sheraton and the Arizona Center, we're talking true, gritty downtown spots like Grand Avenue and the Clarendon Hotel. Here's an excerpt:

...in many respects Phoenix still feels like a city on the rise. Nowhere is this more appearant than in the emerging arts district along Grand Avenue...this strip of once derelict motels, storefronts and gas stations is the home of artists and other trendsetters.

Rogers goes on to make positive remarks about his visits to Sapna Cafe and the Paisley Violin on Grand.

Rogers also discusses the origins of First Fridays:

[Grand Avenue's] artsy flavor-- the sculpted lines of my Fiesta fit right in-- traces its roots back to Art Detour, an annual two-day self-guided tour of galleries and studios begun in 1989. The tradition became so popular that, five years later, the nonprofit group that established it made it a monthly event called First Fridays. Roughly 100 arts venues now open their doors to thousands of people on the first Friday evening of every month. Those who come to stroll include students from the downtown campus of Arizona State University, tourists and, especially gratifying for the organizers, suburbanites from Scottsdale.

The article (sorry, the magazine doesn't have an online presence to which to link) goes on to recommend Sapna Cafe, Paisley Violin and Gallo Blanco as well as the Clarendon Hotel for lodging. The story even includes a full-page picture of a white 2011 Fiesta sitting beneath the "Her Secret is Patience" artwork at the Downtown Civic Space.

So take heart, downtowners, what's going on here is still being noticed and appreciated.

More Fridays

Last weekend's Art Detour (most know it as the annual event where First Friday lasts all weekend) reminded me of a couple years back when the detour weekend didn’t coincide with a First Friday. Attendance for that Art Detour was way down and many of the artists and gallery owners who participate in First Fridays and Art Detour blamed the decision to sever Art Detour from First Fridays. Still, I wish they could have stuck with that experiment. I liked the idea of getting people into the arts district and Roosevelt Row more than just 12 times per year (and I’m sure a lot of the downtown restaurants and businesses did too). Perhaps some year in the future Art Detour can merge with a Third Friday to help that night’s art walk take off and at least give us 13 crazy Friday nights a year.

Another retrofit to bolster streetlife in downtown Phoenix?

Visits to San Diego during the summer are bittersweet: obviously the beaches and gorgeous weather are awesome, but it's hard not to feel envious while walking around that city's awesome downtown, with its abundant streetlife and invigorated historic structures.

While any Phoenician who's headed to San Diego knows the general contrasts between the two downtowns, one detail about San Diego has always really struck me as illustrating the difference between downtown San Diego and downtown Phoenix: our respective NBC affiliates' locations.

On one hand, you have downtown San Diego's entry, pictured above. While it's in a nondescript office tower, it sits in the midst of downtown and adds to the streetlife in the area by allowing passersby to glimpse inside to see the studio and filming, like the NBC mothership in Rockefeller Center.

On the other hand, you have downtown Phoenix's NBC affiliate. While it is at least downtown and now very transit accessible (with the Roosevelt/Central light rail stop a mere two-minute walk away), the building is a typical downtown Phoenix fortress. It's a single story with no windows and one lone doorway off Central (that is probably never used, like most of the front doors in the buildings along Central).

But all that may be about to change. Channel 12 announced plans to move into the Arizona Republic's building on Van Buren Street, and to modify their new digs so that they too would have a first-floor studio that's visible from the street. Cheers to that decision, and it's about time. Hopefully the vacated fortress on Central gets a new tenant willing to upgrade that building...a lot.

While it's not much, it's still good to see downtown Phoenix gain a little ground on its neighbor to the west.

Does downtown Phoenix not want business?

If downtown Phoenix is to emerge as a premier national downtown, it needs to do things better than other places. And if Fiancee_of_Downtown_resident and my experience is any indication, downtown still has a ways to go in some respects.

Fiancee_of_Downtown_resident and I are smack dab in the middle of wedding planning (which also helps explain the lack of attention I've given the blog). Being downtown boosters and all, we really liked the idea of having our reception somewhere around downtown. We contacted two city-run downtown facilities, both of which advertise in wedding publications as sites to hold receptions. We absolutely loved one of them, an historic building that could have been the site for a unique and unforgettable wedding reception and possibly ceremony. We toured the place, met with the relevant city representatives and were probably going to book the event until...they stopped calling us back.

Seriously? In this economy? A city starving for revenue is too busy to call a customer back? (A customer willing to spend several thousand dollars, no less.)

Our experience at the other downtown facility was not much different. We called the wedding coordinator there and this time we did receive a response...about eight weeks later.

By that time we had already moved on to plan B. We love the spot we picked in the Camelback Corridor, but it's tough thinking about what could have been downtown.

Slowly but surely

In a testament to how much people want an authentic, urban environment in Phoenix, there's still progress downtown even in this bleak economy.

Downtown denizens like me have looked forward for years to the opening of the Phoenix Public Market's permanent grocery store, the first such store in downtown Phoenix in a generation. Tomorrow is the day that the market finally opens. Here's hoping this is just another step in the remarkable growth of the public market since it opened in early 2005.

Did you know-- and can you believe-- that a housing development was actually just completed downtown? A transit-oriented development for seniors called McCarty on Monroe opened last week at 12th Street and Monroe, just one block north of a light rail stop. In this economy, this type of small-scale, near-downtown development is crucial if we're to build a true walkable urban environment.

Finally, the ultimate slowly-but-surely piece of news that emerged downtown is that the Downtown Phoenix Partnership is organizing a "zombie walk" the night before Halloween. While I beat up the DPP for a lot of their moves, they deserve some credit for putting this fun idea together.

New downtown Phoenix marketing effort misses the mark

The Downtown Phoenix Partnership can’t seem to get out of its own way. After the partnership made the right call in abandoning the silly Copper Square “brand” for downtown, it followed up by unveiling an odd-looking logo and an unintentionally ironic billboard marketing campaign.

I won’t go into the logo (you can decide for yourself at downtownphoenix.com), but the billboards are an unfortunate waste of money. The signs are in several places around central Phoenix, and probably elsewhere, and show a panel of three pictures and the slogan “only in downtown Phoenix.” The problem is that the pictures are generic glamour shots of smiling kids and adults that look like they could be anywhere.

The Downtown Phoenix Partnership needs to scrap this first wave of billboards and roll out others that identify and depict the unique places and people of downtown—you know how many suburbanites still have never heard of Cibo, much less have no idea how to pronounce its name?— and stop trying to make downtown look like everywhere else.

Two views of downtown emerge at ASU

Since I praised current ASU students for their more positive views about downtown, it seems a battle of opinions has been waged on campus about downtown Phoenix. While more students seem to have come around to the view that downtown Phoenix isn't "scary," at least one person still is afraid in downtown, especially being hit up for change. (Is that guy serious?)