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  #1  
Old Posted Feb 19, 2024, 7:40 PM
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Phoenix: Downtown, the Warehouse District

Downtown is the central business district of Phoenix. While Phoenix originally started as a settlement along an irrigation canal located near Phownix Sky Harbor International Airport to the east, Downtown began in the 1880s when the railroad came to town. The first city hall was built in 1888 at Central Avenue and Washington Street. In 1901, Phoenix was named the capital of the Arizona Territory, fueling growth in the city.

As Phoenix continued to grow, construction continued. Phoenix got its first highrise in 1914, and the city grw upward through the 1920s. Art Deco towers were built in the early 1930s. While the city expanded outward rapidly beginning in the 1950s, Downtown had another building boom in 1970s. Downtown Phoenix had another building boom in the 2000s.

Today, Downtown Phoenix is experiencing another building boom. This time, the construction is in highrise residential towers. A new tallest building in Phoenix and in Arizona has been approved at the northern end of the neighborhood, and is set to begin construction some time in 2024.

Downtown includes some sub-neighborhoods, such as Heritage Square, where some historic houses and buildings have been preserved.


The Roland & Florence Rosson House, on 6th Street in Heritage Square. The house was built in 1895, and is the keystone house of Heritage Square, serving as a museum.



The Hughes-Stevens Duplex, on 6th Street. The duplex was built in 1923.



The Teeter Carriage House, on Adams Street. The carriage house was built in 1899.



The Silva House, on Adams Street. The house was built in 1900.



The Baird Machine Shop, on Adams Street. The structure was built in 1928.



The Constance Stevens House, on Adams Street. The house was built in 1901.



The Thomas House, on Adams Street in Heritage Square. The house was built in 1909, and is now a bar.



The Arizona Science Center, on 5th Street, overlooking Heritage Square. The museum was built in 1997, and was designed by Antoine Predock.



The old Phoenix Union High School Domestic Arts & Sciences Building, on Van Buren Street. The structure was built in 1912, and is now the College of Medicine Administration Building on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus.



The old Phoenix Union High School Science Hall, on Van Buren Street. The structure was built in 1912, and is now the College of Medicine Student Building, on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus.



St. Mary's Basilica, or the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on Monroe Street. The church was built in 1914. The church was named a minor basilica in
1985 by Pope John Paul II, and Pope John Paul II visited the basilica in 1987.



One Arizona Center, on Van Buen Street. The highrise was built in 1990, and is 240 feet tall.



Two Arizona Center, on 5th Street. The highrise was built in 1990, and is 260 feet tall.



The Hyatt Regency Phoenix Hotel, on 2nd Street. The hotel was built in 1976.



The Bank of America Tower, on Washington Street. The highrise was built in 2000.



CityScape, on Washington Street at 1st Street. The highrise was completed in 2010.



The U.S. Bank Center, Monroe Street & 1st Avenue. The highrise was completed in 1976.



The Hotel Westward Ho, on Central Avenue. The hotel was built in 1928, and at 208 feet tall, was the tallest building in Arizona when completed. The transmission tower was added in 1949.



The Hotel San Carlos, on Central Avenue. The hotel was built in 1928.



The Professional Building, on Monroe Street at Central Avenue. The Art Deco structure was built in 1932, was renovated into a hotel in 2015.



The Chase Tower, on Central Avenue, between Monroe and Van Buren Streets. The highrise was built in 1972. At 483 feet tall, it is the tallest building in Arizona.



The old Title & Trust Building, on 1st Avenue. The structure was built in 1931, and is now the Orpheum Lofts.



Renaissance Square, on Central Avenue at Washington Street. The tower on the left was built in 1990 and is 372 feet tall. The tower on the right was built in 1986 and is 347 feet
tall.



The J.W. Walker Building, on 3rd Avenue. The structure was built in 1920.



Phoenix City Hall, on Washington Street at 3rd Avenue. The structure was built in 1994.



The old Maricopa County Courthouse, on Washington Street at 1st Avenue.



The old county courthouse was built in 1929, in an Art Deco style with Pueblo flair.



The south tower of the Maricopa County Superior Courthouse.



The new Maricopa County Courthouse was built in 2012.



A warehouse on Central Avenue.



Luhrs Tower, on Jefferson Street at 1st Avenue. The structure was built in 1929, and was designed by architectural firm Trost & Trost.



The Luhrs Building, on Jefferson Street at Central Avenue. The structure was built in 1924, and was designed by Trost & Trost.



The old Jefferson Hotel, on Jefferson Street at Central Avenue. The old hotel was built in 1915, and was featured in the opening scene for Alfred Hitchcock's movie "Psycho".



Footprint Center, on Jefferson Street between 1st & 3rd Streets. The arena was built in 1992, and was originally called America West Arena.



The Footprint Center is the home to the National Basketball Association's Phoenix Suns, and the Women's National Basketball Association's Phoenix Mercury.



The Hotel St. James, on Madison Street. The hotel was built in 1928, and was recently demolished.



An old building on Washington Street. The structure was built in 1900, and is now a bar.



Chase Field, on Jefferson Street at 7th Street. The stadium was built in 1998, and is the home to Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks.



The stadium was built in 1998, and home to Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks.



Tanner Chapel A.M.E. Church, on Jefferson Street at 8th Street. The church was built in 1929, and is the oldest African American church in Arizona.





The Warehouse District is a neighborhood immediately south of Downtown, and is located north of the tracks for Union Pacific and Santa Fe Railroads. The neighborhood developed as warehouses were built in the early 1900s for use as distribution centers, storage facilities, and ice houses. Locally-grown produce was a major export on the railroad.

Today, since the railroad does not play an important part in Phoenix's economy, the warehouses are being repurposed for modern needs.


Union Station, on 4th Street. The train station was built in 1923.



The old Chambers Transfer & Storage Company Warehouse, on 4th Avenue. The warehouse was built in 1923, and is now used as offices.



The Arizona Hardware Supply Company warehouse, on Jackson Street. The warehouse was built in 1930.



An old warehouse on Jackson Street.



A former warehouse on Jackson Street.



The Capitol Warehouse, on 2nd Street. The warehouse was built in 1905.



The Western Wholesale Drug Company Warehouse, on Jackson Street. The warehouse was built in 1925, and is now a health clinic.



The Sun Mercantile Building, on 3rd Street. The warehouse was built in 1929.



Warehouses on Jackson Street.



The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Headquarters, on Jackson Street. The structure was built in 2014.

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  #2  
Old Posted Feb 19, 2024, 9:49 PM
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Great tour. Luhrs Tower has always been one of my favorite little buildings out west.
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  #3  
Old Posted Feb 20, 2024, 12:36 AM
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Visually speaking, Phoenix definitely needs two or three supertalls due to its large-spreading downtown size.

while OKC really doesn't need any supertall due to its tiny downtown size, i heard another supertallest is coming, cannot imagine how it's gonna fit in the already-unbalanced skyline.
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Old Posted Feb 20, 2024, 7:41 AM
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Great tour!
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  #5  
Old Posted Feb 20, 2024, 1:25 PM
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I've never been to Phoenix (other than changing flights at PHX), but it looks like it has some decent downtown high-rises. Thanks for sharing!
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  #6  
Old Posted Feb 21, 2024, 1:56 AM
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I haven't been to Phoenix in years, but I remember thinking Central Ave through downtown was a really nice drive.
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  #7  
Old Posted Feb 21, 2024, 5:52 AM
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I concur that Luhrs Tower is a nice one. Thanks for the detour into the warehouse area!
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  #8  
Old Posted Feb 21, 2024, 4:05 PM
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Nice!
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Old Posted Feb 21, 2024, 5:31 PM
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Thanks for posting these! - I always appreciate your pics and history lessons too.

2 things... how old are these pictures maybe 5 years old? And second, just FYI, the St. Mary's Basilica picture isn't really a picture of the St. Mary's Basilica. Your picture is of the Immaculate Heart of Mary church on Washington St. The St. Mary's Basilica on Monroe looks a little bit similar, but not quite:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.4503...8192?entry=ttu

For anyone interested: if you look at the back side of the St. Mary's Basilica on the Van Buren St side, there is a arched doorway fronting the street. This was the entrance to the old school, demolished probably 20 years ago, sadly. I always wonder if the church wishes it saved the school. Anyway, you can catch a glimpse of the back of the Basilica and the school at 3:16 of this Morrisey song's video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiUZYLm3CqA

Last edited by PHX31; Feb 22, 2024 at 5:36 PM.
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Old Posted Feb 21, 2024, 9:11 PM
Buckeye Native 001 Buckeye Native 001 is offline
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I know Phoenix is a punching bag on this forum and while it might not look like much to some outsiders, it really can't be stressed enough how much Downtown Phoenix has improved in the last 20 years. ASU's Downtown Campus was a huge boon for pedestrian activity and after decades of decentralization, city leaders, ASU, and business owners have significantly rejuvenated it.



Quote:
Originally Posted by Murphy de la Sucre View Post
Visually speaking, Phoenix definitely needs two or three supertalls due to its large-spreading downtown size
Phoenix-Sky Harbor Airport prevents that from happening. At the time of its opening in 1927, three miles east of the original townsite was way out in the middle of nowhere. And then the region's population exploded throughout the 20th century...
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  #11  
Old Posted Feb 22, 2024, 1:11 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Buckeye Native 001 View Post
I know Phoenix is a punching bag on this forum and while it might not look like much to some outsiders, it really can't be stressed enough how much Downtown Phoenix has improved in the last 20 years. ASU's Downtown Campus was a huge boon for pedestrian activity and after decades of decentralization, city leaders, ASU, and business owners have significantly rejuvenated it.





Phoenix-Sky Harbor Airport prevents that from happening. At the time of its opening in 1927, three miles east of the original townsite was way out in the middle of nowhere. And then the region's population exploded throughout the 20th century...
Learned, that explains. so OKC can take its advantage to boom higher
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Old Posted Feb 22, 2024, 4:05 AM
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Excellent photos and research. The city seems to be getting there, slowly but surely.

One quick note: your photo of the Arizona Science Center used to be the Phoenix History Museum. It is now a part of the Science Center. IIRC, that building was designed by Langdon Wilson, but I honestly cannot remember. The Predock building would be to the left of this photo, the one that looks like a concrete rock with a triangular fin sticking out of the top.

Sadly, Phoenix itself no longer has a history museum.
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Old Posted Feb 22, 2024, 8:14 AM
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Looks like a pretty decent downtown!
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  #14  
Old Posted Mar 13, 2024, 2:47 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PHX31 View Post
Thanks for posting these! - I always appreciate your pics and history lessons too.

2 things... how old are these pictures maybe 5 years old? And second, just FYI, the St. Mary's Basilica picture isn't really a picture of the St. Mary's Basilica. Your picture is of the Immaculate Heart of Mary church on Washington St. The St. Mary's Basilica on Monroe looks a little bit similar, but not quite:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.4503...8192?entry=ttu

For anyone interested: if you look at the back side of the St. Mary's Basilica on the Van Buren St side, there is a arched doorway fronting the street. This was the entrance to the old school, demolished probably 20 years ago, sadly. I always wonder if the church wishes it saved the school. Anyway, you can catch a glimpse of the back of the Basilica and the school at 3:16 of this Morrisey song's video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiUZYLm3CqA
These are actually almost 10 years old, if you can believe it. I have pictures from places here and there that I never got to posting, and am trying to get to before it's even more late.

It unfortunately appears that you're right with the basilica. I would've loved to have seen the basilica instead of a regular parish church.
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