A slightly depressed version of downtown Phoenix construction update...

[HX_Guy]

Why "slightly depressed"? Well...I just got back in town after a 10 day vacation to Aruba
( See pictures here ), with stop overs in Denver and Washington DC.

First in Denver, which made Phoenix feel about 20 years behind...then in Washington DC, which made Denver feel about 100 years behind and Phoenix didn't even register on the same scale in comparison. Washington DC just blew me away...miles upon miles and blocks upon blocks of urban city, so many parks, monuments, museums, tree lined shaded sidewalks, countless restaurants, character, history. It was overwhelming in an amazing way.

I know it's not even fair to compare Phoenix with Washington DC, I mean they have what, roughly 230 years head start, and with a completely different scope from the beginning? But still...going through downtown Phoenix now, just seems so...I don't know, empty and depressingly small.

Anyway...enough with the soap opera and on to some positives and pictures.

I noticed about 20 or so ASU students roaming the streets this morning around 10:30, some had maps or some sort of pamphlet with them, it looked like they were all just wandering around trying to get a feel for the area. Unfortunately for them, everything I could see in downtown was closed. Businesses are really going to have to start adjusting their hours and such to accommodate the new residents. Either way, cool to see.

Moira, the sushi place on the ground floor of 215 McKinley, seems to be back on track. There was a new liquor license application posted and construction is going on inside.

Not so positive...but pretty much expected, take a look what has happened to the lot where the Jewel Box once stood across the street from the Westward Ho. Yep...one HUGE surface parking lot...I'm thinking the biggest one anywhere in downtown. Just what we needed, huh?

[Kroney]

Nice pictures. It's good to have you back HX.

Props to the DT Public Market for renting that billboard. Prior to that, the only sign they had up was on the NE corner of McKinley & Central. By the time you saw that sign, you'd have already passed the market.

And yeah, that surface lot is depressing, but can you really blame lot owner for trying to extract some easy cash flow? Plus, on the weekdays, parking is hard to come by in that area. With school starting, that lot should do well.

[loftlovr]

My man! Amazing pics of Aruba. How beautiful. I want to see Denver and DC pics too so let me know if and when you post them.
I'm glad you have been traveling and I am happy you decided to stop in Denver. A ways back Soleri told me that if I wanted to better understand the problems/ issues with Downtown Phoenix that I need to visit more advanced cities...
Glad I listened.
Now, I don't turn my back in Phx simply because it pails in comparison to some of the places I have visited, but it is at least nice to know what we have in store for us if we keep focused as a City and keep electing polititians who are focused on making our Downtown a better place.
Maybe some of the cities made me want to move! But in all, I see Downtown Phx as a work in progress and something that will be competitive in 10 yrs if things keep going the way they have been.
I am very excited about that Civic Space building with the basement. It is beautiful inside... I love the trusses and beat up old red brick. I am happy that this kind of building will be such a high profile area. We don't have much of them, but at least Ice House and Bently Galleries are pretty well traffic places too.

[Vicelord John]

I was in the Sheraton and the Dorms today... wow! and thanks for the great pictures!

[HX_Guy]

Do you need a pass of some sort to get into the dorms, or is it publicly accessible?

[Vicelord John]

I didn't today, the doors were wide open because students were moving in.

[shawneriksmith]

I am also currently spending some time up in Portland, OR. I think this city is exactly what DT Phoenix should strive for...Portland started building its own light rail line back in 1986 and has added a commuter rail service on top of the light rail (as well as streetcar service in downtown Portland). For a city that is much smaller than Phoenix in terms of population, downtown Portland is really bustling with lots of residential options, parks, and multitude of retail/restaurants/bars...I'll take some pics to send them out but I think the importance of the light rail line as well as the Civic Space cannot be understated for DT Phoenix to actually go anywhere as far as an urban life goes.

Also, Downtown Denver didn't start its revitalization until the light rail line finished completion there along with its expanded Convention Center so I think DT Phoenix is on the right path (with ASU an additional add-on)...I just can't wait for all of these projects to actually finish.

[PHX31]

Lest we all forget the historic building stock these older costal and mountain boom town cities began with.

[andrewkfromaz]

Jewel Box lot - don't get too depressed about it. You almost have to pave a vacant lot b/c of dust control rules, so the owner turned it into parking to pay for the asphalt (wicked expensive these days - thanks oil speculators....)

The Jellyfish Park looks really exciting, I can't wait to see this progress and finally open!!

I'm also really hopeful that Moira does well. I don't hope for great sushi, just decent sushi. Please? We'll see.

[andrewkfromaz]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

Say what you will about the Chase Tower (terrible urban design, monolithic, boring, what have you) but things look wicked cool reflected off it. Plus it's F!!$#%$#@ elegant.

[HooverDam]

Very nice pictures as always.

Don't get too depressed about urbanity in Phoenix, when I travel to other cities with great urbanity I try not to think "wow this is so much better than back home" I think "oh wow, we need to get us some of this, soon!" Instead of saying "Phoenix sucks because it lacks X" think "there's a great opportunity in Phoenix for X and I can be a part of it!" I know it probably sounds silly and overly optimistic, but I guess thats just how I am.

[combusean]

I'm actually kind of surprised that parking lot was able to be built the way it is. I would have thought any new lot today would have had to include landscaped islands and a plan approved by DSD--did that even happen here? It would have been better than the typical issues with vacant lots--nothing growing, garbage, no maintenance/lighting, etc--but this is no better and probably worse.

[andrewkfromaz]

^^^ Yeah I really wonder how they avoid dealing with drainage on a thing like that... Not to mention other public safety questions like lighting.

[DevdogAZ]

Originally Posted by combusean

I'm actually kind of surprised that parking lot was able to be built the way it is. I would have thought any new lot today would have had to include landscaped islands and a plan approved by DSD--did that even happen here? It would have been better than the typical issues with vacant lots--nothing growing, garbage, no maintenance/lighting, etc--but this is no better and probably worse.

Are you talking about the one at Fillmore and Central? If so, I'm sure those requirements were waived because of the Public Market usage. It's hard to set up tents and drive trailers etc. if you have to work around islands and light poles. Had it simply been a parking lot, I'm sure it would have been subject to those rules, but as a "mixed use" property, it probably got a pass.

[TransPlan]

Originally Posted by shawneriksmith

Also, Downtown Denver didn't start its revitalization until the light rail line finished completion there along with its expanded Convention Center so I think DT Phoenix is on the right path (with ASU an additional add-on)...I just can't wait for all of these projects to actually finish.

I was wandering around this site and happened to see this message. Ah, no, Denver did not just "start its revitalization" with the coming of LRT to the Convention Center. That's a relatively recent event and the rebirth of downtown Denver started, well, even before the completion of Coors Field in LoDo (about 1994). You could even say it started with the contruction of the 16th Street pedestrian mall back in the early 1980s, but it's difficult to pinpoint any particular date or event. Some might say it started back in the 1960s and 70s with the protection and designation of historic districts, particularly the preservation and renovation of Larimer Street. It's been a growing effort throughout the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods over the past 2-3 decades, at least, with cooperation from the entire region to get light rail in (the first line built by the Regional Transit District opened in mid-late 1990s or so and that runs right through the center of Downtown) and synergy between various forces, groups, and programs.

I wish you luck in redevelopment of Phoenix, but don't hang all of your hopes primarily on LRT. In the meantime, come see Denver for yourself, if you haven't already.

[PhxPavilion]

Originally Posted by andrewkfromaz

Say what you will about the Chase Tower (terrible urban design, monolithic, boring, what have you) but things look wicked cool reflected off it. Plus it's F!!$#%$#@ elegant.

The only thing bad about Chase tower is the huge setback all around it imo, otherwise it's a great building that was way ahead of it's time when it was built. I think the main reason it gets so much flak is because it serves as a reminder to how very little growth downtown has experienced in the last 35 years.

[PhxPavilion]

damn double post