Downtown Alive! is a new student organization focused on finding ways to better integrate students with downtown Phoenix. Vaughn Hillyard (third from the left) founded the club. (Stephanie Snyder/DD)
Problems highlighted during the meeting included a lack of reasonable business hours for college students, lack of flexible off-campus jobs for students, and lack of interest in downtown activities.
However, Downtown Alive! does not want to dwell on a list of lacks. Instead, the club hopes to address the question: How can ASU students be the spark of downtown Phoenix?
Journalism sophomore Vaughn Hillyard, founder of Downtown Alive!, said Phoenix had a motive for expanding the Downtown camps, and students need to realize that.
“I don’t think the city of Phoenix put millions and millions of dollars into this campus for no reason,” Hillyard said in his opening remarks. “They want to listen to the students. It’s our job [as students] to try.”
As a first move to start repairing the disconnect between students and the city, Downtown Alive! plans to create a website with an interactive map of downtown highlighting specific student-friendly eateries, entertainment venues and shops.
While the criteria for choosing businesses for the website was not determined, students at the meeting voiced their opinions on how businesses can be effective.
“There’s thousands of students who can come to your business if you can adapt,” journalism sophomore Sam Tongue said.
Adaptation starts with hours of operation, according to members of the club. All students in attendance agreed that businesses around the Downtown campus did not have hours conducive to the typical college lifestyle.
Because of this common realization, the concluded long-term goal was a “Stay Open Initiative.”
While it would be months in the making, Downtown Alive! sees the idea as a way to communicate the need for longer business hours and to inform students that there are things to do around campus.
Journalism sophomore Hannah Lurie said local businesses need to cater to the hundreds of students who are living in Phoenix in order to attend the Downtown campus.
“They’re not going to get the business they want if they don’t market to the right people,” she said. “Who lives in the dorm? Not people over 21.”
While Downtown Alive! hopes to bring significant change to student interaction with downtown Phoenix over the next year, Hillyard said he wants to maintain an “organic” feel.
“It’s being appreciative of what you can accomplish,” he said. “Whatever you do is a success because it’s more than what you started with. We want to give as many people the opportunity to be involved.”
Members will also be attending a public forum Thursday morning at the Phoenix Public Market to suggest alternatives to the current construction plan for the Ramada Inn property at First and Taylor streets.
Contact the reporter at crcruz1@asu.edu
I applaud their efforts. It has been an arduous task to break down the disconnect the University seemingly fosters by no true portal from downtown businesses to students. If the group creates a website and Twitter account, with the ability to directly contact SOMEONE who will post info for students, that would be a huge step.
Students also have to realize every biz in the downtown is not set up with Sun Card swiping machines. They are true independent owned businesses and you may even find yourself paying cash.
Lastly, great to hear the students are realizing the new non-public parking lot they are getting next door to their dorm space could be something much better. I look forward to the feedback and action these students can take.
If you don’t reach out to meet local businesses more than 3 blocks away from the light rail routes, then your not really supporting local businesses. Your simply supporting those who could pay really high rents.
or supporting those that see value in serving transit hubs and promoting a more car-free city.