The City of Phoenix subcommittee in charge of urban planning and economic development moved a swath of decisions Wednesday regarding the rehabilitation of historic properties and street revitalization plans on to the full City Council.
Rehabilitating Historic Properties
The committee of four voted in favor of granting protection to the warehouse at 101 E. Jackson Street under the Warehouse and Threatened Building Grant, a fund which seeks to protect historic buildings from decay or demolition in the downtown area.
The building, known as the Western Wholesale Drug Company Warehouse, was built in 1925 and notably housed a sports bar and eatery owned by rock star Alice Cooper from 1998 to 2017. The building is currently being leased by Equality Heath, an organization which seeks to provide healthcare to underserved communities.
Buildings that qualify for the Warehouse and Threatened Building Grant are either acquired by the city and rehabilitated, or owners are assisted by the city in rehabilitating the historic property.
Actions brought to the subcommittee to rehabilitate several other historic structures through the city’s Exterior Rehabilitation Grant were quickly approved. The grant assists property owners in rehabilitating their historic buildings in a way that preserves the original architecture and defining characteristics as much as possible.
The rehabilitation grant includes the historic James C. Norton House off of 15th and Virginia Avenues and the historic property at 402 W. Roosevelt Street.
Adams Street Activation
The plan first launched in 2013 to create a more pedestrian-friendly corridor down Adams Street moved forward with a decision to renovate a city-owned parking garage on Second and Adams Streets.
The subcommittee’s goal for Adams Street is to create a more walkable space and one that can more easily be closed off for things like street fairs and sporting events.
“We never thought it would happen,” said subcommittee member and District 8 Councilman Michael Nowakowski of the revitalization plan. “We had a dream and the dream is coming true.”
It is unknown whether the garage will simply be renovated, or if the original structure will first be demolished. Committee members expressed concerns over the possibility of losing space for parking in the renovation process.
“I think it’s critical to have [parking] in the concept to redevelop the site,” said subcommittee member and District 4 Councilman Laura Pastor.
Construction is estimated to begin in 18 to 24 months, according to Christine Mackay, the Community and Economic Development Director for the City of Phoenix.
The garage is also home to several retail units, including the Arizona Latino Arts Center (ALAC). Subcommittee members indicated that current retail tenants may need to be moved.
“The timing works well…we certainly would not leave our tenants, particularly ALAC, to flounder…we have assured them that they’ll stay there while we go through this process,” said Mackay, who also noted that ALAC is currently on a month-to-month lease which expires in 2021.
The subcommittee floated the idea of placing ALAC in another city-owned space near the Phoenix Convention Center.
“I anticipate we could make another very similar agreement,” said Pastor.
Hyatt Regency Hotel Seeks Reimbursement
The luxury Hyatt Regency hotel, built in 1976, is seeking to remodel its ground floor in a $43 million renovation plan.
Located on Second and Adams Streets, the Hyatt Regency maintains the renovations and added restaurants will bring an estimated $900 thousand in revenue to the city of Phoenix. In return the Hyatt Regency is asking for a $280 thousand in reimbursement.
The request was approved, and according to the subcommittee the reimbursement will be awarded only after the remodel is completed and the changes are reviewed with subcommittee members.
Diversity Training for City Leaders
200 city of Phoenix leaders are set to receive “equity training” provided by the Government Alliance for Race and Equity (GARE).
However, the training program cannot move forward without approximately $155,000 in funding. The cost of the training program will not be taken from the general fund and will rely on donations.
The training will focus on city leaders who interact the closest with community members and will train city workers on how to best interact with the city’s diverse communities.
“I think this is work that’s needed,” said Pastor about the program.
“We work a lot with our community and we’ve heard a lot [from the community] speaking about equity in all forms, starting from the budget, all the way down to the police department.”
The equity training program would also include the subcommittee members, the parks and recreation department and the street transportation department.
Contact the reporter at Madeline.Ackley@asu.edu.
Madeline is the community editor for Downtown Devil and is a senior studying at the Walter Cronkite School. She is a local freelance journalist who primarily covers politics, policing, immigration and business. In 2019, she won first place in her category in the national SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards for her reporting on deported veterans in Tijuana, Mexico with Cronkite News.
