Community leaders and residents from South Phoenix gathered Monday at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center to discuss planned neighborhood improvements.
The event featured six stations covering topics including mobility, health, housing and economic development, presented in part by consulting firms hired by the city. Around 150 community members attended, according to Krista Shepherd, a principal with consulting firm Gould Evans.
Phoenix City Council members Michael Nowakowski and Felicita Mendoza were also present and gave brief speeches, highlighting South Phoenix’s rich history and the need to preserve its heritage alongside new development.
Community members were prompted to interact at every station. They mapped their daily commutes, their visions for the future and listed amenities they’d like to see.
While Valley Metro officials were present at the meeting with their own booth, the event focused on overall improvements around the corridor, not the light rail extension. The federal grant for the South Phoenix community outreach is separate from the extension, and Valley Metro served only as a support role.
Alan Stephenson, the director of the Planning and Development Department for the city, spoke to the audience at the beginning of the evening.
“We all know that Phoenix is a car-centric city,” Stephenson said. “But what this really is about is … a development style that facilitates walkable environment, as well as using light rail, using bikes, all those things that make for a community where you can have more intense development.”
All event materials and speeches were available in Spanish for guests, and many volunteers also switched between languages during presentations. Most issues were greater than transit and included topics like affordable housing and access to healthcare centers and grocery stores.
“We’re not here necessarily tonight to talk about the light rail. We’re here to talk about the neighborhood,” Shepherd explained to the crowd.
Although the controversial South Central Light Rail Extension will be back on the ballot on Aug. 27, the community outreach project presented issues with a light rail-inclusive future in mind.
Petra Falcon, the executive director of Promise Arizona, an activist organization tasked with community outreach for the project, was also a featured speaker.
“What we are doing here is getting people all around the table because this decision will be made about the future of our community, and it needs to include your voices,” she told the audience.
According to materials distributed at the event, 63 percent of South Central Corridor residents use three quarters of their income for rent and transportation alone. And despite the fact that transit use is higher in the South Central Corridor, many areas are missing proper infrastructure.
Mike Johnson, a District 8 City Council candidate, took part in the community activities as well.
“[Organizers] are trying to reach out to some people who have been here for a long time, to see the history of the area,” Johnson, a longtime Phoenix resident, explained. “The area has changed so much. You wouldn’t believe what the area was like 20 to 30 years ago.”
Michael Langley, another District 8 candidate, was also in attendance.
“I think in the past, especially with some of our past City Council decisions, people have felt like they’ve been in the dark,” Langley said. “Now, community partners have taken it upon themselves to inform other stakeholders about what’s going on and keeping people really engaged, and I think that’s only for the better.”
Jeffrey J. Walker, a minister at the Tonto Church of Christ, took part in the event as well.
“This is great,” he said. “I think they found the right mix in how to really get people out and get them talking and understanding how this is going to impact them. It’s all a positive.”
Contact the reporter at Rebecca.Spiess@asu.edu.
