The evening rain didn’t deter supporters of the Roosevelt Row arts district on Thursday when more than 50 community members participated in a Symbolic Funeral Procession through downtown Phoenix. The march was organized in an effort to save Roosevelt Row, where a number of historic buildings are in danger of demolition for potential residential developments.
Participants, who were encouraged to dress in black and carry signs and posters, assembled at Roosevelt and Fifth streets at what was once local grocery Bodega 420, one of the buildings up for demolition. One group of marchers carried a coffin to symbolize the potential death of the arts and Roosevelt Row.
Related: Community grocery store Bodega 420 closes as owners look to spend more time with family
Participants walked over a mile, going south on Seventh Street, west on Van Buren Street and north on First Street before returning to Roosevelt and Fifth streets. Their chants of “Save Roosevelt Row” and “Don’t kill the arts” attracted the attention of evening traffic, as numerous cars honked to show support.
The march was a way for community members to show support for their neighborhood. Roosevelt Row is known for its artists, poets and advocates.
“Roosevelt Row is important to me because of all the culture and the community. It’s a lot more important to me than the big buildings,” Carlos Corral of Phoenix said. “I think it was a good march. A march is always good to bring awareness to something.”
Former Bodega 420 owner Adrian Fontes, local artist Pete Petrisko and PR professional Stacey Champion were the main organizers behind the march.
“It’s the only neighborhood in the city that I feel is walkable, friendly and interesting,” Champion said. “We want to keep everyone engaged and ramp up the conversation and activism.”
Historic buildings have brought character to downtown Phoenix for years. Now notable properties, including GreenHaus gallery on Roosevelt Street between Second and Third streets, are slated for demolition for potential apartment developments. The building’s demolition would result in the loss of an important piece of Phoenix’s rich history, said Will Novak, a community activist with the Phoenix Historic Neighborhoods Coalition.
Related: Facing demolition, community members attempt to preserve GreenHAUS murals
“There is a lot at stake,” Novak said. “As we start to lose more and more of those buildings, we start to lose a sense of identity.”
Many older buildings in the Roosevelt Row neighborhood are home to successful art galleries, cafes and shops.
“It’s good to have buildings of mixed age and mixed use,” Novak said. “It makes for a more pleasant environment, and that’s what makes cities exciting.”
As the economy continues to recover from the 2008 recession, developers have shown an increased interest in downtown Phoenix.
“Usually one of the only positive things of a recession is that generally, your old buildings just sit there,” Novak said. “Once the economy starts to pick up, you see a lot more threats to buildings.”
In the opinion of Novak and other community members, the presence of developers should not disrupt the preservation of historic buildings.
“I think apartments in downtown Phoenix are great, but they should also preserve historic neighborhoods, vintage buildings and art galleries,” Novak said. “They should be good neighbors, just like when someone moves in next to you.”
Contact the reporter at rbouley@asu.edu
