Downtown Devil has been at the front of covering some of downtown Phoenix’s top stories so far this year.
Development, tax incentives, historic preservation, demolition, the evolution of the arts community — we’ve been there for it all and provided hyperlocal coverage that no other publication can match.
As editor-in-chief, I’ve been especially proud of the hard work put in by our staff, and with the help of our section editors, I’ll be highlighting the best stories of the semester below.
All of these stories were important and well reported. Many of these stories are still developing, so don’t be surprised if we’re still reporting on them in the fall.
(Emily Liu/DD) Trunk Space has been a downtown landmark since it first opened its doors 12 years ago. But earlier this year, co-owner Steph Carrico announced that it would be closing this month and searching for a new location. Staff reporter Kara Carlson detailed the factors fueling the decision, including high rents and issues with neighbors, in this article. The venue recently hosted its last multi-day music festival, the Indie 500, and is looking toward obtaining nonprofit status.
(Sierra LaDuke/DD) This story was part of Downtown Devil’s continuous coverage of the development of the building on Central Avenue and McKinley Street. An affiliate of Scottsdale-based Empire Group LLC announced plans to preserve parts of the building, formerly known as the Stewart Motor building, while also building a 19-story residential tower on the site. Then, while still in the middle of discussion with the city and community over how much of the building would be preserved and whether the company would get a controversial tax incentive, demolition inexplicably began. Staff reporter Kara Carlson did a great job of following this story from its beginning and capturing the community’s feelings on the loss of one of the area’s most distinctive buildings.
(Sierra LaDuke/DD) The university’s College of Medicine started the scholarship to encourage more Navajo students, which total less than 100 of college’s 41,000 applicants, to pursue a career as a doctor. Financial barriers often prevent Navajo students from attending medical school, according to a school official. The scholarship requires its recipients to serve the Navajo people for five years after becoming a doctor. Contributing reporter Kaylee Stock reported this thorough piece by interviewing college administrators and the only Navajo student in the college’s downtown Phoenix campus.
(Sarah Kolesar/DD)Staff reporter Daniel Perle and politics editor Kevin Lane teamed up to write this story on City Council’s decision to mandate reduced rents on some units in a proposed 19-story micro-apartment development in exchange for a controversial tax incentive. The incentive, called the Government Property Lease Excise Tax, would dramatically lower developer Amstar/McKinley LLC’s tax bill for 25 years. The council’s decision to mandate the reduced rents was spurred by a citizen petition started by local activist Sean Sweat.
(Sierra LaDuke/DD) This METROnome column by staff reporter Emily Liu profiled a homeless teenager who moved to the U.S. with his family at the age of 3 from South Sudan. Angelo Thal released his first single in March and will release an EP later this year. Liu writes in the piece that she was struck by the musician’s voice and his attitude. A video by Multimedia Director Sierra LaDuke showcased the teenager’s talent that transcended his circumstances.
Agnel Philip is Downtown Devil’s editor-in-chief. You can contact him at aphilip3@asu.edu.
