Three local community members pooled their resources and bought two vacant lots on Roosevelt Street, and they are celebrating with a free classical-music concert at the space Friday.
Downtown Phoenix business and gallery owners Kimber Lanning, of Modified Arts, and Greg Esser and Cindy Dach, of Eye Lounge and Made Art Boutique, bought the two vacant lots on the south side of Roosevelt between Fourth and Fifth streets.
The lots are on the west side of Modified Arts and Eye Lounge.
A single spotlight shining down on a tuxedo-clad quartet from the roof of Modified Arts will contrast with the stark dirt lot.
“I’m contrasting the beauty with the blight,” Lanning said.
Lanning, Esser and Dach jointly bought the lot in October and are in the process of forming a limited-liability company.
The trio will landscape and clean the lot for pop-up businesses, including vendors and food trucks during the First Friday art walk, Lanning said.
Dach said the group will temporarily activate the lots through programs, markets and additional parking.
Kenny Barrett, program manager for the Roosevelt Row Community Development Corp. and organizer of Adaptive Reuse of Temporary Space, said he is happy with the lot development.
“I am more than thrilled that there is somebody that will now own the property and do something with it rather than just let it sit there,” Barrett said.
Lanning said Modified Arts will not expand into that space.
Paul Longo, business partner of Circle 6 Studios, located near Fifth and Roosevelt streets, said he is glad about the lot development.
If he had the money, Longo said he would buy similar empty lots and contribute to community growth.
The local-first atmosphere and grass-roots efforts including lot activation will contribute to the future of downtown Phoenix, he said.
The lot was vacant for approximately 30 years before the trio purchased the space, Esser said.
Lanning said the three tried to buy the land for 10 years. The previous owners, six siblings living in another state, disagreed on selling the property.
Because the owners were in another state, the process was more complicated, Esser said.
“An out of state investor doesn’t have an interest in the local community,” he said. “The value of land has been artificially inflated due to speculation.”
The land was part of a larger parcel but was divided, Dach said. The gallery owners want to reunite the lots again.
The long-term use for the lots has yet to be decided.
“Right now, we’re working on activating the spaces,” Dach said.
The concert on Friday will begin at 6 p.m. on the southeastern corner of Fourth and Roosevelt streets. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs.
Contact the reporter at ddworth1@asu.edu
