Could downtown Phoenix finally get an entertainment district?

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by orlando-calrissian

Phoenix should focus on mid rise buildings between 7-15 stories rather than skyscrapers. Skyscrapers are nice to look at from a distance but they don't create anything from a street level or on a personal scale. Go to downtown Dallas or Houston or even the financial district in NYC after 6 pm; those areas are dead after all the workers go home. The real life in those cities come from more mixed use areas like Deep Ellum, Midtown Houston, and Midtown NYC.

These mid rise buildings would improve the streetscape as they could have shops like bakeries, bars, grocery stores, and nurseries on the first couple floors, offices on the middle, and/or residential at the top.

No reason why there can't be a good mix of both mid rise buildings and skyscrapers. It doesn't have to be one or the other. Besides, there have been plenty of those 7 to 15 story buildings constructed in recent years, and a lot of them haven't improved the street activity all that much. Taller towers = more people, and that alone tends to increase the demand for the businesses which you mentioned.

Originally Posted by orlando-calrissian

They should focus on increasing downtown population first. Then once the population is high enough, there will be more demand for nearby entertainment. Once restaurants, cocktail bars, art galleries, boutique shops etc start to arrive in significant amounts, residents from across the valley will start making more trips downtown, which will drive demand for bigger destinations downtown. Roosevelt Row is a great start but it needs to become more permanent with things besides bars and restaurants. First Friday is a great concept that I'd love to see be more permanent by having shops selling similar goods set up storefronts with beneficial arrangements from the city. There also needs to be 3-5 Roosevelt Row type locations around the downtown area where roads are closed to cars after 6 pm.

I generally agree with this, but I'd leave out the suggestion of closing streets to vehicle traffic because that would create more bottlenecks. Maybe one or two streets could be pedestrian only, but not the majority. What I would like to see is the light rail plan altered so that the new/proposed lines stay mostly in the higher demand areas (specifically the central core), instead of out to the suburban locations where there would be less ridership. Either that, or create an inner city streetcar system similar to what Tempe has done.

[dupio]

Geez some of you are so pessimistic and negative. Phoenix has to recover from decades of car-centric sprawl. It does not have the pre-war bones of other similar-sized cities and that's totally ok. It just means it has a longer way to go. It's naive or disingenuous to suggest Phoenix isn't making massive strides in creating a much more urban, vibrant environment. Hell 5 years ago it felt much different. Looking at Nasville or Denver and saying Phoenix is an embarrassment in comparison neglects the positive things it has done. There is momentum with some critical mass to support even more development. Have to be patient. It's not going to become Broadway overnight. But there is no reason it cant sustain this level of development and progress for the forseeable future. Contrary to the absurd claim that people don't want to visit here, there are tons of tourists clamoring to get here in peak season. Last weekend was the perfect example of that. The Valley had an enormous number of visitors, and frankly does every year. People want to GTFO of their ****ty weather and visit. There is a huge demand for the urban amenities for both tourists and locals, so I have no doubt we can collectively support something the likes of Broadway or LoDo, but it might take a decade or more to get there.

And as I mentioned in the other thread, the identity of Phoenix IS the sonoran desert and the outdoors. Mad that the Saguaro is associated with Phoenix marketing? What bizarre take is that? To visitors Phoenix = desert/Saguaro = 70s in February. Thats why many visit. It's entirely possible and honestly pretty likely that Phoenix could create a kickass downtown/entertainment area that serves as an additional amenity to all the people coming down for golf, spring training, bachelor parties etc. I don't at all understand why people are pissed that we aren't something more. It's coming, give it time. Damn.

[OUgrad09]

Originally Posted by dupio

Phoenix has to recover from decades of car-centric sprawl. It does not have the pre-war bones of other similar-sized cities and that's totally ok. It just means it has a longer way to go.

For sure. Impatience is a natural human instinct. Phoenix's growth accelerated in the midst of the car boom, which is why it has developed the way it did with suburban sprawl. It hasn't been a major city since the 1800s like New York or San Francisco. Only in recent years have Valley residents and newcomers become more interested in urban living.

[timothyaw]

VAI resort will be a Las Vegas styled resort. The rooms look pretty luxurious and the retail component looks high end.
https://www.azcentral.com/picture-ga...s/71065020007/

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by OUgrad09

For sure. Impatience is a natural human instinct. Phoenix's growth accelerated in the midst of the car boom, which is why it has developed the way it did with suburban sprawl. It hasn't been a major city since the 1800s like New York or San Francisco. Only in recent years have Valley residents and newcomers become more interested in urban living.

I suppose more people move downtown than used to but the overwhelming majority of growth is still on the edges, as always.

It looks like VAI is the next big thing coming to the area and it is about 14 miles from downtown in Glendale. It is difficult to see how something like that would be viable downtown. I am frankly surprised it actually is going to be completed. Too often we are teased with some development that never goes anywhere. VAI looks like it will be a great addition to our entertainment choices.

As an aside, I saw reports today on the news that the Super Bowl hauled in huge amounts of money for the metro. But guess what? According to the same report, Taylor Swift Eras Tour kickoff in Glendale brought in even more! Maybe that is what VAI and the music themed resort noticed as well.

[singlegirlinaz]

Originally Posted by timothyaw

VAI resort will be a Las Vegas styled resort. The rooms look pretty luxurious and the retail component looks high end.
https://www.azcentral.com/picture-ga...s/71065020007/

How is this new resort related to an entertainment district in Downtown Phoenix?

[W James III]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

Is it going to be similar to 16th St Mall in downtown Denver, but without the homeless?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJl7...=MichaelJiroch

They will be replaced with migrants crashed out on the sidewalks







.

[W James III]

Originally Posted by Maroon197

Based on what I know about downtown Phoenix, literally the only similarity to the 16th street mall will be the amount of homeless folks. Phoenix consistently over promises and under delivers.

Thats all levels of government and especially the Federal Government... either they under deliver or their plans work in reverse and make things worse.

[timothyaw]

Originally Posted by singlegirlinaz

How is this new resort related to an entertainment district in Downtown Phoenix?

I know it's not specifically related to downtown Phoenix. I try to reuse threads as much as possible. But I was looking at it as a metro-wide entertainment / hospitality venue.