The ground-breaking for Oasis on Grand took place this morning.
Oasis on Grand is an adaptive reuse project of 60 affordably priced live/work studio and one-bedroom apartments located at the key intersection of Grand Avenue, Roosevelt Road, and 15th Avenue. Many of the units include “front door retail exposure” to the public. Other features include a 3,000 square foot bistro, gallery, and community space as well as a common area studio and gallery for residents. Completion is scheduled for the fall of 2011.
Master of Ceremonies Tim Sprague (photo courtesy of Carlos Valencia)
Tim Sprague of Habitat Metro served as Master of Ceremonies for today’s event and noted his recent participation at the 98th Arizona Town Hall on “Capitalizing on Arizona’s Arts and Culture.” He repeated a joke told to Betsy Fahlman, editor of the background report for the town hall, when she moved to Arizona in 1988: “What’s the difference between Phoenix and yogurt? At least yogurt has culture.”
But then – at the town hall – Tim learned just how much times and things have changed: Arizona’s arts and culture community is a significant economic engine and Arizona’s tourism industry now uses the arts as a key element in marketing the state. Closer to home, with the success of Roosevelt Row and First Friday art walk and as Phoenix’s arts and culture community has expanded westward along Grand, the time seemed right (before the economy tanked) for such a unique project.
First conceived as condominiums and then as “move to Plan B” apartments after the economy and downtown condo market collapsed, the project’s financing was difficult enough. But with creativity and lots of patience, city officials, Tom and Laurie Carmody of The Carmody Company, and Andy Gordon and Randy Dixon of Arizona MultiBank made it happen.
Tim noted the efforts of individuals such as Beatrice Moore, Kooky Krafts Shop proprietress and local property owner; Gina and Derek Suarez of the Paisley Violin Café; and Matt Tomb, new owner of The Bikini Lounge, to help jump-start once again a business district that thrived in the decades before and after World War II. Tim also thanked individuals who, along with team members, offered advice on the project at a series of brainstorming salons: Kate Benjamin, Andrew Benson, Reid Butler, Kyle Jordre, Catrina Kahler, Jim McPherson, Ms. Moore, and Marco Turrubiartes.
Phoenix Councilman Michael Nowakowski addresses the crowd (photo courtesy of Carlos Valencia)
Phoenix City Council Member Michael Nowakowski expressed his appreciation for the commitment, dedication, and vision of the development team to Lower Grand Avenue as it continues to transform into a vibrant arts and small business district. Councilman Nowakowski also gave high praise to the project team for persevering in tough economic times: John Hill, Tim Sprague, and Feliciano Vera (Habitat Metro); Steve Helffrich and Vicki Anderson (Studio Architecture); and Bob Bergeson and Rusty Martin (The Weitz Company, general contractors).
The councilman noted the benefits of creating the City of Phoenix’s Arts, Culture, and Small Business Overlay in 2008 and expanding its boundaries in 2010. He also gave special thanks to city employees who assisted in moving the project forward, including Maria Bears, Kim Dorney, Peggy Martin, Jerome Miller, Joe Murphy, and Neil Young.
Councilman Nowakowski closed his remarks by saying, “Not once did we think about tearing down this vintage building” and “we’re all the better for bringing it back to life” for residents who will contribute to the neighborhood and downtown Phoenix.
Dignitaries put the shiny silver shovels to good use (photo courtesy of Carlos Valencia)
Then it was time for hard hats, shovels, and dirt digging!
To view a previous Vanishing Phoenix post on the project, click here. For more information, including an online interest list, visit the Oasis on Grand website. To receive email updates, send an email.
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Downtown Voices hosts downtown Phoenix-centric mayoral forum, June 9
Today’s guest post is written by Steve Weiss, secretary of the Downtown Voices Coalition Steering Committee and member of its Phoenix Mayoral Forum Planning Committee. You can contact Steve at 602-265-9524 or by email.
Downtown Phoenix
The Downtown Voices Coalition will host its first Downtown Mayoral Candidate Forum, Thursday, June 9, 2011, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., in the Park Room of the Lexington Hotel at 1100 N. Central Ave. We are very excited to bring the candidates together for a downtown-centric discussion. Scheduled to attend are Thane Eichenauer, Wes Gullett, Councilman Claude Mattox, Peggy Neely, and Greg Stanton. Arizona Republic Reporter Richard Ruelas has agreed to serve as moderator. To spice things up, the format will include questions from one candidate to another.
So what are the issues of concern to you as residents of Phoenix? Here’s your chance to hear what the candidates say and propose to do about our city – its past, its present, and its future.
This is the Lexington Hotel where the June 9, 2011 mayoral forum will take place.
The forum will take place at the newly acquired and soon to be renovated Lexington Hotel at 1100 N. Central Avenue, which is one block north of the Roosevelt and Central light rail stop. Seating is limited, so if you are interested in attending, please come early to get a seat in the meeting space.
Additional seating will be available in the Cycle restaurant and bar, with the audio from the forum piped into the general sound system. Cycle restaurant, which rotates chefs every month, will feature its in-house menu for the evening. It’s a unique downtown space, and one that you and I would hope to see many more of in the future.
For those of you unaware of the Downtown Voices Coalition, we’re a coalition of stakeholder organizations that embrace growth in downtown Phoenix, but is mindful that healthy growth should be based upon existing downtown resources — the vibrancy of neighborhoods, the strength of the arts community, the uniqueness of historic properties, and the wonderful small businesses that dot downtown. We believe that all of these assets should be stepping stones to be built upon, rather than shattered in the wake of rampant downtown development. If you would like to learn more about our organization and attend one of our monthly steering committee meetings, feel free to visit our website or our new Facebook page.