The Phoenix Business Journal wrote an article abut the North 32nd Street revitalization.

Phoenix revitalization vision could redevelop strip malls

The city of Phoenix is looking at a plan to revitalize neighborhood commercial areas and help landowners revamp or remove excess or outmoded strip malls.

The recession was a death knell for many strip malls. Today, they have high vacancy rates and some four-corner locations have more shop space than shop potential. As the centers decline in occupancy, quality of stores and viability, the buildings do as well. Phoenix is considering an initiative that will reverse the trend.

“Freeways put an end to that drive-by traffic,” said Phoenix Community and Economic Development Director Christine Mackay. “Take 32nd Street from Shea Boulevard to Union Hills Drive. After SR 51 opened, traffic on the street dropped from 50,000 vehicles per day to around 10,000 vehicles. That’s taking 80 percent of the customers away from the stores.”

Most often referred to as “strip malls” to reflect the linear design, the centers typically featured plenty of local or neighborhood-oriented business. Customer traffic came from nearby with the growing number of commuters spilling out of subdivisions further up the road.

But as freeways began to snake across the Valley — starting in 1990 when Interstate 10 was extended through the city — the centers started drying up as commuters took to the highways.

“The movement of traffic away from the neighborhood centers really cut into businesses’ abilities to survive,” said Mackay. “It also hurt revenue streams for shopping center owners. Space became vacant and some centers started to look shabby.”

For 32nd Street, the effort is ongoing because there are no funds to improve the segment. That is not stopping stakeholders from putting ideas on the table through council members Jim Waring and Bill Gates.

“We’ve been meeting in other neighborhoods as well, and people are saying that they want to have a neighborhood ‘center’ that’s walkable,” Mackay explained. “The city is going to take a look at the various blocks and work with land owners to see what kinds of different development might be better to bring back vitality.”

Mackay said residents would like something to provide a neighborhood anchor or attraction.

“We could look at a business or city service branch moving into a neighborhood as one idea,” she explained. “In other cases, where a neighborhood center may be obsolete, we could explore changes in zoning to better use the property to meet current neighborhood and market needs.”

As a community we can help turn the neighborhood around.

Interested in having the light rail come to the neighborhood? Attend one of the transportation meetings.
The city of Phoenix Public Transit and Street Transportation departments will host some open houses in downtown Phoenix to gain resident feedback on priorities for city transportation improvements.
OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE:
6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28

Pecos Community Center, 17010 S. 48th St
6-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29

Parsons Center for Health and Wellness, 1101 N. Central Ave., West Lobby

5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5

Emmet McLoughlin Community Training and Education Center, 1150 S. Seventh Ave.

Individuals can get more information or share their priorities by calling 602-262-7242, e-mailing talktransportation@phoenix.gov, or visiting www.talktransportation.org. No RSVP is required to attend. Thanks in advance!

Councilman Bill Gates applauded the Phoenix City Council’s unanimous approval of the North 32nd Policy Plan on Wednesday, Dec. 3. The Plan is the culmination of a comprehensive two-year, citizen-driven effort by Councilman Gates and Vice Mayor Jim Waring to revitalize land uses, upgrade the number and types of businesses and improve the amenities available for residents along North 32nd Street. The working group included residents, area business leaders, and city staff with support from Arizona State University and the Urban Land Institute.

The full plan, which covers the corridor from the Phoenix Mountains Preserve in the south to the Loop 101 in the north, is available online at phoenix.gov/district3.

“A project of this magnitude requires a clear vision, comprehensive community input and a collective desire to make big changes.” Councilman Gates said. “This plan includes all three of those elements. Residents and business owners will see the first positive changes in a matter of months when work begins on the road diet. This will change the nature of North 32 Street by making it quieter, more walkable and easier to bike. It also will create a buffer between traffic and adjacent homes and businesses that will be more attractive for future development and revitalization. Additionally, residents will see North 32nd branding in street signs at major intersections along 32nd Street from Shea to Bell.”

“With detailed involvement from business owners and residents over two years, this plan is a true consensus on the needs and priorities of this important corridor,” Vice Mayor Jim Waring said. “The city council’s unanimous approval demonstrates the importance of improving conditions for businesses to grow and thrive while continuing to look for ways to keep established residential neighborhoods attractive and vibrant.”

The road diet includes removal of one vehicular northbound travel lane and addition of bike lanes on both sides of North 32nd Street. The project will be completed in the spring of 2015, and also includes modifications to several traffic signal poles and the addition of traffic cameras at several intersections. Beyond the road diet, there is limited municipal funding.

“This plan really is just the beginning of our long-term goals and efforts for this corridor,” Gates added. “The City of Phoenix will work tirelessly to identify potential funding sources and public-private partnerships, but we’ll also need consistent involvement from residents and businesses as we move forward.”

The plan includes recommendations from three working group subcommittees: Branding and Events, Transportation and Street Improvements, and Land Use. The Branding and Events Subcommittee focused on ways to promote the area’s unique character through marketing, branding, and community events. The Transportation and Street Improvement Subcommittee identified public property in need of repair and explored ways to encourage private property improvements. The Land Use Subcommittee recommended improvements to city processes, regulations, and enforcement, while also providing feedback to future land use improvements and entitlement changes.