A move is underway in Phoenix to do what other cities across the country have done: to create a 24-hour, 7 days a week entertainment district.
A City of Phoenix subcommittee has now voted to solicit bids from consultants who may be able to give shape and substance to the idea.
As currently discussed, the district would be laid out surrounding the Phoenix Convention Center, which is located at 100 N. 3rd Street, and could include restaurants, bars, night clubs, and community gathering spaces.
The project may also see the construction of an air-conditioned walkway connected to the convention center.
City officials have said that the entertainment district could both add to the appeal of the convention center, while attracting visitors from across the country.
Speaking on the local PBS television program Arizona Horizon, Christine Mackay remarked: “We have a lot of influx already of our local citizens that come into downtown Phoenix, and engaging something that makes them want to stay around a little bit longer.”
Mackay, community and economic development director for the City of Phoenix, added that the parameters of the entertainment district could ultimately include the historic Roosevelt Row and an event known as the First Friday art walk, which features art gallery receptions primarily in the downtown area.
The creation of entertainment districts featuring art galleries, restaurants, and night clubs, with an emphasis on outdoor walkable space, have become increasingly popular revenue generators in such cities as Las Vegas, Nashville, and San Antonio.
“Arts and entertainment districts focus on popular attractions and often have a more bohemian feel” than a simple arts district, notes the book Planning and Urban Design Standards. “Small theaters, private galleries, restaurants, and other entertainment venues are common attractions.”
But because the creation of such districts requires the use of public revenue and voter approval, they are not always popularly received: a move earlier this year to create such a district in Tempe, along with the construction of a new arena for the Arizona Coyotes, was overwhelmingly defeated at the polls.
By Garry Boulard
