Phoenix is about to lose another historic gem. It is a story we have heard dozens, if not hundreds of times before. This time however, the antagonist isn’t a greedy developer or out-of-state company, but our very own city government and state university.
As a former ASU employee, I have long known about ASU’s take no prisoners approach to expansion that over ruled any stated interests in sustainability or community engagement. I had hopes that the new city management and the City’s stated commitment to a vibrant downtown were more the mere window dressing. I was wrong.
Together ASU and the City of Phoenix are about to do something that would make even the most Machiavellian developer blush – raze a historic hotel in the middle of our city, and replace it with a parking lot. For more information on the back-story, and the history (and potential) of the site, please read this passionate post by my friend Rachel Dawn Luptak. For a more concise overview, check out this post that Seth Anderson managed to sneak by the typically boosterish editors at DowntownPhoenix.com
Like Seth, I may have been sympathetic if it was to replace it with a vibrant new project, but no, in their infinite wisdom, ASU and the City of Phoenix have decided that what downtown needs is yet another parking lot. Sure, there are long-term plans to build a law school on the site, but there are no firm plans. Downtown is already littered with empty lots, razed to make way for well intended yet never realized projects. Why not use one of them instead?
Also, what is wrong with encouraging multimodal transportation such as light rail? There is a station less than a block away that to service the ASU downtown campus. this system connected to hundreds of park & ride spaces, where people can park for free and ride into downtown for cheaper that a downtown parking spot.
Dumb
ASU is supposed to be committed to sustainability. They boast about the LEED certifications awarded to the new nursing and journalism buildings, yet want to destroy a landmark hotel for a parking lot. Surely with all the supposed sustainability expertise they have amassed they would have learned that the greenest building is the one already built.
Dumber
The City of Phoenix has listed ‘Dense City Core as one of it’s visions for their General Plan Update. Why then are they allowing the demolition of an existing building when there are already plenty of empty lots in the immediate vicinity? Are they really that siloed in their thinking?
What Can We Do?
While the City is telling us that this project is a done deal, I’m not giving up hope. I’ll join the fight to get the city and ASU to reverse this asinine decision. It may be late in the process, but until the wrecking ball dislodges the first brick, there is still hope. Please join me:
- Start by leaving your ideas for adaptive reuses for this building. The most effective opposition contain reasonable alternatives. Lets give them some.
- Write letters or emails letters expressing you opposition to the proposed demolition to Mayor Gordon and City Council members. Also let the ASU administration know of your displeasure, particularly President Michael Crow and ASU Downtown Vice President, Dean Debra Freidman.
- Attend this Saturday’s (March 13th) meeting of the Downtown Voices Coalition, where there will be a discussion on strategies to reverse City Council and ASU’s decision and keep the building for more creative uses. The meeting runs from 9:30-11:30 at the 9:30 a.m. at the Roosevelt Commons meeting room, 825 N. 6th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85003.
- Stay tuned to this blog. I will keep you posted of further developments and opportunities to engage.
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- DPJ Article: Three New ‘R’s: Rezone, Reuse and Revitalize – The City of Phoenix’s Adaptive Reuse Program (yuriartibise.com)
- Suicide Lanes Kill Communities (yuriartibise.com)
Hey Yuri. Thanks for the link to my story!! I pushed some buttons at Downtownphoenix.com but they ran it!! Hooray!
Hey Yuri. Thanks for the link to my story!! I pushed some buttons at Downtownphoenix.com but they ran it!! Hooray!
thank you yuri… now i can’t help but picture michael crow and phil gordon on the back of a scooter together like this…
http://images.art.com/images/-/Dumb-Dumber–C10114302.jpeg
Ouch! 🙂
oops. my intentions weren’t to be mean with that pic… (just funny – that movie cracks me up every time i see it) i like Phil. Really – I think he’s probably doing the best he can, his job is freaking tough. Especially now. And he’s done some great things (or reversed some not so great things) that have helped personal friends of mine in this city. just thought I should clear that up…
thank you yuri… now i can't help but picture michael crow and phil gordon on the back of a scooter together like this…
http://images.art.com/images/-/Dumb-Dumber–C10…
Ouch! 🙂
oops. my intentions weren't to be mean with that pic… (just funny – that movie cracks me up every time i see it) i like Phil. Really – I think he's probably doing the best he can, his job is freaking tough. Especially now. And he's done some great things (or reversed some not so great things) that have helped personal friends of mine in this city. just thought I should clear that up…
I don't think you'll hear many ASU students complain about this, all they complain about is not having anywhere to park.
I don’t think you’ll hear many ASU students complain about this, all they complain about is not having anywhere to park.
Michael Crow rules ASU with an iron fist. He wastes the taxpayer money in other ways too. Example. He is so ruthless and shall I say shaky upstairs that fired Prof. Kathryn Milun who won her discrimination case against ASU with both the EEOC and ASUs arbitiration committee still faces a stubborn Crow. He refuses to deal with her at a staggering cost to the taxpayer. There are other cases like this. Why? Because Crow fires anyone who even modestly disagrees with him. Crow was a bully at Columbia. See Chichilnisky vs Columbia.
Michael Crow rules ASU with an iron fist. He wastes the taxpayer money in other ways too. Example. He is so ruthless and shall I say shaky upstairs that fired Prof. Kathryn Milun who won her discrimination case against ASU with both the EEOC and ASUs arbitiration committee still faces a stubborn Crow. He refuses to deal with her at a staggering cost to the taxpayer. There are other cases like this. Why? Because Crow fires anyone who even modestly disagrees with him. Crow was a bully at Columbia. See Chichilnisky vs Columbia.
Michael Crow rules ASU with an iron fist. He wastes the taxpayer money in other ways too. Example. He is so ruthless and shall I say shaky upstairs that fired Prof. Kathryn Milun who won her discrimination case against ASU with both the EEOC and ASUs arbitiration committee still faces a stubborn Crow. He refuses to deal with her at a staggering cost to the taxpayer. There are other cases like this. Why? Because Crow fires anyone who even modestly disagrees with him. Crow was a bully at Columbia. See Chichilnisky vs Columbia.