Downtown Phoenix Journal by Catrina Kahler

Premiere Issue

Explore your core

escape to the city

Welcome to the Neighborhood CityScape is poised to make a difference in Downtown

DPhxJ.com Nov | dec 2010

welcome from the mayor Greetings: As Mayor, I am pleased to welcome you to the premiere edition of Downtown Phoenix Journal Magazine. Downtown Phoenix continues to evolve, and it’s time we chronicled this exciting growth in a medium that will help tell our story moving forward. This publication, which showcases the people, places and lifestyle that make greater downtown Phoenix such a vibrant community, is another milestone in our development and growth as the center of the Valley. We really do have something for everyone here, including acclaimed restaurants and nightlife, renowned museums, performing arts and sports venues, markets, boutiques, coffee houses, parks and much more. There have never been more opportunities to live in the area regardless of your income level, with high rises, single-family homes, lofts, apartments, and live-work spaces all available. Even in this current economic climate, we’ve seen continued investment in Downtown, including CityScape, Freeport McMoRan, METRO Light Rail, ASU’s Downtown Campus, Sheraton Downtown Phoenix, the Phoenix Convention Center and the University Of Arizona College Of Medicine Phoenix, among other accomplishments in recent years. Downtown Phoenix is the only city in the nation with two new hotels being built - the Westin and the Hotel Palomar, a Kimpton property, that is in the 2nd phase of CityScape. The Wyndham is being re-branded as a Marriott Renaissance and given the economy and the fact that the lending industry is still not lending for these types of projects is a major success for Phoenix, with more to come. These investments improve the quality of life for our most important asset, our people, whose diversity, knowledge, skills, talent, and generosity and history define the unique culture that is Phoenix. Whether you enjoy city living or just a day in the city, I invite you to experience all that Downtown has to offer. Sincerely,

Phil Gordon Mayor

A Note from DPJ In your hands is the newest addition to the Downtown community.

We are grateful to City of Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon who still believes in making Downtown all it can be. Thanks to his support and to our friends at Phoenix Community Alliance, we are now able to commit our cause to paper. Most importantly, we thank those in this community who make Downtown come alive every day. The morning cup of coffee is warmer when accompanied by the welcoming smile of the shop’s owner. The value of an art piece is much greater when you can talk with the inspired artist. The fresh fruit from the market is sweeter when you hear the story of how it was harvested by the grower. So please take this opportunity to celebrate the people, places and happenings that make our downtown great. The time is right.

Catrina Kahler

Downtown Phoenix Journal

Nov/dec 2010

Si Robins

DPhxJ.com

photo by EVAN WYLOGE

When we launched Downtown Phoenix Journal nearly two years ago, we saw a need to bring the diverse elements of our central city together to reflect one dynamic area — a Greater Downtown Phoenix.

nov dec 12

in this issue 04

The Buzz

Suns Coming Soon Cronkite News Stepping Out

14 08

District Beat

Coronado: Local Brew Roosevelt: City Slickers

Cover Story: CityScape Revealed

Can Social Media Save Historic Phoenix?

Interview: Marty Shultz

Eats & Drinks

Ă&#x20AC; La Cart Cheap Eats

Behind the cover story: Mike Ebert (L) and Jeff Moloznik of RED Development sat down with DPJ in their third-floor office at the CityScape tower. They shared their five-year journey to bring the mixed-use development to life in Downtown Phoenix.

E x p lo r e yo u r c o r e publisher CATRINA KAHLER | managing editor SI ROBINS

DPJ is supported by:

creative director ERIK KARVONEN | art director KENNY BUMP | photography director JASON GARCIA dining editor JUSTIN LEE | contributor J SETH ANDERSON

@dtphxjournal

PhoenixCommunityAlliance.com

facebook.com/urbanaffairphx

Urban Affair, LLC is not responsible or liable for any misspellings, incorrect dates, or incorrect information in its captions, calendar or other listings. Urban Affair, LLC assumes no responsibility for the loss of any unsolicited materials, or for the return of unsolicited manuscripts or artwork. The opinions expressed within Downtown Phoenix Journal Magazine do not necessarily represent the views or policies of Downtown Phoenix Journal or Urban Affair, LLC or any of its agents, staff, partners, employees, interns, volunteers, or distribution venues. Bylined articles and editorial represent the views of their authors. Downtown Phoenix Journal magazine accepts advertisements from advertisers believed to be reputable but cannot guarantee the authenticity or quality of objects and/or services advertised. Also, Downtown Phoenix Journal Magazine is not responsible for any claims made by advertisers. Urban Affair, LLC reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising matter.

DPhxJ.com

Nov/dec 2010

Downtown Phoenix Journal

the

buzz

The energy in US Airways Center always amps up to full voltage when elite teams take the court against the Suns. Starting this season, fans will pay a bit more to see Kobe and the Lakers and LeBron’s Heat live, as the Suns are implementing “dynamic” ticket prices for 2010-11 season home games. Individual game pricing is based upon quality of opponent and/or date.

Pita Jungle (3rd Avenue and Roosevelt Street), Green (7th Street and Palm Lane) and Windsor and Churn (Central and Oregon avenues) are some of the highlights opening in November. Pita Jungle continues the new Mediterranean tradition of what is now a Valley institution, while chef Damon Brasch will bring Green’s tried-andtrue vegan cuisine to Coronado in a reconfigured space that previously housed That’s a Wrap. Windsor and Churn, from the folks who gave us Postino, will team up in a 3,000-square-foot space to bring Uptown breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as housemade pastries and rich ice cream.

Nine other NBA cities are embracing dynamic pricing for 2010-11, making even the highestaltitude nosebleeds a few ticks pricier a couple nights a year. While the biggest games will be more expensive, Suns fans can enjoy slightly cheaper single-game prices compared to 2009-10 for nearly 30 of the team’s 41 home games.

Later in the year, expect FilmBar (2nd and McKinley streets), Breadfruit companion RumBar (1st and Pierce streets) and Sushi Revolution (1st Avenue and Portland Street) to open their doors.

For more information on individual-game Suns tickets, see suns.com.

Opening dates are subject to change. Stay tuned to dphxj.com for up-to-date information.

Downtown Phoenix Journal

Nov/dec 2010

DPhxJ.com

photo by TOM STORY/ASU

photo by JACK LONDON/DOWNTOWN RESIDENT

Looking for something new? The list of new names in Downtown Phoenix seems a mile long.

The new pricing comes in five tiers: Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze. Only the Heat (December 23) and Lakers (January 5) games fall into the priciest category, while seven less attractive opponents and/or dates round out the Bronze category.

cronkite news unveiled

coming soon to downtown photo by BARRY GOSSAGE/SUNS PHOTOGRAPHER

suns tickets go dynamic

ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication debuted Cronkite News this fall, a new initiative geared toward creating feature and investigative-style stories on issues that matter most to Arizonans. Cronkite News incorporates special reports from the Carnegie-Knight News21 program, also based in the Cronkite School, as well as AZ Fact Check, a partnership between ASU, The Arizona Republic, azcentral.com and 12 News. The scope of coverage ranges from hardhitting political analysis to human interest stories and neighborhood news. Stories are presented in a traditional written format or as slick multimedia packages. The organization’s presence on social media channels like Twitter and Facebook helps to spread the news to thousands of daily readers. Cronkite News reporters — some of the school’s top undergraduate and graduate students — operate out of Downtown Phoenix newsrooms under the supervision of seasoned journalists serving as Cronkite School faculty.

Visit cronkitenewsonline.com for daily updates.

stepping out

Downtown Phoenix is never thin on events this time of year. Below are DPJ’s picks for can’t-miss affairs sure to enhance your autumn urban experience. November 12: PechaKucha at Bragg’s Pie Factory (1301 Grand Ave.) The original rapid-speed presentation sharing experience hits Grand Avenue. Twenty slides, 20 seconds each and a dozen or so ideas to present. Take notes. Visit pknphx.com.

what’s the

November 13: Local First Certified Local Fall Festival at Duck and Decanter grounds (16th Street & Camelback Road) Thousands of attendees can’t be wrong. Experience the best in local businesses with food and drink samples, live music and more. Visit localfirstaz.com.

buzz

November 13: Day for Downtown (Downtown Phoenix) Dig in and beautify your Downtown on this annual day of service. You can choose to participate in a variety of projects. Visit handsonphoenix.org.

November 13: Pie Social (5th & Roosevelt streets) The neighborhood pie social of old is resurrected on Roosevelt Row to benefit after-school programs at the Kenilworth School. Bakers and pie lovers unite! Visit rooseveltrow.org. December 3: Artlink’s First Friday Art Walk (Downtown Phoenix) The weather is nice and the crowds are sure to be in droves. Whether you’re partial to Grand, Roosevelt or anywhere in between, kick off the month with a lil’ art and soul. Visit artlinkphoenix.com. December 10-26: The Nutcracker at Symphony Hall (75 N. 2nd St.) A December tradition, IB Andersen’s The Nutcracker delightfully skips across the Symphony Hall stage all month long. Visit balletaz.org.

Get the latest stories and scoop! .........................................................

December 19: The Judds at US Airways Center (201 E. Jefferson St.) The mother-daughter duo stops in Phoenix on their final tour. Visit usairwayscenter.com.

Follow @dtphxjournal Mingle @radiatephx Fan Facebook.com/UrbanAffairPHX Sign up for E-News on DPhxJ.com

For the most up-to-date selection of events, visit dphxj.com/calendar.

DPhxJ.com

Nov/dec 2010

Downtown Phoenix Journal

coronado

district beat

local brew

by Si Robins

photo courtesy of COMMUNITASPHX

Just steps from 7th Street and McDowell Road, an early 1900s bungalow is packed with anchovy-like efficiency — neighbors from this Coronado street, curious hipsters, local activists and more — in the name of creating a cohesive community. And in the name of locally brewed beer. The scene is the now-annual PHX BrewParty, an effort by Downtown-based nonprofit communitasPHX and its founder, Zack Newsome, and his family — yes, the bungalow is indeed their home. This party/brewing competition, held every November, celebrates the city’s grassroots home-brewing movement while raising funds for communitasPHX programs. The communitasPHX motto, “a movement of mission in the urban desert,” speaks to the straightforward goal of the small nonprofit: helping those less fortunate discover and enjoy simple joys in life while educating and inspiring participants to give back in the name of eliminating any disconnects in the community. communitasPHX’s loosely faith-based message is fueled by simply helping the broken, the hurting, the sick and the poor. Newsome affirms the work

is not only gratifying, but it also brings down the walls of misconception in the process. The group’s initiatives include Taco Day, a spring gathering with enough Mexican food to stuff even the emptiest of bellies; On Bike With Love, a monthly pedal around town that offers resources and conversation to the needy; and the Laundry Love Project, a once-a-month effort to provide funds and detergent to a local laundromat.

“It’s not just a house party with beer,” Zack Newsome stresses. “We want to offer a great community event, but there’s an underlying message here.” Yet, undoubtedly, the yearly BrewParty also pays homage to Newsome’s other passion, home-brewed beer. Aside from the nonprofit and his own design company, Newsome’s premier hobby is his upstart home-brew brand, Monk Rawk Brewing Co. Monk Rawk will enter a Belgian-style Dubbel , a rich, malty beer that Newsome has been prepping this fall. Other home brewers will provide the competition, ranging from hearty porters to bitter pale ales and sweetspicy chocolate wheat ales. Local DJs, classic lawn games and beer-centric movies are also part of the evening, adding to the neighborhood gettogether appeal. Newsome is especially jazzed that more Downtowners are taking to home brewing. His friend and neighbor, Paris, is entering her first beer — as the competition’s first-ever female brewmaster — after being encouraged by the quality products she tasted at last year’s BrewParty.

Leaders for a Greater Downtown Phoenix

For Newsome, it is examples like this that make his efforts worthwhile. He cites his joy in helping others get involved in home brewing, but it goes well beyond the brewing itself — it is about his insatiable urge to keep creating and fostering neighborhood bonding that simply has to occur by this organic means.

Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter: @phxcommal www.phoenixcommunityalliance.com

Downtown Phoenix Journal

Nov/dec 2010

PHX BrewParty starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 13, at 722 E. Coronado Rd. The event is free, but donations to communitasPHX are encouraged. For more information, see phxbrewparty.com. |

DPhxJ.com

roosevelt

city slickers Steve Betts and Diane Haller subscribe to a very untraditional way of life. Betts, the retired president and CEO of SunCor Development and current Arizona District Council Chairman of the Urban Land Institute, and his wife, Haller, a commercial real estate attorney with Quarles & Brady, spend their workweek living in the posh Portland Place in Roosevelt, but speed off for a rural retreat to Cave Creek…every weekend. “It’s what the French call pied-à-terre — we have our house in the country and our house in the city,” Betts explains. “People in Paris have been doing that for 300 years, but people don’t think about doing that in Phoenix.” The couple lived in Haller’s home near the base of Piestewa Peak when they got married, but quickly found that they didn’t like the suburban atmosphere of that neighborhood, instead preferring both urban and rural styles of living. “We thought, if we’re really going to do this thing, let’s do it right,” Betts recalls. “We started looking for a condo that is lock-and-leave. We would be urbanites during the week and rural on the weekends. That’s really what we’re doing.”

Diane Haller and Steve Betts in their Roosevelt home.

The weekday city convenience is contradicted by the couple’s jewel-box Will Bruder home on 5 remote acres in the north Valley. It is 45 minutes from their driveway in Cave Creek to their stunning loft space overlooking the Japanese Friendship Garden. The two are confident after searching the Valley that they are in the right location.

Haller admits. Betts jokes that Haller was the hard sell on the move, but she clarifies. “I started working Downtown in 1986, and it has changed a lot,” she says. “Other than special events, you would never see people Downtown after 5 p.m. What made it work was the critical mass. It has made it a much better place to live. I was not prepared to like it as much as I do.”

They looked at condo towers in Tempe and several different buildings near the Biltmore Fashion Park before settling at Portland Place. The difference was urban versus urban-light, as Betts puts it.

During the workweek, Betts and Haller live the Phoenix urban lifestyle — walking often and taking the light rail instead of hopping in the car. If they do need to run errands not within walking distance, they fit them into trips to and from Cave Creek.

“It wasn’t that 24th [Street] and Camelback isn’t urban living — it is,” he states, “but you don’t have the culture that’s down here, the parks or the light rail.”

Betts has taken to calling their walkable strip of Portland Street the “Portland District.” It’s a moniker that could catch on.

“We consider ourselves Phoenicians when we’re not ‘Creekers,’” Steve Betts laughs.

“If you look at Roosevelt Square, those are some of the most successful apartments in the Valley,” he explains. “Ground-floor retail works in this neighborhood.” Looking out their window, they can see Portland Park, Hance Park, the Japanese Friendship Garden, Burton Barr Library and Phoenix Art Museum, creating a connected district. “This is the best example we have in Phoenix of transit-oriented development.”

Haller cites the opening and expansion of ASU’s Downtown campus as the moment she knew Downtown Phoenix was truly becoming dynamic. She loves the mix of historic residential neighborhoods located just across Central Avenue from shiny, new-age dormitories.

Maybe those Parisians were onto something with their mix of urban and rural. Perhaps Betts and Haller are trailblazing a new Arizonan lifestyle. Regardless, Betts knows they’ll continue to make the most of their Roosevelt pied-à-terre.

“When we first looked at this place, we were not going to move Downtown,”

Email Si at si@dphxj.com

“[In Roosevelt] you’re in a residential neighborhood,” Haller continues. “At 24th and Camelback, you’re really not. It’s very nice, but not residential.”

DPhxJ.com

Nov/dec 2010

Downtown Phoenix Journal

cityscape

revealed by Si Robins More than three years ago, RED Development broke ground at Central Avenue and Washington Street, Phoenix’s original trademark intersection, on what was to become CityScape. And Phoenix waited. And waited. Three years is a long time for a defining intersection to be a hole in the ground. But it is also a long time to stir up buzz, questions, concerns and anticipation unlike any other project that Downtown Phoenix has ever seen. Fast-forward to October 2010, just days before CityScape’s grand opening, and a collective sigh of relief hangs over the RED Development office, now occupying the third floor of the CityScape office tower, overlooking the soon-to-be-bustling retail mecca. Though the project as a whole is not fully up and running, various retailers, restaurants and offices have been open for months. Most of the remaining retail and restaurant tenants are on the verge of opening before the end of the year. The 250-room Hotel Palomar, under construction on the pad hovering between Central and 1st Street, is set to open in 2011. To say the project has fared well in a down economy would be an understatement — as of press time, 90% of the office space and 95% of the retail space is leased. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise to RED managing partner Michael Ebert or development manager Jeff Moloznik. “We had interest in doing something Downtown years ago,” Ebert recalls. “There was a real trend of development going back into urban cores. Our thought was taking two blocks in the core of the fifth largest city in the country had to be a good thing.” Moloznik says the blocks, which span 1st Street to 1st Avenue and Washington to Jefferson streets, were the best retail location in the country available at the time they secured the land. And it’s true — what other city in America could offer up the very center of its core for a project of this scope?

STRONG RESULTS IN A WEAK ECONOMY Ebert, Moloznik and the entire RED team have taken a particular pride in the development. Not just any mixed-use project in a city core, CityScape has the possibility to completely re-energize Downtown as a whole. Long-time supporters view it akin to Denver’s 16th Street Mall, Portland’s Pioneer Place or San Diego’s burgeoning Gaslamp District. To see Ebert and Moloznik on the eve of CityScape’s grand opening is to see reassured and pleased developers. The last five years of planning have

turned a few hairs gray and led to many late nights. But it could have been so much worse. RED Development seemingly moved into its new Downtown base as soon as it could — Moloznik points out that RED is one of the few landlords Downtown that actually resides Downtown, let alone in its actual project — and Ebert, Moloznik and company have practically lived there since. “In 2005 and 2006, I was telling people it was one of the few times in my career where residential, retail and office were all doing well… so that can’t last forever,” Ebert says. “We’ve been through a bunch of challenges. The residential collapse changed our plans, but you persevere. What helped us here was relationships. Our investors and our banks stuck with us, which you don’t often see in situations like this.” Indeed, a residential component to the project was scrapped and various elements were scaled down, but the development is undoubtedly generating interest in Downtown Phoenix. Most CityScape office tenants have arrived from outside Downtown. All of the retailers are new to Downtown, and many are new to Arizona. For several of the national brands opening locations in CityScape, this was the last of the top 20 national markets left to enter. RED did a retail comparison to San Diego, Denver, Dallas and Los Angeles, and the most startling difference was the lack of retail — annual visitations, office space and number of hotel rooms were all very comparable. But the deficiency of retail in Downtown Phoenix was startlingly low. Moloznik sees it as an opportunity for the city as a whole.

“You have to be here to realize the ‘sleeping giant’ that surrounds Downtown,” Jeff Moloznik says. “It’s in Willo and Encanto, and further north, and far south as well. People are inclined to travel here.” But how is this different from the underutilized Arizona Center just blocks away?

Moloznik and Ebert in front of Five Guys Burgers and Fries.

“The first difference is about 20 years,” Ebert states. “The second is location. The quality of the construction and the quality of the plan of the Arizona Center was very high, but we’re a little different. Things have changed. All of the activities there were internalized. Current Downtown developments are very much street friendly — things built right on the sidewalk. That was a different generation of development.” As for those quick to judge CityScape’s unfinished exterior: give it a chance. Build-out will reveal a rather pedestrian-friendly destination. “There are seven restaurants alone on 1st Street,” Moloznik gushes. “Of the seven, five are on the ground level and all five bleed out 16 feet into the sidewalk with sidewalk dining. Once that build-out happens, I think people will realize how dramatic the difference is.” That connection to the street is all part of the welcoming city vibe CityScape is aiming to create. More than just a shopping destination, it aims to be an events space and a meeting and leisure area. Count on free live music every Friday night nine months out of the year and lots of large, community-gathering events. The central plaza, between Central and 1st avenues, is technically recognized as a park space, and it is to be treated as such. continued on pg 18

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Nov/dec 2010

Downtown Phoenix Journal

feature

can social media save historic phoenix? r Twitte

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voted to demolish it. Atop the ruins of the finest theater ever built in Arizona (and arguably the western U.S.) the city leaders thought a bus terminal would be a more appropriate use of the space.

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on and involved citizens Upinformed In 1979, founded the Arizona Preservation e l b gg as a grassroots m Mixxeffort to save historic buildings and by Di(APF) Stu Foundation the character of Phoenix. Six years later, the city created the pon h Doextension, t U e e l c b first historic preservation program under the direction of then-mayor a Slas Stum MySp Terry Goddard. Through this program active citizens worked to preserve the Orpheum Theatre, Tovrea Castle, Phoenix Union High School and e k c ati for the Phoenix ouT o r a o o p b many other structures. Sadly, it was already too late S n e y h Y M Tec Fox Theater. ati iendFeed r o n e h r to organize swiftly and protest the The architect of the theater, S. Charles Lee, designed the Fox to be largest SkHad ypthe citizensTeofcPhoenix beenFable Union Station was completed in 1923 on Jefferson Street and 4th Avenue at a cost of $556,000. The art deco Luhrs Building and Luhrs Tower scraped the sky in the ’20s (the first in Phoenix to do so); Phoenix Union High School’s Montgomery Stadium, on what is now the University Public School Phoenix campus, was built in 1927 to hold 10,000 spectators. In 1929, out in the countryside, the Arizona Biltmore rose up like a desert mirage and that same year the Phoenix Fox Theater began its ascent on 1st and Washington streets.

and most elaborate theaters west of the Mississippi. In the 1930s, Lee began designing the Los Angeles Theater, today considered the finest theater in Los Angeles, yet Phoenix Fox Theater was deemed superior.

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By 1975, the city of Phoenix had acquired the property and the city council 10

Downtown Phoenix Journal

Nov/dec 2010

can make a difference in the community. dIn

Linke DPhxJ.com n lideShare I e d b e u k T n S Li You

demolition with modern social networking tools, could the theater have been spared from the wrecking ball? It’s not only possible, but also likely. To evoke an effective voice that can shape policy, the public must have access to information and more importantly, must act. Unfortunately, too many people think they can’t make a difference or feel overwhelmed and discouraged because they don’t know how to become involved. But in today’s interconnected world of social media, anyone with an Internet connection can make a difference in the community. Social media, when used effectively, is the grease that turns the wheels and creates opportunities to connect with new people who share the same goals in order to affect change. Thanks to social media, connecting with people of all ages and backgrounds has never been easier. Twitter is the 21st century phone tree that can spread concise news like wildfire. Grassroots organizations like Downtown Voices Coalition (@DowntownVoices), local activists like Light Rail Blogger (@LightRailBlog) and even city planning officials (@PlanPHX) use their Twitter accounts to share news and ideas that are not always covered in other forms of media. Twitter makes it easy to find and link to websites of elected officials so residents can send a quick email and get a reply. Elected officials (@MayorGordon, for example) are tweeting and providing another avenue for citizens to interact. Sometimes just sending an email to a member of the city council can be tremendously effective.

more effectively and rally around a cause that can preserve the character of our city. We learn more about our community and ourselves when we take action and responsibility for the things we love. In the past five years, less ornate historic buildings like the 1929 Sun Mercantile Building, the last remaining building of the city’s second Chinatown, and the 1926 A.E. England Building, once part of Downtown’s “auto row” and now centered in Civic Space Park, have been preserved. The communication tools used to help unite the defense were public hearings, rallies, print media, phone trees and email. Social media is still in its infancy, but imagine the impact it could have on future efforts to save landmark structures. The demolition of the Phoenix Fox Theater 35 years ago was a tremendous loss for the city. The 1,800-seat theater now only lives on in photographs and memories of people who were fortunate enough to enjoy it. The art deco motifs and mahogany doors, the grand staircase that spiraled up to a mezzanine floor, the massive chandeliers, the French furniture, the Wurlitzer thousand-throated organ with massive grilles covered in silver and gold leaf and a rhinestone accent curtain are gone forever. But many more beautiful, historic buildings remain, each with so much potential and promise to make Phoenix an architecturally remarkable city if they are integrated into our future plans. We have the power to make that happen.

Email Seth at seth@dphxj.com

Thanks to social media, connecting with people of all ages and backgrounds has never been easier. Twitter is the 21st century phone tree that can spread concise news like wildfire. Facebook allows users to organize community events and post details, similar to a newsletter, which can be reposted and shared with thousands of people for free instantly. Today, APF uses Facebook to educate the public about Arizona’s remarkable past. The group’s page links to current news stories about historic assets and community events, and they post vintage photos of a bygone Arizona. These instant communications via Facebook helped defeat Senate Bill 1166, a bill that would have raised the property tax for more than 6,000 historic home owners across the state this past legislative session. Other groups such as the Phoenix Neighborhood Coalition, Modern Phoenix, Coronado Historic District and Roosevelt Row CDC are also active on Facebook promoting their communities and inviting everyone to learn about them and to take part in revitalization efforts. Social media makes our ability to share information easy, but that alone is not enough. We must take the next logical step and become active advocates in creating the community and the urban city that Phoenix can become. Acting to preserve our historic assets is just a piece of the community puzzle that social media alone cannot build but it does allow us to organize DPhxJ.com

Nov/dec 2010

Downtown Phoenix Journal

interview

marty shultz by Si Robins

Marty Shultz knows Phoenix. The Vice President of Government Affairs for Pinnacle West Capital Corporation and Arizona Public Service has lived here since 1953, but it’s his involvement with various Phoenix-based businesses, nonprofits and initiatives that has cemented his reputation as a true Downtown advocate.

area and Maryvale — creating a void in the Downtown area. Turley asked Shultz to help organize and create Phoenix Community Alliance (PCA), originally run out of Shultz’s office at APS, now the University Center at ASU Downtown. [Disclosure: PCA is a partner of Urban Affair, publisher of DPJ.]

Shultz’s official involvement in Downtown goes back decades to when he served as chief-of-staff to three Phoenix mayors.

Yet throughout decades of seeing Downtown falter and rise again, Shultz has never lost his unwavering focus.

“All three of those mayors were interested in the development of Downtown, the central city and Capitol Mall, so that influenced my thinking as well,” Shultz recalls.

When Jerry Colangelo sold the Phoenix Suns, he chose Shultz, then Vice Chairman for PCA, to chair PCA’s board of directors. One of Shultz’s responsibilities as chairman of PCA was to chair the Capitol Mall committee, now a particular point of pride.

It grew from there. Shultz joined APS in 1979 after being hired by Keith Turley. Turley and Shultz recognized that people were migrating to “urban nodes” outside of Downtown Phoenix in the ’60s and ’70s — bigger homes in North Central and beyond to the Paradise Valley Mall

“I think you’re going to see a fair amount of evidence of Capitol Mall improvements during the Arizona centennial in 2012,” Shultz says. “There is advancement going on.”

What do we as businesspeople do for our community? It isn’t just raising money for the symphony or being boosters for sports teams, which are valid, but it includes advocating a caring community. 12

Downtown Phoenix Journal

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photo courtesy of ARIZONA CENTENNIAL 2012 FOUNDATION

resources than it has had for the past 30 years. But he feels this can be Arizona’s premier spot, if promoted in the right manner. “The Partnership is still relevant today, but the needs of Downtown today are significantly different [than when it began],” Shultz confesses. “We are now in a ‘maturing’ stage. When we started PCA, Downtown was deteriorating. The nature of our growth was sprawl and dynamic growth. People left because of business and personal decisions. We were left with a virtually empty, much less robust Downtown and central city. Now, we have a lot a lot of good things going.” With all of its challenges, on the eve of its 99th year in statehood, the Arizona capitol’s heart still beats. “There is no question that the fifth largest city in the U.S. is going to have a great downtown,” Shultz proclaims. Long an underserved area, Shultz was tasked with finding a solution for the Capitol Mall’s transient woes. Shultz and a collection of others conceptualized the Human Services Campus and raised $29 million to see its realization near 12th Avenue and Jefferson Street. And it doesn’t stop there. Plans for supportive housing and future activity centers on the campus are brewing.

Through reorganization and a strong look by community leaders at the future advocacy structure of Downtown, good things will be on the horizon. Shultz is more optimistic than ever.

“What do we as businesspeople do for our community? It isn’t just raising money for the symphony or being boosters for sports teams, which are valid, but it includes advocating a caring community,” Shultz explains.

Email Si at si@dphxj.com

“What is blocking us? Nothing,” he states. “Do we have the community leaders to do this well? Absolutely.”

Still, he recognizes that Phoenix has a long way to go. “While Downtown Phoenix is emerging — and I want to put an emphasis on that — we’re far from being there,” he admits. “I do think we’re on the way. Adding a great university to Downtown was marvelous. Adding a fair amount of residental options is really good. Having sports venues, cultural venues and transportation is all fantastic, but we don’t have the critical mass. We don’t have the air of excitement.

Arizona’s emergency chest pain experts. We’re chest-pain certified. And our wait times are short.When you’re faced with any emergency, no matter what time of day, trust the experts.

“What we haven’t done is accepted or at least communicated with the several communities here,” he continues. “The younger generation of Downtowners thinks in contemporary terms. We older folks are trying to figure out what that is. The mix of understanding — what is around, who are we relating to and what are these lifestyles and why — will propel us faster.” The solution, Shultz believes, is not to simply soldier on and weather this economic storm. It is time to reexamine the divide between Downtown’s existing organizations. “It’s time to re-look at the organizations — the Downtown Partnership, PCA, the City,” he reveals. “We’ve been doing things in our respective roles for a long time. We have progress to show for it. The imperative in the future is a new, consolidated, dynamic advocacy and development group and plan.” Shultz admits there are obstacles in Phoenix’s path. He feels the city would be hard pressed to find another mayor following Phil Gordon’s tenure that is so devoted to Downtown progress. The city has fewer DPhxJ.com

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Nov/dec 2010

Downtown Phoenix Journal

eats & drinks

À la Cart

by Justin Lee

Though still a novelty here in the Phoenix area, urban centers across the country have been transfixed with the growing evolution of food cart culture for quite some time.

convention have already been cemented in cities like Los Angeles, Austin, Portland, Chicago and New York. Though Phoenix’s restrained roster of mobile food vendors is partially the result of the city’s antiquated permitting process, fault doesn’t lie in one bracket alone. Whether it be the city’s relative youth psychologically; its often gaping suburban, physical orientation; or its frequently shameless auto-strangled ego; until recently, mobile street food in Phoenix has existed as more of a whisper than the absolute thunder it is becoming elsewhere. One of the coalition’s brightest minds is Brad Moore. Along with his wife and sworn accomplice, Katherine, they operate the increasingly popular Short Leash Hot Dogs cart, currently circulating the city weekly. Serving signature hot dogs sourced, prepared and assembled with premium, often local ingredients, they above all feel especially inspired to attract more attention locally to the larger cause — to connect the dots for an expanded audience. “The idea behind the Phoenix Street Food Coalition is to help support start-ups,” Brad says. Yet the ultimate goal is to strip Phoenix of its underachieving cart status: working with the various municipalities to initiate changes that will allow responsible street vending outside of the designated farmers markets. “Unlike the stereotypical roach-coaches catering to industrial areas and construction sites,” Brad punctuates, “Phoenix is about to see an explosion of very talented and creative people looking to share their unique vision with the public. I think the mobile food truck industry is about to increase dramatically in the next few years, especially when it comes to specialty foods.”

The Aiko from Short Leash Dogs

And dramatically it will.

A particular sign of a ripening urban center is the proliferation of credible street food varied in quantity and diversity. Besides a small-but-worthy collection of portable dives scattered haphazardly throughout the city, sustained growth of such food-related culture in the Phoenix area has seemed all but handicapped — in particular, the evolved, contemporary stripe of smart, often chef-driven, sometimes quirky, mobile food carts materializing nationwide.

Beginning November 5, the eagerly anticipated Downtown Mobile Food Court will present itself to promise. Operating in the parking lot adjacent to the Phoenix Public Market at Central Avenue and Pierce Street, home to Downtown’s biweekly farmers market, seven individually unique mobile food vendors will now throw anchor every Friday lunch hour in one singular location. The first destination of its kind — known as a “pod” in food cart jargon — the collection of carts hopes to become a magnate for area residents, visitors and employees alike, allowing them increased, dedicated access to this tweaked trend of mobile street food of increased quality and creativity.

Enter the newly minted Phoenix Street Food Coalition — inspired locals have assembled, and they are brainstorming. Created as a direct tool for amped awareness of the city’s still-infant mobile food vendor community, the coalition not only nurtures what sprouts we already have to sustain a more robust existence, but it also hopes to facilitate that intangible environment that fosters new waves of start-ups to begin with. In essence, they want things to grow. Staggering scenarios of the current reimagined mobile food cart 14

Downtown Phoenix Journal

Nov/dec 2010

Other coalition members are equally enthusiastic. “We feel like Phoenix is on the edge of busting open with the food truck scene,” says Eric and Julia Ireland, the equally precocious duo behind another popular local food cart, Torched Goodness, presenting specialty crème brûlées to a still-curious public. “In the coming year, several more trucks will hit the streets,” they add. “The public is supportive and excited DPhxJ.com

electric orange, retro Chevy van; Paradise Melts, offering a varied menu of grilled cheese sandwiches; Sunshine and Spice with their corner on Asian eats; and Riteway Catering, offering up some straightforward barbecue.

photo by THE LUCKY SHOT PHOTOGRAPHY

Noticeably absent from the initial food court debut is Truckin’ Good Food, one of the Phoenix area’s pioneering mobile food vendors — where lead chef and founder Jeff Kraus has been sliding pommes frites and crêpes into locals’ hands via their famously branded ride “Mr. T” — will unfortunately be prevented from participating due to pre-existing scheduling conflicts. Kraus, another ranking member and advocate of the Phoenix Street Food Coalition, hopes to join the new Downtown project in the coming months.

(L) Jeff Kraus, Truckin’ Good Food (R) A young lass enjoys a “corn pup.”

There are trends, and there are evolutions. With fingers tightly crossed, credible street food beyond the sub-radar ethnic carts, operating beyond the farmers market/food festival circuit, will truly grip Phoenix, melding grit with finesse and authenticity with ingenuity. In a maturing urban center like Phoenix, “Hopefully,” Moore states finely, “this will only be the very beginning.” Email Justin at justin@dphxj.com

to see the trucks, meet the chefs preparing their food, and have that ‘city’ feel that can be tough to find in Phoenix.”

Downtown Mobile Food Court Fridays 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 14 E. Pierce St. (light rail at Roosevelt Station) phxstreetfood.blogspot.com

Other participants in the inaugural Downtown Mobile Food Court lineup include Sweet Republic, Scottsdale’s nationally idolized artisan ice cream shop, serving their unbelievably superior frozen flavors from inside their

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Downtown Phoenix Journal

eats & drinks | cheap eats Baiz Market/Al-Hana Restaurant [Middle Eastern] Garfield Off the beaten track but traveled to from locations citywide, Baiz is an international specialty foods market that maintains its no-nonsense value with pride. Tiny Al-Hana restaurant is a popular lunchtime anchor for those looking for the best Middle-Eastern comfort foods. 523 N. 20th St.

La Condesa Gourmet Taco Shop [Mexican/Tacos] Coronado With a deep lineup of some of the most craveworthy tacos in the city, La Condesa is a casual taqueria with updated leanings. From the hefty dogfish shark tacos, to notoriously tender cochinita phibil tacos, the small eatery has proven itself delicious to a diverse stream of patrons. 1919 N. 16th St.

Carolina’s [Mexican] South Phoenix Infamous, practically eulogized tortillas made daily in-house warrant a visit alone, if for nothing else: to stock up. The red sauce makes others bow, and their Oaxaca burrito (potatoes, chorizo, oh my) is indeed a craveinducing offense. 1202 E. Mohave St.

Lenny’s Burger Shop [American/Burgers] Midtown A Phoenix area institution since the 1980s, Lenny’s lively Midtown branch of the popular local burger chain proves you don’t need to sacrifice quality entirely when craving a greasy burger and fries. A popular weekday lunchtime pit-stop, Lenny’s posts a simple menu of the basics, done well: burgers, hot dogs, fries and milkshakes. 2825 N. Central Ave.

Fry Bread House [Southwestern/Native American] Melrose One of Phoenix’s best kept gems is this humble institution to that special fried bread we all crave so dearly. From the savory kind, to the oh-so sweet, Fry Bread House continues to serve its eponymous specialty with no remorse to over indulgence. 4140 N. 7th Ave.

Lo-Lo’s Chicken & Waffles [Southern/Soul] South Phoenix Lo-Lo’s continues to prove it’s of the best examples of the popular food combination

anywhere, and it’s right in our own back yard. Though fried chicken is king, Lo-Lo’s also serves equally comforting Southern standouts like mac and cheese, grits and yes, red velvet cake. 10 W. Yuma St. That’s a Wrap [Eclectic/Wraps] Uptown Tiny and efficient, That’s a Wrap serves an extensive menu of interesting wraps, as well as a smattering of salads and rice bowls. Great for a fast bite that won’t empty the wallet, the cheerful, fast-casual café emphasizes the healthy, but doesn’t stress it — satisfaction and flavor are essentials here. 800 E. Camelback Rd. Verde [Mexican] Evans Churchill Quirky and modern, Verde brings smart, authentic Mexican eating to Downtown. Fast-casual in orientation, Verde serves up straightforward plates of slow-stewed meats with their now-adored house-made tortillas for bite building and plate sopping. 825 N. 1st St.

For more cheap eats see dphxj.com.

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Downtown Phoenix Journal

Nov/dec 2010

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Downtown Phoenix Journal

continued from pg 9

Both Ebert and Moloznik view Downtown’s culture as a huge selling point for the area as well. Moloznik beams about the Roosevelt Tavern’s Midwestern brewpub appeal, and Ebert sees First Fridays as an event unlike any other in Arizona. “We’re here all the time,” Moloznik says. “We’ve gotten a lot of input from the community. We’ve met a lot of people over the last five years. There were a lot of people that were cynical in the beginning [about the development], but I think our accessibility has changed a lot of that.”

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The assortment of tenants came from a long-term, thorough analysis of Downtown and what people do when visiting Downtown — everything from the arts to Suns games to the kinds of people who visit Downtown hotels.

Retail Charming Charlie Designer District Republic of Couture Urban Outfitters West of SoHo

“We’re painting with a broad brush,” Ebert says. “CVS brings amenities you used to have to leave Downtown for. We have sit-down restaurants, fastcasual restaurants, different price points.

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“I felt we had to do many things well to be successful,” he continues. “One is to serve the Downtown community. We also had to do things that people from outside of Downtown would enjoy.”

CVS Gold’s Gym Par Exsalonce Salon

The goal was to find a balance of well-respected national tenants and those who know Phoenix, like LGO, Sam Fox, Aaron May and others.

Bars and Restaurants Five Guys Burgers and Fries Lucky Strike Lanes Rasputin Vodka Bar

“A lot of our tenants are owner-operator tenants — a lot of them local — and they embraced the challenges within our space,” Moloznik reveals. “It’s not always perfect, but they get really creative in working around that imperfection.”

Coming Soon Retail

Ebert continues, “You can build nice places, but we don’t own the stores. We picked places that we thought were uniquely capable of positioning themselves to serve this very diverse customer base. Downtown is different at 8 a.m. than it is at 8 p.m. It’s different on a Wednesday than it is on a Saturday. It’s different based upon who is staying Downtown for a convention.”

Oakville Grocery — projected opening December 15 Bars and Restaurants Jimmy John’s — projected opening November Vitamin T — projected opening November 12 Tilted Kilt — projected opening Fall BrewPublic Craft House — projected opening December 15 Huey’s Diner 24/7 Diner — projected opening December 15 La Crepe Nanou — projected opening December 15 LGO Public House — projected opening December 15 The Breakfast Club — projected opening January 15, 2011 Sam Fox Steakhouse — projected opening January 15, 2011 Blu Burger Grille — projected opening Winter 2011 Cherry on Top — projected opening Winter 2011 Silk Sushi — projected opening March 2011

So far, so good. Lucky Strike and CVS are performing well above expectations. Over half of the Gold’s Gym members neither live nor work Downtown. Five Guys is off to a tremendous start. Par Exsalonce, Designer District and West of SoHo, the newer openings in the project, are showing strong numbers. People are embracing CityScape. And it’s no surprise to the RED team. “The nice thing about doing this in Phoenix versus any other major metropolitan city is that it has a meaningful impact,” Moloznik smiles.

Entertainment

On the eve of its grand opening, it’s safe to say CityScape’s impression has already been left on Downtown Phoenix.

Stand Up Live — projected opening December 15

Email Si at si@dphxj.com

All dates subject to change.

Downtown Phoenix Journal

Nov/dec 2010

DPhxJ.com

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