Recently the Arizona Republic had a big feature story on all of the big projects the City has helped bring downtown over the years – from Arizona Center to US Airways Arena to Chase Field to ASU to light rail. The authors correctly surmised that no single project is going to make downtown Phoenix successful.

An indicator that our downtown efforts truly are showing success is the unprecedented private sector investment in housing. Not only are big projects like Portland Place, 44 Monroe, and Summit at Copper Square under construction, but there are at least six small residential projects in various stages of construction on the northern edge of downtown.

Starting on the west side and moving east, we have:

•PRD45 at 8th Avenue and Roosevelt; 12 units will be complete later this year.

•Lofts at 2nd Street and McKinley; 14 units will be complete this summer.

•Odyssey Homes at 5th Street and Moreland - 26 townhomes under construction for completion in 2008

•Evergreen 9 on Willetta between 5th and 7th streets - 9 units will be complete this fall

•Portland 38, on Portland between 7th and 9th streets - 38 units recently broke ground for a summer 2008 completion

•Roosevelt 11 at 9th Street and Roosevelt - 11 townhomes will be complete later this year

In every case, these projects are occupying lots that have been vacant and blighted for years and even decades. It will be small projects like these that provide the diversity and options that so many people are looking for. Many of these developers have additional projects in the work that will bring even more housing units downtown. I wish them every success and welcome them to downtown Phoenix.