Roosevelt Row
Wire | Evans Churchill to Host Interesting Interiors Tour
Posted on 10/30/12 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
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Evans Churchill Neighborhood to host 2nd Annual Interesting Interiors Tour, November 3
The Evans Churchill Community Association will hold its 2nd Annual Interesting Interiors Tour featuring more than a dozen neighborhood landmarks, businesses, and residences in Downtown Phoenix’s Evans Churchill Neighborhood on Saturday, November 3, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tour attendees will have the opportunity to take a self-guided tour discovering the interiors of commercial and residential properties in the neighborhood including the historic Louis Emerson and Brockway houses, Monorchid, Combine studio, and 300M, among others. Attendees are encouraged to take the tour then head over to the Roosevelt Row Pie Social on Second and Roosevelt Streets to enjoy the 2 free tastings they receive with each Interesting Interiors Tour ticket purchase.
Biking and walking tour routes will be available so everyone is encouraged to “go green” as they tour the neighborhood. For more information about the event, visit evanschurchill.org. Tour tickets may be purchased online at evanschurchill.eventbrite.com or the day of the tour at MADE Art Boutique, 922 N. 5th St.
Admission is $10 adults, $8 for seniors and students (with valid ID), and free for children six years and younger. All proceeds from the tour will benefit the Evans Churchill Neighborhood Association. Additional information about the Roosevelt Row Pie Social is available at http://www.rooseveltrow.org
About Evans Churchill Neighborhood
Evans Churchill is one of the most exciting neighborhoods in Arizona. This mixed-use, mixed-density area is a truly urban neighborhood that combines history, award-winning restaurants and shops, and some of the finest living options in a walkable area of downtown Phoenix. The neighborhood is part of the Roosevelt Row Arts District and includes amenities such as the Phoenix Public Market, a portion of Phoenix Biomedical Campus, a portion of Arizona State University’s downtown campus, and one of the busiest stops along METRO Light Rail. For more information about the neighborhood, visit http://www.evanschurchill.org
Roosevelt’s Tipping Point?
Posted on 10/04/12 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
There were plenty of positive statements made at yesterday’s topping off ceremony for Roosevelt Point, at 455 N. 3rd Street. Let’s face it, when it comes to downtown there have been a lot of good things said in the past few years.
But no positive statement about downtown growth could outshine what stood as the backdrop to the celebration.
In the lot across from Bliss/ReBAR, the host venue, rises the seven-story structure that will soon be home to 600 new residents. The scale of it, and the projected impact, is downright impressive.
The development team of Roosevelt Point saw the opportunity presented by this formerly vacant lot, talked to the people they needed to talk to, and are on their way to forever changing this important gateway to downtown.
The project completion date is set for July 2013. Download the Roosevelt Point Fact Sheet, think about how to keep the momentum rolling, and read on to hear what those involved had to say.
Roosevelt looking up.
We’ve been meeting with the residential neighborhood, folks from the Evans Churchill Neighborhood as well as the Roosevelt Row Merchants Association and the Community Development Corporation, to really try to integrate what we’re doing with their vision for the community. Where our visions really align, what’s critical to make any community a lively place, is to get more people to live there. I think for the most part we’ve been able to accommodate a shared vision.
I think as more young people live here it becomes a more vibrant, exciting, happening place. First Fridays has been a really big success. We’re really thrilled to be at the heart of that. We’re at the epicenter of all that activity.
Even though our project is changing this neighborhood. I hope it doesn’t change it too much, because that’s really the lifeblood of what makes it unique. And I think that should attract people from all over the Valley to come and experience the restaurants, the galleries, the entertainment, the things going on downtown. – Steven R. Schnoor, Senior Vice President/Regional Director for Concord Eastridge
Mike Oleskow and Mark Howard take in the south view. Photo courtesy of Roosevelt Point.
There is going to be 600 more people here next year. It’s going to be amazing. The [Roosevelt Row Chile Pepper] festival this past weekend? There were about 2,000 people. How many more people will there be [next year]? We’re excited. – Kevin Rille, President of the Evans Churchill Neighborhood Association
This is a game-changer. It changes forever the view as you come into downtown on 3rd Street. Instead of seeing a bunch vacant land you’re seeing this beautiful seven-story building. It gives you a whole different mindset of what the downtown is, and can be. - Don Keuth, President of Phoenix Community Alliance
I think the Roosevelt Point project is going to meet a demand for more housing in downtown. With all the additional people moving downtown it’s going to create an additional demand for amenities. So people will need more options for shopping or boutique type stores, more restaurants, and services. With all the investment that has occurred over the past decade, a lot of people may say we’re done investing in downtown. I will tell you that we’re not done. There’s still a lot left to do – a lot of opportunities to invest and build downtown. – John Chan, Community and Economic Development Director for the City of Phoenix
Wire | Downtown Phoenix Student Housing Project Named Roosevelt Point
Posted on 9/13/12 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
DPJ’s Wire series delivers news and information straight from the source without translation.
Roosevelt Point Launches Website and Leasing Information
Downtown Phoenix student housing project debuts name as it prepares for tenants
The buildings at Third Street along Roosevelt Row have been steadily rising into the downtown Phoenix skyline since breaking ground in March of this year. Now, the project has a name reflecting its geographical and social place in the community – Roosevelt Point.
In addition to the new name, Memphis-based EdR (NYSE: EDR) and Scottsdale-based Concord Eastridge are launching the public website for potential residents to find more information on the project: www.RooseveltPoint.com.
The temporary leasing office will open in the Arizona Center next to the AMC movie theater on Wednesday, October 3, but the staff is available to answer calls now at 1-877-804-7115. The leasing office address is 455 E. 3rd Street, Suite #1080, Phoenix AZ 85004.
Roosevelt Point is moving towards completion with a new name and website.
The project’s completion date is targeted for July 2013. The two apartment buildings are designed to be attractive options for students and new graduates affiliated with Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix Campus, University of Arizona’s College of Medicine and the Phoenix Biomedical Campus and other young urban professionals. Upon completion Roosevelt Point will include approximately 326 apartments with studios, one-, two-, three- and four-bedrooms. Each bedroom will have a private bathroom. The community will also feature a parking garage and other upscale amenities such as common areas, fitness and tanning facilities and swimming pools. Rent levels have not been determined, but will include all utilities, high speed Internet and basic cable service.
7,500 square feet of retail space fronts Roosevelt and Fourth Streets and will be subdivided depending on future tenant needs. The company will seek retailers that will appeal to all downtown residents.
Concord Eastridge is developing the project, which will be owned jointly with EdR. EdR is the majority owner and managing member of the joint venture and will manage the community.
From the Wire | Phoenix Receives Our Town Grant From National Endowment for the Arts
Posted on 7/13/12 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
Some news items don’t need translation. That’s why DPJ launched the From the Wire series, so we could serve the destinations here by posting information and announcements – in their own words.
The Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture in partnership with Arizona State University Art Museum and the Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation will receive a $100,000 National Endowment for the Arts “Our Town” grant. The grants are awarded annually to fund innovative efforts to stimulate local economies through the arts. Phoenix is one of 80 communities in 44 states and the District of Columbia to be awarded $4.995 million in 2012 NEA “Our Town” grants.
The funding will be used to produce “Cultural Connections,” a series of free public art events and temporary art installations to activate vacant, blighted or under-utilized public and private spaces along the Light Rail corridor through downtown Phoenix. The project will draw people and attention to the corridor’s emerging cultural opportunities and established institutions. It also will help to strengthen pedestrian routes linking Margaret T. Hance Park, the Roosevelt Row Arts District and other key cultural destinations.
“Phoenix is rich in cultural activities, organizations and facilities,” said Mayor Greg Stanton. ”Through these new creative cultural efforts, we are continuing to reshape Phoenix’s evolving urban identity through the arts.”
The city’s Office of Arts and Culture plans to issue a call to artists for ideas to develop a two-year program of events as part of “Cultural Connections.” The ASU Art Museum and Roosevelt Row CDC will jointly sponsor Feast on the Street, a unique event based on London’s successful Feast on the Bridge. Scheduled for spring 2013, it will bring together artists, urban farmers, local chefs, and food and health advocates around a community dining table that stretches a half mile along Roosevelt Row. The event will address the issue of local food production and distribution.
To address the issue of blight of vacant land, Roosevelt Row has developed the A.R.T.S. Program (Adaptive Reuse of Temporary Space). The A.R.T.S. Market provides space for local artists and crafters to display and sell their work. Our Town grant funding will provide additional opportunities for performances and music to be held every First and Third Friday between September 2012 and September 2013 for a total of 24 events.
Through Our Town, the NEA supports creative placemaking projects to help transform communities into lively, beautiful and sustainable places with the arts at the core. These projects will improve the quality of life, encourage creative activity, create community identity and sense of place and help revitalize local economies. All Our Town grant awards were made to partnerships that consisted of a minimum of a not-for-profit organization and a local government.
“Cities and towns are transformed when you bring the arts, both literally and figuratively, into the center of them,” said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. “From Teller Alaska, to Miami, Florida, communities are pursuing creative placemaking, making their neighborhoods more vibrant and robust by investing in the performing, visual and literary arts. I am proud to be partnering with these 80 communities and their respective arts, civic and elected officials.”
The NEA received 317 applications for Our Town that were assigned to one of three application review panels based on their project type: arts engagement, cultural planning and design or non-metro and tribal communities.
For a complete listing of all projects recommended for Our Town grant support, visit the NEA web site at arts.gov. For more information on the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, visit phoenix.gov/arts. For information about Roosevelt Row CDC, visit rooseveltrow.org. For information about the Arizona State University Art Museum, visit asuartmuseum.asu.edu.
From the Wire | $150K ArtPlace Grant Awarded to Roosevelt Row
Posted on 6/12/12 by DPJ Staff » No Comments
Some news items don’t need translation. That’s why DPJ launched the From the Wire series, so we could serve the destinations here by posting information and announcements – in their own words.
Roosevelt Row Arts District to Get A New Look and Pop-Up Art Gallery to Increase Vibrancy, Thanks to ArtPlace Grant
ArtPlace releases 47 grants supporting creative placemaking initiatives in 33 communities nationwide
Roosevelt Row Arts District (RoRo), in the urban core of downtown Phoenix, is a neighborhood on the rise, with unique galleries, restaurants, and shops. A $150,000 grant announced today from ArtPlace will bring an infusion of art and design to the area, defining the neighborhood as a destination for locals and visitors alike.
An “A.R.T.S. Village” – consisting of shipping container studios, performance space, and a new urban market garden – is central to the plan, which also includes hiring a design team to create a vision for the future development of the district and new streetscape design guidelines to visually define the area.
ArtPlace is a new national collaboration of 11 major national and regional foundations, six of the nation’s largest banks, and eight federal agencies, including the National Endowment for the Arts, to accelerate creative placemaking across the U.S. To date, ArtPlace has raised almost $50 million to work alongside federal and local governments to transform communities with strategic investments in the arts.
“Across the country, cities and towns are using the arts to help shape their social, physical, and economic characters,” said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. “The arts are a part of everyday life, and I am thrilled to see yet another example of an arts organization working with city, state, and federal offices to help strengthen and revitalize their communities through the arts. It is wonderful that ArtPlace and its funders have recognized this work and invested in it so generously.”
“With this ArtPlace grant, Roosevelt Row is able carry forth projects that help define our community as a vibrant arts district,” said Cindy Dach, Acting Director of the Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation. “Since 2001, RoRo has grown to more than 3 dozen shops, galleries and restaurants and has become a real destination. Our work has always been implemented by a small group of dedicated people and volunteers with a vision for a more liveable community. This grant brings us one step closer to turning visions into realities.”
In the early 1940s, numerous businesses were established along Roosevelt Street, the heart of the district. In the 1970s, parts of the area were re-zoned, eventually resulting in a downturn in the neighborhood that lasted until the late 1990s. The blighted area was attractive to artists because the boarded-up buildings and former crack houses were affordable for studio and gallery space. The arts were a major factor in the revitalization of the area and crime rates plummeted as more people began to venture into the area to experience the cultural vibrancy.
ArtPlace received almost 2,200 letters of inquiry from organizations seeking a portion of the $15.4 million available for grants in this cycle. Inquiries came from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The 47 projects selected each take a unique and locally-focused approach to creative placemaking, from the creation of a Jazz and Heritage Center in New Orleans’ historic Tremé neighborhood to generate vibrancy and economic growth for the local community to ARTSIPELAGO, a comprehensive revitalization strategy that combines a number of unconnected arts and cultural initiatives in Eastport, Maine for greater effect.
“These projects all exemplify the best in creative placemaking,” explained ArtPlace’s Carol Coletta. “They demonstrate a deep understanding of how smart investments in art, design, and culture as part of a larger portfolio of revitalization strategies can change the trajectory of communities and increase economic opportunities for people.”
In September, ArtPlace will release a new set of metrics to measure changes over time in the people, activity, and real estate value in the communities where ArtPlace has invested with its grants.
Participating foundations include Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Ford Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, Rasmuson Foundation, The Robina Foundation, The William Penn Foundation and an anonymous donor. In addition to the NEA, federal partners are the departments of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Education and Transportation, along with leadership from the White House Office of Management and Budget and the Domestic Policy Council. ArtPlace is also supported by a $12 million loan fund capitalized by six major financial institutions and managed by the Nonprofit Finance Fund. Participating institutions are Bank of America, Citi, Deutsche Bank, Chase, MetLife, and Morgan Stanley.
