When: Saturday, July 4, 2009
Time: 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. Fireworks begin approximately 9:20 p.m.
Place: Steele Indian School Park, 300 E. Indian School Rd.
Cost: Admission is free. Food and beverages available for purchase.
For more information, click here.
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[Source: Clintus, Phoenix MetroBlog] – Phoenix Friday Nights (#pfn) has been going on now since January of 09 and has gained much success over the past few months. From their “About” page: “Committed to highlighting Phoenix’s vibrant nightlife, focusing on the arts, culture, food, and just plain fun that await in our burgeoning desert metropolis. Through participation in and partnerships with local businesses, arts organizations, and unique events in downtown Phoenix.” Both the East and West valley groups do things a bit differently but fun is still a side effect of the evening.
Tyson Crosbie, the one that got it all started, says that he broke off from yet another popular Friday night get together; Phoenix Friday Coffee (#pfc). “Austin Baker is passionate about coffee and started a Friday after work meetup to visit the local coffee shops. I started going and loved the community that built up. I saw that the groups were getting bigger than the venue and attempted to create an additional PFC coffee meetup on Friday. This caused a lot of tension in the community and a lot of confusion on Friday and so Phoenix Friday Nights was born. It had a similar call to action: Go out on Friday with friends and have a good time, but a different venue and geography. It was a place to meetup at local downtown businesses: Restaurants, Bars, Coffee, etc. as a starting point for the night.”
To read the full article, click on Friday Nights in the Valley of the Sun
[Source: Jennifer McClellan, Arizona Republic] — The off-the-beat locations of the galleries between Thomas and Camelback roads mean not as many people visit as at the Roosevelt Row and Grand Avenue areas of the art walk. But for those looking for a specific type of art, the northern galleries are easily accessed by using the light rail or free First Friday shuttle.
Practical Art, just off the Central/Camelback light-rail stop, deals in “usable and functional” art, owner Jane Reddin said. Each month, the gallery features a different Arizona artist trying to break into the art scene. Reddin said she tries to make her gallery accessible to everyone, and never charges a fee to see the operative artwork…
Exposed Studio and Gallery, a stop on the north route of the free shuttles, shows a variety of provocative artwork. “We show erotic artwork that other galleries are afraid to show,” said owner Gregg Edelman. “Everything here is one-of-a-kind…”
Cuervo Studio and Gallery, on Thomas Road a few blocks from a north-route shuttle stop, specializes in Latino artwork… Artist-in-residence Martin Moreno creates sculptures and other art inspired by his community while running the studio with his wife, Sylvia Hernandez-Moreno. Along with exhibiting artwork by local and national artists, Cuervo offers public art classes. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]
[Source: Jahna Berry, Arizona Republic] — Throngs of tourists and a neighborhood building spree have helped turn things around at Arizona Center, a 19-year-old outdoor mall that was a pioneering downtown Phoenix redevelopment project.
There are questions about the mall’s future. In April, Arizona Center’s parent company, General Growth Properties Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. But for now, “it’s absolutely business as usual” for mall customers and shop owners, said mall General Manager Chris Bilotto. In media reports, analysts have speculated that some of General Growth’s 200-plus malls could be sold.
While shop owners wait for news on the bankruptcy case, they are enjoying a boost from the mall’s new neighbors: the Phoenix Convention Center, which finished a $600 million expansion last winter, and the 1,000-room Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel that opened last fall. Since January, the convention center has hosted 44 events with more than 233,175 visitors, a convention center spokeswoman said. In 2008, the center had 49 conventions and 122,625 attendees. That foot traffic has kept Arizona Center cash registers ringing and has helped to reduce the effect of the economic downturn, shop owners say. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]
[Source: Mike Sunnucks, Phoenix Business Journal] — The University of Phoenix Stadium outranks the region’s other pro sports venues, according to fan surveys conducted by ESPN and the University of Oregon. The ESPN magazine survey asked 5,000 fans nationwide their impressions of pro sports teams, owners, stadiums, and arenas.
The UOP Stadium in Glendale, home to the Arizona Cardinals, ranked 24th on the list. The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field in downtown Phoenix came in 39th for stadium experience. Jobing.com Arena where the financially struggling Phoenix Coyotes play came in 72nd ahead of the Suns. The Phoenix Suns’ US Airways Center ranked 88th among the 122 pro sports franchise stadiums and arenas. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]
[Source: G.G. George] — The Encanto Citizens Association Board attended the foreclosure auction on Thursday, June 11, 2009 for the vacant land on the north side of McDowell Road between 13th and 15th Avenues. The property that the out-of-state investor, Scott M. Haskins, had purchased in 2006 for $5,400,000 had contained 32 moderate-rate apartments meant to house war workers during World War II. It was just two years ago to the day, June 11, 2007, that Haskins had the historic Palmcroft Apartments demolished. In ECA’s opinion, Haskins’ action irresponsibly wasted a historic resource that, properly managed, could have sheltered low-to-moderate income families for generations to come.
The Encanto Citizens Association opposed both the alley abandonment and the grab for the excess right-of-way at the 15th Avenue bus stop. Councilman Michael Nowakowski, Mayor Phil Gordon, former Councilman Doug Lingner, and the other Council members denied the developer the alley abandonment and the excess right-of-way. The F.Q. Story Historic District also supported ECA’s position.
The property was sold at auction to Michael Sklar of the Sonata Property Group for $500,000. Mr. Sklar is familiar with the neighborhood, having previously lived at 1621 N. 11th Avenue. The Encanto Citizens Association will continue to monitor this property and, in the best of all possible worlds, work harmoniously with a developer who truly has something to contribute to the appeal of Encanto-Palmcroft.
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