Arizona Center, the mixed-use shopping center in downtown Phoenix, was constructed in 1990 to jump-start the city’s revitalization of its urban core.

Now, the work-shop-play hub has a $25 million renovation, transforming Arizona Center into a modern, functional destination for local students, families and businesspeople.

“When we looked at first acquiring Arizona Center, we saw what we thought was a generational opportunity to acquire a 16-acre ‘super-block’ in an urban center, and that’s very rare anywhere in America,� said Matt Root, CEO and managing partner at San Diego-based , which acquired Arizona Center in 2015.

Among the additions to the property are a 60-foot LED screen on the northeast corner of Van Buren and Third streets, all-new landscaping and water features, additional lighting and signage, new colors, more bike racks and a stage for live entertainment.

The Grotto, a three-acre park at the center of the property, features new seating and cleanly remodeled fountains; the original Arizona Center frog statues are still standing.

“People want to move to cities with a high quality of life and cities that have long-term job formation, and Phoenix is really at the top of that list,� Root said. “There’s a big growing movement to restore the vibrancy and really enhance the experience of urban life for people; that’s really what we’ve been working off of.�

The “city of the future� is one that values walkability and a variety of uses, and the “right urban mix� of utility and entertainment draws more residents, creating a denser city center, Root said.

“That density raises values, and that vibrancy attracts investment capital, and that’s what you’re seeing in downtown Phoenix today; all those things are happening,� he said.

The establishment of Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix Campus, which houses the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the College of Nursing and Health Innovation, was the catalyst that kicked off more than a decade of refurbishment and revitalization in the area, and a number of developments followed.

Other nearby attractions include CityScape, a high-rise mixed-use development completed in 2012; , another high-rise mixed-use project at CityScape slated for completion later this year; , an urban arts district that features local artists, musicians and food vendors at its monthly events; and the , which completed its most significant expansion yet in 2008. The Translational Genomics Research Institute (), a state-of-the-art nonprofit genomics research institute, is from the Arizona Center.

“Employees today, they desire a work-life balance and something that encourages community-building, collaboration and engagement,� Root said. “We think of that as ‘place-making’ — creating a sense of place where people want to encounter each other and share daily life; walkability, creating urban environments that people can live, work, shop, learn without having to rely on cars; sustainability — always big — and then a mix of uses.�

Several large sports, music and entertainment venues are within walking distance, including Chase Field, home to the baseball team; , home to the Phoenix Suns basketball team; Herberger Theatre; Phoenix Symphony Hall and the Orpheum Theatre.

Urban areas filled with an engaging variety of activities can generate 24/7 activity, Root said. The new-and-improved Arizona Center features “great restaurants, health-and-wellness amenities, an immersive cinema experience, amenities that really create a more personalized experience and help employers attract and retain talent and help employees want to go there.�

The new Arizona Center launched in January 2019, bringing more than 40 local small businesses and farmers to the Grotto every Wednesday from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

New tenants in the retail space include Freshii, a fast-casual nutritious food joint, Bosa Donuts, a popular local shop with locations across the Valley, and Kwench Juice Café. ASU’s Thunderbird School of Global Management has leased office space, too.

The AC Hotel by Marriott will in May of this year on the east side of Arizona Center. The “urban-inspired� hotel will stand 13-stories tall and comprise 199 “classic, yet modern� rooms, as well as a fitness center, rooftop bar, pool and lounge.

Palm Court Tower, a 31-story, 350-unit luxury residential complex is by North American Development on the northwest corner of Van Buren and Fifth streets later this year. About 10 percent of the units in Palm Court Tower will be designated affordable housing, according to the Arizona Center.

The existing AMC Arizona Center 24 movie theater is 90,000 square feet and has 24 screens, which Root said is an “outdated� model. A cinema about half its size will be constructed in its place, and additional retail and residential space — possibly student housing — will eventually be attached on the theater’s north side.

“We have a number of regional and national theaters right now that we’re finalizing negotiations [with], including our existing operator, AMC, to redevelop that whole footprint into a more immersive theater that changes the way we experience film,� Root said. “Think of in-cinema dining, bar offerings, reclining seats, really just a great experience to bring people together.�

Root estimates the coming development will have an impact totaling $300 million to $400 million. He said he believes the changes will create a “tremendous economic boom� for downtown Phoenix.

The key to the Arizona Center’s future success is in creating an authentic community atmosphere in a public space that makes people want to meet each other and “feel the joys of daily life,� Root said.

“You don’t want to force it; you want to make it happen organically,� he said. “You want to feel like, ‘I want to go there,’ and it’s an engaging, immersive experience, and I think that’s what’s happening at Arizona Center.�

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A vision to fill in the dusty stretches of the Salt River with teeming development, recreation and wildlife refuges is becoming a reality step by step.  

The dream was something two elder Arizona statesmen, U.S. Sen. John McCain and U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor, worked their entire careers to nurture.  

Both passed away recently, just months after a historic meeting March 31, 2018 where all the necessary parties – tribes, cities, state and federal agencies, non-profit and business groups – committed in writing to make it happen.  

Called Rio Reimagined, the project’s first year was a blockbuster.

In addition to winning a coveted federal urban waters partnership, the Corps of Engineers has agreed to help with several projects. There is broad-based public and private support.

Riverfronts are also bustling with new multi-family residential, corporate and industrial development, particularly in Tempe Town Lake and Mesa.

Residential, hospitality and beautification projects are also moving forward in Goodyear, Buckeye and Avondale.

Suddenly, investors are interested in long ignored “brownfields� along the river, former landfills, mining pits and other areas that have been cleaned up and are suitable for development, said Melissa McCann, Director of the Arizona State University Exchange that is acting as a coordinator for Rio Reimagined as it takes root.

Much of the interest is due to most of the river’s corridor, roughly 70 percent, within federally designated opportunity zones, McCann said. Approved by Congress last year, the Opportunity Zone program is designed to bring capital investment into underserved areas. Investors receive reductions on capital gains taxes.

“ for innovative solutions for those sites,� McCann said. “It’s enticing for them to think that investors are interested in brownfield sites along the river that they wouldn’t have considered before.�

Rio Reimagined wins coveted ‘river city’ partnership  

Rio Reimagined also just received a highly sought after prize. It is now one of 20 river cities involved in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Urban Waters Federal Partnership.

The Partnership offers many rewards: preference for grants, an ambassador position to coordinate the project for four years, and assistance from 20 federal agencies and 19 nonprofits that support the 19 other urban river systems. Intended to revitalize waterways and promote economic, environmental and social benefits, it also builds on local efforts to stimulate local economies and new jobs.

Arizona’s congressional delegation stepped in to nominate and win this coveted opportunity that will elevate the project’s potential exponentially. Sen. Martha McSally met with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler to promote Arizona as an ideal fit for the partnership.

Industry and non-profits help carry dream forward

Many business and nonprofit groups also are involved in supporting and assisting Rio Reimagined. The non-profit Arizona Forward, which brings together business and civic groups to promote environmental sustainability and economic vitality, held its first Sustainability Summit to get a starting framework for the project.  More than 200 experts shared ideas and developed recommendations.

“This was an important first step in a major multi-generational project,� Arizona Forward CEO Lori Singleton said after the summit. “When we brought in folks from the San Antonio Riverwalk and the Los Angeles River Revitalization and showed that these types of projects take a long time but have results that last generations, everyone got excited. We recognize this as an incredible opportunity to leave a meaningful legacy for future generations.�

Among the many groups supporting Rio Reimagined are:

Arizona Forward

Valley Partnership

Arizona Audubon

Salt River Project

Greater Phoenix Leadership

Greater Phoenix Economic Council

Lower Gila River Collaborative

Kyl Center for Water Policy

Team Rubicon

Sonoran Institute

WESTMARC

Rio Salado project’s evolution   

Rio Reimagined is the next step in the evolution of the original Rio Salado Project started in the 60s by Arizona State University Design School students and staff.

Last year, fueled by the wish of Sen. McCain, eight river communities signed a letter of intent to coordinate to revitalize a 50-mile stretch of the Gila and Salt rivers. The rivers’ path slices through eight communities: the Gila River Indian Community, Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, Avondale, Buckeye, Goodyear, and the Salt River-Pima Maricopa Indian Community

The project has multiple objectives: public open space, environmental and water quality, housing, transportation, economic development, workforce development, community sustainability and resilience for the future.

To see a map of the river, go to:

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