City of Phoenix leaders and the downtown community celebrated the grand opening of the Civic Space Park with festivities on Thursday.
The grand opening of the park, located on North Central Avenue and East Polk Street, included a community celebration in the morning, a formal dedication in the afternoon and an art-feature lighting in the evening.

ASU Vice President Debra Friedman, District 7 Councilman Michael Nowakowski and District 8 Councilman Michael Johnson spoke at the dedication, along with Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, who thanked ASU staff and students, city of Phoenix employees, longtime residents of downtown Phoenix, among others, believing in the restoration of the area.

Gordon called the opening of the park “a rebirth of the entire area.”
“This is the best use of our civic resources I think our city could invest in, and it’s certainly the best park in the whole entire state,” Gordon said.

After speaking once, Gordon returned to the microphone again to thank ASU President Michael Crow amidst the flurry of criticism surrounding the president.

“Give ASU a call and just tell them thank you because we wouldn’t be here if [Crow] didn’t believe and take a quantum leap and create something that didn’t exist, and all of it in [just] five years,” Gordon said.

The park features nearly 39,000 square feet of turf, two shade structures with solar panels, permeable concrete that captures and recycles rainwater, trees expected to shade over 70 percent of the park upon reaching full maturity, a set of columns illuminated by LED lights and an interactive water feature.

For students planning to study at the park, the southwest corner of the Civic Space features benches, shade and Wi-Fi access.

Phoenix Deputy City Manager Rick Naimark said the A.E. Building, located within the Civic Space, will open in the summer and will eventually house retail shops. Naimark also said the park will continue to expand to surround the post office located to the north of the park as it is renovated into a student union.

“The same team that worked on this park is going to continue working on the exterior and how it interfaces with the union,” Naimark said.
Many students spent time at the park throughout the day, including social work senior Julie Wright. Wright said she and some friends decided to go to the park because they were excited about it.

“It looks gorgeous,” Wright said. “I feel like I’m going to be here all the time. Just hang out, relax, [and] maybe study out here.”

Tourism development and management senior Emiliya Gesheva spent a few hours at the park reading on the grass and said that was the best part of the Civic Space.

“It’s peaceful,” Gesheva said. “It’s quiet. You don’t have to sit inside, and you can enjoy the weather.”

The opening of the park also allowed community members and students a chance to get a closer look at the multicolored net that hangs above the park, the art piece “Her Secret is Patience.”

The work, named after a phrase by poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, was inspired from many elements of Arizona’s nature, artist Janet Echelman said.

“It’s not about one thing,” Echelman said. “I’m inspired by many things and then I weave those together.”

Echelman said she likes the work to be open, so people can come to their own conclusion.

“It allows people to make their own meaning, and it’s, I think, an empowering aspect of the work,” Echelman said.

Reach the reporter at snrodri2@asu.edu.