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ASU sparks community attention in downtown Phoenix Warehouse District reactivation project

A collection of businesses, city officials and ASU students are working to improve Downtown Phoenix's well-known Warehouse District. (Photo by Tynin Fries)
A collection of businesses, city officials and ASU students are working to improve Downtown Phoenix's well-known Warehouse District. (Photo by Tynin Fries)

A collection of businesses, city officials and ASU students are working to improve Downtown Phoenix's well-known Warehouse District. (Photo by Tynin Fries) A team of businesses, city officials and ASU students are planning to improve downtown Phoenix's historic Warehouse District. (Photo by Tynin Fries)

The historic Warehouse District in downtown Phoenix is characterized by unused brick buildings and vacant parking lots, but ASU is seeking to reactivate the area to be more efficient and usable.

Lauren Allsopp, faculty associate for the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, taught an urban design workshop class that gave students the opportunity to consider ways to revitalize the area.

 

“Revitalization can be defined in many ways, from physically restoring an area ... to examining communities to bringing needs ... and social equity back into areas,” Allsopp said. “Drawing on the wealth of talent at ASU, we have the opportunity to work closely with the community to help revitalize the Warehouse District.”

People in the community approached ASU’s School of Geographical Science and Urban Planning in late November 2013 and invited it to get involved with the project.

Allsopp’s urban design workshop class then spent the semester gathering research, looking at the history and demographics of the area and creating plans for alternative commercial ways to use preexisting structures in the district.

Groups of Allsopp’s students would be faced with a specific problem in the district, such as an excess of old, unused rail cars and would find solutions for these problems, such as transforming the rail cars into cafés or boardrooms.

The class’s plans also accounted for the basic needs a population would require in an efficiently-functioning neighborhood, such as grocery stores, hospitals and libraries.

Allsopp said she sees the reactivation project as an opportunity for ASU colleges to collaborate, including the art, sustainability, law, design and urban planning schools, which can all contribute to the reactivation process.

“I think this just has so much positive momentum, for so many,” she said. “Revitalizing this area of the downtown — you know it has to help.”

Although the urban design workshop course concluded in May 2014, Allsopp has continued to pursue the project’s goals and encourage community involvement.

Since the class began work last year, its efforts have been aided by support from restaurant and business owners in the area and have gained the attention of Phoenix officials.

Larry Ortega, executive vice president of Colliers International, has been involved in downtown Phoenix real estate and arts since the mid '90s, he said.

As active artists and gallery owners, Ortega said he and his wife believe food, fashion, music and art will contribute to a vibrant downtown area.

“I believe that reactivation of the Warehouse District can provide a distinct character and ‘soul’ for Phoenix and at the same time fill a demand for creative space in our downtown,” Ortega said.

Steve Rosenstein, who co-founded and co-owns the Duce Kitchen and Lounge in the Warehouse District with his wife said he believes the Warehouse District is the only authentic, genuine place in the Metro area.

“The Warehouse District is a blank canvas,” he said.

 

Reach the reporter at ekamezak@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @emikamezaki

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