Nestled in the heart of downtown Tempe, Mill Avenue is the city's most eclectic street.
The avenue is packed with restaurants, bars and shops, from the mainstream to the unique. It provides a little something for everyone, from college students to working professionals.
But the downtown area has changed significantly in the last few years. City officials estimate 12 to 18 businesses move in and out of Mill Avenue buildings each year. Many bars faced hardships when Tempe passed a smoking ban in 2002 and pushed many customers to Scottsdale.
Still, Tempe officials say they have plans to revitalize the area.
"Mill is constantly changing and evolving," Tempe Economic Development Manager Jan Schaefer said. "A lot of change is going to take place."
Part of that change will be an increase in population in the area. However, those people won't be there to shop -- they'll be there to live.
Two residential developments are underway for the downtown area, said Rod Keeling, executive director of the Downtown Tempe Community, a non-profit, private association that helps to plan development in the downtown area.
The first development will be Edgewater at Hayden Ferry Lakeside. The eight-story development will include 40 condominium homes. It will be located along the south shore of Tempe Town Lake and development will begin in about 60 days.
"Residential is the next big wave," Keeling said. "People want to live in a great urban place, and downtown Tempe is the best in Arizona."
The next set of downtown homes will be the Avenue Communities at Centerpoint. The four 20-plus story towers will be built on Sixth Street and Maple, near Z'Tejas Grill. The first phase, which will start development early next year, will include 170 condominium units for sale, not rent.
"Avenue Communities will include a small grocery store," Keeling said. "It will be very urban."
While the new residents will undoubtedly infuse even greater life into the community, local businesses also welcome the boost to the economy.
Victor Linoff, owner of antique store Those Were The Days, has been on Mill Avenue since 1973. He hopes the addition of residents will create a drive for more unique, independent businesses.
"I have no doubt that a greater residential presence will help downtown create more retail," he said. "But we would rather have Changing Hands [Bookstore] than Borders."
Beverly Leresche, owner of Chosa's Harley-Davidson, which opened a store on Mill in October, agrees.
"It would be nice to see independent, small business operations rather than chain stores because everyone needs that opportunity," Leresche said. "But I am glad for the investment in condos; it will really help build a sense of community."
Keeling said 78 percent of businesses on Mill Avenue are independently owned.
"The objective of DTC is to recognize high-quality, independent business," Keeling said. "Chain stores sought us out in most cases, and we felt that some of them were appropriate."
Keeling said the area has already brought in $170 million this year, a large number compared to $70 million in 1993.
"There has been tremendous growth in the downtown area," Keeling said.
Schaefer said he attributes the constant change of stores on Mill Avenue to changing trends in retail, not location or popularity of the area.
"There is always change in retail because some 'hot concepts' may only last five years," Schaefer said.
Oscar Jaramillo, assistant manager of My Big Fat Greek Restaurant, said ASU's presence makes the Mill Avenue location profitable.
"It's a great location because college students come in and out," he said. "All businesses in here do well because it is a college town."
Some ASU students said they like the Mill Avenue scene.
"It's just always a good time when you go down there -- a lot of fun," said business freshman Mark Nesdill. "It creates a social scene right next to campus."
Art freshman Christy Brownfield said she liked the storefronts but said the area could use some improvement.
"It's really cute, but I think it needs more stores, personally," Brownfield said.
Other students said they avoid downtown Tempe.
"I'm just not really into that whole scene," said pre-med freshman Danielle Adair. "It's too flashy, and I'm more of a laid-back person."
While the exposure to the University is a bonus, owners felt the biggest problem created by the Mill Avenue location was lack of parking.
"[Parking] is always a hassle, especially for people who are not from the area," Jaramillo said.
Linoff agreed.
"There is an issue of access and parking, and if people think it's a problem and that Mill is too congested, they stay away," Linoff said.
Keeling said parking has always been a problem because of the urban nature of the area. However, the new communities will not adversely affect the parking situation for Mill Avenue patrons.
"Residential communities help the parking issue because people will already have parking spaces reserved," he said.
He also added that DTC is always working to improve the availability of parking on Mill Avenue.
"We have worked on parking for years, and the problem is that the spaces are not directly in front of the stores like at the mall," Keeling said. "The urban environment is never going to be as convenient as the [mall parking] is."
Although Mill Avenue will see much development in the next few years, Keeling said the main focus of all the change is to create an upscale urban experience for patrons and residents.
"It will be all things," he said. "Visiting downtown Tempe will be the complete urban experience."
Ryan Kost contributed to this story.
Reach the reporter at jenna.eckenrode@asu.edu.
