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Phoenix is asking for assist to create an leisure district to prop up town’s downtown conference heart. The City Council unanimously voted to request proposals from consultants at a public assembly Wednesday.
The vote comes a few weeks after metropolis employees first introduced the thought to a subset of City Council members in mid-June. The hope, metropolis officers say, is to draw extra out-of-state guests and maintain town’s conference heart aggressive nationally.
The marketing consultant would assist town establish one of the best location for the district, arrange outreach with the general public, and give you an implementation technique.
The leisure district would create a branded, walkable space surrounding the Phoenix Convention Center that will supply 24/7 nightlife and issues to do, like Honky Tonk Highway in Nashville or Sixth Street in Austin.
More:Phoenix takes first step to create downtown entertainment district
Ground-level constructing flooring ought to concentrate on eating places and retail. Amenities might embody small parks, “street performers, wayfinding kiosks, monumental public art and artistic lighting or projections” to spark up the realm, based on metropolis paperwork.
Safety options like landscaping design and signage might make the realm extra walkable, and a pedestrian pathway by Fourth Street on the bottom stage of the Phoenix Convention Center South Building might enhance the expertise for pedestrians, metropolis paperwork say.
Recommendations for an leisure district come after town paid for a market examine that claims it, together with different upgrades, would assist the conference heart’s capability to compete on a nationwide scale. Other conference facilities, like these in Las Vegas, Dallas and Austin, are main opponents for Phoenix.
Phoenix Convention Center’s south constructing is slated for main renovations, together with including 150,000 sq. toes of conference heart house and an adjoining resort with between 800 and 1,200 rooms. That resort might doubtlessly hook up with the south constructing on an higher stage ground.
The south constructing would even have a brand new ground-level 34,000 sq. foot “pocket park” and a doubtlessly climate-controlled walkway alongside Fourth Street, located between assembly rooms and ballroom house. City officers need the Fourth Street alignment to higher join Washington and Jefferson streets.
Attendance at Phoenix Convention Center has elevated the previous decade, except COVID-19 pandemic lockdown years. The facility noticed its highest attendance in 2019 with 300,000 guests, plus its highest variety of occasions, 80, in 2018.
The most up-to-date financial impression evaluation for Phoenix Convention Center estimated that it introduced the state $30 million in internet income.
Taylor Seely covers Phoenix City Hall for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at tseely@arizonarepublic.com, by telephone at 480-476-6116 or on Twitter @taylorseely95.
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