The city of Phoenix is seeking help in creating an entertainment district to support the city’s downtown convention center. The city council unanimously voted to request proposals from consultants at a public meeting Wednesday.
The vote came weeks after city officials first presented the idea to some city council members in mid-June. City officials say the hope is to attract more out-of-state visitors and keep the city’s convention center nationally competitive.
Consultants help the city identify the best locations for districts, organize activities with the public, and develop implementation strategies.
This entertainment district will create branded, walkable areas around the Phoenix Convention Center that offer 24/7 nightlife and activities, such as Nashville’s Honky Tonk Highway and Austin’s Sixth Street. It’s a schedule.
more:Phoenix Takes First Step Towards Downtown Red Light District
The first floor of the building should be focused on restaurants and retail. Facilities could include small parks to revitalize the area, “buskers, wayfinding kiosks, monumental public art, and artistic lighting and projections,” according to city documents. It says.
Safety features such as landscaping and signage could make the area more walkable, and a pedestrian walkway through 4th Avenue on the ground floor of the Phoenix Convention Center South Building could improve the pedestrian experience According to city documents, there are
The recommendations for building the red-light district came after the city paid for market research that, along with other renovations, would help the convention center’s ability to compete on a national scale. Other convention centers such as Las Vegas, Dallas and Austin are also major competitors to Phoenix.
The South Wing of the Phoenix Convention Center is slated for a major renovation that will include the addition of an adjacent hotel with 150,000 square feet of convention center space and 800 to 1,200 guest rooms. The hotel may lead to the upper floors of the south building.
The south building will also feature a new ground-level 34,000-square-foot “pocket park” and a potentially climate-controlled walkway along 4th Avenue between the conference room and ballroom spaces. . City officials hope the 4th Avenue alignment will better connect Washington and Jefferson streets.
Visitors to the Phoenix Convention Center have increased over the past decade, with the exception of lockdown years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The facility recorded record attendance with 300,000 visitors in 2019, and hosted a record 80 events in 2018.
The latest economic impact analysis for the Phoenix Convention Center estimated that it brought in $30 million in net revenue to the state.
Taylor Seely reports on Phoenix City Hall in the Arizona Republic.please contact her tseely@arizonarepublic.comcall 480-476-6116 or follow us on Twitter @taylorseely95.