Downtown Phoenix

On a bed of a primordial ocean floor and in a valley surrounded by jagged mountains, a city was founded atop the ruins of a vanished civilization. In 1867, former Confederate soldier Jack Swilling saw the remains of an ancient canal system and the potential for the area to blossom into a thriving agricultural center. Pioneers moved into the settlement searching for new opportunities, and on October 20, 1870, residents living in adobe structures that lined dirt streets adopted the name Phoenix, expressing the optimism of the frontier. For decades, downtown Phoenix was a dense urban core, the hub of agricultural fields, mining settlements, and military posts. Unfortunately, suburban sprawl and other social factors of the postWorld War II era led to the centers decline. With time, things changed, and now downtown Phoenix is uniquely positioned to rise again as a prominent 21st-century American city.

Lord Darrell Duppa, along with his friend Jack Swilling, suggested the name Phoenix for the city he had cofounded because it described a city born from the ruins of a former civilization. Settled on the ancestral lands of the Hohokam Indians, Phoenix was thriving by the early 1920s when craftsmanship and attention to detail were the orders of the day. Buildings were designed to welcome residents and travelers alike. Today the Fox Theater, the Clark Churchill House, the Kon Tiki Hotel, and the Fleming Building exist only in photographs and in the memories of Phoenix residents. The National Register of Historic Places and the Phoenix Historic Property Register have heightened public awareness and appreciation for the communitys historic landmarks, but much has been lost already. Remembering these buildings and landmarks is essential to understanding this remarkable city.

Resolution No. 17849, which formally adopts the Downtown Phoenix Specific Plan, passed by the City Council on May 8, 1991. With attached text and map.

The nationally recognized Roosevelt Row Artists' District in downtown Phoenix originated during the platting of the Churchill Addition in 1888, when fewer than 4,000 people called the city home. The Evans and Churchill Additions enjoyed vibrant, walkable mixed-use growth until the suburban sprawl of the 1950s pulled people and resources away from the downtown city core. Significant decline fell upon the area for decades, until artists began to imagine new possibilities in the 1990s. Few urban areas in the United States have undergone such rapid and dramatic revitalization as Roosevelt Row. In 2000, the area's affordability attracted artists who began to transform underutilized structures and vacant lots into a vibrant, diverse, welcoming community. Iconic events, live music, unique performances, and temporary public art have made it one of the largest monthly art walks in the county, and USA Today recently named Roosevelt Row "one of the ten best city arts districts" in the country.

The nationally recognized Roosevelt Row Artists' District in downtown Phoenix originated during the platting of the Churchill Addition in 1888, when fewer than 4,000 people called the city home. The Evans and Churchill Additions enjoyed vibrant, walkable mixed-use growth until the suburban sprawl of the 1950s pulled people and resources away from the downtown city core. Significant decline fell upon the area for decades, until artists began to imagine new possibilities in the 1990s. Few urban areas in the United States have undergone such rapid and dramatic revitalization as Roosevelt Row. In 2000, the area's affordability attracted artists who began to transform underutilized structures and vacant lots into a vibrant, diverse, welcoming community. Iconic events, live music, unique performances, and temporary public art have made it one of the largest monthly art walks in the county, and USA Today recently named Roosevelt Row "one of the ten best city arts districts" in the country.