Lower Grand Avenue & GAMA

Lower Grand Avenue is a unique commercial strip in downtown Phoenix. Grand Avenue originates at the intersection of 7th Avenue and Van Buren Street, and cuts diagonally toward the northwest across the urban grid to Glendale, Peoria, Sun City, Wickenburg, and ultimately Las Vegas. The first mile of Grand Avenue from the 7th Ave. & Van Buren intersection up to where Interstate 10 crosses over, just north of the 15th Ave. & Roosevelt St. intersection, retains a quirky yet uneven urban commercial feel. This area, now known as Lower Grand Avenue, has in recent years been colonized by artists and small businesses and is in rapid transition to becoming an arts and retail destination for the entire Valley.

Lower Grand Avenue’s property owners and tenants are represented by the Grand Avenue Merchant’s Association. GAMA has been active in working with the City of Phoenix Planning Department to build a consensus for future development of the area. “Visioning” efforts to date have coalesced around the general idea of a walkable, vital, and exciting streetscape experience, focusing on preservation and rehabilitation of the existing building stock while allowing enhancement of the street with the addition of compatible new features (see http://www.phoenix.gov/urbanformproject/cmgrandvr.pdf). At this time, Lower Grand Avenue appears to be struggling to identify the unifying features or characteristics that will define and accentuate its “sense of place” and set it apart from the rest of downtown.

For information on some of the businesses and activities occurring on Lower Grand Avenue, see http://www.grandavenuefestivalaz.com.

(c) 2009 Motley Design Group LLC