Mayor Gordon's monthly breakfast get-together celebrated downtown commercial reuse projects this month. The event featured three distinctive projects where the historic and the modern have merged: The Luhrs Building, Anchor Manufacturing Company and Arizona Hardware Supply.
A group of 80 or so began their adventure at the Luhrs Building at 11 W. Jefferson. The building's roots go back to 1924 when George Luhrs felt a downtown office tower would benefit and celebrate an emerging Phoenix. Today, Hansji Urban owns the building and has spent several million renovating the historic property for commercial and retail use. Our group met on the tenth floor in the offices of the building's first tenant, Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, LLP .
Next we boarded Olie the Trolley where we met up with Steve and Andi Rosenstein at their emerging business, The Duce. Located in the old Anchor Manufacturing building at 525 S. Central, the duce promises to bring true Urban culture to the area. The Rosensteins, who I'd met through Radiate Phoenix, are converting this one time iron works building into a gathering place with loads activities under one roof. You can shop for clothing, sip a latte, buy a real fountain drink, get a great hot dog, catch a beer or glass of wine, buy a rehabbed cruiser bike, shop for veggies (organic of course) and lots more. The project is under construction and expected to open in late January or perhaps on First Friday in February. We'll tell you more as the grand opening closes in.
Our final stop with the old Arizona Hardware Supply building at 22 E. Jackson. Whereas Duce was funky urban, our last destination was urban modern. The building was purchased by Dudley Ventures and renovated to create office space for the firm. The interesting thing is that Dudley Ventures specializes in community renovation projects. James Howard, the firm's founder, said this project gave the firm an opportunity to walk their talk on a personal level. Howard's long term goal is for the building to be converted to a restaurant as the Jackson Street Entertainment District gains more strength.
Mayor Gordon joined us at Arizona Hardware/Dudley Ventures and talked about the many important urban project going on downtown and how important the investors and visionaries are to a revitalized downtown and Phoenix as a whole.
Historic reuse projects truly help make a downtown work. No only do the projects offer new space, they maintain the history and heritage that makes a city great.
Another good reason to live, work or play in the urban core.
Gene Urban
The Urban Team at Realty Executives
602-234-5777
