Phoenix plans grocery store and medical services development for 24th, Broadway

Phoenix has decided to seek development proposals for a grocery store and medical services — along with entertainment, restaurants and retail — for the southwest corner of 24th Street and Broadway Road, which has sat vacant since 1999 when the city condemned the land and demolished a grocery store to combat crime and blight.

The request for proposals, which will be sent to developers early next year, will be based on what residents of the area have said they want.

The decision was made at a community meeting Monday night, which came after months of community outreach led by Councilmember Carlos Garcia’s District 8 office and community member Thomas Claiborn. Surveys and community meetings were used to determine what types of development to prioritize for the site, said Phoenix Community and Economic Development Director Christine Mackay.

Monday’s meeting was the city asking for the community’s blessing to move forward with the search for development proposals, Garcia said.

The top two priorities that will be identified in the request for proposals will be a health-focused grocery store and medical services, like an urgent care center.

“I understand you don’t mean a big Fry’s marketplace,” Mackay said to the meeting’s attendees. “You are looking more for a small, locally owned neighborhood concept that could be on the site.”

Secondary priorities that will be written into the request for proposals will be sit-down restaurants, retail and entertainment, such as a bowling alley.

Mackay said that all of the priorities could fit on the 12-acre site with shared parking.

Additional elements that community members said they were interested in seeing on the site include outdoor spaces and recreation, acknowledgment of the cultural heritage and history of the area, small businesses, community support services, and art. Mackay also said it was clear that community members want sidewalks and do not want fast food.

After the Community and Economic Development Department crafts the request for proposals, it will seek approval from the City Council early next year. The request will be issued within 30 days of council approval.

Mackay said the submission period for site proposals will close in the spring. Fall 2023 is the goal for a proposal recommendation to be presented to the council.

Community engagement does not end when the request for proposals is issued, Mackay said. Once a developer is chosen, they will come back to the community to discuss their ideas and receive feedback and input.

“This isn’t the last of our meetings,” Mackay said. “This is just the beginning.”

In the meantime, the city is working with Claiborn to use the site temporarily for a farmers market, an open retail market, or a space for food trucks.

Mackay said the goal is to have the lot ready for temporary use by January. “At least you can use the property in the interim; it just doesn’t stay this dirt lot,” she said. The Community and Economic Development Department plans to pay for the temporary usage license.