Posts Tagged ‘Bob Graham’

January 19, 2015

A Development Crisis in One of Phoenix’s Most Vibrant Neighborhoods

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Today’s post is by guest contributor Bob Graham: 2015 has brought to downtown Phoenix new multifamily development projects that have awakened and alarmed local stakeholders. Any of these developments on their own would probably have ruffled a few feathers but then continued on to completion would be just one more minor erosion of urban fabric that we would adjust to. However when they all come up at once, the challenges of maintaining our progress towards a revitalized and sustainable downtown become all too stark. Current Events: Problem Projects The three projects that have caught the community’s attention are, from west…

August 20, 2012

Why the Grand Avenue Rail Project is Vital to Phoenix’s Economic Development

by: Bob Graham

Tweet Today’s post is by Bob Graham, president of the Grand Avenue Rail Project. For the last two years, steady progress has been made on the establishment of the Grand Avenue Rail Project (GARP). The project is envisioned as a way to use certain existing resources to create an attraction that will revitalize the Lower Grand Avenue business district. Awareness of GARP has grown in the downtown community, and we have received many positive comments. In this article, I will give a brief summary of the project for those who are not familiar with GARP, and follow that with the…

October 18, 2011

Win 2 Tickets to the 2011 Grand Avenue ReDapt Tours!

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet I am a big fan of Grand Avenue, it’s biggest proponent – Beatrice Moore, and all the artists and small businesses that choose to be on this great, mysterious, sometimes sketchy, yet always fascinating and fun diagonal avenue of Phoenix. What gives Grand Avenue it’s edge is that it’s hub for talented artists, architects, crafts people, and a number of other unique and funky small businesses AND it’s a hub for homeless people, up to no good teenagers and other people with questionable intentions. So, it’s a mix. But don’t be scared off by the dark side of Grand,…

March 22, 2011

Interview with Architect Marlene Imirzian

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting with architect Marlene Imirzian at her office in Sunnyslope. I’m a big fan of Marlene’s not only because of her fantastic work and embededness in the community but because she is a great example of a premier woman architect here in the Valley. Below is our conversation. Blooming Rock: Can you tell me a little bit about working with Gunnar Birkerts and William Kessler and how its influenced your work? Marlene Imirzian: I am an architect because of Gunnar. Gunnar Birkerts is not well known today but at the…

March 01, 2011

Marking the 1-Year Anniversary of Places, Spaces and Faces Community Dinner

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet I can’t believe it’s been one full year since Places, Spaces and Faces Community Dinner was started! We started off small, but with fantastic participation at a quality venue, setting the standard for future events. Kathleen Bartolomei, one of the original founders, had a brilliant suggestion at the first dinner which has helped sustain the dinners every month since. She installed the tradition of voting for the best cook in the different categories (sweet, savory and later drinks) and the winners would help organize the next dinner. “Built-in sustainability” she called it and boy she was right! As the…

January 02, 2011

New Year’s Resolutions for a Better Community

by: Jim McPherson

Tweet Today’s post is by Jim McPherson, a follow up to his guest post last week. He helps us kick off the new year with some resolutions on how to improve Phoenix and concrete steps on how to get started. Thanks Jim!… Happy New Year! Here in Phoenix, the sun is out, the sky is clear, and there’s a slight chill in the air. Not bad, not bad at all. It’s also that time of the year to resolve to improve upon the previous year. It’s time to look forward and to move forward. Last week in my post, “Yes…

June 07, 2010

Bob Graham on Why the Leighton Knipe is Worth Saving

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Last week I posted my point of view about why not all old buildings should be saved. I used the Leighton Knipe house as an example of an old building that isn’t necessarily worth fighting for. But a few people in the historic preservation community disagreed with me. One of the people who’s spoken out about the Leighton Knipe house is Bob Graham, a local architect doing important work in historic preservation and other urban projects. I interviewed Bob to get his point of view about why he thinks this building is important and why it should be saved:…