The City of Phoenix Aviation Department has received US$10m in funding from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant to create a Cultural Corridor that reconnects disadvantaged and underserved communities adjacent to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with downtown Phoenix.
The Cultural Corridor will consist of a number of elements such as creating sidewalks compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), adding streetlights and protected bike lanes, deploying wayfinding elements and historic building/site markers, constructing bus shelters, re-establishing utility connections, and installing public art.
The Cultural Corridor is bounded by 7th Street on the west, 16th Street and Sky Harbor Circle on the east, Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) on the north, and I-17 on the south. It includes the historic Central City South/Nuestro Barrio neighborhoods of El Campito, Cuatro Milpas, Ann Ott, Green Valley, and San Juan Batista.
The PHX Cultural Corridor project was created as part of the PHX Land Reuse Strategy. The City of Phoenix Aviation Department in conjunction with community organizations, neighborhoods and other stakeholders developed a strategy that could help accelerate the redevelopment of airport-owned parcels west of the airport. The main goals include stabilizing and strengthening neighborhoods, creating a sense of identity and changing perceptions and expanding economic opportunity.
RAISE grants are a discretionary grant program that funds surface transportation and infrastructure projects that have a substantial local or regional impact. RAISE Grant Funds were authorized under the Local and Regional Assistance Program in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
“It’s exciting to see our community’s plans for the neighborhoods west of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport receive this kind of recognition,” said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “This grant will enable us to honor the legacies, histories and identities of existing communities while also improving safety and mobility in the region. I represented this district for many years as a councilwoman and know firsthand that this project will have an immediate, positive impact once complete.”
“This grant will provide us with an opportunity to make significant improvements in the area,” said District 8 Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington. “Our residents were clear that they wanted to return vacant lots to productive use so that we can create a vibrant live-work environment and they wanted to celebrate the rich history of our community; this grant will allow us to respond to those requests. I also want to thank Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Congressman Greg Stanton, Congressman Ruben Gallego and Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema for their work on behalf of my constituents.”
“Sky Harbor’s success should be a point of pride for all Phoenicians – but for many in the surrounding area, the airport’s growth has separated them from their neighbors and from economic opportunity,” said Rep. Greg Stanton. “We’re putting Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds to work to reconnect and revitalize these communities while honoring their history.”
To find out more about Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport’s latest developments, click here.