Maintenance crews work on new side walks near the south side of Phoenix on Jan. 26, 2026. Construction is expected to be finished by May of 2026. (Credit: Danny Stipanovich)
PHOENIX, Ore. – City leaders in Phoenix are taking steps to revitalize the downtown area with a focus on enhancing walkability and making local development more appealing.
“The real opportunity is getting folks to not only visit a business in town, but stick around and explore,” Will Volpert said, president of the Chamber of Commerce.
The city council has approved the purchase of four smaller parking lots throughout downtown to make up 105 parking lot spaces.
Construction on the lots haven’t started but Volpert said the city is 90% done through design and environmental assessment.
This initiative is part of a $4 million revitalization effort that also includes sidewalk upgrades along the south end of the downtown strip.
Construction is expected to wrap up in May.
“I’m excited the fact that the downtown continues to grow and evolve,” the city’s mayor, Al Muelhoefer, said.
Volpert emphasized the potential benefits for local businesses and the community.
“If we can get people to stay for another two or three hours and explore town and visit some of the interesting small businesses that we have, I think that’s a big win,” said Volpert.
He added, “Most of all, I think a lot of us just want to have a town that we’re proud to live and work in — and I really think that’s the direction that we’re headed.”
Residents are also hopeful about the changes, expressing a desire for a more pedestrian-friendly environment.
“I couldn’t really take my dog out on the main road because it was just a little bit too sketchy with all the crazy cars driving by but now I feel comfortbale walking my dog there,” Ezra Hamers said, a Phoenix-native.
“Residents wanna be able to walk out of their homes in Phoenix and be able to go and walk downtown and then not use their cars,” said Muelhoefer.
This project is set to transform Phoenix into a more vibrant and accessible community, benefiting both residents and visitors.
This story was reformatted from a broadcast news script.
City leaders in Phoenix are taking steps to revitalize the downtown area with a focus on enhancing walkability and making local development more appealing.
Danny Stipanovich is a multimedia journalist at NewsWatch 12. You can reach Danny by emailing dstipanovich@kdrv.com.
