PHOENIX – Mayor Kate Gallego said Wednesday she’s excited about a future “gateway” to downtown, including new housing, at the current site of the Phoenix Police headquarters.
The city is planning to redevelop the intersection of Seventh Avenue and Washington Street after the police department relocates, Gallego told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show.
“We’re going to be redeveloping a lot of housing at the gateway to our city,” she said.
Plans for downtown Phoenix ‘gateway’ include affordable housing
The city owns three corners in the area, the mayor explained.
“So, we’re going to be able to do something pretty, we hope, spectacular, but with affordable housing as a component,” she said.
Gallego also said she anticipates “really dynamic businesses” on the ground floor of the development, without getting into specifics.
“We hope to get something with maybe some art elements that really says ‘welcome to downtown,’” she said.
Why is Phoenix Police Department relocating?
The Phoenix Police Department will be moving into a new headquarters a few blocks east on Washington Street.
The city’s police force has been based on Washington Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues since 1975, but the building is in need of costly repairs and less than half the size recommended for the department’s modern needs.
The city purchased the 27-story 100 West building (formerly known as Wells Fargo Plaza) for $46.5 million in 2021 with plans to convert it into a central government hub, including space for a new police headquarters.
In 2023, a major renovation project started on the 500,000-square-foot property at Washington Street and First Avenue, just east of City Hall.
