Light rail stokes downtown dreams

Downtown business owners are hoping the convenience of light rail will persuade more people to stick around after sporting events and concerts.

Baseball, basketball, theater and live music regularly bring thousands downtown. But most people tend to arrive right before events and leave right after. The start of light-rail service on Dec. 27 raises hopes that people will come early or stay late for food, drink and other entertainment. Along the 20-mile track, there will be a lot of choices. Light rail, plus the $600 million convention-center expansion, the $223 million downtown ASU campus, the $900 million CityScape development at the former Patriots Square Park and the $350 million Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel are seen collectively as downtown Phoenix's best chance in decades to become the region's downtown.

"I think light rail has the potential to have as positive an impact as anything that I can remember, and I've been downtown for over 35 years," said Michael Ratner, owner of Tom's Restaurant & Tavern at Washington Street and Central Avenue.

The popular eatery was named for a legendary bar and pool hall that existed in the area when trolley lines connected the city.

To lure evening customers over the years, Ratner has instituted happy-hour specials, parking validation for diners who wanted to eat and then attend events, and curbside service. The results were mixed, at best.

To prepare for light rail, Tom's is refashioning the front of the restaurant to offer convenience items for light-rail riders like drinks, books and magazines.

"I think that all restaurants and all businesses really need to be on their toes to do a good job when these new people start coming down on the light rail," said Brian Wicker, the restaurant's manager. "I talk to people all the time that haven't been to downtown in five years."

Longer hours sought

Downtown business owners hope light rail draws people with an interest in night life, eager to sample the bars, restaurants, clubs and boutiques that have opened the past year and a half.

They are counting on 20-somethings, often critical first-adapters of new systems like light rail, who also have the disposable income to take in a burgeoning scene. Also, light rail offers a safe way around Arizona's strict DUI laws.

These riders would eat at Roosevelt Row restaurants like Fate or shop at one-of-a-kind clothing stores like Bunky Boutique. They would check out new bands at the Ruby Room, south of Chase Field, or hang out at Silver, Amsterdam and Club PHX.

That is why some downtown nightlife and venue operators wish light rail's proposed hours of operation would be extended.

The current plan calls for the last full-length light-rail train trip to leave the station at 11 p.m. Spokeswoman Hillary Foose said officials need enough time to perform track maintenance and clean cars. The first full-length trip across all 20 miles will occur at 4:40 a.m. She hinted that there could be some flexibility in those hours.

"As we move forward and hear and learn from the community we serve and see our actual ridership, we will be adaptable and refine the system accordingly," she said.

The lively old days

Downtown Phoenix wasn't always fighting for nightlife.

Through much of the 20th century, downtown hummed with activity night and day: Trains pulled into Union Station; goods were unloaded at warehouses; shoppers, workers and moviegoers packed the sidewalks.

Most of the upscale shopping, financial firms, lawyers and banks were downtown.

Then, the suburbs began to pull the center away.

Bringing housing back has long been considered a key to bringing vitality back to downtown. New apartments and high-rise condos have been built despite the poor economy, driven in part by the arrival of light rail.

Across the street from Tom's Tavern, construction is under way on the 1.8 million-plus square-foot CityScape. Covering three blocks, it will feature condos, offices and shops. The first phase of the project is under construction and slated to open in early 2010.

Because of the recent turbulent events on Wall Street, plenty of questions remain about at least one tenant central to the project: Wachovia Corp.

The company has signed a lease to anchor CityScape's 27-story office tower, One East Washington. But Wachovia is in the process of being acquired by Wells Fargo and Co. Project officials have said it is too early to know how the deal will impact CityScape.

Without the light rail, "I don't know if the project would have happened on the scale that it happened," said Jeff Moloznik, development manager for RED Development LLC, which is behind CityScape.

CityScape officials are also putting faith in their project's proximity to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and the State Capitol complex.

Meanwhile, Copper Pointe 2 Development LLP is still planning to build the $25 million boutique hotel that is set to open in December 2009.

Vice President Dave MacKenzie said light rail was not the deciding factor in building the hotel, but he said it was critical in giving the project and downtown a certain vibe.

"If you think of the Bostons, the Seattles, the San Franciscos, (rail and subway systems) enhance that whole urban feel," he said.

MacKenzie likes the fact that a rail station across the street from the hotel will let guests move around the city and come back steps away from the hotel's front door.

Ratner of Tom's Tavern is taking a hopeful but wait-and-see attitude.

He has been paying downtown rents for a long time and is ready for the crowd.

With the construction of light rail and CityScape, "it's an expensive ride to be on this corner," he said. "But I don't have any intentions of giving up. I think I've probably weathered the worst of the storm."

Light rail could bring more sports fans to downtown venues. Here, Stanley Brown gives a ride to John and Margie Mahlum of Mesa.