​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Van Buren Outdoor Event Space​​​​​​​

About the Proposal

Downtown street festival spaces have gradually given way to exciting new developments in the central city region. Downtown Phoenix, Inc. , the city's Community and Economic Development Department and others are seeking a new location for outdoor festivals that draw residents and visitors as well as food trucks, entertainers and independent vendors. 

A location on Van Buren Street between 2nd Street and 7th Street was identified as a potential site because it has access to nearby parking strucures, light rail and adjacent transit stops. 

To make this area viable for permitted street festivals, the Street Transportation Department would need to remove the medians, palms and irrigation. 

Aerial Image of Proposed Project Area

The proposed project area starts at the east side of 2nd Street and Van Buren Street and continues to the western edge of the 7th Street intersection. This map shows the existing median areas highlighted in yellow.

Aerial view of Van Buren Street from 2nd Street to 7th Street

​Project Benefits

  • Phoenix hosts major events like the Super Bowl, Final Four, NCAA Women's Final Four and NBA All-Star game and other playoff games. Having a downtown outdoor event space allows for a diverse array of sponsored and related activities.
  • Major national events draw thousands of people to the metro region and have a huge positive economic effect on Phoenix and the state as a whole.
  • Outdoor event spaces allow local businesses, residents and visitors to participate in these major national events, even if they don't attend the event itself.

Please note that proper planning, permitting, emergency service arrangements and related community notifications would be required as with any street festival or block party.

Project Contact

Tariq Momika
(602) 262-6553
tariq.momika@phoenix.gov​

​Community Engagement

Street Transportation is holding a virtual public meeting on Thursday, January 16, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. to share plans and allow residents, businesses and community members to participate in the discussion.

The meeting will be recorded and posted here within about 72 hours of the meeting. A community survey will launch the night of the meeting and will close on February 9, 2025.

Register for the Jan 16 Public Meeting

​​Related Information

​As the Phoenix downtown skyline has evolved in recent decades, outdoor public festival spaces have given way to development. Patriot's Square Park became CityScape, a vibrant downtown shopping and dining venue. Just east of CityScape is the site historically known as Block 23, shown below during a large outdoor festival for the 2015 Super Bowl XLIX. Today, Block 23 is the site of Downtown Phoenix' only supermarket, plus more than 300 apartments and additonal retail space and restaurants. (Photo courtesy of DTPHX.org)

Photo courtesy of DTPHX.org. This image is of Block 23 during the 2015 Super Bowl events. Block 23 is now the site of a grocery store, retail, restaurant and urban residential apartments.