Phoenix Moves to Build Affordable Housing on City-Owned Land

The city of Phoenix is considering a 3.2-acre city-owned site in Park Central for affordable housing as part of its goal to build or preserve 50,000 housing units by the end of the decade, reports Corina Vanek for Arizona Republic. “The development must offer at least half of the units as affordable to people earning less than 80% of the area median income. The site's zoning allows for buildings reaching up to 100 feet, so a new project could bring hundreds of new units.”

The city will also ask for proposals that include public-facing commercial space on the ground floor, a component frequently cited as important in public meetings about the site.

According to Vanek, “The city recently designated the area as a ‘bioscience hub,’ a nod to the growth of medical companies and Creighton University’s medical campus, which has plans to expand in the mall’s former parking lot.”

The Park Central site is the second city-owned lot being evaluated by the city for affordable housing. In late 2022, the city issued a request for proposals to build housing for seniors on a 2-acre lot.