The city of Phoenix wants to bring a mixed-use development to its land at the southwest corner of 19th Avenue and Dunlap, which currently includes a Park and Ride and two commercial/retail buildings (photo by Kathryn M. Miller).
At an April 8 meeting, the city of Phoenix laid out its vision for the future redevelopment of the 19th Avenue and Dunlap Park and Ride (P&R) and the two commercial retail buildings immediately to the west – all of which are owned by the city and are adjacent to the Valley Metro Light Rail station.
Rezoning cases Z-7-25 and GPA-NM-1-25-3 were presented by Jeff Stapleton, City of Phoenix Community and Economic Development Department. The 10-plus acre site has been city-owned since 2010 and consists of a 417-stall P&R and 36,000 square feet of 1980s-era commercial/retail space. According to Stapleton, the P&R is currently at 10 percent utilization (use typically drops after a location is no longer end-of-the-line, he said) and the strip center is 55 percent vacant.
The proposed zoning for case Z-7-25 is WU T5:5 (Walkable Urban Code), which would allow up to five stories and bring mixed-use development closer to the sidewalk to encourage interaction between the building and pedestrians. Retail or other commercial uses would be on the bottom floors, with residential units above and parking to the south. The maximum height would be capped at 56 feet.
If adopted, this would be the first site in the 19North Transit Oriented Community (TOC) to utilize the WU Code. The nearest example of T5:5 zoning is just south of 19North – Mesquite Terrace, an affordable housing community at 19th Avenue and Camelback.
The GPA case changes the land use designation from Industrial & Commercial to Mixed Use. This is something that the city says aligns with the 19North TOC plan, adopted by city council in 2021, and “reinforces walkable, transit-oriented design.”
Stapleton also said that this plan is born out the city’s desire to meet housing shortages cited in its 2020 Housing Phoenix Plan by encouraging production of all housing types – market rate, workforce and affordable.
“The key plank in this plan is if we own city land and it is underutilized, what do we do with it? The direction is to bring in residential, and we are looking at mixed income residential.”
Some residents at the April 8 meeting were not thrilled with the potential 56-foot height. They felt that it would set a height precedent along 19th Avenue and significantly increase density in the area. A specific development is not attached to the rezoning, Stapleton said. There will be an RFP (request for proposal) process that could begin as soon as next year, the terms of which will be heard by a council subcommittee after community input is solicited. The sale of the property will not take place until a development agreement has been signed, all plans have been submitted, and permits are issued.
Another resident who lives nearby wondered if the underutilization of the P&R was due to safety issues – she drives down to the Camelback/Central location to catch the light rail because it feels more secure. Also, how would the city attract new retail if the existing space is only at 55 percent?
New development, Stapleton said, would bring more “eyes and ears” to the street, and they would likely be backed by their own security. He added that by building modern retail space and placing it right on the street, they would be able to attract new tenants and customers.
There are residents who currently utilize the 19th/Dunlap P&R. How would this proposal accommodate them?
After the meeting, city staff clarified, “The Park & Ride will remain at this site, but will be reduced in size to meet demand so current users shouldn’t be displaced. A final recommended stall count will be provided through a study by Valley Metro that will analyze current and future demand. Park & Ride parking stalls will remain free to users. Providing these parking stalls will be a requirement for developers in a future Request for Proposals issued by the city.”
They added that rather than discouraging transit use by displacing a larger P&R, placing housing next to transit would make its use more convenient.
The city hopes to bring its case to the North Mountain Village Planning Committee on May 21. A sign with hearing dates will be posted on-site. Residents can find meeting agendas online: www.phoenix.gov/cityclerk/publicmeetings/notices.
