Central Avenue Corridor

The Central Avenue Corridor is a very important part of Phoenix, Arizona. It runs north to south along Central Avenue, from Camelback Road in the north down to McDowell Road in the south. This area is one of the busiest streets in Phoenix, with many people traveling along it every day.

This corridor is also a big center for jobs. About 60,000 people work within a three-mile (5 km) area around this part of Central Avenue. Many large companies have offices here, including banks, technology firms, law offices, and government offices.

The Central Avenue Corridor cuts through a larger area called Midtown, Phoenix. Midtown is the group of neighborhoods north of downtown Phoenix and south of the North-Central and Sunnyslope areas. When you see addresses for places on Central Avenue, the block numbers help you know where they are.

Central Avenue Corridor today

Central Avenue runs between two major roads called 7th Street and 7th Avenue. It helps divide the city of Phoenix and some nearby areas into east and west sides.

The road passes through many different parts of the city. Some areas are very busy and expensive, while others have older, large homes or neighborhoods that need improvement. You can find many types of buildings along Central Avenue, from small shops to big apartment buildings, old warehouses, and even places where people live and work. The avenue also has important historic areas and many places for culture, entertainment, and sports.

History

Pre–World War II

Central Avenue was first called Center Street when Phoenix was founded. The original maps from 1877 showed Central Avenue with its current name, but it was still sometimes called Center Street into the 1930s. The first school in Phoenix was built on Center Street in 1874. A new school replaced it in 1879, and it was expanded again in 1893. By 1919, the old school was sold, and a fancy hotel opened in its place in 1928. A school for Native American children opened in 1891, giving Indian School Road its name. A big bridge over the Salt River was completed by 1917, linking downtown to the area now known as South Mountain. Many important buildings opened in the late 1920s and early 1930s, including a tall building that stayed the city’s tallest until 1960.

1950s

As Phoenix grew north, developers built many new places along Central Avenue. A famous steakhouse opened in 1950. A big shopping mall replaced a dairy farm in the middle of the decade, and the second McDonald’s restaurant opened near Indian School Road in 1953. The first tall building outside downtown, the Phoenix Towers, was built in 1957. The Phoenix Art Museum moved to Central Avenue in 1959.

1960s

The 1960s saw many tall buildings go up along Central Avenue. The Phoenix Corporate Center opened in 1960, becoming the tallest building in Arizona. Other tall office buildings and apartment towers were built during this time, changing the look of the area.

1970s

In 1971, Phoenix made a plan allowing very tall buildings along Central Avenue. But not many new tall buildings were built during this time. Instead, downtown became popular again, with many new buildings going up. By 1979, Phoenix had a new plan dividing the city into different areas with their own rules for building heights.

1980s

Building started again along Central Avenue in the 1980s. One tall building, One Camelback, was built in 1985. The city’s third-tallest building, Qwest Tower, opened in 1989.

1990s

In 1992, Phoenix tried to create an arts area in lower Midtown, but many planned buildings were never built. The city’s fifth-tallest building, the Viad Tower, opened in 1991. The 1990s were a tough time for Central Phoenix, and people started focusing more on building homes instead of offices.

2000s

In 2008, a new train line called Valley Metro Rail opened, with stops along Central Avenue. This train changed Central Avenue and encouraged new building rules focused on being close to train stops. New apartment buildings opened in Midtown, and old office buildings were turned into homes. A park opened in 2001 on the site of an old school for Native American children.