The group “This Could Be Phoenix” does a great job establishing sense of place in Phoenix and envisioning what our little town could be.

In trolling around Facebook today, I saw a great little effort they are making to talk focus on our future. Here’s what they are up to, and I encourage you to have a look. I know that we will grab one of these little signs to share a space that is near and dear to us.

Today marks the start of ‪#‎ThisPlaceMatters‬ & ‪#‎ThisPlaceMattersPHX‬month! What is it? It’s national campaign that encourages people to celebrate the places that are meaningful to them and to their communities.

So join us all month long, and tag photos of special places near and dear to your heart with two hashtags: #ThisPlaceMatters and #ThisPlaceMattersPHX. Plus, we’re competing with 12 other cities around the country, and if we win (by having the most tagged photos), we’ll get money to host a party – So drinks will be on us! Let’s put Phoenix on the national map!!

Our friend Matthew Steinkamp of Sundawg Media tells me about his new project, which will be at the Phoenix Film Festival. It is called “Play – A Documentary. See a list of screenings at this link, and pick up a pair of tickets here.

The documentary will be at our local film festival, and hopefully more around the country.

Phoenix seems to be generating its own home-grown film industry. Earlier in the year, we hosted the premier of Durant’s Never Closes at our January Get Your PHX.  We are so proud of our local film makers.

What makes us particularly impressed with this film is that it is a crowdsourced film about music, passion and education. With so many critiques of education in Arizona, its nice to see a film that honors arts education.

Congratulations to the whole crew.

Phoenix’s Historic Downtown Baptist Church is getting the long overdue resurrection is so desperately needs. The church, affectionately dubbed “The Monroe Abbey”, is transforming into a new hub of bustling active space for downtowners and visitors to enjoy.

“This was finished in 1929, just before the depression. It was a big church; 1,400 or more were here for services. It was designed for chorale singing and mass choirs,” former Arizona Attorney General and First Baptist Church advocate, Terry Goddard, explains.

In 1968 The First Baptist Congregation held its final church service at the 3^rd Avenue Church, and relocated to its new facilities on Glendale Avenue, leaving the building vacant.

In 1982 the Church is added to the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1984,the sanctuary went up in flames and burned for two days, causing the roof to collapse completely.

In 1992 the Church is declared a hazard and was set for demolition.  Saved from the wrecking ball by Terry Goddard and other local heroes.

Although the fire left the church in disrepair, the open-air cathedral has had a renaissance of nature over the last twenty years with an unruly “secret garden”, zillions of birds, and about thousands bees making the space their home.

Architects at Jones Studio along with Patry Building Co are taking on the heavy lifting to transform the Abbey into a multi-tenant, mixed-use space while keeping both the integrity of the structure and working the majestic beauty of the natural growth into the development.

The new four-story space will be activated with a black box theatre, restaurant, office space, gallery and even a speakeasy. There’s even enough space in the center courtyard for performances and events.

Join us on April 21^st for tours inside the palatial property with Katherine Patry as well as a special update on the Welnick Bros. development just down the street.

As always, please RSVP below.

Date: Thursday, April 21^st
Time: 5:30PM – 7:30PM
Location: Monroe Street Abbey: 302 W. Monroe St.
RSVP: Click Here
Click here to follow us on Facebook!

Thanks again to Tim Bishop, Ryan Jerrell and Jessica Brining for hosting a beautiful event at DIG IT Urban Garden. The weather was perfect, the lighting was elegant and everybody had a great time.

March is looking to be another great event. Satisfy your curiosity this month as we explore Phoenix’s finest oddities shop, Curious Nature, at their new home on Camelback and Central.

Oddities, curiosities and eclectic collections fill every inch of space at Curious Nature making it one of the most interesting shops you’ll ever step into. Specimen jars and jawbones line the display shelves while walls hold pinned moths, butterflies, and mounted animal heads. Owner Mason Conway modeled the shop after history’s iconic cabinet of curiosity, (also called “wonder rooms”), where extraordinary objects tell a visual story of the wonders of the natural world.

Conway has always been a fan of the Victorian Era and began collecting at a young age, “Collecting natural specimens was a very popular hobby at that time, and I was looking for a new career path. The opportunity to open the shop presented itself, so I jumped at the chance.”

Conway’s contacts in the collectors world affords him opportunities to bring in great pieces by local artists like Heather Grimes Dream Wings jewelry collection, which works with 100% harm-free wings, bones and snakeskins to create incredible necklaces sold in store.

Mason’s passion for sharing his knowledge with others encouraged him to launch his own business. With the new space, Conway’s now able to expand the class sizes for etymology and taxidermy, which sells out quickly! Next up is a class on Taxidermy with rats in early April.

As Conway puts it, “I just wanted to share the things I love with Phoenix. I love teaching and I love learning. This is a great opportunity to share my interest in the beauty of science and nature in a unique way. It’s like a museum, but you can take it home with you. I encourage people to pick things up and touch them.”

Meet Mason and the crew of Curious Nature this March with us and enjoy tours and small bites till 7:30PM. As always, RSVP below.

Date: Thursday, March 24th
Time: 5:30PM – 7:30PM
Host: Curious Nature: 5032 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 85012
Note: Free to attend, free raffle ticket at entry!

RSVP HERE

From the City regarding its compost facility operator:

The City of Phoenix has issued its Compost Facility Operator RFP!

This RFP will select a qualified contractor to operate the city’s future 110,000-ton compost facility, which is scheduled to open in late 2016.  The successful proposer will operate and maintain the compost facility and sell the products generated at the facility.  

The RFP is posted at this link.  The pre-proposal meeting will be held at 2:30 p.m. on March 11, 2016 at the city’s 27th Avenue Transfer Station in Phoenix.

All questions about this RFP must be directed to the robyn.skramstad@phoenix.gov.

I’m a big fan of composting. I like the idea that I’m keeping the nutrients from my yard in my yard, or that I’m adding to the health of my yard by composting much of the food that I buy.

In Phoenix, you need to think more about heat and moisture than in other parts of the country.

Of course, the big news about getting a compost facility operator is that it could lead to more composting services for those of you who don’t have the time, room or inclination to do your own composting.

This issue does not necessarily impact home sales or purchases. You don’t for instance, need to have a compost pile inspection from a licensed compost pile inspector. But, if you have a compost pile and you are selling a home, you’ll want to make it look attractive.

I such a nerd about this stuff, that I made a video about composting about 8 years ago. Well, not so much that I’d want to be a compost facility operator.

So, while you are waiting for the next season of Game of Thrones to come on here’s something you can watch. In the video, I cover three different types of compost systems that I’ve used and the results that I’ve had.

As for the movie, I’d like to thank all of the people who made this production possible: the director, the key grip, assistant key grip, the stage hands and union lighting guys…

One of our local business leader-type friends here in Phoenix, Andrew Kolikoff has started a new academy called Mentor Mash.

This academy is designed as a tool for those who need a business mentor.

He’s set up an impressive support network:

• Local First – they are strategically reaching their membership on our behalf!
• The Phoenix Hispanic Chamber of Commerce – they are doing the same
• The Arizona Commerce Authority – we’re in their newsletter
• The City of Phoenix Economic Development Department
• The Maricopa County Women’s Education and Entrepreneur Center
• The Hive (Phoenix Public Library System’s Startup Support Group)
• Right now we have almost 75 registered businesses, 3 Paid sponsors and all the above supportive organizations involved.

Have a look at his site and judge for yourself!

WPA Building Rendering

Some of you have been following along as we have worked to save the WPA building at the state fairgrounds.

Seems the fairground board is bent on tearing down another historic building in Phoenix. They believe that they will make more money for the fair by renting tent space on the land where the building used to be.

We believe, and have shown, that this is not true. We already have parties who are interested to rent all or part of the renovated building. But the fair board is not willing to wait that long.

I understand their frustration. The Arizona Legislature has been sweeping money from their ticket sales for years to “balance” the budget. This has left the fair with nothing for renovation, let alone long-term planning.

Current WPA Buildling

In 2014, when the fair board was about to tear the building down, some of us found a way to halt the demolition. The fair board gave us a year. In that time, we have come up with tens of thousands of dollars in commitments to repair the building.

But now we are told that the time is running out. The fair board plans to demolish in April, unless we raise $100,000 to at least repair the roof. However, they have resisted our efforts to get architects in to the building to assess what it would take to repair the roof.

We need your support to save this piece of Arizona heritage. Please contribute whatever you can to the Arizona Preservation Foundation for the WPA building.

Some on the Fair Board are fearful that a bunch of historic preservationists will come along and alter the grounds such that they will never be able to host a fair again. I think I can speak for folks in the preservation community when I say that this is not the case. Our state fair, which is unique in so many ways, has the room for preservation while maintaining our annual state fair –our heritage.

There is common ground here, as large as the Veteran’s Colosseum.

SAVE the DATE: Thursday, March 10, 2016

Artlink, City of Phoenix, Downtown Phoenix Inc., and Hance Park Conservancy invite you to the “Art d’Core Gala”

NEW Co-Host and Venue!

Y’all know that the arts is an economic driver, especially in downtown Phoenix. Art is a big reason why so many people want to live in Cenpho.

I plan to be there!

Held under–and among–the stars in Hance Park, this fourth annual celebration spotlights the significant contribution that arts and culture plays in creating a dynamic urban core.

The Art d’Core Gala is hosted by Artlink Inc., the City of Phoenix, Downtown Phoenix Inc., and Hance Park Conservancy. The festivities will include music and dancing; fabulous food and drink; a special toast by Mayor Greg Stanton; and an eye-popping virtual tour of the Hance Park Master Plan.

Please RSVP Here

When I heard that a movie was made about our own Durant’s restaurant and bar, I had to act quickly. The director was thinking of hosting the world premier in Scottsdale.

Not over my dead body. Nothing against Scottsdale, but is Durant’s in Scottsdale? Was this restaurant, which was the scene of many political deals, schemes and even plans to assassinate reporter Don Bolles in 1976 not located in Phoenix?

I immediately got on the phone with Kendall over at Local First Arizona, our Get Your PHX event co-conspirator, we found great partners with the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel and Edison Midtown (now under construction steps away from the original Durant’s (Official).

We are putting together a star-studded, red carpeted premier event that respects the history and tradition of Phoenix on January 21st , 2016 at the Renaissance. The premiere screening of the film will take place January 21st in the ballroom of the Renaissance Downtown Hotel. The event starts at 6pm with a pre-party mixer and the screening will begin at 7pm.

Tickets will be sold online ONLY until January 17th. Your name will be on a will call list. Tickets must be purchased on computers, mobile devices are experiencing issues.

Watch the trailer for Durant’s Never Closes here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXZQBsHevkg

Check out some of the press for the film: http://www.durantsnevercloses.com/press/

And here’s a little more history from you, thanks to Kendall over at Local First:

Jack Durant first opened his famous, (or infamous?), steakhouse, Durant’s, in 1950 at Central and Virginia Avenues, and remains frozen in time with red leather booths and server staff donning red vests. Durant’s quickly became a favorite hotspot for movie stars and sports icons; a place where you’d find John Wayne, Joe DiMaggio and Clark Gable enjoying steak and martinis.

Owner Jack Durant was no shy character in Phoenix’s history with rumors surrounding his ties to mobster Bugsy Seigel when he was a teenager to the murder of Arizona reporter, Don Bolles, which Durant was said to have been planned right in his restaurant. “It’s not like anything else in Phoenix because you know it feels like you walked into ‘Goodfellas,’ basically,” said Valley filmmaker Travis Mills of Running Wild Films.

The film, Durant’s Never Closes, centers around the legendary Jack Durant, a restaurateur, ladies’ man, and mysterious gentleman who maintained many connections to the mafia. Based on the play by Terry Earp and the book by Mabel Leo, tells his story during one day at his restaurant. Tom Sizemore stars as Jack Durant along with Peter Bogdanovich and Phoenix’s own, Wayne Rainey.

“Durant’s was the spot for the movers and shakers of Phoenix,” said Mills. “Celebrities, politicians, mobsters, they came and they made business deals here.”

From the backwoods of Tennessee, to the world of Vegas at the time of Bugsy, and finally as the owner of his famous steakhouse, Durant is a legend and dynamic character, at once charming, powerful, and dangerous…