Phoenix buys land, will build pedestrian bridge to revitalize Salt River
City puts nearly $50M toward Rio Reimagined efforts
A child and adult help pick up trash in the Salt River. Rio Reimagined is an effort to revitalize more than 45 miles of the Salt River into an area that can both be used for recreation and community connection and as a catalyst for economic growth. (Courtesy Rio Reimagined)
The effort to refurbish parts of the Salt River in the Valley began at Arizona State University in the 1960s.
The effort was promoted by late U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor and late U.S. Sen. John McCain and led to completed projects like Tempe Town Lake and the Audubon Center in Phoenix.
Phoenix City Council is now helping to keep that dream alive, by last week approving the purchase of 29.5 acres in the “Rio Reimagined” area and the approval of a bicycle and pedestrian bridge to be built.
Rio Reimagined is an effort to revitalize more than 45 miles of the Salt River into an area that can both be used for recreation and community connection and as a catalyst for economic growth. The overarching effort is made up of many smaller efforts. The area is 78,000 acres in total, spanning many jurisdictions.
The dotted blue area on this map shows the Rio Reimagined study area. (Courtesy Rio Reimagined)
Councilmember Laura Pastor, Ed Pastor’s daughter, said her father’s wish was for the Salt River to no longer be just a river bottom that people treated as a dumping ground.
“It’s a personal pride for me because I know the labor of love that he placed into making this dream happen,” Pastor said.
Councilmember Carlos Galindo-Elvira noted the property's purchase was supported not just by city council but also by Phoenix voters, who approved general obligation bonds in November 2023 that included money for this property.
The property is at 3030 S. Seventh Street and owned by Ace Asphalt of Arizona. The council meeting agenda did not include what the price for the purchase would be, but the bond funds allocated $23.5 million for the purchase.
This artist’s rendering imagines what a revitalized stretch of the Salt River could look like. (Courtesy Dig Studio)
Buy purchasing the property, the city prevents any private landowner from either sitting on the land without improving it or building something incompatible with the Rio Reimagined vision to revitalize the area, said Galindo-Elvira.
Another part of that revitalization will be the bicycle and pedestrian bridge where Third Street intersects with the Salt River. The contract approved by council during the March 26 meeting is for $25.4 million.
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Mayor Kate Gallego said she hoped this would make the area a great recreation spot and allow people to bike or walk to and from work or school.
“The next three months are an enormously important series of months for Rio Reimagined,” Gallego said. “The city of Phoenix would not exist without the riverfront area, and we are investing in it in big ways.”
Gallego said she hopes private dollars will follow the public funding in revitalizing the area. According to RioReimagined.org, public agencies, private investors, nonprofits and ASU have all invested time or money toward cleaning up and revitalizing the riverbed.
Galindo-Elvira and Councilmember Kesha Hodge Washington each said the Rio Reimagined projects would be a step forward toward rectifying some of the environmental harms south Phoenix residents have endured.
“South Phoenix has borne the burden of environmental injustices like gravel pits and landfills. This site offers and opportunity to reverse that trend,” Galindo-Elvira said.
Mark Carlisle joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2017, covering Glendale. He has since moved to the Daily Independent team, primarily covering the city of Phoenix along with other topics affecting the Valley at-large.
Community: Mark enjoys taking his two young sons to parks, the Phoenix Zoo, the Phoenix Public Library and other fun events around the Valley. He also participates in a local book club.
Education: Chapman University with a BA in English Journalism and one in Screenwriting.
Random Fact: Mark worked at a tuxedo shop in college. Just don’t ask him to tie a bowtie.
Hobbies: Spending time with his wife, sons and dog, watching sports and TV shows, listening to audiobooks and occasionally writing fiction or designing a board game.
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