Adaptive Reuse continues to revitalized downtown.

“This project is jump-starting a neighborhood renaissance that will benefit the local community as well as Downtown Phoenix for years to come. Providing 60 units of housing for families earning modest incomes could bring people to this neighborhood who have never been here before,” said District 7 Councilman Michael Nowakowski in a press release issued by the City of Phoenix.

Read the full article, “Oasis on Grand.”

One of many benefits of the Oasis on Grand project is the effect it has had on local crime:

Overall, crime within roughly a half-mile radius of the site has dropped 91 percent in three years, from 726 crimes in 2007, to 63 crimes in 2010, according to the Phoenix Police Department.

Read the full article, “‘Den of sin’ hotel recast into apartments for art community.“

Excitement grows as Oasis on Grand begins to become a reality.

“What we envision is that the artists on the bottom floor can turn their living rooms into personal studio-galleries,” he says. “I love the idea of seeing a bunch of new galleries opening along Roosevelt open every First Friday.”

Read the full article, “Work Begins on the Oasis Hotel, Soon-to-Be Artist-Friendly Apartment Complex.”

We tend to be pretty modest about what we do in our little corner of the Universe.  At Habitat Metro World Headquarters, we have a simple rule when it comes to publicity.  We don’t talk.  We act.  And afterwards, we try our best not to blow sparkles.  Just the facts, ma’am, a la Jack Webb.

But we think this is pretty cool.  Our friend, Marshall Shore, the Impresario behind the Phoenix Metro Retro series of talks, dug this old photo up from the archives.  And truth be told, we’ve been slow to let folks know what we have been working on along Grand Avenue.

You see, we remain convinced that in this present time of economic distress and soul-searching, people are reevaluating how they organize their lives and are coming to the conclusion that quality of life matters.  Just check in at any number of coffee shops in downtown or midtown Phoenix, whether it’s Giant Coffee, Fair Trade, or either of the Lola’s – people seem to be flocking to central Phoenix despite any other generalized anxieties they may have.

They are searching for a textured life that is experience rich and unique.

We think we may have something for them up our sleeves.

For those of you unfamiliar with Grand Avenue, it was one of the Mother Roads in Phoenix. Designated as the US 60, it was a way station for travelers after a long drive, and home to a bevy of first and second generation motels, including the Caravan Inn/Oasis Hotel, located at 1501 Grand Avenue.  In its heyday, the Caravan Inn’s blend of kitsch and modern architecture provided a nice respite for its guests, but as auto traffic shifted to the I-10, the Caravan and its sister hotels along Grand Avenue and Van Buren Streets, were consigned to the dustbin of history as particularly inhospitable specimens of single-room occupancy motels.

Our involvement at this site came at the invitation of the Carmody Companies, the site’s present owner.  Tasked with re-imagining the building in its present incarnation, we collaboratively arrived at an exciting solution: we were going to reuse the building to offer affordable housing, with a particular focus on serving the needs of working artists that are already a part of the downtown arts community or who want to become a part of the downtown fabric.

We are happy to announce that we will be initiating (fingers crossed) the adaptive reuse of the Oasis on Grand Apartments within the next few months.  Comprised of sixty studios, one bedroom, and ground-level live-work residences along the building’s Roosevelt Street facade, we believe that the project will be a critical anchor to Lower Grand Avenue’s northern gateway at the intersection of 15th Avenue, Roosevelt Street, and Grand Avenue.  Plus, it will build upon the pioneering efforts of the Grand Avenue Merchants Association to support arts-based adaptive reuse within central Phoenix.

And, we are also pleased to announce that we will be opening up the Oasis, in is present, pre-construction condition, as part of the Re-Dapt Tours during the upcoming Grand Avenue Festival this Saturday, September 25th.  For tickets and information click here.

So come out and join us!  We don’t bite.  Really.