Attachment B - 6.4.26 Roosevelt Row First Friday Events Letter

ROOSEVELT ROW FIRST FRIDAY EVENTS - June 4, 2026 
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ROOSEVELT ROW FIRST FRIDAY EVENTS - June 4, 2026 
HISTORY: 
In the 1990s and early 2000s the Roosevelt Row district in Downtown Phoenix grew from a 
grassroots arts scene on and near Roosevelt Street, where low-cost leases and vacant lots 
attracted artists, small businesses and restaurants. Artists and businesses partnered with Artlink 
for monthly First Fridays (originally First Wednesdays), drawing visitors with open studios, 
galleries, performance arts and unpermitted vendor booths. The artist and vendor booths began to 
increase and the City of Phoenix requested Roosevelt Row CDC (RR) to organize the vendors, to 
align with proper permitting, tax licenses. RR created artists' markets and activations on vacant 
parcels. At the time vacant parcels represented 60% of the area.  
As development began to occur on the vacant parcels, RR worked with the City of Phoenix to 
host street closures, which included re-routing bus lines, supplying restrooms and other logistics, 
including a police presence to monitor safety.  The FF audience in this area expanded from 1k–
2k to 10–15k attendees. The street closures were on side streets such as 2nd Street, 5th Street and 
Garfield.  In 2009, the police requested for the closures to be combined and occur only on 
Roosevelt Street, as a way to better manage safety. This continued until 2020 when COVID 
halted all social gatherings. 
After COVID, unpermitted vendors reappeared. RR resumed management of closures on side 
streets until police requested a return to the Roosevelt closure. Rising safety concerns, barricade 
and enforcement costs increased production expenses.  By late 2025 monthly First Friday closure 
ran at a net loss despite 22,000 attendees. The closure footprint was inconsistent as it reshaped to 
manage costs and crowds.  Following safety incidents including gun violence and complaints 
about declining artist presence, street closures were suspended in April 2026.  Prior to that in late 
2025, community listening sessions were launched to gather resident, business and artist input on 
the situation and direction.  
FF activations in Roosevelt Row have continually evolved in response to the community vision 
and feedback. The next irritation is now. 
LISTENING SESSIONS:  (include dates) 
Overarching themes: 
●
FF activations were of great financial importance to the businesses.  Beginning in 2025,
their sales began to decline due to large crowds, crowds more interested in “chaos” than 
the arts and local businesses.  Road closures disrupted business prior and post the event. 
Attachment B

ROOSEVELT ROW FIRST FRIDAY EVENTS - June 4, 2026 
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● The RR brick and mortar, and the artist and vendor make-up, represent a large portion of 
women owned and BIPOC businesses.   
● The community at large wants to see a focus on local artists which includes visual, 
performing, beverage and culinary.  
● For participating artists and vendors affected by the suspension of the street closures, 
sales on FF have a significant impact on their livelihoods. 
● Residents and downtown employees express discomfort with the size of the FF street 
closure, crowd and safety concerns.  
○ Tenants are citing First Friday street closures as the reason they decline to renew 
their leases. 
○ Employees of the brick and mortars businesses are requesting not to work on FF 
○ Downtown employees leave work early to get out of the area 
● Some businesses would like to host artist vendors and activations on their property.  
Currently, the City of Phoenix only permits this, if the wares for sale are also available 
inside the property during other times. 
 
 
FUTURE: 
● Continue promoting RR as a FF destination.  
● Continue monthly meetings for RR businesses and stakeholders with the goal of 
increased communication and collaborative community planning. Work towards bringing 
24/7 activations, not only on FF.  RR may serve a role in assisting businesses and artists 
with activations . 
○ Example: A new one-day, annual RR arts festival.  
○ Example: Second Saturday vendor markets in parking lots during the day. 
○ Example: Festival with street closures other than FF.  
● Continue suspension of all FF street closures for the foreseeable future in an attempt to 
become less attractive to those that want to create chaos. This will also pause the 
financial drain of this event. 
● Ask the City of Phoenix to examine permit options that will allow property owners and or 
their tenants (with property owner permission) to host artist vendors on and adjacent to 
their property without having to sell their wares inside their business.   
○ Artist engagements including but not limited to live painting, musical 
performance, dance, for activities that are not selling wares would not require a 
permit.   
■ Example:  Roosevelt Row apartments may obtain a temporary permit to 
allow Central Arts Market to set up in their outdoor courtyard. 
■ Example:  Bud’s Glass Joint may obtain a permit to allow artist vendors 
and makers to set up in their front yard.

ROOSEVELT ROW FIRST FRIDAY EVENTS - June 4, 2026 
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● Expand the RR board:  RR will circulate a survey to downtown community members to 
solicit self-nominations and nominations for new board members.  
○ Priority will be given to business owners and artists who live or work in 
Roosevelt Row.  
○ Three new board members will be appointed in 2026 
○ Three additional board members will be appointed in 2027.  
○ Current board members term off over the same time to ensure continuity.  
 
● Task Force and or Merchant Association: In addition to expanding the board, a task force 
and or merchant association will be reestablished.  The task force will include a broad 
representation of the Roosevelt Row Community - residents and business owners.  
Eventually, future board members would be selected from the task force.  
● Work with the City to determine if we should restart the conversations around a Business 
Improvement District.  
● Work with the City on the possibility of piloting a circulator that would get people 
around Roosevelt and Downtown on FF.  
● Pilot small scale vendor events over the summer (not on First Friday) to see the impact 
and benefit they bring to the community. These events would not involve a street closure.  
● Between the board and the task force, these voices will work together to shape the future 
of Roosevelt Row and its artists presence.