Attachment A - February 12, 2025 EDH Minutes.pdf

Phoenix City Council 
Economic Development and Housing (EDH) Subcommittee 
Summary Minutes 
Wednesday, February 12, 2025 
City Council Chambers 
200 W. Jefferson Street 
Phoenix, AZ 
Subcommittee Members Present     
 Subcommittee Members Absent 
Vice Mayor Ann O’Brien, Chair 
 
  Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington 
Councilwoman Debra Stark (Phone) 
Councilman Kevin Robinson 
CALL TO ORDER 
Chairwoman O’Brien called the Economic Development and Housing Subcommittee to 
order at 11:06 a.m. with Councilwoman Stark and Councilman Robinson present. 
CALL TO THE PUBLIC 
None. 
MINUTES OF MEETINGS 
1. Minutes of the Economic Development and Housing Subcommittee Meeting
Councilwoman Stark made a motion to approve the minutes of the December 11, 2024,
Economic Development and Housing Subcommittee meeting. Councilman Robinson
seconded the motion which passed unanimously, 3-0.
CONSENT ACTION (ITEMS 2-5)  
Items 2-6 were for consent action. No presentations were planned, but staff was 
available to answer questions. 
2. Authorization to Contract with the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation
Consent only. No councilmember requested additional information.
3. Authorization to Submit an Application to Purchase Modular Buildings for the
Head Start Birth to Five Program
Consent only. No councilmember requested additional information.
4. Head Start Birth to Five Program Approval to Submit Request of Disposition
Consent only. No councilmember requested additional information.
5. Shared Governance Agreement with Phoenix Business and Workforce
Development Board
Consent only. No councilmember requested additional information.
Attachment A

Councilman Robinson made a motion to approve Items 2 through 6. Councilwoman 
Stark seconded the motion which passed unanimously, 3-0. 
 
INFORMATION ONLY (ITEMS 6-7)  
 
6. Head Start Birth to Five Monthly Report – December 
Information only. No councilmember requested additional information. 
 
7. Naloxone Program Update – September 2024 through November 2024 
Information only. No councilmember requested additional information. 
 
INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION (ITEMS 8)  
 
8. Access to Chilled Drinking Water Initiative Update 
Office of Innovation Director Michael Hammett and Administrative Assistant II Danielle 
Vermeer presented the item. 
 
Councilwoman Stark thanked the Office of Innovation for their efforts on the Initiative. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien thanked the Mr. Hammett and his team and commended the 
team’s achievements and partnerships they have formed as part of the initiative. 
 
9. Downtown Phoenix Parking Master Plan 
Community and Economic Development Director Christine Mackay, Assistant Street 
Transportation Director Briiana Velez, Deputy Phoenix Convention Center Director April 
Truncellito, and Program Manager Jeff Stapleton presented the item. 
 
Councilman Robinson asked if staff is looking at ways to ensure that private information 
is not being breached when using QR code. 
 
Ms. Mackay answered that staff will work with the Police Department to ensure that the 
risk to the users is minimized. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien inquired if there is any parking fee for special events when meters 
are designated out of service. 
 
Ms. Velez replied that there is no charge for special events while there is a $10 charge 
for long-term construction.  
 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked if there is a reason there is no parking fee for special 
events.

Ms. Velez answered the impact of special events is minimal as they only last a day or 
two and the City is trying to support and grow special events that occur in the City, 
which is more beneficial to the City. 
 
Ms. Mackay added that special events provide larger economic benefits than revenue 
lost from parking due to the economic activity the events incur. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien expressed appreciation of the wayfinding signage, which will be 
beneficial to people trying to find parking in the area. She asked what the difference is 
between a mobile application and a web-based application. 
 
Ms. Truncellito answered that a web-based application acts like a mobile application 
without the need to download the application, which makes it easier to use for a greater 
number of people and mitigates the need to download an application for people that are 
visiting for a day. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien inquired if there is still an option to pay parking fee with credit 
cards. 
 
Ms. Truncellito explained people are still able to pay for parking with credit cards at the 
gate and the application is a way to navigate and purchase parking ahead of time. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien suggested involving Police Aides or Police Assistants to assist 
with enforcement for downtown parking. 
 
Ms. Mackay replied she will discuss this matter with the Police Department. 
 
Councilman Robinson stated the Park PHX application is very user friendly. 
 
10. Phoenix Convention Center Booking Update 
Phoenix Convention Center Director Jerry Harper, Deputy Phoenix Convention Center 
Director Sarah Field, Visit Phoenix President and CEO Ron Price, and Visit Phoenix 
Chief Sales Officer Lorne Edwards presented the item. 
 
Councilman Robinson asked what types of conventions the City would we be in 
contention for if there was enough hotel rooms. 
 
Mr. Edwards answered the City can grow further into hosting semiconductor, 
bioscience, and medical related conventions. 
 
Councilman Robinson inquired what type of development can be accommodated in the 
south side of the Phoenix Convention Center (PCC). 
 
Mr. Harper explained the south side of the PCC can fit two high-rise hotels with 800 to 
1,200 rooms that is attached to more convention center space.

Councilman Robinson asked what more the City needs to do to attract larger hotels. 
 
Mr. Price answered the City should first consider the locations and City would like to 
place the developments and then can consider pricing and potentially providing 
incentives to the developments the City seeks to attract. 
 
Mr. Harper added that the expansion of PCC and development of the hotel makes the 
City more attractive to hotel developers. 
 
Councilwoman Stark noted that activities inside the PCC often go beyond PCC itself 
and has an impact on attracting economic activity to downtown. She asked if the City is 
marketing the activities to do when people visit Phoenix such as outdoor activities. 
 
Mr. Price explained the coexistence of an outdoor lifestyle with a rich urban environment 
is the focus of marketing for people visiting Phoenix as well as businesses that are 
considering relocating to Phoenix. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien inquired the reason the City of Dallas decided to completely rebuilt 
their convention center. 
 
Mr. Harper answered while the City of Dallas originally wanted to simply expand their 
convention center, but there were obstacles such as an unutilized railroad track and 
landlock which led the City of Dallas to determine the best option was to rebuild.  
 
Mr. Price added the City of Austin is taking a similar approach to create an environment 
ideal for future conventions. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked how the addition to the south side of PCC will improve its 
competitiveness. 
 
Mr. Price answered that the City is limited by the number of hotel rooms in the 
downtown area and the addition will attract larger conventions to relocate to the City. 
 
Deputy City Manager John Chan added that the Master Plan for the expansion of PCC 
would allow construction of an additional exhibition hall, which connects to the existing 
exhibition halls. He explained the expansion would provide two exhibit halls in excess of 
300,000 square feet, which would allow the City to compete for 80 percent of the 
convention and trade shows market. 
 
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION (ITEM 11)  
 
11. Request Authorization to Issue Request for Proposals for the Southwest 
Corner of 2nd Street and Adams Street

Community and Economic Development Director Christine Mackay, Phoenix 
Convention Center Director Jerry Harper, Visit Phoenix Vice President Eric Kerr, 
Program Manager Eric Prochnow, and Special Projects Administrator Gretchen Wolfe 
presented the item. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked for further explanation of what the evaluation criteria, 
“Return to the City” means in the criteria for Request for Proposals (RFP). 
 
Ms. Wolfe answered the City takes into account the combination of cash and 
quantifiable community benefits the bidder can provide as part of the evaluation criteria 
for selection for the RFP process. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked for further explanation of the 18-month timeline. 
 
Ms. Mackay explained after the City Council approves the item, staff will create the 
Request for Proposals (RFP), assembles a panel for RFP selection, puts out the RFP 
for notice, and schedule multiple community meetings to incorporate community input. 
She added that after the community meetings, staff will bring the item to the City 
Council for approval.   
 
Councilman Robinson made a motion to approve Item 11. Councilwoman Stark 
seconded the motion which passed unanimously, 3-0. 
 
Ms. Margaret Schulz expressed concern that selling the site can introduce the risk of 
the developer not being able to finish the development and lose control over the site, 
recommending the City pursue options to lease the site. 
 
Ms. Mackay explained the City would ensure the developer has paid for and acquired 
permits before the site is transferred to the developer. 
 
CALL TO THE PUBLIC  
None.  
 
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 
None. 
 
ADJOURNMENT 
Chairwoman O’Brien adjourned the meeting at 12:40 p.m. 
 
Respectfully submitted, 
 
Brian Seo 
Management Fellow