Downtown Phoenix Fry's Opens at Block 23: Info on Parking and Shopping Experience
by Taylor Bishop
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The Downtown Phoenix Fry’s Food Store is finally here! After more than two years of construction, it’s time to see what the 67,000 square-foot space at RED Development’s Block 23 has in store.
From a Chompie’s counter, to a fancy way to get your shopping carts to the parking garage, this Fry’s is truly one-of-a-kind.
The new store has an innovative urban design and advanced technology. You can expect a unique shopping experience encompassing all the amenities of a typical Fry’s, including online ordering and pick-up, made-to-order sushi, convenient deli and bakery selections, a pharmacy with a full range of healthcare services and a Chompie’s counter with sliders, sandwiches and pre-packed meals.
There is also a Starbucks, wine and beer bar and Murray’s cheese counter.
Parking is free with validation in the second floor garage, which can be accessed on Washington or Jefferson street. Once you check out, put your cart on one of the three glass elevators that takes you to the garage.
The other above-ground parking levels will be for the offices and other retail.
A large Phoenix-themed painting by Margaret Dewar of Mural Mice Universal greets you as you walk in the store. There is also artwork by the in-store Starbucks from downtown artist JB Snyder.
You’ll also see two murals on the outside of Block 23 begin soon by Sabree Garcia.
Today we say goodbye to our food desert and welcome a grocery story that’s just a short walk from a growing number of downtown core residential towers and two light rail stops from the Roosevelt and Evans Churchill neighborhoods.
In the next few years there will be nearly 1,000 people living between three blocks (CityScape east, Block 23 and Collier), which will be a big change in the amount of activity in the area 24/7. This will impact businesses in the area and encourage more to come.
Based on what’s under construction and in pre-development currently, downtown will gain around 10,000 new residents by 2022. This number is anticipated to increase as the opening of grocery stores typically sparks even further development.
StreetLights Residential, on the east side of Block 23, will bring 300 new residents to Downtown Phoenix. (Photo: Taylor Bishop)
Block 23 will also include approximately 330 apartment units by StreetLights Residential, 200,000 square feet of creative office space, restaurant and retail uses along with above- and below-grade parking.
Keep an eye out for WeWork opening later this year and Blanco Tacos & Tequila opening in March 2020.
The high-rise mixed-use development has been on the docket as the third phase of CityScape for over a decade, however, it was put on hold after the Great Recession. Now filling the space between CityScape and Collier Center, Block 23 makes downtown even more of a dense, walkable place to shop, eat, work and live.
This Downtown Phoenix block has seen a lot of historic firsts. Block 23 pre-dates statehood and was given by the federal government to the City of Phoenix.
It was home to Phoenix’s first fire station and city hall — and was also the shopping and entertainment hub for downtown at one point with the Fox Theatre and J.C. Penney’s store on the block.
Fry’s has a tribute to the fire station with bricks from the original fire station building featured in the main entrance on the corner of First and Jefferson streets.
Fry’s will be open Sunday through Saturday from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m.