Mayor Gordon outlines new downtown initiatives, scraps "Copper Square" brand

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon tonight proposed several solid if modest ideas in his 4th annual "State of the Downtown" address at the historic Orpheum Theater. To top off his proposals to make downtown Phoenix a great place to work, live, learn, play, and visit, the Mayor proposed scrapping the name "Copper Square" and simply referring to it as "Downtown Phoenix." There was a rock-n-roll theme to this party, which was sponsored by major corporate big wigs, and featured the music of Alice Cooper and the Mayor handing out Cooper-signed guitars to various people who were making a difference in the life of downtown. Gordon's proposals for downtown:

• Exand the route of the free Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH) bus.
• Build 1,000 new affordable housing units downtown.
• Invite ASU to bring its law school downtown, closer to courts and law firms. Invite U of A to add to its downtown presence (I believe it was the public health school he sought).
• More shade connecting downtown's open spaces, reducing urban heat island effect.
• 1,000 more hotel rooms downtown. Apparently demand for hotel rooms downtown has tripled (which is good as the Convention Center's size is tripling), and the several new hotels being built are not providing sufficient rooms. Gordon said if private investors will not build, the city will build another hotel like the Sheraton that it financed, which is scheduled to open this time next year.