Early in 2006, John Bacon, Director of Marketing for Red Development, initiated an agency marketing review for their CityScape project in Downtown Phoenix. CityScape was a $900-million, 2.5-million-square-foot mixed-use development combining high rise condominiums and loft condos, retail, hotel, office and public park space that would ultimately span three square blocks of prime downtown Phoenix real estate running from First Avenue to Second Street and from Washington to Jefferson Streets in the Phoenix Copper Square District.

CityScape would be a major part of downtown Phoenix revitalization becoming the focal point for a new urban Phoenix scene as it borders US Airways Center (home to the Phoenix Suns) and is a short walk from Chase Field (home to the Arizona Diamondbacks), the new Phoenix Convention Center complex, the Warehouse district and the planned Jackson Street Entertainment District, along with the new Phoenix Light Rail running adjacent to CityScape which will be served by two rail stations.

The retail aspect included boutiques, specialty retail (e.g. apparel, home furnishings, etc) and traditional neighborhood stores like a grocer and other shops. It was expected that the stores and services housed at CityScape will not only appeal to and cater to Downtown Phoenix residence, workers and ASU and U of A students, but would also draw people from beyond Downtown to the area; becoming the point of destination that Downtown Phoenix has so long needed. CityScape was also one of the premier commercial developments, not only Phoenix, but the nation and considering the long-term plans for Greater Phoenix, CityScape was expected to be the catalyst to bring the city into a new competitiveness with other national Metropolitan markets.

Back to the review, John met with four agencies and design firms who had worked on other Red Development projects throughout the nation. Unfortunately for them, their approaches were shot down by the Red/CityScape review committee because each presentation focused all, or in part, on the “Jewel of the Desert” approach that had been developed by the Phoenix CVB which promoted the fact that Phoenix is ringed by rugged mountains and the picturesque Sonoran Desert and ranks as one of the world’s truly elite golf destinations. Also, the Valley of the Sun is home to more beautiful resorts than perhaps any other community of its size in the world.

It was during these reviews that I was first introduced to John Bacon through Bozell, Omaha. Two months earlier I had merged my company, Pitzer Advertising & Design, into the Bozell network enabling us to open the Bozell, Phoenix office here, which I became the Managing Partner of. During our lunch, John shared some of his concerns with me regarding the presentations he had seen. I asked if I could make a presentation on behalf of Bozell, as I had just completed two and half years as Executive Creative Director working on the Phoenix CVB. John agreed to look at what I could come up with, but he needed to see something in three days because the final decision was going to be made that week.

My Concept for CityScape:

Here are the three key observations that were missed by the other agencies and based on these three issues, I was able to develop the wining approach for CityScape:

1.) Phoenix is surrounded by desert (like Los Angeles), but it is no longer consider to be a desert.

2.) The current view by people living in Greater Phoenix – Downtown Phoenix closes at 7 pm.

3.) Do not show cactus or beautiful resorts and golf course shots.

The biggest problem to over come was to undo 10 years of consistent marketing by the CVB’s of Greater Phoenix which created the illusion that every area of Phoenix and Scottsdale bordered some part of a picturesque golf course or scenic desert strewn with cactus and red rocks. The next problem was to create a new illusion that Downtown Phoenix was open 24hrs — okay, maybe I could create the feeling it was open at least until midnight.

The booklet I created started out by focusing on the region and the Sate of Arizona. The next few pages moved in to provide information and statistics on Greater Phoenix and Phoenix. The next section focused on stats regarding Downtown Phoenix and then wrapped up with several pages specific to CityScape. Each spread had one large visual with three unique inset pictures to help articulate the information and statistics we were presenting. The entire book was handmade and could be updated as new information, rankings, and other build projects progressed in the area. The slip cover featured a copper-plated information bracket that was riveted to the front of the box. Each time we printed and assembled a book, a new number was assigned to each cover so that as these were handed out, the recipient was given a book specifically printed and assembled for them. This 50-page book was created in two sizes, 8×8 as shown here and a 17×11 coffee table version. Each was also design to hold a DVD regarding the CityScape project.

To change the perception of how late Downtown Phoenix was open, I took inspiration from the work created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who captured in his art the Parisian nightlife of the Montmartre section of Paris. The center of the cabaret entertainment, dance halls, nightclubs, and bohemian life that he loved to paint. In particular was his work, La Goulue Arriving at the Moulin Rouge with Two Women painted in 1892 and is now in The Museum of Modern Art, New York. The bottom-lit colors and the slight green tinting captured that moment of excitement of evening entertainment. Translating that into our print ads became a conscious decision not to use daytime photography. We would use nighttime visuals and lighting to add excitement to our images and reinforce the image of “life after 7 pm in Downtown Phoenix.”

When it came time for the launch party, we didn’t have an old building to blow up in a dramatic ground braking ceremony. We also didn’t have the luxury of wonderful mild weather being September in Phoenix. What we did have was US Airways Center directly across from the CityScape development site. On a scouting trip with John Bacon, I said it would be absolutely awesome if we could use a technique I once saw in an opera that would allow us, at a key moment in the celebration, to unfurl the floor-to-ceiling event graphics having them possibly drop dramatically into place. We’d create a real-time, perfect perspective view of what the CityScape would look like against the existing Phoenix sky line of Downtown Phoenix for 500 t0 600 people and press attending the ground breaking. John tilted his head, looked at the 45′ tall windows and said, “Can you get something printed that large?” To which I replied, “I have no idea, I’m not even sure if they’ll let us install something that big if we could.” The idea and theatrics were so perfect, John had us put together the concept in sketch form so he could present it to his management.

They approved the concepts immediately.

Enter Commerce Color, which I found through a search on the Internet. After visiting their website and seeing the size and scope of their previous work gave us the confidence to move forward with this project, which involved some things that had never been done before with printed vinyl banners. Commerce Color did a great job. They worked really hard, got the event graphics done in an insane amount of time. They created three 40′ tall 20′ wide banners, with computer generated renders with skis to match the time of evening of the presentation and everything came off beautifully.

CityScape is now well under construction although, like any projects it has undergone some modifications. The developer had initially planned to build four high rise towers, with one over 500 feet. It later revised the plans reducing the building height to no more than 400 feet partly because of the current economy, but the Federal Aviation Administration ruled that the project does not pose a risk to air traffic entering or leaving Phoenix. Which opens the possibility to increase the height of the high rise buildings to as high as 510 feet.

CityScape Overview:

• Downtown Phoenix Arizona
• Over 2.5 million square feet of mixed use space
• Mixed use, hotel, office, retail, loft condominiums
• Four 40-story high-rise towers
• 1200 residential condominium units
• 100,000 sq ft of public plaza
• Opening Spring 2009

RED Development, LLC is acting as the master developer for the CityScape project. Cardon Development Group is RED Development’s Joint Venture Partner. These two have a “strategic development alliance” with the Barron Collier Company, which owns the eastern-most block of the project. Overall project design is being led by Callison Architecture, Inc. The City of Phoenix is pitching in with more than $120 million in tax incentives and other subsidies.

The Western Block:

Plans for the western block include three structures surrounding the new Patriots Park. On the north side, facing Washington, will be a restaurant/retail building. On the west side, facing 1st Ave, will be 75 residential units atop additional retail. On the southern end sits an AJ’s Fine Foods, and in the center expect pleasant open space with the capacity to entertain 10,000 public guests when Central is closed for events. A pedestrian sky walk fourteen feet above Central will link the western and middle blocks.

The Center Block:

Two large towers will comprise the center square block of the project. The northern tower will provide nearly 600,000 square feet of gross office space resting atop roughly 100,000 square feet of retail space. Expect the southern tower to have approximately 250 hotel units and 100-150 condo units inside.

The Eastern Block:

The third plot of land, owned by Barron Collier Companies, will contain two additional towers. The south tower boasts 500 residential units above a 150-room TWELVE boutique hotel, and a ground floor for retail applications. The north tower flaunts an additional 500 residential units and a 500-spot above-grade parking garage. For this block, the developers hope to attract residents in the age range of 25-35, offering convenient living space with an expected price point of roughly $400 per square foot.

In total, CityScape will be answering a demand for about 600,000 square feet of Class A office space, two boutique hotels totaling 400 rooms, approximately 250,000 square feet of retail/restaurant space, 1,200 condominiums, and an updated public park. The exact details of which stores will be available have not yet been revealed, but expect a large P.F. Chang’s and an AJ’s Fine Foods.

The western block, along with the north tower on the center block should be finished by November 2009. Next, the south tower on the center block, along with the south tower on the eastern block will arrive by first quarter 2010. The project then wraps up with the north tower on the eastern block slated for completion by 2012.

"The job of the designer is to make the strange seem familiar
and the familiar seem truly unique."
— Michael Pitzer