19th Avenue Bridge to North Valley Parkway Nearing Completion

In a major city like Phoenix, it's common to have heavy traffic on arterial streets as well as freeways. 19th Avenue is one of Phoenix's busiest arterial streets. The road begins near South Mountain Park and runs north for an impressive 26 miles before terminating at Jomax Road in North Phoenix.

Soon, a new bridge will open that will allow drivers to continue into the North Valley Parkway neighborhood and on to Carefree Highway. This new bridge will provide a much-needed alternative to the congested Interstate 17 and Norterra Parkway routes.

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New Section of Loop 303 Freeway Now Open in North Phoenix

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) recently opened a brand new section of freeway in North Phoenix. Construction of this section began in January of 2009 and was officially opened to traffic on May 13, 2011.

The 14-mile segment consists of a four-lane divided roadway which connects Interstate 17 to Lake Pleasant Parkway before continuing on into Peoria and the West Valley.

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Grand Canyon University Construction Update

Earlier this year, we wrote about the $60 million dollar renovation underway at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. The project began in 2009 and includes a new dormitory, classroom building, athletic center, and event center.

Now, Grand Canyon is expanding the project even further with a new dining hall and plans for a high-rise classroom building, chapel, and a parking garage!

Work continues on the University's 135,000-square foot Event Center, which was designed by Architekton of Phoenix, Arizona. The massive facility will seat 5,000 people and host a variety of events including basketball and volleyball games, concerts, family shows, conferences, and other arena-style events. It is expected to open later this year.

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Phoenix FBI Headquarters: Construction Update

Here are a couple of updated pictures of the FBI's new headquarters in North Phoenix. Although the outside is coming together, there is still a lot of work to be done on the interior as walls, flooring, and miles of wiring must be run throughout the five-story facility.

A shot of the west side of the building.

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Construction Update: FBI Headquarters in North Phoenix

A lot has happened since we last posted about the new FBI Headquarters two months ago. The steel structure of the building is now in place and what a sight it is! You can always check out the latest progress over at 7th Street and Deer Valley Road, or by adding the North Phoenix Blog to your RSS feed reader!

New Circle K Store Coming to North Phoenix

A new Circle K store has been spotted under construction in North Phoenix. Located at 19th Avenue and Happy Valley Road, the new store is exactly two miles north of an existing Circle K store at 19th Avenue and Deer Valley Road.

The new location will offer a convenience store and gasoline pumps on a previously unoccupied dirt lot across the street from M&I Bank. An opening date has not yet been announced.

The Circle K Corporation operates more 3,300 stores in 32 states, including more than 500 in Arizona alone. Circle K was acquired by the Canadian convenience store conglomerate Alimentation Couche-Tard in 2003. The company is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona.

UPDATE: The Circle K Store at Happy Valley Road and 19th Ave in Phoenix is now open for business!

Grand Canyon University Expands Campus, Degree Programs

When it comes to higher education in Phoenix, you can pretty much count your options on one hand. Students who seek a Bachelor’s degree or higher without leaving the Phoenix metro area must consider applying to the State University or one of a handful of for-profit trade schools. But what if there were another option? There is, and it’s called Grand Canyon University.

Grand Canyon University is both a traditional four-year college as well as a full-time online college with over 25,000 students. Ground students can enjoy a true college experience complete with on-campus living.

Unlike ASU, Grand Canyon is a private college, which means that the school does not depend on the State of Arizona as its primary source of funding.

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Happy Valley Park and Ride Opening in January 2011

Are you tired of fighting the stop and go traffic as you drive to work each day? If you live in North Phoenix and work downtown, those frustrating days of commuting may soon come to an end. That's because Valley Metro is now putting the finishing touches on a new park-and-ride facility which is scheduled to open next month.

The Happy Valley Park and Ride is a new facility under construction at 24700 N. 29th Avenue in North Phoenix. When completed, it will allow commuters in the far north part of town to leave their vehicles in a covered, security-patrolled lot and take an express bus to downtown Phoenix. This will not only help reduce congestion on the freeways during rush hour, but it will also help the environment by reducing pollution from vehicle emissions.

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Happy Valley Park and Ride Scheduled for 2010 Opening

For the past few years, ongoing construction along Interstate 17 has made the daily commute into central Phoenix a headache for residents of New River, Anthem, and surrounding areas. Soon, a new Park and Ride facility will provide North Phoenix residents with a new option for commuting into the city.

For those not familiar with the idea of park-and-ride, here's how it works: you drive your personal vehicle to a Park and Ride facility and then leave it at the security-patrolled lot. From there, you board some type of public transportation such as a city bus, shuttle, or light rail to take you to your final destination.

The idea of Park and Ride began back in 1994, when the City of Phoenix approved a public transportation plan that called for a system of buses and 30 park-and-ride facilities to be constructed across the valley over the long term.

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WaterWorld Safari in North Phoenix, AZ Undergoing Major Renovations

Like many North Phoenix residents, I was stunned when I saw that WaterWorld Safari water park appeared to be closing its doors for good. In the Fall of 2008, the following message appeared on the website for Waterworld Safari:

Golfland Entertainment Centers has permanently ended its operation of WaterWorld Safari. We have enjoyed serving you for the past 16 years and invite you to visit us in 2009 at Big Surf in Tempe and Sunsplash in Mesa. Additionally, Golfland in Mesa is open year-round for family fun. Thank you for your patronage.

This potentially dire situation warranted an investigation on my part. How could one of North Phoenix's most popular attractions be closing? To put things in perspective, I should mention that WaterWorld Safari was the water park I had always gone to as a child. Going there with the family was a summer ritual to be greatly anticipated and remembered.

During the scorching summer months when temperatures would hit 110*F or higher, WaterWorld Safari was definitely the place to be. With over a dozen slides and attractions spread over 36 acres, it was truly an oasis in the desert. From the Serengeti Surf wave pool to the lazy river, the Kilimanjaro Speed Slides, and the enclosed "Black Hole" slide, WaterWorld offered something for everyone.

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North Phoenix High Rise Hotel Close to Completion

Deer Valley's newest high rise hotel is getting close to completion.

The hotel is currently under construction at 23rd Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Road, just East of Interstate 17. When the 7-story structure is finished, it will be the new home of Drury Inn and Suites. With a total of 180 rooms, the Drury will be the largest hotel in North Phoenix.

Drury is a family-owned hotel chain that was first founded in Missouri. Arizona's first Drury Hotel opened in Flagstaff earlier this year. The Drury Inn and Suites Happy Valley will be their second Arizona location. Additionally, Drury owns and operates 115 hotels in 17 states according to their website.

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City of Phoenix to Open Agave Library This Summer

UPDATE: The Agave Library has been open since June 20, 2009.

If you haven't been up to North Phoenix in a while, you may not have known that a new branch of the Phoenix Public Library is set to open its doors this summer.

Located just down the road from the Goelet A. Beuf Community Center, the new Agave Library is on the corner of 36th Avenue just North of Pinnacle Peak Road. This will be very convenient for people in the Deer Valley and North Gateway areas.

According to the Phoenix Public Library website, funding for the Agave Library was approved in a 2001 bond election, and construction began in the fall of 2007.

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New QuikTrip Under Construction in North Phoenix

Times are tough for many businesses in Phoenix, but one company continues to build and expand its network of convenience stores.

North Phoenix's newest QuikTrip store is now under construction at the Southwest corner of 19th Avenue and the Loop 101 freeway. For the past couple of weeks I have watched as construction crews cleared the land and prepared it for building. Just the other day, a friend told me about the newly installed sign confirming it will be a QuikTrip.

The new store will join three other North Phoenix locations including 17th Avenue and Bell Road, 7th Street and Loop 101, and the Cave Creek Road and Deer Valley Road store.

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Construction Continues on Interstate 17

Ask any driver what their least favorite thing is about driving in Phoenix and nine out of ten will tell you: construction.

You don't have to drive very far in the valley before you encounter a lane restriction, closure, or detour. This is both a good thing and a bad thing for drivers.

Although it is frustrating when it takes longer to get where you're going, one must remember that we are fortunate to live in a place where the roads are actively maintained, and not simply left to ruin. So who's behind the cones and barricades? ADOT.

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