SCOTTSDALE, AZ — A multi-million-dollar renovation project in the heart of Scottsdale is expected to open by the end of this month, but it won’t be in time to land big events ahead of Super Bowl XLVII next month.
The City of Scottsdale asked voters to approve a bond in 2019 to update the city’s Civic Center Mall area, which is tucked away between Old Town and City Hall.
The Civic Center has plans to draw in entertainment in its updated “event ready” venue that is outdoors. Despite the city advertising the project to help attract large-scale events, including 2023 Super Bowl events, officials were not able to do so.
The city has posted on its website that the project would help make them competitive.
“With few regional competitors for large events in a park-like outdoor setting, an updated public space will place Scottsdale in a competitive position to attract large-scale events, such as Super Bowl Live, a multi-day event leading up to Super Bowl 2023.”
For business owner Paul Mitchell, he describes the demolition as a “nightmare.”
Mitchell has owned Old Town Tavern for more than a decade, and the bar sits right along the Civic Center where construction has been ongoing for more than a year.
"There was dust, and just, jackhammering, loud, it was unbelievable and they were not hosing anything down, so reported them for dust.”
Despite the ongoing mess that Mitchell describes, the project is nearing completion which will allow customers to enjoy the outdoor patio.
“They said it would be all done before Super Bowl. That’s what they said,“ said Mitchell. “And it’s not.”
Scottsdale city officials say that two-thirds of the park is expected to open before the Super Bowl in February. The first ticketed event will be on January 22 featuring a car show inside the Civic Center.
However, despite opening a few weeks before the big game, the center will not host any Super Bowl events inside the Civic Center.
ABC15 learned that people around hosting and organizing the Super Bowl brought in private companies to see the area for potential events, but did not get any inside in the outdoor venue.
“We did pitch it, we can’t control where people are going to put their events, we had the drawings, we did plenty of tours, and we talked to a lot of folks,” said Erin Walsh, with the city’s communications office, "We have ESPN which will be broadcasting directly adjacent to our project, with live shots into our project, if we hadn’t been doing these improvements they wouldn’t be there.”
ESPN has hosted past Super Bowl events in Scottsdale in previous years.
The city’s Director of Tourism and Events, Karen Churchard, tells ABC15 that ESPN wanted the charm of Old Town.
“Unfortunately, ESPN didn’t select the Civic Center per se, but we are really thrilled to have ESPN on Main Street which is right across the street,” said Churchard.
The biggest events like the Super Bowl Experience will be at Hance Park in Phoenix, and several other major events are also in Downtown Phoenix.
According to the city, the original project budget was $27.3 million which was approved by voters as part of the 2019 bond election. The city has added $6.2 million in additional funds to finish the project.
“The additional funds were needed to cover construction cost escalation due to inflation and also changes to the scope of the project,” according to a city spokesperson.
Walsh said that the city had a master plan, they accelerated construction, and were designing in some part as they went.
“It was a mass undertaking, and then this has been a very hard time to build things, there's tons of material delays, there's tons of construction delays, steel, concrete, just even fuel delays, landscaping, PVC pipe, everything's been harder to get,” she said.
“It hurt us, it did hurt us,” said Mitchell, referring to running a business during construction.
As finishing touches near, Mitchell bought a second bar next to Old Town Tavern. The construction inspired him to call it the ‘Back Door’ since there was no access to a front door to get inside because there was chain link fencing that lined it.
Mitchell tells ABC15 that he hopes business will be better after he says he saw a loss in revenue for several months last year, “nobody’s ever come to me, or said anything to me as the owner of both places now, ‘hey, can we do anything for you?’”
The last part of the Civic Center that is not finished is expected to open at the end of March.
