As South Phoenix Businesses Prepare For Light Rail Construction, City Hall Plans To Help

By Lauren Gilger
Published: Wednesday, October 23, 2019 - 12:44pm
Updated: Wednesday, October 23, 2019 - 1:07pm

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Light rail train Camelback Rd and 11th Ave
Christina Estes/KJZZ
Light rail along Camelback Road near 11th Avenue in Phoenix.

Construction of the light rail extension down Central Avenue into south Phoenix officially began last week. Crews are beginning the process of identifying underground utilities in what will be the first steps of a long construction process. 

This comes, of course, after years of debate over this portion of the 5.5 mile extension that ended in August after Proposition 105 failed. 

The initiative would have effectively ended all future expansion of light rail across the Phoenix metro area, and was largely spurred by anger from some south Phoenix residents and business owners who didn’t want the light rail coming down South Central Avenue or the years-long disruption that will come with its construction.

So, now that the extension is underway, The Show wanted to find out what some of those business owners are thinking. For that, The Show went to Azukar Coffee on Central and Baseline Roads.

And what is the City of Phoenix planning to do to help south Phoenix Businesses through the next several years of light rail construction? For that, The Show sat down with Phoenix Light Rail Administrator Markus Coleman in his office at City Hall. It turns out, he is also from south Phoenix.

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