About the substation

Background

In order to ensure clean, reliable, and affordable electricity for the vibrant and growing downtown Phoenix community, Arizona Public Service (“APS”) is in the process of expanding and upgrading the Grant Street Substation. The substation’s design, located at the southwest corner of 3rd Avenue and Lincoln Street, is the result of many years of community engagement.

Community Engagement

The residents and area stakeholders of Grant Park have played a significant role in deciding the location and shaping the design. The following elements were requests of the neighborhood, community stakeholders and City of Phoenix: 

  • Location - north of Grant Street to limit impact on neighborhood

  • Relocation of 69kV lines - remove existing 69kV lines from the Grant Street alignment to Lincoln Street in order to limit impact on the neighborhood 

  • New Grant Street - reconnect Grant Street to Lincoln Street

  • Walkable Street - establish Grant Street and 3rd Avenue adjacent to the substation as walkable streets that slow traffic and provide ample shade

  • Butterfly Plants - landscape to be abundantly planted with pollinators groundcover and shrubs

  • Mesquite Trees - thornless mesquite trees to be planted along Grant Street

  • Proud Entry - create placemaking elements at corners of 3rd Avenue and Grant Street along Lincoln

  • Placemaking Elements - the font and colors were developed based on feedback from the neighborhood

  • Murals - utilize murals to share the stories of the Grant Park Neighborhood and the community’s contributions to Phoenix

  • Curator - Hire Jim Covarrubias to curate the murals and gather community stories

  • Slow cars down - along the private section of Grant Street two raised pedestrian crossings or speed tables slow cars down 

  • Ample Parking - provide ample parking along Grant Street

  • Historic Lighting - historic street lights have been proposed for Grant Street and historic inspired lighting elements have been incorporated onto the substation

The design incorporates these elements to create a beautiful entry into the neighborhood.  

Public Art

The Grant Park Substation is designed to be a celebration of the people and cultures of the Grant Park Neighborhood. Artists have an important role in the design of the substation and developing design elements that honor the neighborhood and celebrate our shared humanity.

Placemaking Elements - Jamie Cowgill

Jamie is a graphic designer with over 32 years of experience. Grounded in an interdisciplinary approach, Jamie creatively integrates functional graphic solutions into projects that create places. Jamie worked with our team on developing several of the placemaking elements on the Evans Churchill North Substation. For this project she worked with the Grant Park Neighbors on developing a color palette, font and designs that reflect the past, present and future of the Grant Park Neighborhood. 

Wall Articulations - Jim Covarrubias

Jim has always been/ fascinated by the Native-American culture and influenced by the studies of Miguel Covarrubias' study of Meso-American iconography. His cultural teacher and fellow artist Aaron Yava, Tewa-Navajo would take him to petroglyph sites and explain the meaning of the symbols and the cultures who created these mysterious visual prayers. Many are supplications or tribute for the gifts of Mother Earth or a message of what is in this area and who lived there. They begin with Hunter-Gatherers who made symbols of the fauna in the area and evolve to agricultural and village symbols. These sacred symbols are a fitting blessing to the history of Arizona and a dynamic addition to the stories represented in "La Flor del Pueblo" murals.

Riverwalk (sidewalk) - Zarco Guerrero  

In the Spring of 2023 a public Request for Qualifications was undertaken to select an artist to consult on a design that will be integrated into the sidewalk and crosswalks of the project. Zarco Guerrero was selected by a Jury of Artists, Cultural, Historical, and Neighborhood advisors. Zarco is an Arizona native born in Mesa, he is a sculptor, mask maker and performance artist. Zarco has a strong public art background combined with an empathy for and a connection to the stories that the La Flor del Pueblo project is wanting to share. His role is to advise the curation and design team in developing a decorative concrete sidewalk design. 

Murals

Over 14,000 square feet of Murals will be installed on the walls of the substation by artists selected through a public call to muralists. The murals will celebrate the past, present and future of the Grant Park Neighborhood. Our Curator, Jim Covarrubius, has been collecting stories, photos, and documents about the neighborhood to inspire our selected artist’s murals. 

The murals will be curated through a public call to artists and through this process a Jury will select artists for specific murals and locations.

Sustainable Landscaping

Incorporating sustainable design elements was important to the neighborhood. The landscape is designed with native and drought tolerant plants. Thornless Mesquite trees will be planted on Grant Street with Red Push Pistache Trees on 3rd Avenue helping to create shaded and walkable streets. Tree spaces are designed to capture stormwater runoff. The landscape will be planted with milkweed and other pollinator plants. The substation’s landscape is designed to be a pollinator garden that provides shaded sidewalks around the substation.