Desert Urbanism - Design with the Desert: Conservation and Sustainable Development - page 433

In a disinvested area of downtown Phoenix, for instance, former investment banker
David Lacy purchased a two-storey building with the goal of opening a bakery on the
ground floor and living above. Willo Bread opened its doors in 1999 and was embraced
by the community for which it became a hearth writ large. After numerous requests from
customers for a place to linger, Lacy purchased the space next door and opened an urbane
café/restaurant My Florist in July 2001 which immediately became extremely popular both
as a neighborhood restaurant and a popular gathering spot for the downtown business
crowd at lunch and the opera, symphony, and theatre crowd in the evenings. Its landmark
neon sign, dating from 1947 when it was indeed a floral shop, has been described as “a
tower of flower power.” 6 In need of more parking and wishing to improve the view across
the street, Lacy leased a former Dolly Madison Bakery Building and arranged for an art
gallery to locate there. He subsequently purchased adjacent properties to open a market,
pastry shop, and more.
Soon after the opening of Willo Bread, photographer/developer Wayne Rainey pur-
chased a 12,000 ft 2 warehouse and converted it into a diverse and thriving creative
community, including two large shooting areas, an art gallery, a graphic design firm, a
film/video company, an architectural firm, offices of an arts and culture magazine, and
more. All share a conference room with a concrete tabletop salvaged from the bathroom
floor, dressing rooms and makeup areas, high-speed Internet connections and worksta-
tions, and a full kitchen. Rainey selected the name monOrchid for this cooperative to
suggest “many petals to make one flower.” In deciding exactly which petals may join
this collective enterprise, Rainey explains, “Latent potential is the descriptor we most
look for in a project.” Reflecting on the day-to-day workings of the monOrchid com-
munity, Rainey remarks, “It makes for an interesting life. There are creative projects
conceived every day and the energy levels sustained are nothing less than phenom-
enal.” We look at things from so many perspectives. Having gone through the process
of growing such a business changed the way we look at our work too.” In addition
to monOrchid, Rainey also owns the nearby Holga's, a two-storey apartment building
that he sandblasted and converted into live/work spaces for artists as well as a gallery.
The Chinese characters prominently displayed on the building façade symbolize love,
interdependence, and balance (Figure 25.6).
In a mid-twentieth-century suburban district northeast of downtown Phoenix, a bus-
tling hub of activity has been sprouting over the last 6 years, thanks largely to the dedica-
tion, diligence, and vision of Craig and Chris De Marco. Straddling a small parking lot are
the wine bar/restaurant Postino's, located in an old post office, and the market/bakery/
café/pizzeria/flower shop La Grande Orange, both extremely popular among neighbors
as well as people who travel long distances to enjoy the quality and character of these
enterprises. La Grande Orange is designed by Chris de Marco along with architect Cathy
Hayes (whose office is a few doors down) with custom display cases by Hayes as well as
fixtures salvaged from a 1940s Los Angeles high school gymnasium. The bathrooms are
outfitted with Philippe Starck appliances. Each entrepreneur owns her/his own business.
“The whole thing,” Craig explains, is “synergistic, based on creating a certain energy.” De
Marco describes this corner of Phoenix as a “constantly moving and breathing space” with
the recently added restaurant Radio Milano, an anticipated taco stand along its east side,
and more.
Numerous other creative entrepreneurs have been sprinkling the Phoenix region
with pockets of soul and character providing unique combinations of coffee shops,
restaurants, bookstores, bike stores, yoga studios, art supply stores, wine bars, boutiques,
and more.