Throughout the past few years, Downtown Chandler has been visibly changing more and more as the city has focused on renovating the century-old area into a modern destination; however, this has affected a variety of groups in the local population.
In the past, Chandler has provided local businesses customers from the downtown population, but after the new renovations, it is clear that the newer competition has stolen the spotlight.
Brandon Fisher, the owner of Crisp Greens, says his business has been negatively impacted by the construction work along Arizona Avenue. There is less foot traffic near the construction zone, causing fewer people to go to the establishment.
In an interview conducted by Colleen Sparks, Fisher said, “Many of my customers have told me that it’s hard to get in and out and it’s hard to access because it’s down to one lane.”
The new construction has been a weight on businesses. However, students have welcomed the changes.
One-third of the students who were affected by the new development in Downtown Chandler were affected positively.
A student said, in reference to Flix Brewhouse, “It’s affecting me in a positive way because now I’m walking distance from a movie theater.”
The emergence of new businesses have drawn in more people to the recently constructed downtown area for the the convenience of new local businesses.
Downtown is changing and influencing the population, regardless of whether it is preferred or not. Chandler has taken in new businesses as it has been refaced in the past few years, and many new changes have still yet to come.