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The Zone cleanup anniversary shows major improvement
Its been one year since the clean up of the area known as The Zone began and the results have been drastic. FOX 10's Lindsey Ragas has more on how it has impacted the area.
PHOENIX - The area known as The Zone has drastically changed over the last year.
Our drone pilots captured what The Zone looks like today compared to what it looked like before a massive cleanup effort began one year ago.
However, business owners and homeowners have a different perspective.
"Well, you can see, the streets are much quieter," said Joel Coplin, owner of Gallery 119.
Joseph Faillace, the original owner of Old Station Subs sandwich shop and one of the most recognizable figures who sparked the cleanup effort commented on the situation.
"Well, it's a thousand times better obviously, but there's still homeless hanging around, stuff like that," he said.
More people are returning to businesses in The Zone
Business is back at Gallery 119 and the Old Station Sub Shop, where The Zone took over the downtown area for years.
Bill Ellis is the new owner of the sub shop near Jefferson Street and 13th Avenue in Phoenix.
"I had a lot of return customers that had been coming here since the 80s and now they're coming back because they feel like they can park their car and they can walk in and feel safe," said Ellis.
Business has been ramping up since the cleanup, but he wouldn't describe as perfect just yet.
"I just had a little incident, trying to get somebody off the property that had been sleeping on the side of the building. He was aggressive and I called the Phoenix PD and they were down here immediately and made sure it was taken care of," said Ellis.
Coplin's store, Gallery 119, is located in The Zone near Jefferson Street and 11th Avenue and he lives just a block away from homeless services.
"More people are starting to come, although the police are doing an admirable job keeping them moving. They can't sit down and make a big encampment. They come and chase them away," he says.
What is next at The Zone?
In just a few days, Arizona voters will decide on Prop 312, which allows property owners to apply for a property tax refund if the city does not enforce illegal camping laws.
Faillace says he supports this ballot measure because of the impact The Zone had on his former business.
"I think what's good about that is, it keeps the city focused on the issue of the homeless. We do really want to see the city you know staying up on it and making sure that we have our property rights," he said.
The sub shop is back to having lines out the door for lunch and Coplin's art gallery is busy getting ready for a show on First Friday.
It's taken some time for both of these small businesses to get back on their feet, but there are signs things are starting to get back to normal.