Gordon was instrumental in bringing ASU to downtown Phoenix
Arizona State University has renamed its residence hall on the Downtown Phoenix campus from Taylor Place to Gordon Commons, in honor of former Mayor Phil Gordon, who was a driving force behind the creation of the campus 20 years ago.
At a ceremony on Friday morning that unveiled a new sign and plaque, Gordon thanked the community for taking a big risk on the idea that he and ASU President Michael Crow had first sketched out on the back of a napkin during a breakfast meeting in 2003.
“I’m grateful that you took a risk on an idea that downtown could be revitalized by welcoming ASU into the neighborhood. Or that downtown could be the heart of the city — the government, economic, cultural, business, entertainment and residential heart of the city,” said Gordon, who was mayor of Phoenix from 2004 to 2012. He earned a law degree from ASU in 1978.
“I would say it’s beyond my wildest dreams of what downtown has become, but for those who know me, you know I dreamt big.”
When Gordon and Crow hatched the plan for the campus, they envisioned a complete reimagining of the city’s core, with an ASU hub attracting a creative class of people who would build a knowledge and technology industry.
Crow told the crowd on Friday that as soon as he met Gordon, his first thought was: “Hallelujah! Here is a fighter, a person elected with purpose.
“He wanted to make certain that the world was moving forward in a positive direction. He wanted to make certain that the city could be better and more beautiful than when it was given to him.”
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