Rio Salado District Policy Plan General Plan Amendments

At a glance

Based on auto-generated captions; names and details may be misheard.

Where it stands: adopted. On October 21, 2026 the council held one public hearing and approved the Rio Salado District Policy Plan (item 121) and the companion General Plan land use amendments (item 122), both 8-0.
Next: implementation; members and speakers stressed continued community involvement, anti-displacement measures and affordable housing.

Earlier background:

What: Public hearings and resolutions (22400, 22401) amending the General Plan for the area bounded by I-17, 32nd St, Broadway Rd and 19th Ave, Districts 7 and 8.

Covers about 7 square miles south of downtown (I-17 to Broadway Road, 19th Avenue to 32nd Street), the product of three years of planning with over a thousand interactions and 500 survey responses. Recommended by the Central City and South Mountain village planning committees and the Planning Commission; a sustainability committee letter supported it.
Presenter: Enrique Bohorquez of the Planning and Development Department. A grant from the Gila River Indian Community supported the work.

In favor: the Rio Reimagined nonprofit's board, Arizona State University's University City Exchange, and South Phoenix residents who asked for a real seat at the table, benefits for existing neighborhoods, traffic relief on Baseline Road and a Latino cultural center. One flagged a new methadone clinic near Central Avenue.
Cemex (26 acres in the corridor) asked about short-term construction materials uses; staff said the plan does not preclude seeking a special permit, which would go through public hearing. Vice Mayor Hodge Washington cautioned against interpretations during public comment.

Members praised the plan's honesty about redlining and displacement; one councilmember representing South Phoenix (apparently Hernandez) cited a 3 to 13 year life expectancy gap. Pastor recounted her father's role in the original vision and urged embedding the community deeper. A councilmember captioned as Waring spoke of the late Senator McCain's interest.

About 38 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-21 - City Council Formal Meeting	38

2026-10-21 - City Council Formal Meeting - Hearing and two votes; Rio Salado District Policy Plan and General Plan amendments approved 8-0 after extensive praise and public comment.
2026-10-22 - Page created from a posted agenda; no meeting transcript processed yet.