Phoenix looks to bring vendors back to First Fridays

State of play: The council is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a one-year pilot program that would allow businesses along and around Roosevelt Row to apply for permits allowing vendors on their property.

• Businesses could allow vendors to set up shop in parking lots, landscaped areas, patios and other outside sections they control, though sidewalks would stay clear.
• Vendors would be permitted to sell only locally produced arts, crafts and food items, including paintings, prints, posters, stickers, magnets, jewelry, clothing, ceramics and glass work.

Zoom in: The program would create two types of permits — one allowing "arts focused" vendors and another that would allow them to sell food and beverages from vehicles.

Between the lines: Organizers wanted to "come back to more of the arts roots" of First Fridays and asked the city to create a pilot program that would help accomplish that, deputy city manager Alan Stephenson tells Axios.

• The city, Downtown Phoenix Inc., the Roosevelt Row Community Development Corp., and others have been working on a plan to bring back street vendors on private property.

Yes, but: There's no discussion of bringing back street closures, Stephenson says.

Catch up quick: First Friday organizers in May ended the event's trademark street closures and vendor markets, citing a string of "ugly" and violent incidents.

• The events had evolved from art-centric events to more of a street fair, with wide varieties of merchandise being sold.
• That attracted large crowds that included people who were more interested in "chaos" than art, per city staff.
• Since the change, First Fridays have carried on with downtown events and art walks at local galleries and businesses.

What we're watching: If the council approves the pilot program, it will evaluate its success after a year and decide on longer-term implementation.