12 NOVEMBER 2026 By Rachael Bouley Bimson Park is a landmark, the unofficial pocket park between Chase Bank and The Henry at 44th Street and Camelback. However, the future of this green space remains uncertain amid ongoing discussions about proposed development. Bimson Park originated as a compromise between the historic Valley National Bank (now Chase) and the City of Phoenix during the property’s development from 1965 to 1967. The city and community sought to preserve the residential character, so they incorporated an open green space. Bank representatives expressed their support at a city meeting, stating it “would not only be a beautiful addition to 44th Street and Camelback, but one that the entire city can be proud of.” After decades, the long-term vision for Bimson Park came under threat in 2007 when developer Opus West proposed Arcadia Place. This mixed-use development would have replaced much of the green space and part of the parking lot with condominiums, restaurants, and retail. “Although the bank building would have remained, the proposal galvanized neighborhood activists and preservationists, including the building’s original architect, Frank Henry, and sculptor John Henry Waddell, who joined the effort to protect the site,” explained Erin Lindsey, who is on the board of Preserve Phoenix, a historic preservation advocacy group working toward practical solutions for the park. At the time, the Phoenix City Council denied the proposal for a retail and condominium project on the pocket park. “In response, Friends of Bimson Park was created to advance an idea to preserve and enhance the grounds surrounding the landmark Arcadia branch bank of Valley National Bank for the benefit and enjoyment of residents and all of Phoenix,” Lindsey explained. Friends of Bimson Park aimed to preserve the bank, enhance the open space, and establish a sculpture garden celebrating the site’s architectural and artistic significance as an example of Phoenix’s mid-century modern architecture. “Although Bimson Park was never formally established as an official park, its vision remains a compelling blueprint for the property’s future: one that honors the original understanding between the bank and the city while preserving the site’s architectural character and paying tribute to Walter Reed Bimson, the banking pioneer who helped shape modern Phoenix,” Lindsey added. Despite this goal of protecting a piece of the city’s history for future generations, the fate of the Valley National Bank building and its surrounding green space remains uncertain. The property’s September 2025 sale has renewed discussions about its unresolved preservation status, as Bimson Park has still not been formally established. The new owner of the 1.47-acre parcel is a firm connected with Arte Moreno, which also owns the mixed-use development immediately east of the open space. “Proposals to convert the green space into additional parking by the new owners have raised concerns about losing a landscape that has been central to the site’s original vision,” Lindsey said. On August 27, 2026, the developer’s attorney presented a proposal to rezone the park. The first iteration of the design plans included moving the mushroom shade structure and adding a standard paved parking lot with trees. During this opportunity to gather feedback and answer questions, many community members opposed the parking lot plans, saying they would take away green space, and raised concerns about future intentions and the preservation of the bank. Preserve Phoenix is actively working to facilitate meaningful discussions to balance historic preservation with practical solutions. “Although we would love to see the space be a well- maintained park for the community and serve its intended purpose as an architectural companion for the bank property, we also believe there could be a way to create a park-like parking lot that can satisfy the desires of all parties,” Lindsey said. “Using alternative materials and creative landscape architecture can honor the intention of the bank and add to the character of Arcadia.” Preserve Phoenix is actively engaging with developer representatives and the Arcadia Camelback Mountain Neighborhood Association to discuss the property’s future. On September 3, 2026, the ACMNA Board passed a motion opposing the plan as presented. The board held another meeting on October 8 to review an updated parking lot design based on community suggestions. “Our ultimate goal is to preserve the vision of Bimson Park by protecting the relationship between the historic bank building and its surrounding landscape, enhancing the open space for public enjoyment, and realizing the long- standing vision of a sculpture garden honoring Walter Reed Bimson and Arizona sculptor John Henry Waddell,” Lindsey explained. “If additional parking is necessary, we believe alternatives that incorporate parking beneath a meaningful public park deserve serious consideration.” With the park’s future still undecided, Preserve Phoenix encourages the community to share their thoughts and consider a more preservation-minded design. ___________________________ Residents can email their district representative, Councilman Kevin Robinson, at council.district.6@phoenix.gov or contact the Arcadia Camelback Mountain Neighborhood Association at info@acmna.org. What will happen to Bimson Park? By Alex Gross According to the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department, $3.5 million has been budgeted out for the Old Crosscut Canal Park (which runs along 48th Street between Osborn and Indian School Roads) for irrigation and landscaping upgrades. Renovations are set to take place between 2028 and 2030. This will be the largest improvement to the park since it was founded over two decades ago. The project is funded by the Phoenix Parks and Preserve Initiative. This 1999 law dedicates one cent of sales tax for every $10 in purchases to renovating the city’s parks and desert preserves. Voters renewed the initiative for another 30 years in 2008. Attendees at neighborhood meetings have voiced a desire to plant more trees along the path and even build a restroom facility. The scheduled upgrades are a part of the city’s Parks Master Plan, launched in 2024 as the first update to the citywide parks plan since 1989. Old Crosscut Canal Park helped unite the Arcadia neighborhood in the 1990s, according to Arcadia neighbor Judy Maltz. Arizona State Route 143 was initially planned to stretch all the way up to Camelback Road, running alongside the canal where the park now sits. But this caused a group of adjacent Phoenix neighborhoods to band together in an attempt to curtail construction. “With Arcadia Camelback Mountain Neighborhood Association, Arcadia Osborn Neighborhood Association and then Orangedale just south of us, we were able to activate and stop that whole thing,” Maltz said. Since that initial activation, the neighborhood associations have encountered different challenges. Currently, attention is focused on a disagreement with the developers over what used to be R&G Ranch, a private park established in the late 1950s for the exclusive use of employees and families of Phoenix Newspapers, Inc. The plot of land, which sits at the corner of Indian School Road and 48th Street, was sold to a housing company that hopes to build a gated community. Their plans for a private driveway would intersect the park’s paved path, sparking pushback. Issues concerning the park are complicated by different government and corporate bodies claiming the land. The Bureau of Reclamation owns the Old Crosscut Canal. Separate usage contracts with the Salt River Project, Maricopa County Flood Control District, and the City of Phoenix add extra layers of approval before changes can be made. Some residents believe the park’s practical value for walking dogs or playing with the family matters as much as its status as a community landmark. “No matter what part of the neighborhood you live in, we are all Arcadia,” Maltz said. “We rallied 30 years ago, and we really need to stay informed and together on issues that affect the neighborhood.” parksmasterplanphx.com Old Crosscut Canal Park receives $3.5 million for renovations Bimson Park could become a parking lot under the developer’s proposed design, although Preserve Phoenix and residents are pushing for a more balanced solution that adds parking while protecting green space. PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIN LINDSEY

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