History

Miracle Mile on McDowell

Phoenix’s Miracle Mile arose after World War II along McDowell Road on the northeast fringes of the growing city. It thrived as an auto-oriented commercial strip for less than 20 years, being supplanted beginning in the late 1950s by the lure of suburban shopping malls.

The Miracle Mile Historic District is significant in the area of Commerce, as the first area in Phoenix to be developed as a commercial center outside of the downtown central business district. While the Miracle Mile area initially developed from farmland into residential acreages and subdivisions between 1914 and World War II, after the war the frontage on both sides of McDowell Road began to be developed (or redeveloped) for commercial uses, mostly catering to patrons arriving via automobiles. The Miracle Mile boomed until the establishment of suburban shopping malls in the late 1950s, and declined slowly thereafter, reaching a low point in about 1970. The period of significance is therefore 1946-1970.

The commercial buildings of the Miracle Mile represent a transition from the pedestrian-oriented storefront buildings that lined the streets of downtown Phoenix before World War II to the automobile-oriented, mid-century modern styled, freestanding buildings that were later developed in the suburbs, as well as to shopping malls and strip shopping centers. phoenix.gov

White Arch

What is the white arch that extends from the north to the south side of McDowell Road? We’re glad you asked: It’s known as the “Gateway Arch,” commissioned and designed by local Phoenix and New York artist Michelle Stuhl in 1990. It stands as a landmark to Miracle Mile.

Meaning: The structure and design is an abstract representation of the surrounding community. The jagged, Roman numeral-like designs at the apex represent an abstract picket fence, a nod to the area’s residential history, specifically the Coronado neighborhood. The piece is inspired by architecture and fences and was painted white to reflect light, creating different looks throughout the day.  The arch is made from structurally reinforced steel with white enamel paint. It is roughly 85 feet in length.