A Lot of Sunflowers (in Downtown Phoenix)

One new idea for every day in 2011. We're talking big, small, local, international, in action and on the drawing board. Here's today's -- what's yours? Come spring, the two-acre lot between Fifth, Sixth, McKinley, and Garfield streets will look a little brighter. With the help of the Phoenix Union Bioscience...

By Claire Lawton

August 12, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

One new idea for every day in 2011. We're talking big, small, local, international, in action and on the drawing board. Here's today's -- what's yours?

Come spring, the two-acre lot between Fifth, Sixth, McKinley, and Garfield streets will look a little brighter.

With the help of the Phoenix Union Bioscience High School and the City of Phoenix Community and Economic Development Department and Intel, Roosevelt Row CDC and its Adaptive Reuse of Temporary Space (A.R.T.S.) Program announced that it was granted a permit to plant two seasons of sunflowers in the middle of downtown Phoenix.

The City of Phoenix approved the permit yesterday morning, and representatives of Roosevelt Row write that the project's first step will be looking for community volunteers to help plant Sudan grass to improve the soil.

Once the soil is ready and prepared, volunteers from the community and local bioscience high school will plant the sunflower seeds and harvest the product. Ultimately, the students will use the sunflowers for future solar and biofuel projects.

The project is still accepting donations through its Facebook page and through the Roosevelt Row website, where you can also learn more about volunteering.

Note: This post has been updated from its original version to include Intel as a managing partner in the project.

Follow Jackalope Ranch on Facebook and Twitter.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.