Queen Creek celebrates reopening of Ellsworth Road in Town Center with community block party Feb. 28; Chris Webb, Director of Project Management at Rose Law Group, shares the vision behind the efforts

Ellsworth Road in downtown Queen Creek will be shut down Saturday, Feb. 28, for a community party that will transform the Town Center into the town’s first community-wide block party complete with live entertainment, a kids zone, zip line and beer garden.The Queen Creek Block Party has been scheduled to celebrate the reopening of Ellsworth Road, which has been widened from two to four lanes, relandscaped and decorated with lighting and other features, according to the town’s website: www.queencreek.org/blockparty. Ellsworth Road between Heritage Road and Ocotillo Road will be closed to motorized traffic 9 a.m.-10 p.m. that day for the event, Mark Clark, the town’s public information officer, said during a phone interview Feb. 18.

“I believe this is the first time the town is closing down the streets and putting a major stage in the intersection. We will have a zip line going right down Victoria Lane. We will have X Games riders putting on a BMX and skateboard stunt show. And this is the first time the town is allowing a beer garden at the town event,” David Horen, vice president of special events at Scottsdale-based R Entertainment Co., the group producing the block party, said in an e-mailed response to questions.

The block party is the first of what town officials hope will be many activities to take place in the Town Center, Chris Webb, former chairman of the Town Center Committee, said during a phone interview.The committee was formed in January 2009 to help guide development in the Town Center, according to the town’s website. The Town Center encompasses 900 acres of commercial, entertainment and housing options whose epicenter is the intersection of Ellsworth and Ocotillo roads; it is envisioned to serve as a gathering place for residents and an economic engine for business development.

“Our vision was a combination of objectives. We wanted to create a more walkable Town Center, We also wanted to move traffic more efficiently and safely through the Town Center and beautify the downtown corridor,” Mr. Webb said.