Downtown Phoenix is the hub for business, from the local shops lining Roosevelt Row, to the skyscrapers that are multiplying as Phoenix is being developed, and as the skyline has grown, so has the economy.

According to Dan Klocke, Vice President of Development, in the calendar year of 2009 there was revenue of $4,994,373 in sales taxes on hotel, retail, and restaurant/bar. In the last year, the number increased 91.4 percent to $9,559,574.

Many believe the XLIX Super Bowl, in Glendale is a vital piece in the great numbers Arizona is seeing. The epic football game brought in around 100,000 out-of-town visitors, 6,000 members of the media, and at least $2 million in grants to be given back to the community, according to the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee.

Glendale Resident, Kim Simpson said, “It was a little overwhelming with so much traffic but it was exciting, celebrities were everywhere, the city was poppin!” While many hopefuls expected a $500 million impact, Victor Matheson, a sports economist, estimated around $30 million.

Downtown Phoenix was the place to go for many of those tourists and pre-game celebrations, like Media Day, where fans watched their favorite teams be interviewed by thousands of journalists. Business owners like, (Out of all the people I talked to, I forgot the local business owner, so I’m turning the version without the quote, but will update it to get it published.)

Since then, Phoenix ranked at 11^th place on Forbes’ list of fastest-growing cities in America, and was projected to be the fourth largest city in the U.S. by 2020. Anyone walking past block after block of construction would believe it. In 2014, Klocke said an additional 2,100 bedrooms would be added to the city by 2017, attracting a larger population. Over 10 entirely new apartment complexes will be available for downtown residents.

Students attending ASU’s Downtown campus are noticing a change in their surroundings and are excited for what’s to come. Gilbert Pinckney said, “I really think in five years Downtown will be jumping with things to do. I’m seeing more bars open up, there’s fun events at the clubs down here, and walking around a city at night is always fun. It’ll just get better as more people come down.”