[Source: Lindsay Butler, East Valley Tribune] -- Scottsdale’s Fifth Avenue was a shopping mecca during its heyday in the 1950s. The angled parking made the area automobile-friendly, while the string of store windows and covered walkways kept pedestrians shopping for hours. The stretch of Fifth Avenue between Goldwater Boulevard and Scottsdale Road downtown represents a post-World War II retail design that catered to both pedestrians and automobiles, which is hard to find anymore in the United States.The city is hoping to maintain the signature look and feel of what is commonly known as “The Heart of Scottsdale” by adding it to its historic register. But first it will have to win the support of local business and property owners, and also develop a list of incentives for participating. The plan is likely to get a mixed reaction. “Fifth Avenue put Scottsdale on the map,” said Debbie Abele, a city historic preservation officer. “A whole slew of people with national reputations brought people to Scottsdale to shop.” [Note: To read the full article, click here. Photo of Scottsdale canal project construction over Fifth Avenue by Paul O'Neill, East Valley Tribune.]
