PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Last summer was the hottest on record in Phoenix, and as part of the heat mitigation efforts, the city opened a 24/7 cooling center at the Burton Barr Library before the record temperatures started.
Organizers say it likely saved lives, but some neighbors and business owners say the respite center had unintended negative consequences.
For more than 40 years, Lyn Yee’s family has owned and operated Blue Fin off Central Avenue in Phoenix.
Yee says she hasn’t experienced a summer like this one before. “The worst,” she said.
Blue Fin is next to the Burton Barr Library, which was used as a round-the-clock respite center between May and early October.
“All of the homeless were allowed to hang out at the library to cool off, which was really nice but they have not been taught to clean up after themselves,” explained Yee.
Yee says she dealt with people stealing water from her spigot, doing drugs on the patio, disturbing her customers, and she had to spend hundreds of dollars on locks and cleaning supplies.
Arizona’s Family looked into crime data in Phoenix for 2024 and found that trespassing and suspicious persons calls were the two most common.
Emergency call logs show that between May 1 and Oct. 7, 2024, 950 calls were made to 911 near the Burton Barr Library.
For comparison, in 2023, it was 396 calls; in 2022, it was 235 calls.
“I am concerned that they are going to do (the respite center) again,” Yee said.
While Yee says there may not be an easy answer to solve this problem moving forward, she believes city officials will continue to try.
“I’ve had great experiences with the city and they’re trying to straddle the line of helping people and making sure that businesses don’t go under,” she said.
The city of Phoenix shared a statement with Arizona’s Family responding to concerns neighbors and business owners have.
“In summer 2024, the City of Phoenix took a proactive and innovative approach to addressing heat and stepped up to provide more resources than ever before, including opening extended-hour and the region’s only 24-hour cooling and respite centers. Locations were determined based on 911 data for heat-related calls to ensure resources were dedicated to the areas with the greatest need. The City’s efforts were successful and reduced citywide heat-related 911 calls by 20%.
The respite center at Burton Barr Central Library served more than 20,000 visitors between May 1 and Oct. 15, making it the busiest City-operated heat relief location. In addition to 24-hour heat relief, this location offered wraparound services; visitors had access to a space to cool off and connections to solutions for housing, treatment, utilities, job placement, evictions, and more. Medical services were also offered on-site through a partnership with ASU and other local providers. Throughout the summer, the City was in constant dialogue with nearby community groups so that resources could be adjusted according to needs or issues that arose. While heat-related 911 calls were reduced, the increase in other calls for service could be due to the large concentration/volume of individuals at a central location.
The City is already diligently planning heat response efforts for summer 2025. The City continues to meet regularly with the community to address concerns. Data and community input are each important factors that are being considered for this summer’s operations.”
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