The Pressroom Is Moving Out of Downtown Phoenix

The exterior of The Pressroom in downtown Phoenix. Google Maps

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The proprietors of The Pressroom in downtown Phoenix have announced they’re packing up its stage and taking the popular concert and events venue to a new, larger location in Tempe.

News of the move was posted on the venue’s social media on Monday, September 13, just days before it’s set to host this weekend’s Full Moon Festival, its first event in almost nine months. According to the announcement, The Pressroom, which was located at Fourth Avenue and Madison Street, will relocate to a 40,000-square-foot events venue, warehouse, and practice space at 3125 South 52nd Street in Tempe.

It’s set to reopen on Saturday, September 18, for the latest Full Moon Festival.

The property currently houses 3125 Studios & Event Venue, which has functioned as an indoor-outdoor event space, film production studio, and rehearsal space for local bands and musicians. (Steve Wilkinson, a co-owner of the business, told Phoenix New Times he will become a partner in the Pressroom.)

The announcement also stated that “around-the-clock construction” is taking place at The Pressroom’s new location in Tempe to prepare for its reopening this weekend.

More than a dozen upcoming concerts have been announced for The Pressroom in the coming months, including gigs rapper Drakeo the Ruler on Saturday, September 24, local folk-punk legends AJJ on Friday, October 1, and metal band We Came As Romans on Friday, October 15.

The Pressroom is owned by local nightlife entrepreneur Narender Raju (who also owns Tempe nightclub Aura). It hasn’t hosted an event since it was shut down by the Arizona Department of Health Services in mid-January for failing to follow COVID-19 safety protocols during a packed concert by rapper Polo G. (The venue’s liquor license has been suspended since the incident in connection with the shutdown, per state of Arizona records.)

Calls to The Pressroom’s management were not returned as of Monday afternoon.

click to enlarge

Ty Dolla $ign during a 2017 concert at The Pressroom.

Melissa Fossum

So why is The Pressroom moving to a new location? One factor might be the sale of its former location to Maricopa County.

According to public records from the Maricopa County Recorder's Office, the county purchased the 40,481-square-foot lot where the venue was formerly located from the Wisotsky Family Trust, its previous owner, in October 2020. The sale amount and other details were not disclosed.

There’s no word on what the county has planned for the building. The historic Wakelin Grocery Warehouse, which was located just south of the property, was torn down in July 2020 and the land is now owned by Maricopa County.

Jessie Caraveo, a county spokesperson, told New Times via e-mail more details regarding the sale and future plans for the property will be forthcoming.