Yes, demolition has actually started. Workers are tearing down buildings at 840 N. Central Ave. in downtown Phoenix. The site will become the Atari Hotel — an 11-story, 91-room gaming-themed complex. Intersection Development says it will be ready from late 2028 to early 2029.
You live near Roosevelt Row — here is what is about to change on your block
If you drive or walk Central Avenue between Roosevelt and McKinley streets, you are already in the construction zone. Expect noise, detours, and a changed streetscape through the end of the decade. The payoff is real, though. A 2,000-plus-seat esports and concert venue is coming. So are immersive bars, creator studios, and a sportsbook. All of it lands in a neighborhood that already draws foot traffic to the arts district. More venues mean more weekend crowds, more parking pressure, and more late-night activity on Central. They also mean new service and hospitality jobs and upward pressure on downtown property values.
The bigger shift is happening one block west on First Avenue too. Intersection Development is building SISU Roosevelt, a 12-story mixed-use tower at 821 N. First Ave., alongside Arcada at 801 N. First Ave. Arcada is anchored by historic buildings and will bring new Clive Collective dining concepts and 125 new residences. That is more than $70 million in new construction within easy walking distance of the hotel site.
Demolition begins: what is happening right now at 840 N. Central Ave.
Intersection Development Partner Jordan Taylor confirmed the start of work. He put it simply: “We’re pressing ‘start’ on Atari Hotels’ Phoenix property, bringing our vision for the first-of-its-kind venue closer to reality.”
Phase One covers demolition of the existing structure and the start of foundation work. Phase Two is vertical construction of the hotel tower itself. The project is expected to cost $124 million in total.
The former building at 840 N. Central Ave. with an Atari Hotels banner ahead of demolition. (Intersection Development)
The KOY Building: sixty-seven years of Phoenix radio history coming down
The structure being demolished is the former KOY Building. It is a two-story building constructed in 1957. Over the decades it housed some of the Valley’s most recognized radio stations: KOY, KOOL, KMLE, Y95, and KZON. Intersection Development purchased it from Audacy, one of the country’s largest radio broadcasting companies.
The former KOY Building at 840 N. Central Ave., bearing the call letters of its last radio tenants before demolition. (file photo)
Phoenix preservationist Julia Taggart reviewed the building. She found it has been altered too much to qualify for the Phoenix Historic Property Register. But she is urging the developer to honor its past: “You can’t save all the buildings, but you can preserve the stories inside.” Gilbane Building Company is the registered demolition contractor. The city’s Historic Preservation Office was set to begin a research and analysis process. That process includes a demolition hold. Demolition has now begun regardless.
Inside the hotel: 91 rooms, esports for two thousand, creator studios, and a sportsbook
The Atari Hotel will rise eleven stories at Central Avenue and Roosevelt Street, right at the edge of the Roosevelt Row Arts District. It will have 91 rooms, including 19 suites. The amenity list goes well beyond a standard hotel.
European architecture studio Räkkhaus is designing the building. The look draws on Atari’s own game catalogue and pulls references from “Tron,” “Blade Runner,” and “Tetris.” Expect a pixelated facade, neon accents, and a rooftop pool deck.
An aerial rendering of the Atari Hotel Phoenix shows the rooftop pool deck planned for the Central Avenue site. (Räkkhaus / Intersection Development)
Inside, guests will find interactive gaming spaces and creator studios. The esports and concert venue seats more than 2,000 people. There is also a sportsbook and immersive bars. That venue capacity puts it in range of many mid-size Phoenix music clubs — and it can pivot between esports events and live concerts.
A street-level night rendering of the Atari Hotel entrance plaza on Central Avenue. (Räkkhaus / Intersection Development)
The bigger picture: how a two-hundred-million-dollar district is reshaping Roosevelt Row
The Atari Hotel site is one piece of a larger bet on this stretch of Central Avenue. Intersection Development has spent more than $22 million buying land between Roosevelt and McKinley streets. It plans to invest more than $200 million redeveloping the area. That means new multifamily housing and restaurant space just south of the hotel site.
One block west, SISU Roosevelt at 821 N. First Ave. and Arcada at 801 N. First Ave. together represent more than $70 million in investment. Arcada will bring new Clive Collective dining concepts and 125 new residences, anchored by historic buildings.
A rendering of the SISU Roosevelt and Arcada mixed-use development planned for 821 and 801 N. First Ave., one block west of the Atari Hotel site, representing more than $70 million in investment. (Intersection Development)
Intersection Development co-founder Zac Cohen put the district vision simply: “A century-old house on one end, and Atari, a futuristic hotel on the other, and the arts district all around it.” For more on SISU Roosevelt and Arcada, see our full coverage of the $70M Roosevelt Row groundbreaking.
Downtown Phoenix is seeing a wave of hotel investment. See also our coverage of the JW Marriott downtown Phoenix conversion and the Marriott coming to the Novus Corridor in Tempe.
When construction finishes — and what has to happen first
Demolition is underway now. Phase One — clearing the site and laying the foundation — is the current focus. Phase Two, the vertical build of the eleven-story tower, follows. Atari Hotels has officially broken ground. The project targets a completion window of late 2028 to early 2029. No further city approvals or hearings are known to be pending. The next milestone neighbors will see is the transition from demolition to foundation work, then the tower rising on the Central Avenue skyline.
