🌱 City To Pay $3.5M In Crash Case + Phoenix A True Car City

Good morning, Phoenix! Here's everything you need to know to get this Friday started off right.

First, today's weather:

Sunny and very warm. High: 92 Low: 60.

Here are the top stories in Phoenix today:

1. The greater Phoenix area showed 8.3 percent growth in office rent from 2019 to 2021, partially due to growth in tech jobs. This puts Phoenix in seventh place among U.S. cities for office rent growth. Growth was particularly strong in Tempe, at more than 13 percent. (AZ Big Media)
2. The city has more retail space than consumers can support, leading to too many vacant storefronts. Phoenix is looking at various solutions, including allowing multi-family developments in vacant retail space and encouraging redevelopment. (ABC15 Arizona)
3. Phoenix is No. 1 in the nation for household transportation spending. We all know that Phoenix is a "car city" with the city growing out instead of up, unlike most metropolitan areas in the country. It's unclear exactly why, but Phoenicians tend to spend a lot more on vehicle purchases than residents of other U.S. cities. (PinalCentral)
4. The City of Phoenix will pay a $3.5 million settlement to the family of a woman who died in a 2016 bus crash. The 33-year-old mother was killed when a bus hit her Jeep, and a teenager in the Jeep was also injured. (FOX 10 News Phoenix)

Today's Phoenix Daily is brought to you by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Phoenix!

Today in Phoenix:

• Annual Bronze Bell Sale. (9 a.m.)
• CWA Workshop — Arizona Artists Guild. (9 a.m.)
• Fellowship Square Historic Mesa hosts Get Fresh Farmers Market and Fair. (10 a.m.)
• Shane Co. Store Opening Event. (10 a.m.)
• Tanger Outlets Phoenix to host Arizona Fall Fest. (4 p.m.)
• Little Mermaid Halloween Costume and Karaoke Party. (7 p.m.)
• Match presents Rocky Horror Picture Show themed dinner. (7 p.m.)
• Luckys Indoor Outdoor 3-Day Halloween Bash. (7 p.m.)

Phoenix Patch Notebook

• Phoenix Public Library: "Oh so spooky! Staff at Cesar Chavez Library (3635 W. Baseline Road) decided to get in the spirit and dressed-up for its fall BabyTime and Family StoryTime yesterday. Attend one of these fun weekly programs with your little ones." (Facebook)
• Water - Use It Wisely: "We're throwing shade on unnecessary watering. By selecting low-water use plants, you help conserve our precious water supply for generations to come. Want to learn more ways to save water in your landscape?" (Facebook)

From our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Our World Energy — Your hometown rooftop solar installation company! (Visit website)
• Phoenix Online Media — innovative & responsible digital marketing services (Visit Website)
• Add your business here

Events:

• Save 15 Percent On Boo-tiful Flowers This Halloween! (Oct. 31)
• Estate Planning Webinar (Nov. 2)
• The Holidays, Self Care, and Divorce — Scottsdale, Arizona Hub ~ No-Cost Webinar (Nov. 3)
• Social Security Seminar (Nov. 3)
• Taxes in Retirement Seminar (Nov. 3)
• Social Security Seminar (Nov. 4)
• Taxes in Retirement Seminar (Nov. 4)
• Estate Planning Webinar (Nov. 8)
• Estate Planning Seminar (Nov. 8)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (Nov. 9)
• Estate Planning Seminar (Nov. 9)
• Add your event

That's it for today. See you all tomorrow for another update! If you're liking these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to read along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Caitlin Sievers

About me: I'm a passionate writer and photographer who worked as a reporter and editor for various publications in the Midwest before landing in Phoenix. I have seven roommates. Four of them are cats. Contact me at caitlin.sievers@patch.com with story ideas and feedback.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Phoenix Daily? You can email me at caitlin.sievers@patch.com.