What’s happening with Mario-Kart-themed apartments going up in downtown Phoenix?

Article originally posted on AZ Central on August 18, 2025

Location: 1030 N. First St., on the southwest corner of Portland Street in downtown Phoenix.

Description: A new apartment complex being built near Phoenix’s hopping Roosevelt Row Arts District will soon take residents on a trip through Mario Kart’s famed psychedelic track, Rainbow Road.

Intersection Development, a downtown Phoenix-based developer, is constructing the 36-unit building, which gets its name and inspiration from the iconic video game course.

Fitting in with the aesthetics of the surrounding arts district, Rainbow Road Apartments will boast a style and design that’s reminiscent of the Mario Kart world.

On the ground floor, there will be space for a restaurant and bar, along with a large patio.

When complete, prospective tenants can choose between one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, with monthly rents ranging from $1,925 to $4,885. The unit sizes vary, with the smallest set at 620 square feet and the largest coming in at 1,742.

Continuing to evoke the Mario Kart theme, the one-bedroom floor plans are referred to as Star, while the two-bedroom options are known as Circuit. The three-bedroom plans are called Castle.

History: The final design is a slight departure from what the developer first intended.

After community feedback, Intersection adjusted the project to increase its accessibility to the public. Primarily, it converted the resident courtyard on the ground floor into a commercial space that visitors can enjoy.

Intersection broke ground on the apartment project in January 2024.

When will the work be done? It’s unclear when the apartments will open. A company representative couldn’t be reached to provide an update on the project’s progress.