100-year-old Phoenix house to be demolished

Historic preservation advocates are up in arms after a demolition request sign popped up in front of a 100-year-old house in north-central Phoenix. 

The house, on Central Avenue north of Glendale Avenue, was built in 1918, according to the Maricopa County Assessor's Office, and sits on a 52,000-square-foot lot — an unusually large size in metro Phoenix.

The property is not on the Phoenix Historic Property Register, but it is eligible because of its age, according to Phoenix Historic Preservation Officer Michelle Dodds. 

The owners of the house want to demolish it because it's fallen into a "major state of disrepair," according to Realtor Karl Tunberg. The property is currently for sale for $1.85 million.  

"The value is pretty much in the land and not really in the structure," Tunberg said. 

On May 20, the city's Historic Preservation Commission will discuss whether to initiate historic designation for the property. 

But without the property owner's blessing, historic designation is unlikely. 

"It is really tough to take that action because you are doing so against the wishes of the property owner," Dodds said.

'This is what old Phoenix looked like'

The property at 7019 N. Central Ave. provides a glimpse back in time to early 20th-century Phoenix. 

The house is barely visible from Central Avenue. It sits far back on the sprawling property and is hidden by a lush landscape of palm trees and shrubbery. 

Jon Talton, a Phoenix historian and former Arizona Republic columnist, posted a "historic red alert" on his blog Rogue Columnist, explaining the home's historic value. 

"This priceless, century-old house at 7019 N. Central Ave. has a demolition permit," Talton said. "This is what old Phoenix looked like — not endless red-tile roofs, concrete, gravel, and skeleton trees."

He encouraged "the preservation police and every citizen" to contact their council members, planning commission members and "village poobahs." 

"Whatever it takes," Talton said. 

Preservation will be 'very difficult'

It's going to take a lot.

There are limited options for historic preservation advocates in Arizona — a state with staunch property-rights protection. 

If a property owner doesn't want historic designation, "it's very difficult" to force it, Dodds said. 

After a "demolition request" sign is posted, the city has 30 days to initiate historic designation. Either the Historic Preservation Commission, Planning Commission or City Council can initiate that process. 

The Historic Preservation Commission will consider designation later this month after a slew of concerns from neighbors and preservation advocates. But Dodds said it is difficult to pursue designation if the owner plans to fight it. 

"There has to be some real compelling reason," Dodds said. 

If the city were to initiate historic designation, the city will deny the demolition permit. However, the owner can appeal the denial and try to prove that the property is either not eligible for historic designation or that designation would result in economic hardship, Dodds said. 

This happened in 2017 with the Clinton Campbell House, a 120-year-old building on Fourth Avenue between Fillmore and Van Buren streets. 

The Historic Preservation Commission initiated designation, against the owner's wishes, but was forced to back off after a hearing officer agreed with the owner that designation would create an economic hardship, Dodds said. 

'I have yet to see... historical significance'

Tunberg, the Realtor for the property, said he has "yet to see anything that says it's of historical significance."

He said the house is "not really inhabitable" and has plumbing issues, a retro-fitted air-conditioning system and significant water damage. 

"There's a lot of work to do," he said. 

The house is also small compared with what most people would expect on a premier lot in north-central Phoenix, Tunberg said.

According to the assessor's office, the house is about 2,100 square feet. Tunberg said there are two bedrooms, a screened-in Arizona room and 1½ bathrooms.  

A new owner could build a new, larger home or could seek to subdivide the land and build multiple homes on the lot. 

"The condition of the property will yield (the owners) a significant amount less than it would if it were able to be demolished and replaced," Tunberg said. 

Want to talk about historic preservation? Reach the reporter at 480-694-1823 or jessica.boehm@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @jboehm_NEWS.