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Demolition of 1938 Arizona State Fair building halted

The bulldozers have been called off, at least for now, after preservation activists convinced a county judge to halt the demolition of a historic building at the Arizona state fairgrounds on Wednesday.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge David O. Cunanan granted a request for a temporary restraining order, blocking the State Fair from razing the structure. A hearing that could determine the fate of the building has been scheduled for next week.

Known as the State Fair Civic Building, the art deco facility dates to 1938 and was constructed as part of a federal public-works program designed to put people to work during the Great Depression. Over the years, it's been used as offices, a haunted house and a mineral and gem exhibit.

The Arizona Exposition and State Fair Board, a self-sustaining state agency, wants to remove the dilapidated building to make room for more paved vendor space. Fair officials estimate it would cost up to $1 million to make the building usable to the public again, a figure preservation advocates hotly dispute.

Jennifer Boucek, an attorney and director of Preserve Phoenix, filed the lawsuit on behalf of Betty Ann Moore, a nearby resident. Boucek has pleaded with the fair to delay the demolition so alternative options can be explored, calling the building one of the most significant on the complex.

Phoenix's Historic Preservation Commission was scheduled to meet Wednesday afternoon to consider beginning the process to create a protective zoning overlay for all or part of the fairgrounds, a move that could further delay the demolition.

Historic state fair buildingJack Bell, assistant executive director of the Arizona State Fair, surveys an historic building at the Arizona State Fair Grounds that is scheduled to be razed on July 16, 2014, in Phoenix. The art deco building dates back to 1938 and was constructed by the federal government as part of a New Deal-era program to lower unemployment during the Great Depression. (Photo: Rob Schumacher/The Republic) Fullscreen
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Advocates said losing one of the fairgrounds' more historic and architecturally significant buildings would be a travesty for a city that's saved so few of its historic structures. They took to social media and lobbied state and city leaders this week.

Kristi Walsh, assistant executive director of the State Fair, said the state agency wants to remove the building because it has fallen into disrepair, with a badly leaking roof, termite damage and a cracking foundation.

"We totally understand and appreciate the historic value of the building," Walsh said earlier this week. "Unfortunately, it's a financial viability decision. We have to fund ourselves to stay in business."

She said replacing the building with a paved lot for the Oct. 10-Nov. 2 fair would bring in an additional $80,000 to $100,000 in revenue. The agency may eventually use the space near McDowell Road and 19th Avenue to construct a more elaborate, welcoming entrance gate.

The demolition had been scheduled to start at 6 a.m. Wednesday but was halted at the last minute after Phoenix leaders got involved.

Joan Gresch, a longtime resident of the F.Q. Story historic neighborhood southeast of the fairgrounds, urged the commission to support a historic designation. She lamented the loss of many of the central city's older buildings and the decline of the State Fair property, which she said was once an inviting site with trees, grass and a lagoon.

"It's been a great sadness that I have seen," Gresch said. "Razing this building is cutting off the nose to spite the face because this building could be a jewel. Please don't tear down any more of our history."

Walsh said the State Fair is committed to preserving other historic structures on its property but has determined it's not economical to save the Civic Building. The building has fallen into disrepair, with a badly leaking roof, termite damage and a cracking foundation.

"We have to put our limited resources into revenue-producing projects," she said. "That's the bottom line."

She said replacing the building with a paved lot for the Oct. 10-Nov. 2 fair would bring in an additional $80,000 to $100,000 in revenue. The agency may eventually use the space near McDowell Road and 19th Avenue to construct a more elaborate, welcoming entrance gate.

The Civic Building is one of several fairground structures built by the Works Progress Administration, a federal agency that led New Deal-era projects during the 1930s and '40s. It served as the WPA's headquarters in Arizona, a nucleus for the agency that provided work for numerous unemployed construction workers and craftsmen.

Preservationists say the building's construction method is also rare, consisting of a concrete frame and adobe-brick walls. Its fluted columns and chevrons are typical of the popular Art Deco style of the period.