Demolition of 1938 Arizona State Fair building halted

Jack 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 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)

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.

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Read the rest here:
Demolition of 1938 Arizona State Fair building halted