The Neighborhoods, Housing and Development Subcommittee recommended City Council approval of a $100,000 grant for the restoration of two buildings built in 1927 on Fourth Avenue and Van Buren Street. Owners hope this money will help kickstart economic development in that area.
The buildings were bought last December by Pat Cantelme and James Kuykendall, with the purpose of remodeling the historic façade and interiors for commercial use.
The money will help repair the roof, replicate the building’s historic awning, reopen storefront entrances, install windows and transoms, repair stucco, and precast concrete, according to Alan Stephenson, the planning and development director.
Kevin Weight, the planner who helped recommend the project, said Phoenix is full of historic buildings and that the economic benefit of preserving the buildings would be greater than just tearing them down.
“A lot of people say or complain that Phoenix is a new city, but we do have a fair amount of history here, going back to the early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, and the archaeology beyond that,” Weight said. “We find that historic preservation projects tend to keep more money locally.”
Cantelme and Kuykendall, both lifelong residents of the Phoenix area, said they care deeply for this area. Cantelme said he hopes this project will be the beginning of the redevelopment of this section of downtown.
“We hope that this jumpstarts West Van Buren,” Cantelme said. “The rest of downtown has really been done great.”
Both buildings were constructed in 1927 and are separated by a shared one-foot-wide brick wall. The buildings have changed hands several times, going from a grocery store to a printing business before becoming vacant in 2005.
The outer façade will be complete before Christmas, and the interior remodeling will begin once three tenants have expressed serious interest. Cantelme said they believe the project will be done within two years.
Historic Preservation Officer Michelle Dodds warned that the bond funds for the Historic Preservation Commission are dangerously low. The last time voters approved an increase in bond funds for the commission was 2006, when voters approved $13 million for historic preservation.
“We are really low on these funds, so I think we will lose some of our historic resources if we don’t have those funds available to help us,” Dodds said. “Phoenix has won awards for our historic preservation bond program in the past. I don’t know when we will have another bond election, but when we do we need the voters to really support us.”
Contact the reporter at Kmlane5@asu.edu.
