Arizona State University has dropped an eminent domain lawsuit that sought to take a 124-year-old historic home in downtown Phoenix.
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that → drop → Phoenix
Widespread public opposition led university officials to let the property remain intact.
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property → lead → officials
The Arizona Board of Regents, acting for Arizona State University, filed court papers seeking immediate possession of the historic Louis Emerson House for a planned medical campus headquarters.
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Board → act → headquarters
However, the university announced in July 2026 that it would dismiss the case and stop trying to acquire the land.
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it → announce → land
The property is owned by John Young, who has held the title to the parcel for 51 years.
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who → own → years
Long-time tenant Barry Schwartz has lived in the home for eight years.
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Schwartz → live → years
Both men started a public campaign to protect the house from demolition.
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men → start → demolition
Their efforts generated thousands of online signatures and led to grassroots preservation events.
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efforts → generate → events
"They saw the light," Young told the Phoenix New Times after the decision.
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Young → see → decision
"I applaud that.
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I → applaud → that
You don't typically get a bulldozer turned around and just say, 'We think we've made a mistake.'
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we → get → mistake
That's what it amounted to."
A historic structure in the path of expansion
Built in 1902, the Louis Emerson House is listed on the Phoenix Historic Property Register.
It is also one of the city's few remaining residential structures built before Arizona became a state.
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Arizona → amount → structures
The home was first located somewhere else in downtown Phoenix.
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home → locate → Phoenix
In 1990, Young arranged to move the house to protect it during construction of the Arizona Center commercial complex.
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Young → arrange → complex
Arizona State University announced plans in March 2025 to build its new health headquarters across several blocks in downtown Phoenix.
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University → announce → Phoenix
The project is scheduled to open before the fall 2028 academic term.
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project → schedule → term
To obtain the entire site, the university tried to buy the parcel where the Emerson House stands.
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House → obtain → parcel
When talks failed, the board filed an eminent domain lawsuit in May 2026 to take the property.
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board → fail → property
According to court filings reported by the Phoenix New Times, university site maps showed that the house lot was not planned for medical buildings.
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lot → accord → buildings
Instead, it was marked as landscaped open space around the planned medical campus.
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it → mark → campus
University officials first offered $990,000 for the land.
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officials → offer → land
Young rejected the offer.
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Young → reject → offer
He said moving the fragile 124-year-old house a second time would cost between $2 million and $3 million.
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moving → say → million
Community petition turns the tide
Facing the threat of a forced sale and possible demolition, Schwartz and Young began a public campaign to bring attention to the home's history.
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Schwartz → turn → history
Working with local advocacy group Preserve Phoenix, they started an online petition on Change.org asking for the property to be protected.
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property → work → Change.org
As reported by The State Press, the official student news organization of Arizona State University, the petition collected more than 12,000 verified signatures from people across Arizona and the United States.
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petition → report → Arizona
Preservationists said Phoenix has often given up historic buildings to make way for modern development.
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Phoenix → say → development
They argued that this has left the city with few physical links to its early settlement period.
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this → argue → period
Schwartz said the quick growth in public support helped change the university's position.
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growth → say → position
"You sit there and wonder when you take out a petition, 'Are they really effective?
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they → sit → petition
Do they really make a difference?'" Schwartz told The State Press.
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Schwartz → make → Press
"Well, in this case, it really did.
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it → do → case
In court papers filed before a scheduled September evidentiary hearing, Arizona State University formally asked to dismiss its condemnation lawsuit.
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University → file → lawsuit
A university spokesperson said in a written statement provided to The State Press that the university decided to drop the case to respect the owner's wishes and respond to community feedback.
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university → say → feedback
Young, who had rejected early advice from lawyers to accept a financial settlement, said he was relieved that the threat of losing his property was over.
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threat → reject → property
It's held up by a single horse hair," Young told the Phoenix New Times.
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Young → hold → Times
To celebrate the decision, Schwartz and Preserve Phoenix held an open house during downtown Phoenix's First Friday art walk in August 2026.
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Schwartz → celebrate → August
The event allowed local residents and supporters to enter the historic home.
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residents → allow → home
Preservation advocates plan to consider more public educational events at the property.
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advocates → plan → property
These events would highlight the early architectural history of downtown Phoenix.
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events → highlight → Phoenix
The Aporia
