Big preservation alert

The most precious treasure of old downtown Phoenix is in flux. This could provide the city a long-overdue opportunity. Or it could go sideways in a hurry. I'm writing, of course, about Union Station.

According to CBRE, the big real-estate services firm "has been retained as exclusive representative to offer qualified investors the opportunity to purchase fee interest in the iconic...Union Station site in downtown Phoenix at 401 W. Harrison Street." It goes on, "Depending on the vision of a new owner, the Property may be eligible for a myriad of monetary and tax advantaged programs..."

Sprint, which has used the station to house switching equipment since the late 1980s, intends to move out before the end of next year. The Union Pacific Railroad's ground lease ends in March 2023, a century after the building was completed. Now what?

One of the most popular columns on this site is my history of Union Station (with photos) — you can read it here. The Spanish revival building brought together the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe railroads in one full-service station. Three years after its completion, the SP finished its northern main line and routed most of its passenger trains through Phoenix. The city was served by multiple intercity trains a day through the 1960s.

The last Amtrak train called here in 1996. The state refused to partner with the SP (merged with Union Pacific the same year) to maintain the west line between Phoenix and Wellton to passenger-train standards. Phoenix became the largest American city by far with no intercity rail service. Sprint — which was started by the SP — using the depot for switching equipment helped protect and save it. Being on the National Register of Historic Places wouldn't have stopped Joe Arpaio's jail-building mania and other losses in the Warehouse District. Mesa lost its lovely SP depot to arson...no one cared.

Who will care now?

The future of Union Station will be a useful marker for the new City Council.

City leaders with vision and vigor would purchase Union Station or partner with a private-sector developer with historic-reuse expertise. The goal: Return Amtrak to Phoenix (in a fit of sanity the state purchased the west line) and begin commuter service to such suburbs as Buckeye, Goodyear, Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, Mesa, Gilbert, and Chandler. A slight rerouting of the south light-rail line would place it conveniently next to Union Station. High-speed rail should be in a future worth having.

A public-private partnership could yield the benefits of Denver's highly successful restoration of its union station. (Indianapolis provides a cautionary counterpoint, especially if a treasured building loses its public space). Stations have also been saved in such places as Cincinnati, Kansas City, San Jose, and Dallas. Seattle's King Street Station has been meticulously restored (even though it never lost its trains). Portland's depot is another gem.

In other words, Phoenix is the outlier — and not in a good way. But will City Council act — or notice? Yes, Arizona law has seriously affected the ability of governments to use eminent domain. But this doesn't preclude purchasing a historic property, especially of this importance.

Side note: I am somewhat less concerned about the future of the Luke-Greenway American Legion Post (where my Scout troop met and where I was introduced to Medal of Honor recipient Silvestre Herrera). According to a source, the volunteer heroes I call the "Preservation Police" are working to bring in a developer who would adaptively reuse the building and retain key functions for the Legion.

But nothing can be taken for granted. Call your council member and mayor's office. Get involved.

Gallery — Union Station today:

The ornate ceiling and arched windows in the well-preserved main waiting room.

Another view of the main waiting room, where the newstand and lunch counter once stood. The mural was added in the 1990s and is ahistorical — the Rio Grande never ran here. A better image would have been of Southern Pacific Daylight or silver-with-red-stripe Sunset colors.

The stairs go to the second floor, which housed railroad offices. Imagine in today's world of tilt-up and stick construction an age — not so long ago — when such care was given that a non-public part of this station had marble stairs.

The exit to Fourth Avenue and Harrison, once the gateway to the city. The original doors are still intact.

An exterior view. The arches once all contained doors for loading and unloading express and mail.

Much of the mail and express section of the station houses now-largely-obsolete switching gear of Sprint (click on the link if it doesn't display here).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Lorraine Fulks]

My mother, two brothers, sister and myself arrived here in 1965. There must be a special use for this building. What about a themed event location or wedding venue. We need to preserve Phoenix.

[Joe Schallan]

Union Station is still situated in such a way that it could serve its original purpose -- a transportation hub linking light rail, long distance/commuter rail, and heck, if money and imagination weren't limited, the airport via an extension of the people mover from the rental-car facility to downtown for another point of access. I'm sure a professional transportation planner can tell me a million reasons why none of this would work.

[AZ Ranteur]

Union Station is an example of the "good bones" that people don't think exists in Phoenix. The potential of it being a multi-use transportation and tech hub is unbelievable. This is ripe for a public/private partnership.I only hope that it doesn't get turned over to a private developer who will either tear it down or stucco it over and put in the standard Subway/Dunkin Donuts/Nail Salon.

[Cal Lash]

Union Station will still be standing when the rails are rusted, the asphalt and concrete has desert grass growing through it and the desert has reclaimed the land.
Thats, "The Good News."
Look up and the large soaring black bird will be Cactus Ed Abbey. Smiling!

[Frank Simpson]

Thanks Jon, great article, full of history and ideas on how to save it. There needs to be more publicity about the proposed sale. I didn’t see anything about the a price, is that available?