Duke and more Ponzi dreams

The news from my old 'hood is the pending demise of the Duke Photography building on the southwest corner of Seventh Street and Thomas. The Arizona Republic reported the building is set to be demolished and a Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers drive-thru built on the site. Duke is moving to the First Federal Building on Central in Midtown, taking its sign with it.

This is wrong for so many reasons, no wonder nearby neighborhood associations are opposing it ahead of a June 17th virtual public hearing. One big concern is increased traffic, including dangerous turns on Seventh, which has been widened and had "suicide lanes" added for rush hour. A Kentucky Fried Chicken drive-thru on the northwest corner already causes collisions.

Beyond that, while the building is modest it fits into the remaining fabric of the streetscape. The Raising Cane would be another soulless off-the-shelf building, made for cars not for pedestrians. If the company really wanted to be a good neighbor, as it claims, it would build something appropriate to the nearby historic districts. Too many losses have already been allowed, notably the replacement of John Sing Tang's iconic Helsing's at Central and Osborn — right up to the street — by a Walgreens, set back by a surface parking lot and surrounded by a low wall, gravel, and rocks.

Meanwhile, when the Republican-controlled Legislature isn't trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election, it's demanding a study on damming the Mississippi River and piping the water to Arizona.

I am not making this up.

Anything, anything to keep the Ponzi scheme going (with championship golf!). Arizona is way past population overshoot. The model is single-family sprawl. Buckeye becoming bigger than Phoenix! Superstition Vistas! The Sun Corridor! It's all dangerously delusional, however much short-term money flows to the Real Estate Industrial Complex.

No Plan B. It can't end well.

And of course nobody's damming (a gerund!) Old Man River. It's a navigable waterway. Neither the Army Corps of Engineers nor the adjacent states would allow it. Nor could the funding be found for a 1,500-mile pipeline or canal to central Arizona.

The lies just keep rolling along.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Cal Lash]

The inhalation of too much Sandworm Melange leads to shit for brains.

[Ruben]

OT, but just saying, great new book Mr. Talton. As they say on Amazon reviews, it's Unputdownable. Love that new word.

[Cal Lash]

Election Audit Fantods

[Rogue Columnist]

Thanks, Ruben!

[Mariam Cheshire]

A Story about a 93 year old historic building by a 93 year old local writer

NUMBER ONE on AMAZON - New Releases in Landmarks & Monuments

HISTORY, MYSTERY AND LOVE

That’s the description for “Stories About the Hotel Westward Ho.”

“The swankiest hotel in the west” was built in the Roaring Twenties, opening in 1927, “ablaze in incandescent splendor.” By plane and train, the rich and famous came to party in a Cowtown of the Wild West.

It is now housing for low-income seniors and the mobility-impaired.

I lived there for a challenging, happy twelve years. Things I never expected just happened. Falling in love at 75 – a walking-on-air surprise.

As part of the Westward Ho Historical Group, we tramped through every accessible place, basement to 15th floor, finding unused stairs and forgotten rooms. Roaming through the basement corridors, up the back stairs and above the stage we scuffed through years of rat droppings to bring down reminders of former glory.

This 7 x 10” book will fit on your bookshelf if you’re curious about the Westward Ho, or like history, or appreciate a love story.

Available on Amazon. Available on Kindle shortly 5-18-21

Mariam Cheshire - [email protected]

[euthanasia]

I'll order the book Ms. Mariam.

Just out of curiosity, did you ever date cal Lash? It's my understanding he dated every eligible lady in AZ from 1950 to 2021.

That would explain why he is hiding out in Apache Junction plum wore out.

He even brought a blind date to a Jon Talton Fan Club coffee gathering. The poor lady thought she was in for a romantic lunch and instead she was surrounded by six old farts who only spent time trying to outdo each other with who had the most aches and pains. She ran really fast when she remembered she had an appointment she forgot about.

[Cal Lash]

Euthanasia is actually a English scoundrel wanted by Interpol for defrauding Lloyds of London. He poses as Helen Highwater and as a Indian mamed Ruben claiming his ancestors were scalped by white dudes.

[Cal Lash]

As i recall in 72 i attended a GOP National event at the Hotel Westward Ho as a Delgate and shared a suite with two female delgates. Actually i was there as an undercover narcotics detective from the Phoenix Police Department based on a rumor that a big load of Maryjane was coming to the event. That proved to be a bad rumor. But didnt stop the partying.
Ho Ho Ho!

[eclecticdog]

My folks had portraits dun at Duke's. Good memory each time I drove by.

[Mariam Cheshire]

Hello Helen or Reuben (and thanks to Cal for explaining) I gave a Westward Ho tour to Jon Talton in 2002. And I may be getting the interesting men mixed up, but I believe we were in the same photography class at Phoenix College. He is much younger than I am. In my book there is a lot of scenery from different years at the HO, plus an unexpected exciting love affair. But not with Jon. Enjoy!

[Cal Lash]

Sam Fox should build a ten story hotel
at the Duke location so Dignity Health
(Old St. Joe's), Hospice of the Valley and all the other medical places could have a place for folks to stay while visiting the sick and dying.
Interesting that Fox got done what Trump couldn't. A vision obstructing building on Camelback Road. Might as well let the developers build up to the mountain top.
"Road" I always equate the word road with a dirt surface. Camelback street more resembles a stark concrete and tar freeway.

[connor]

I don’t care for NIMBYism of any form.

At the same time, I really don’t care for bland fast food chicken finger chain restaurants.

So, get rid of the building or repurpose it. Duke has a lot of history here but the building itself is… forgettable, aside from its neon sign. Just please, do something with the space that doesn’t just continue to serve the Phoenix corporate strip mall sprawl.

[Cal Lash]

I was just kidding about building a hotel there. Actually a continuation and enlargement of the garden space would be good. So Phoenix needs to come up with the bucks to buy the property.
And at least one Sajuaro.