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๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐-๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
The Louis Emerson House was built in 1902 โ a full decade before Arizona achieved statehood. It is one of the last pre-statehood wood-frame residential structures standing in central Phoenix, listed on the Phoenix Historic Property Register since 1990. Robert Young, 88 years old, has owned it and called it home for 50 years.
On May 22, the Arizona Board of Regents โ the governing body of Arizona State University โ filed a condemnation lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court seeking โimmediate possessionโ of Youngโs property. Under Arizona eminent domain law, the university can compel the sale regardless of whether Young agrees. Young had already turned down their offers. ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ.
The universityโs position: they made โseveral offersโ to purchase, including an option to physically relocate the structure. Their final offer was $850,000, based on a state-certified appraisal of the 833-square-foot home and its 4,642-square-foot lot. ASUโs written statement says the offers were fair and that Youngโs rejection was his alone. Youngโs answer: relocating a 124-year-old wood-frame historic building is prohibitively expensive, the home cannot simply be picked up and replicated, and no dollar figure replaces 50 years of ownership.
What ASUโs lawyers do not address: why this specific prestate landmark needs to be demolished rather than preserved or designed around. ASU already operates more than fifteen campuses and satellite centers across the Phoenix metro area. It has options. ๐๐จ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐. The university that preaches sustainability and community stewardship is now using the full coercive power of the state to force an 88-year-old man out of a pre-statehood landmark โ because it can, and because the new ASU Health headquarters can go there instead.
The building has survived for 124 years. It outlasted every government that tried to tell Robert Young what his property was worth. ASUโs lawyers filed the paperwork on May 22 and asked for immediate possession. That is the offer.
๐๐จ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ; ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐. ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐โ๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ.