PHOENIX — Arizona State University has dropped its eminent domain case against the Louis Emerson Home, a historic pre-statehood property in Phoenix's Churchill neighborhood, ending a two-year legal battle that rallied preservationists and community members across the city.
Robert Young, the property owner, said the news came in an early morning phone call.
"The gentleman called me and said that Michael Crow had decided that I could have a house that didn't have to be moved," Young said.
Young, 89, had refused to settle or back down throughout the proceedings. He and Barry Schwartz, the current tenant of the home, were set to appear in court September 4th to argue why the house should not be taken.
An ASU spokesperson said in a statement: "To honor the homeowner's desires, the university has agreed to withdraw its court proceedings and allow the house to remain. The plans for the ASU Health site will be revised accordingly."
Young said the outcome surprised him, but did not shock him.
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Schwartz credited the broader community for making the difference, pointing to the role of advocacy groups and an online petition that gave residents a platform to speak out.
"Give recognition to all the people that helped get to where we're at this very moment, including Preserve Phoenix and all the people, most importantly, the voice of the community that was given to them through Change.org," Schwartz said.
Mike Hardesty, a board member with Preserve Phoenix, said the fight was always about more than one property.
"This is a fight to preserve the integrity of our city, to preserve the history of our city," Hardesty said. "It may only be one house, but it represents so much more."
Hardesty said the outcome is proof that community voices, no matter how small, can make a real difference.
"Even if you're someone that wrote an email or a letter or wrote a comment on Facebook, your voice was heard and that matters," he said.
Young said he hopes the Louis Emerson Home can now become something the entire community, and even ASU, can be proud of for generations to come.
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