By Katie Mayer | Special to East Valley Tribune
Historic preservation is often challenging, but protecting Arizona’s historic buildings and neighborhoods is critical to economic growth, strengthening home values and maintaining Arizona’s identity.
That’s the message local, state and federal historic preservationists discussed with elected officials June 14 during a panel in Mesa at the 11th annual Arizona Historic Preservation Conference held at the Hilton Phoenix/Mesa hotel.
“Preservation is more than preserving old things,” said Mesa Preservation Foundation president Vic Linoff. “Historic districts are the oldest parts of cities, and if you don’t take care of them, they can be a drain.”
Former Arizona attorney general Terry Goddard moderated a panel of elected officials, which included Town of Florence vice mayor Tom Smith, City of Mesa councilmember Dennis Kavanaugh and City of Phoenix senior policy advisor Brendan Mahoney.
The panel discussed properties that have recently come into the spotlight, such as the David & Gladys Wright House in Phoenix’s Arcadia neighborhood, which was recently saved from possible demolition, and the 1928 Hotel St. James and 1909 Madison Hotel in downtown Phoenix, which could not be saved. The panel celebrated the restoration of the neon Diving Lady sign in Mesa.
