11 Phoenix buildings lost to the wrecking ball

Supporters of a 1930s-era building at the Arizona state fairgrounds missed their deadline to develop a plan to prevent demolition, though the building is still standing. And activists scrambled to save old buildings from incoming development in the downtown Roosevelt Row arts district, with mixed success.  It was another busy year for preservationists racing to save Phoenix history.

Phoenix has lost a number of notable sites over the years. Some had historical designation, while others were noted for unique architecture or a storied past.

Here are some of the buildings community members rallied for but failed to save.

420 E. Roosevelt St.

• Year built: circa 1920.
• Former location: Fifth and Roosevelt streets.
• History: One of the early families that lived in the downtown house were confectioners and operated the Busy Bee Lunch Room, according to the city. It was later owned by the Pappas family. Recently, the house was used as a small bodega and office space. 
• Year demolished: December 2015. A housing project is planned for the site.

222 E. Roosevelt St.

• Year built: circa 1938.
• Former location: Third and Roosevelt streets.
• History: Artist Ted DeGrazia painted murals on the wall of the Roosevelt Row building to pay a bar tab, the legend goes. The site once housed the state's oldest gay bar, the 307 Lounge, and later the campaign headquarters of former Mayor Phil Gordon. Most recently, the boutique and gallery greenHAUS filled the space.
• Year demolished: 2015. The project iLuminate, an 111-unit apartment complex, is under construction on the site.

Sahara Motor Inn

• Year built: Opened in 1956.
• Former location: First and Taylor streets.
• History: Marilyn Monroe once stayed at the downtown hotel while she shot the movie "Bus Stop" in the 1950s. The hotel was more recently a Ramada Inn. Activists fought the city's plans to tear down the building and convert the land to a parking lot, which was added to the Arizona State University campus.
• Year demolished: 2010. The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law is under construction on the site.

Mountain Bell Building

• Year built: 1972.
• Former location: Third Street and Earll Drive.
• History: Phoenix architect Al Beadle designed the building. The rectangular block tower was covered in glass and an example of Midcentury Modern architecture. The property deteriorated before its demolition.
• Year demolished: 2009. The building was imploded, and another office building now sits on the site.

Madison Hotel

• Year built: 1909.
• Former location: Madison and First streets.
• History: Early travelers once arrived at this hotel mostly by train. The Madison Hotel was one of two properties embroiled in a battle with the owners of the Phoenix Suns. Suns Legacy Partners owned the building and announced plans to demolish it for parking. A compromise with preservation advocates was unsuccessful and the building was demolished.
• Year demolished: 2012. Parking now fills the site.

Hotel St. James

• Year built: 1928.
• Former location: Madison and First streets.
• History: The hotel joined the Madison Hotel as one of several in Phoenix that opened in the early 1900s. The hotel was one of two owned by Suns Legacy Partners, on land eyed for parking. Parts of the hotel were spared after a fight by preservationists, though a compromise was limited to saving the front and lobby of the hotel.
• Year demolished: 2012. The front and lobby of the hotel were preserved and still stand on the site.

APS gas-manufacturing building

• Year built: Around 1906.
• Former location: First Avenue and Lincoln Street.
• History: Power companies once used the building in the warehouse district to provide fuel for streetlights and homes without electricity. Arizona Public Service Company was the last owner, and company officials said the building had to be demolished to remove the hazardous waste beneath it.
• Year demolished: 2013.

Industrial Congress Building

• Year built: 1914.
• Former location: Central Avenue and Madison Street.
• History: Also known as the "Luhrs Central" building, it was part of a block containing other historical sites, including a building that was one of Phoenix's tallest at the time it was built. The land was purchased to rehabilitate the old buildings into a mixed-use project. The Industrial Congress building was targeted for demolition to make way for a hotel.
• Year demolished: 2014. The Luhrs City Center Marriott is under construction there. 

Peterson House

• Year built: 1964.
• Former location: 15th Avenue and Butler Drive.
• History: The house in north-central Phoenix was designed by modernist architect Robert J. Peterson with a notable brick beehive fireplace. Developers who wanted the land for new properties said the house had roof and water damage and could not be saved.
• Year demolished: 2013. The fireplace was saved. 

W.L. Bobo House

• Year built: 1913.
• Former location: 13th and Roosevelt streets.
• History: The Craftsman bungalow in the Garfield neighborhood had various tenants in the early 1900s, including Bobo, a life insurance agent. A demolition request by the most recent owner was delayed by the city with hopes of finding a buyer to preserve it. Those efforts were unsuccessful.
• Year demolished: 2013.

Washburn Piano building

• Year built: 1964.
• Former location: 20th Street and Camelback Road.
• History: Arizona architect Ed Varney designed the building as a bank. It was a piano store in later years and was considered by many a Midcentury Modern landmark. A developer wanted the land for a small strip mall.
• Year demolished: 2007.