Tempe plans to buy 2 century-old buildings in downtown area

The city wants to buy the properties in order to “preserve the historic buildings from future redevelopment.”

TEMPE, Ariz. — The City of Tempe plans to acquire two historic buildings in the downtown area dating to the early 20th century.

On Jan. 8, the Tempe City Council approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to negotiate a purchase agreement to acquire the Tempe National Bank and the adjacent Tempe Hardware Building on Mill Avenue.

“The City desires to acquire the Properties to preserve the historic buildings from future redevelopment that would be inconsistent with their historic character,” the council’s resolution states.

During Thursday’s meeting, Mayor Corey Woods said the current owners have been excellent stewards of the two buildings, and the city intends to continue to have local businesses occupy the structures.

The purchasing price shall not “exceed the fair market value of each property or the amount directed by the City Council,” records show.

The Tempe National Bank was constructed in 1912 and was founded by pioneer businessmen and agriculturalists of the city.

“The Tempe National Bank building became an instant landmark when, with a single bold statement, it first proclaimed a new identity for the community,” a city document states. “The 1912 structure still stands in testimony of earlier community aspirations and ambitions.”

Thanks Anderson, who served as mayor of Tempe during the 1930s, started his banking career at Tempe National Bank in 1915 and later became a branch manager. The century-old building was designed in the Egyptian Revival style by Phoenix architect Leighton Green Knipe, according to the city.

The Tempe Hardware Building was constructed in 1898 and served as a meeting place for the city council until the first Tempe Town Hall was built in 1924. Social gatherings, political events, and speeches were held inside the building during Tempe’s formative, early years.

The building’s ground floor was occupied by the Tempe Hardware Company for decades until it closed in the 1970s.

According to the city, the structure is considered the “oldest remaining three-story brick commercial building from the Territorial period in Maricopa County.”

The Hardware Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, records show.

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