A landmark in northwest Phoenix is getting a major facelift. Sunnyslope’s El Cid Castle has been purchased by the state for a new office complex.
Most anyone who’s driven by 19 th Avenue and Cactus has probably seen the El Cid Castle.
Dr. Kenneth Hall started work on the building in 1963. It opened in the 1980s as a bowling alley in the design of a Moorish Castle, complete with spires, fortress-style windows and heavy wooden doors.
The building has recently been vacant, but Arizona’s Department of Economic Security bought it and will open offices in January, said Jim Hillyard, DES Deputy Director of Operations.
“This building has really been an eyesore for years. It’s been abandoned, it’s been graffitied, it’s been a magnet for vandalism. So, we’ll be turning that into a really first class business office,” Hillyard said.
He said the building is being remodeled and will no longer look like a castle. DES will locate its Division of Developmental Disabilities, Child Support Services and Rehabilitation Services Administration at the site.