A house designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the Arcadia neighborhood is now one step closer to being considered a historic landmark.
The Phoenix Historic Preservation Commission approved the designation by a 7-2 vote Monday night. The Phoenix City Council will get the final word on the designation.
All six acres of land surrounding the Wright house were recommended for the historic landmark status. Many neighbors weren’t happy with that.
Jim Furcini lives nearby and he fears this gives the developer the ability to turn the property into an event venue.
“There will be trucks and buses that are not heretofore planned how they will get in and out without having to come through our neighborhood,” Furcini said.
The commission’s designation doesn’t directly allow for development, but is the first step.
There are 210 properties on the Phoenix Historic Property Register. Only 5 percent of those have landmark status. In order to get that designation, the property has to have “exception significance” and is subject to higher levels of protection.
The current owner of the property, Zach Rawling, purchased the David and Gladys Wright house in 2012 just as it was set to be demolished. He has plans to turn the property into an public area for educational programs and cultural events.
“Now that the home is no longer owned by the family, I hope that we can close that chapter of the home’s life and welcome it to another where it is part of our shared cultural history,” Rawling said.
Rawling would need to come back to the commission for approval before starting any major development of the property.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story and headline have been modified to reflect the current historical status of the house.
Updated 11/17/2015 at 11:59 a.m.
