City buys PD building, first step toward revitalizing downtown

By XAVIER ZARAGOZA
The Daily Dispatch
Published/Last Modified on Thursday, January 31, 2008 3:05 PM MST


After a series of negotiations, The City of Douglas closed on a deal that now makes it the owner of the Phelps Dodge Mercantile building, a 103-year-old historic downtown building.


The Phelps Dodge building, on the corner of 10th Street and G Avenue, will be renovated and used by Cochise County agencies and other businesses.

The 60,000 square foot, three story property will be use to begin the first phase of the city’s downtown revitalization program.

The purchase also included the parking lot behind the building for a total of about $800,000.

“By renovating the building, we believe it will draw people to the downtown area,” said Curtis Shook, the Douglas City Manager. “And when people begin to be redirected to the downtown area, it has the potential to spark and support new and existing business.”

The PD building will be renovated, with negotiations underway to lease the space to Cochise County agencies, the Mexican Consulate and the University of Arizona South.

The U of A South has tentatively made plans to establish a 20,000 square foot, three story building on the area that is currently the parking lot.

“All of this renovation is part of the city’s commitement to revitalized the downtown area,” Shook said.

The mayor and city council have been actively looking for ways to make the downtown area more dynamic.

The purchase of the PD building and the proposed renovations is the first step toward that goal.

Copyright © 2012 Douglas Dispatch

Comments

    Joan Cope wrote on Feb 1, 2008 2:17 PM:

    " Since I no longer live in Douglas, maybe my comments are not appropriate, but I am so pleased to know the PD Merc building, built to last through the years and right in the middle of Douglas' downtown, will be revitalized and put to good use!! "

    FRANKY wrote on Feb 1, 2008 10:13 AM:

    " YEAH YEAH JUST LIKE THE HOTEL GOING UP ON PAN AM,ACTONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS GENTLEMEN SO GET TOO IT AND SHOW US SOMETHING!!! "

    jay dee wrote on Jan 31, 2008 9:44 PM:

    " What a smart thinking City Council we have, They can spend $800,000 on an old building, and then maybe another $200,000 or more on improvements, but Public Safety can't buy equipment, pay salaries, or hire more personnel. No wonder people are leaving Douglas to the bigger cities, at least they get paid more and private industry builds new and high-tech building for city and private offices. I think that they could have made a better deal for office spaces or new technology for one million dollars!! What were they thinking??? "

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