Iconic Phoenix Towers Perfection Corner Unit

PHOENIX TOWERS—ARIZONA’S FIRST and FINEST MULTI-STORY LUXURY APARTMENT BUILDING

Early History:

The site was originally adjacent and part of “Casa Blanca,” the residence of Pheonix’s Dwight Heard and Maie Bartlett Heard, founders and benefactors of the Heard Museum next door. After Maie Heard’s death in 1951, the land was purchased by a Phoenix real estate agent for development.

The architect was Chicago-based Ralph C. Harris, who designed Phoenix Towers in the “Modern Style.” Del E. Webb Construction Company supervised the building’s construction, which was completed in 1957 in an X-shaped design with four wings. Each apartment has two or three exposures with only one common wall. Another outstanding feature is the projecting concrete ledges that serve not only as balcony floors and covers, but also as awnings for the apartment windows.

These ledges are extensions of the building’s concrete slab floors. At the opening of Phoenix Towers, one newspaper reporter characterized the building as “a collection of modern air-conditioned “ranch homes” (meaning single level), grouped together on a vertical plane. ”The open house of a furnished model apartment in 1957 attracted more than 5,000 visitors the first day. (From The Webb Spinner, March 1957.)

Ownership:

Phoenix Towers is structured as a cooperative in which buyers purchase shares of stock in a non-profit corporation with the number of shares based on the size of the apartment. Stockholders are not only neighbors who reside in the same building but also business associates who own that building and share collective responsibility through an elected Board of Directors for its operation and maintenance.

Twelve of the fourteen floors are devoted to apartments ranging in size from 1,210 square feet to 2,550 square feet. The ground level includes a lobby, offices, a mailroom, laundry room, exercise room, resident storage facilities, and mechanical equipment area. The top floor features an enclosed space with a catering kitchen and an outside terrace with stunning views of the city. The property also has an outdoor saltwater lap pool with 12 cabanas, a community garden, a dog park, and visitor parking. In addition, there is a secure underground parking garage with two assigned parking spaces for each apartment.

Notable Architecture:

In January 2008, Phoenix Towers was placed on the National Register of Historic Places for its role in introducing to Arizona a new form of housing, residential high-rise living, and as an outstanding example of Mid-Century Modern architecture.

Over the years most of the apartments have been remodeled, with changes reviewed by a Building Committee and final approval by the Board of Directors. Several apartments retain the original Beauty Queen metal kitchen cabinets and stained concrete floors.

The building made the New Times “100 Things to Do in Phoenix Before You Die”—”Snag an Invitation to a Party on the Roof of Phoenix Towers with Gorgeous City Views.” More recently, the building was repainted using Dunn and Edwards’ “Phoenix Towers Pink’ (the original color) and returning the original gray panels to the outside front of the building from the eighth floor to the thirteenth floor. The lobby was renovated in 2020-21 to update the décor while retaining unique original features such as the terrazzo floor and carved columns.

Phoenix Towers remains one of the preeminent buildings and residential addresses in Central/Mid-Town Phoenix. A testament to its high-quality construction, superb location, and enduring mid-century architecture.