Senior citizens fighting for their homes is a modern tragedy; there’s even a Disney movie about it. Hence, Arizona State University’s effort to seize a 124-year-old historic home in downtown Phoenix through eminent domain has ignited fierce public backlash. Critics are accusing the university of sacrificing local history for expansion and abusing government power, especially since the homeowner is an 89-year-old man who has owned it for 50 years. Now, he might lose the home.
The fight centers on the Louis Emerson House, a Queen Anne-style residence built in 1902 that predates Arizona’s statehood. The home sits on land targeted for a new $200 million Arizona State University (ASU) health and medical school complex, a five-story facility expected to open in 2028. Robert Young, 89, owns the ancestral home.
Then, the university, through the Arizona Board of Regents, filed a condemnation lawsuit in May seeking immediate possession of the property after negotiations with owner Robert Young failed. ASU has reportedly offered Young up to $1 million for the home, but the old man kept refusing. Apparently, Young has resisted selling the historic structure, arguing that the house is an irreplaceable piece of Phoenix history. “Why would anyone want to tear this down? It’s like a statue,” Young told local media.
Thus, the ASU is invoking eminent domain, which is the legal power of the government or its authorized agents to seize private property and convert it for public use. As per the Fifth Amendment, the owner needs to be paid fair market value for their property through negotiations or appraisals. Any owner who refuses will undergo condemnation, and the government will simply seize the property, but will still give compensation.
People online are condemning the condemnation
Members of the preservation group Preserve Phoenix argue that the Louis Emerson House is one of only a handful of surviving pre-statehood residences remaining in downtown Phoenix. The dispute has drawn attention online, where many people condemned the use of eminent domain to acquire the property. One commenter wrote that “eminent domain has been abused to the point that it should now be completely illegal,” while another described the move as “about as un-American as you can get.”
Others questioned why a public university should have the authority to force the sale of private property for campus development. “How is a university able to invoke eminent domain?” asks one commenter. For the record, the ASU operates under the Arizona Board of Regents, allowing it to exert eminent domain.
It’s not the first time the use of eminent domain has sparked public outrage. Just last month, Georgia residents came under the threat of being evicted from their ancestral homes and lands through eminent domain so that the government can pave the way for additional power grids to accommodate a huge data center underway.
