Stories / Property
After public outcry, ASU drops its lawsuit to seize the historic Emerson House
Five weeks after suing, ASU withdrew its eminent domain case against the 1902 Louis Emerson House on July 17. The house will stay standing, and ASU says it will revise plans for its $200 million medical school site.
The reversal followed a public campaign: a petition to save the house drew nearly 12,000 signatures, preservation group Preserve Phoenix called it a David-versus-Goliath fight, and country singer John Rich, a federal envoy for landowners, said he personally called ASU President Michael Crow. The owner credited the public support and said he had been ready to fight on at a September court hearing.
ASU's side / contextASU said it reached a resolution with the owner and withdrew "to honor the homeowner's desires." It did not say whether public pressure played a role.
Background: ASU's original lawsuit →
