The Sun Mercantile Building (or "Sun Merc") is a warehouse building in Phoenix, Arizona designed by E.W. Bacon and constructed by Wells & Son in 1929. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and has been a locally protected historic landmark since 1987.

History

Sun Merc is the last remaining building from Phoenix's "second

Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...

" period (c. 1890 – c. 1960). It is located directly next to the Talking Stick Resort Arena and is used by the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

Preservation threat

In the mid-2000s, plans were proposed to build a new $200 million luxury high-rise hotel and condominium tower, part of which would be atop the Sun Mercantile Building tearing off the roof and preserving only the base. Historic preservationists and the city's Asian-American community voiced their disapproval of the plans. However, the city council did not agree and the project was given the go ahead. A lawsuit was then filed in court and in the fall of 2007 a judge ruled that "the Phoenix City Council had improper talks with Sarver (the developer) before it decided the fate of the warehouse on the hotel site." and the project was effectively dead.http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/0919biz-Whotel0919.html

Notes

{{Maricopa County, Arizona Asian-American culture in Arizona Buildings and structures in Phoenix, Arizona Commercial buildings in Arizona Commercial buildings completed in 1929 Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Arizona National Register of Historic Places in Phoenix, Arizona