The Abbey is Open
Former mayor, famed champion of historic properties in Arizona, and long-time fighter of dark money, Terry Goddard is announcing the opening of the Monroe Street Abbey. The new location will be an indoor/outdoor event space, which will activate a corner that has been sitting empty for decades.
Congratulations to everyone involved. From their public announcements of the opening:
Build in 1929, the Abbey is listed on the National Register of Historic Properties. In 1984, a huge fire destroyed the roof, but courageous fire fighting saved the rest of the building. Eventually the wall supports were removed, and the building was prepared for demolition.
Fortunately, Housing Opportunity Center, an Arizona not for profit corporation, secured a short-term loan from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and put the property into escrow just hours before demolition was to start. Since that day, there have been many plans for the restoration and adaptive reuse of this landmark.
But the ideas always come back to a Garden in a Ruin, a new purpose literally rising from the ashes of the old. The current plan combines the best of the prior suggestions, a mix of food and beverage services within stately walls, private events and public functions for our enjoyment in an environment unique in Arizona and the Southwest.
The Courtyard: The centerpiece of the Abbey was the church’s sanctuary, a room that could seat as many as 1,400 congregants on the main floor and the steeply slopped balcony. The fire brought down the beautiful, high pitched Spanish tile roof and made the large inside room an outside garden. Designed more as a performance theater, what is now the Courtyard had a formal proscenium arch and a double curtain over two stories high. This stage area was lit from above and designed for choral performance. Even without a roof, the acoustics in the Courtyard are excellent.
The Abbey Café: The former Chapel forms a unique space for a full service restaurant where diners can enjoy the quiet breezeway between the Abbey and the apartments next door or take their food and drink in the Abbey Courtyard. 2,500 square feed with kitchen and two designated restrooms. The Bell Tower: The tower space on the first and second floors provides the chance for a coffee and a sweet or a light refreshment with a unique view of the City on one side and the Abbey Courtyard on the other.
