Park Lee Alice Apartments Historic District

Bounded by Pierson and Hazelwood Streets and 15th and 17th Avenues

Period of Significance: Period of significance: 1955-1966

This apartment complex was originally intended to be built at Thomas Road and 32nd Street in the year 1953 for developers Samuel G. and Jerry Bialac, as this premature press announcement in the Arizona Republic illustrates. It was an ambitious undertaking, intending to have 1,500 apartments and a shopping center. It would have been the largest housing project in its time in Arizona. When the financing didn't materialize, Ralph Staggs developed the land on Thomas into single-family homes instead. The project was shelved for two years, then financing was finally secured for Camelback Road near 17th Avenue. The community was reduced to 523 units and was designed to have integrated recreational areas such as tennis, handball and a garden with meandering brook. 34 multifamily structures ended up getting built. 57 years later and now in the hands of the City of Phoenix, they generously rehabbed it into beautiful affordable housing 2018. See source for more details.

Source: http://modernphoenix.net/haver/parkleealice.htm