MESA, AZ — A downtown Mesa building, designed by celebrated Arizona architect Martin Ray Young, will soon be torn down to make way for a new apartment complex.
East Valley historians know the building as Gurtler Corner. Crews have already started work on the apartment project, and the building is the only thing still standing in the way of the heavy equipment.
The city of Mesa says it cannot stop the demolition. A city spokesperson said in a statement that the building is not a registered historic site and is not in a protected neighborhood, so the owner is free to build…