Trump’s Landowner Envoy John Rich Rallies to Save Historic Phoenix Home from ASU Eminent Domain

The Arizona Board of Regents has filed an eminent domain lawsuit seeking to acquire a 124-year-old historic home in downtown Phoenix as Arizona State University moves forward with construction of its new ASU Health headquarters.

The lawsuit, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court on behalf of ASU, seeks possession of the Louis Emerson House, a Queen Anne-style home built in 1902 at Fourth and Pierce streets in the Evans-Churchill neighborhood. The property is one of the final parcels ASU says it needs for the new downtown medical school project.

The case has also drawn attention from John Rich, the country music artist recently appointed by President Donald Trump’s administration as Special Envoy for American Landowners. Responding to Wall Street Apes’ coverage of the Phoenix case on X, Rich asked, “Can anyone help me connect with this man or his family?”

Rich shared the video in a later post, writing, “Hang on a minute…What?? Why is @ASU threatening to use eminent domain on this 89-year-old man’s house that has been there longer than AZ has been a state? I feel a fist fight comin’ on.”

Hang on a minute…What?? Why is @ASU threatening to use eminent domain on this 89 year old man’s house that has been there longer than AZ has been a state? I feel a fist fight comin’ on👇 https://t.co/28BVDTk2GH

— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) June 11, 2026

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Rich’s appointment on June 10, saying he would serve as “a leading advocate for America’s farmers, ranchers, and private landowners” and work to address challenges posed by “government overreach, activist pressure campaigns, and outside interests that threaten private property rights,” according to a USDA release published by RFD-TV.

The Louis Emerson House is listed on the Phoenix Historic Property Register and predates Arizona statehood by a decade. It has previously been moved once, during a Fourth Street realignment in the 1990s, according to Phoenix New Times.

ASU broke ground April 9 on the ASU Health headquarters at 620 N. Fifth Street in the Phoenix Bioscience Core. The university said the 175,000-square-foot building will house the John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering, the School of Technology for Public Health, the ASU Health Observatory, and programs within the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation and the College of Health Solutions.

The ASU Health headquarters is expected to open for the fall 2028 semester. ASU said the facility will include classrooms, health care simulation and skills labs, a medical-technology innovation suite, and student and community-focused amenities.

Funding for the $200 million construction project includes private philanthropy, $100 million from the state of Arizona, and $50 million from the city of Phoenix, according to ASU News.

The Louis Emerson House is owned by Robert Young, who has owned the property since 1975, according to The State Press. Young told the university newspaper in April that he would only consider an offer that allowed the house to be moved to another part of the area developed by Clark Churchill, an early Phoenix developer.

ASU has said it made several offers to purchase the property. A university spokesperson told 12 News, “…the university made several offers to the owner to purchase the parcel, including options allowing for the house to be moved. The university’s final offer was based on an appraisal prepared by an experienced, state-certified appraiser, a copy of which was provided to the property owner. The offers were not accepted.”

Young told New Times that ASU first offered $190,000 for the property and later offered $999,000. He said he declined the larger offer because ASU would not pay to relocate the house, which he estimated would cost between $2 million and $3 million. New Times reported that ASU later provided a pre-condemnation appraisal valuing the 833-square-foot house and 4,642-square-foot lot at $850,000.

FOX 10 Phoenix reported that tenant Barry Schwartz has lived in the Louis Emerson House for eight years and has started a petition seeking to preserve the property. Schwartz told FOX 10 that the home serves as a reminder of “what was here and what’s disappearing.”

Speaking with Phoenix New Times he said that ASU has been difficult to reach and hasn’t been transparent about its plans for the home. He only just received legal service of the condemnation action lawsuit on Friday. He expressed frustration, telling a reporter, “They’re like the mafia without a face.”

Marshall Shore, a local historian known as “The Hip Historian,” told FOX 10 that the house has “layer, upon layer, upon layer, of stories and history built into its fabric.”

The Arizona Board of Regents previously authorized ASU to pursue eminent domain over the property, according to The State Press. The outlet reported that the university received approval in November 2025 to pursue the property through litigation while continuing to negotiate.

Phoenix New Times reported that ABOR’s May 22 condemnation action seeks “immediate possession” of the house and the land beneath it. The outlet also reported that, under Arizona eminent domain proceedings, a judge determines whether the taking is lawful, while compensation may be determined separately.

The city of Phoenix has said it is not directly involved in ASU’s property negotiations or litigation. A Phoenix Planning and Development Department spokesperson told The State Press that the Louis Emerson House was not included in the proposal ASU submitted to the city at that time and that ASU would need to acquire the property if it wanted to redevelop it.

Young told The State Press that the home should remain standing.

“It’s been there since 1902, and it should stay there for another 100 years at least,” Young said. “It tells a story.”

Phoenix New Times reported that properties on the Phoenix Historic Property Register are generally subject to a special demolition review process and at least a one-year demolition stay. The city told New Times that local zoning laws generally do not apply to state or federal agencies, leaving unclear whether that protection could be enforced against ABOR.

Preserve Phoenix, a nonprofit historic preservation group, has also opposed the potential demolition. Preserve Phoenix president Erin Lindsey told Phoenix New Times that the organization met with ASU officials in January to discuss options for the project, including keeping the house on the site, but that there had been no further meetings.