Arizona May Sell Government Buildings Including the State House, Senate, and a Hospital

Financials in Arizona have not improved much and included in the potential sale is a hospital. The state is not alone as California and Connecticut and a few other states are considering the same. I grew up in Arizona and spent a few years in the 70s working in the Capitol building and there are some very interesting memories from that time. In other areas of the state, things are still a little tough as well with the football team, the Cardinals taking over the concessions at the stadium as Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority is strapped for cash and are relying on the team to help bring more events to the stadium which has also hosted a Super Bowl in the past.

Reflecting back, there are some interesting memories from my time working at the Capitol, times when we have pressing issues going on, like a car dealer bringing his bull in through the front doors to take a picture of it standing on the State Seal, which is something that was all done by hand with mosaic stone many years back, or taking time out at lunch to breeze out the front door and see what Caesar Chavez and his group were doing camped out on the front lawn.

We are seeing times improving a bit but when I see items as such that include having to sell health care facilities, it makes me thing we are not anywhere near being out of the water yet. Are we going to start seeing owners names on the buildings, like “Staples Capitol”, I hope not an perhaps that was an exaggeration on my part. The state legislators becoming tenants is almost a scary thought too. BD

Call it a sign of desperate times: Legislators are considering selling the House and Senate buildings where they've conducted state business for more than 50 years.

Dozens of other state properties also may be sold as the state government faces its worst financial crisis in a generation, if not ever. The plan isn't to liquidate state assets, though.

Instead, officials hope to sell the properties and then lease them back over several years before assuming ownership again. The complex financial transaction would allow government services to continue without interruption while giving the state a fast infusion of as much as $735 million, according to Capitol projections.

Desperate state may sell Capitol buildings, others