The Flagstaff City Council has expressed support for the acquisition of a downtown parcel currently owned by Allthrive365, as reported on January 14, a move that could alleviate parking woes while opening up possibilities for affordable housing developments. The parcel in question, situated at 320 S. Humphreys St, initially earmarked for housing communities by Allthrive365, may soon transition into a dual-function space meeting multiple urban needs.
Having already been utilizing the southern portion of the plot for parking needs associated with the Municipal Courthouse and the downtown area, the City's ongoing lease with Allthrive365 prompted discussions in late 2025 concerning the potential purchase of this section; the City Council approved the pursuit of this acquisition in December 2025 to sustain and perhaps expand its parking facilities. Allthrive365 subsequently encountered financial hurdles, spiking construction costs and a shortfall in tax credits, leading them to offer the entire parcel for sale to the City which was deliberated during the January 13 Council Meeting, signaling a larger conversation around the parcel's future use, yet no definitive decisions were made as the purchase and sale agreement will surface for Council approval at an unspecified future date according to City of Flagstaff's official announcement.
The parcel's present state is one of transition, with Allthrive365 in the middle of demolishing two historical structures on the site: Saint Mary's School and the David Babbitt House, efforts that have been subject to an exhaustive public and historic preservation process. This demolition simultaneously signals an end and a beginning, paving the way for new possibilities unshackled from the site's historical past.
Purchase of the full parcel would enable the City not only to bolster parking availability for courthouse visitors and downtown patrons, but it would also potentially seed the development of much-needed affordable and/or workforce housing aligning with Council's objectives—a multifaceted approach that could serve to strategically tackle infrastructural and socio-economic challenges within the community all the while addressing the parking and housing shortages that mark many city centers today.
