Planned 29-story Tempe skyscraper would protect historic church, former House of Tricks Article originally posted on AZ Central on April 15, 2025 A historic Tempe church could be preserved and a historic home relocated as part of a plan to develop a 29-story skyscraper east of Mill Avenue. Wexford Developments and Core Spaces, the co-developers of the project, are planning a mixed-use tower at 109 E. Sixth St., a site that holds the First Congregational Church building, an office building and the 102-year-old Harry Walker house. The house operated as the House of Tricks restaurant until 2022 when the restaurant closed. The proposed redevelopment of the site would include preserving the church sanctuary building but demolishing ancillary buildings and relocating the house to a site of the city’s choice. Wexford has owned the church site since 2016, after buying it from the church’s leadership. The congregation was dwindling at the time, and leaders were supportive of redeveloping the site, Sam Gordon, principal at Wexford, said. The building has been vacant since the sale. Churches around the Valley and the nation have faced difficult decisions about what to do with their real estate as church membership has decreased and many congregations are stuck with aging buildings. Throughout Phoenix, several churches have been redeveloped, partially preserved or rehabilitated for different uses as congregations reckon with changes to their operations. Wexford originally planned to redevelop only the church site, but over the years, several of the properties surrounding the church, including the former House of Tricks restaurant, have come up for sale, Gordon said. Buying additional land allowed Wexford to bring on Core Spaces as a partner and plan a larger, more efficient project, he said.