As reported by AZCentral, The historic Santa Fe Freight Depot has re-opened as the central location for the Maricopa County Assessor’s Office.  The Depot opened in 1929 and served as a transportation and freight hub for the region.  The building, located at Fifth Avenue and Jackson Street has been vacant for more than 40 years and since being purchased by Maricopa County in 1999 has been used for storage of office equipment.
Last year the Assessor’s Office instituted a consolidation program, closing five satellite offices valley-wide in an effort to cut costs.  Despite spending $4 million to renovate the Depot, cost savings are expected to amount to nearly $800,000 a year.  In an effort to preserve as much of the building’s history as possible, the original steel trusses remain as well as the original Santa Fe Rail logos.  In order to better serve customers in the 21^st Century and heed environmental concerns, there is an area set aside for Skype stations so customers can ask questions and the building has been awarded a Gold LEED certification.  For more information on the newest Adaptive Re-Use project in Downtown Phoenix please visit:  Long-shuttered Railroad Depot Back in Service (AZCentral)