Aztec temple-style Fry's Electronics likely to be bulldozed for new police precinct

As fun as it might be, the Phoenix fire and police departments most likely won't be operating out of a faux Aztec temple.

The big picture: The Phoenix City Council in June began the process of purchasing the site of a former Fry's Electronics at Thunderbird Road and 31st Avenue.

• The city plans for the 12.5-acre site to be home to a new Cactus Park Precinct for the Phoenix Police Department, funded by the $500 million bond voters approved last year.
• It'll replace a smaller outdated precinct at 39th Avenue and Cactus Road.
• The site will also include a new fire station.

State of play: The city hasn't specifically announced its plans for the old Fry's building.

• But Derrik Rochwalik, chief of staff to Phoenix City Council member Ann O'Brien, who represents the area, tells Axios Phoenix that city staff tell him the most likely scenario is that the distinctive Aztec temple-style building will be bulldozed to make way for new buildings.

Catch up quick: Fry's Electronics shut down all 31 of its stores in 2021, including its two Valley locations on Thunderbird and on Baseline Road west of Interstate 10.

• Since then, the massive big box store in north Phoenix has stood empty.

My thought bubble: I knew it was unlikely and probably impractical for the police department to set up shop in the old building, but it was an amusing thought.

• As someone who grew up just down the street from the shuttered Fry's in north Phoenix, the fake temple added some personality to an otherwise nondescript stretch of Thunderbird.