Gilbert residents raise money to save 106-year-old Clare home

Gilbert residents are raising money to save a 106-year-old historic home in danger of being demolished to make way for a Bottled Blonde restaurant and bar.

HD South, the town’s historic society and museum, is taking on the challenge to relocate the 1,000-square-foot home down the street to the museum's property by May 15. First, they need to raise $135,000 to pay for permits, site preparation and long-term maintenance.

The Clare’s home is a historic cottage built in 1918 and previously housed Bergies Coffee Roast House which closed its doors after 14 years when the landlord sold the property.

The property was sold to the Scottsdale-based Evening Entertainment Group which plans to build a two-story Bottled Blonde with a full-service restaurant, bar and beer garden. It is located on the east side of Gilbert Road between Page and Vaughn avenues in the town’s downtown Heritage District between Joe’s BBQ and Prep and Pastry.

The announcement of the sale and plans drew heavy criticism from residents. One Gilbert woman launched a petition to stop its plans which amassed nearly 4,500 signatures.

Many disapproved of the type of business planned because they didn’t think it fit the family-friendly atmosphere of Gilbert and others worried about the future of the historic cottage.

The town’s redevelopment commission unanimously approved Bottled Blonde’s site plans in January. When the property was sold it came with the proper zoning requirements to build the bar.

When Denise Lopez, president of HD South, heard about the same and learned the house would likely be demolished, she decided she needed to step in to try and save it.

“It’s a part of Gilbert’s history and is near and dear to a lot of resident’s hearts. It’s a way of holding onto the things that are quickly not being held onto,” she said.

HD South is taking donations on its website at hdsouth.org and to specify the donation is for #SaveTheClare2024.

Tight deadline to save home

Lopez said the developer has requested that the home be removed by May 15 if not it would face demolishment. The various property owners throughout the years never put on a state or national historic register so it doesn’t have that layer of protection.

The developer had a lead and asbestos abatement test done on the home and brought in an expert in structure relocation. Lopez gave gratitude to the developers for their time and resources in HD South’s attempt to save the home.

“Thankfully that report came back clear” and “we're pretty confident it would survive the move,” Lopez said.

It’s going to be tricky to get the home out of the property onto the narrow streets of downtown Gilbert and transport it half a mile south to the HD South museum campus. That could include a police escort and shutting down the road.

“It’s an old home that’s never been moved… so the unexpected can happen,” she said.

The plans for the home are to restore it to its glory days of that era and have it be a walk-through exhibit that showcases what homes in Gilbert looked like at that time.

Casey Kendel, the chair of the redevelopment commission, is also calling for public help in this effort.

“It’s important to protect (the home) and understand where we came from and open it up for future generations. That building was built even before the town was established,” Kendel said.

He noted the developers are working side by side with HD South to get the cottage moved.

“They have pledged to at least donate what it would cost to demo the building which is roughly about $9,000 to $10,000,” Kendel said.

History of the Clare’s home

Forrest Clare came to Gilbert from Clarkdale in northern Arizona in the spring of 1918.

He put down roots along Main Street, now Gilbert Road, to set up a sheet metal shop and behind his home.

Clare and his sons operated the store until 1975. The original shop was eventually torn down, but the family home remained.

Clare’s granddaughter Barbara Bohannon told the Arizona Republic in 2009 remembered the home as  “a one-bedroom a couple of little bitty ones, a kitchen, living room and a bathroom.”

After Clare died in the 1980s, the home was sold. Throughout the years, it was used for several businesses until 2009 when Bergies moved in.

Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek and can be reached at maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @maritzacdom.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How Gilbert residents saved 106-year-old Clare home set for bulldozer