John F. Long, R.I.P.

Me and John F. Long, 1987

Developer and philanthropist John F. Long passed away yesterday at the age of 87. Mr. Long, an Arizona native who honed an indomitable work ethic during the lean years of the Great Depression, led the transformation of Phoenix into a modern metropolis. He was also an inspiration to a young boy who wanted to grow up to be a "city builder" and attended kindergarten at a school that bore his name.

John F. Long's homebuilding empire began humbly and grew through fortuitous timing. After serving in World War II, Mr. Long returned home, got into the construction business, and married Mary Tolmachoff. The newlyweds began to build a home for themselves; before finishing, they were presented with an unsolicited offer for twice what they had paid to construct it. Rather than move in, the Longs sold the house and began building two more on adjoining lots. Phoenix's growing population had created a huge demand for new homes and the Longs profited greatly, waiting until they had built several more before claiming one for their own.

In the early 1950's, Mr. Long acquired huge tracts of farmland west of Phoenix and began constructing Maryvale, a master-planned community named for his patient wife and business partner. He was determined to provide affordable housing for the thousands of people moving to the booming Valley of the Sun through innovative building techniques and economies of scale, selling three bedroom units to growing families for less than $10,000. Among the early buyers were Ray and Virginia McMahon, recent transplants from New Jersey who happen to be my grandparents. They raised my mother and nine other children in a Maryvale home.

Maryvale set a precedent for the Valley's growth by providing space for a hospital, a golf course, parks, schools, and churches. Mr. Long donated sites for these community needs or sold them below market value. He also developed several shopping centers, including Maryvale Terrace, where a young lawyer named Sandra Day O'Connor opened her first office. Across the street, Maryvale Shopping City (later Maryvale Mall) housed his own Malcom's Department Store, so residents didn't have to travel outside the community to satisfy their daily needs. Mr. Long set a high standard for development in greater Phoenix that ensured subsequent generations would enjoy a high quality of life.

In the early 1980's, my parents decided our family had outgrown our townhome in Tempe and we moved to a large house in Maryvale a couple miles away from my grandparents. An extra room previously used as an office for a home-based business became the "playroom" where I could make my "city building" fantasies into reality through Legos, Lincoln Logs, Matchbox cars, discarded boxes, and anything I could get my hands on. In 1984, I began school at John F. Long Elementary. I grew to become obsessed with the man who had built the city my family lived in and who also owned Maryvale Mall, where we spent much of our time.

Although we had moved back to Tempe, my mother arranged a very special gift for my eighth birthday: a meeting with John F. Long. While most boys would prefer to meet a costumed superhero or professional athlete, I was anxious to talk to a developer and share my ideas for the Valley's future. I was disappointed to find that Mr. Long was planning to build on State-owned land near Lake Pleasant I had earmarked for "Mitchell City." Much to mom's chagrin, he felt it necessary to argue with me, pulling out paperwork that proved he had rights to the tracts in question. I will never forget how much that meeting meant to me, nor will I forget that my mom arranged for Mr. Long to send a letter congratulating me when I graduated as valedictorian of the undergrad urban planning program at USC in 2001.

After completing Maryvale, John F. Long continued to be an innovator in housing construction and an advocate for the West Valley of Phoenix, where he made his fortune. To promote "sustainability" before it was chic, he built Solar One, the nation's first subdivision powered by solar energy that borrowed from the construction techniques pioneered by Hohokam Indians several centuries before. Mr. Long also continued to donate land for public use or sell it below market value; his legacy in that regard includes the Glendale Airport, the Maryvale Baseball Park used by the Milwaukee Brewers for spring training, and the conversion of Maryvale Mall for use by the Cartwright School District.

Unfortunately, Mr. Long's legacy is clouded by his opposition to the recently built University of Phoenix Stadium, home to the last Super Bowl. He argued that the government "Authority" responsible for its construction had been created illegally, though pundits noted he filed a lawsuit only after his offer of free land was rebuffed. In addition, Maryvale is now considered a "slum" in Phoenix, as its affordable housing became less desirable when growth and new neighborhoods pushed outward, incomes declined, and crime increased. Regardless, there is no doubt that Mr. Long was one of the most influential Phoenicians of the last half century.

The John F. Long story is intertwined with the story of my own family and how we became Arizonans. It speaks to the need of balancing urban growth with sustainability in the booming Sun Belt and how future communities ought to be built. More importantly, it speaks to the ability of a person to make fundamental changes through his or her own passion and dedication and how we all might learn from Mr. Long's life as much as I have.

Valley philanthropist John F. Long dies at 87 (Arizona Republic)