Arizona GOP returns to central Phoenix with new headquarters

The Arizona Republican Party is back in central Phoenix after a brief stint in Scottsdale.

Driving the news: AZGOP chair Jeff DeWit announced earlier this month that the party's new home will be the third floor of the office building at 3033 N. Central Ave.

• The party officially purchased the property on June 12 and paid $1.9 million, spokesperson Dajana Zlatičanin told Axios Phoenix.
• Zlatičanin said the party moved into the new building over the weekend.
• The purchase was funded by the sale of the AZGOP's longtime headquarters at 24th Street and Osborn Road.

Zoom in: In a letter posted on the party's website, DeWit said he's been aware since taking over as chair earlier this year that the lease on their north Scottsdale office space would expire in the first half of 2023.

• The office was too far from the Capitol, he said, and too small for the party's purposes.
• DeWit said he wanted to find a standalone building that would belong to the party but was unable to find one large enough that had adequate parking and was within their budget.

Between the lines: The more than 12,000 square feet the AZGOP now owns is more than it needs, so DeWit plans to rent space to conservative groups and Republican campaigns to generate revenue for the party.

What he's saying: "Personally, I would have liked to have kept the prior place. It was old and in disrepair, but it was ours. We need a place to call home and have large gatherings," DeWit wrote.