Tempe Plans to Restore Hayden Flour Mill

The city will assess the closed landmark's structure and machinery before developing a restoration plan with costs and funding methods.

Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Wide view of a tall weathered brick flour mill with a stepped gable roof and rows of tall windows under a clear desert sky. — The City of Tempe is moving to restore Hayden Flour Mill, closed since 1998 and namesake of Mill Avenue, starting with a structural and machinery assessment. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The City of Tempe announced plans to restore Hayden Flour Mill, which has been closed since 1998 and gave Mill Avenue its name. The city has requested bids from companies to assess the machinery and equipment inside the mill and will begin a structural assessment.

Why it matters

The restoration would bring back a long-shuttered landmark tied to the identity of Tempe's Mill Avenue corridor. The assessment will determine what can be salvaged, what needs repair, and what uses the building can safely accommodate for residents of the city.

The mill has remained closed for nearly 30 years, since 1998. Restoration costs and funding methods have not yet been established, as the city will first complete its structural assessment.

The players

City of Tempe

Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, home to Arizona State University and the Mill Avenue entertainment district.

The details

The city requested bids from companies to look over the machinery and equipment inside the structure. It will use a structural assessment to determine what is salvageable, what needs repair, and what uses the building can safely accommodate.

Hayden Flour Mill has been closed to the public since 1998.
Restoration plans were announced Friday, November 13, 2026, at the State of the City Address.

Openings & Closings Context

The restoration effort revisits the historical role of Hayden Flour Mill, which gave Mill Avenue its name and has stood closed since 1998. Reopening the structure would place it back into the city's active civic and commercial life.

Residents will not see changes to the mill until the structural assessment and funding plan are completed, which the city says will take some time. Until then, the building remains closed to the public.

The takeaway

Restoration projects of this kind move in stages, so readers following Hayden Flour Mill should watch for the completed structural assessment and any published cost and funding plan.