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Ritarancher
Oct 27, 2011, 2:24 AM
There's talk about U of A in downtown. I like it but i'd prefer for the U of A to come to the Rita Ranch area like planned, but I would also like for our city to be really cleaned up and I want a nice multipurpose tower over 400 feet tall. I also want Rainbow bridge but that ain't happening hahaha.

Ritarancher
Oct 27, 2011, 2:30 AM
Stretch of Tucson Blvd getting a facelift

Posted: Oct 25, 2011 5:19 PM


TUCSON - A change in the works for what is often many visitor's first impression of our city. A stretch of Tucson Boulevard that begins at the airport and ends at Valencia will soon be getting a facelift and should one day look like a desert oasis.

Some consider the stretch of road an eyesore. It's what people see when they arrive at the airport and it what they see when they leave.

Richard Underwood is a member of the Metro Chamber of Commerce and also owns AAA landscaping. He says, "Its hard to sell ugly, I love our city but man, we got to clean up."

He wants not just clean up the trash, but also to clear the dead tree limbs and replant new trees in the median. He also says, "You get one chance of making a first impression. People will drive out of the airport and see this lush Sonoran landscaping and then they will look at the Catalinas."

Fast Park, located on Tucson Blvd since 2008, is all about beautifying the boulevard. Mike Kotch says, "I think we all will feel better about coming to Tucson and feeling safe and secure and that they're being taken care of."

Bill Holmes is with the Metro Chamber of Commerce. He says their slogan of growing businesses and building communities is what the project is all about.

The price tag? $330,000.00.

"It's a very expensive project but one that we fully believe that with the seed money that we are looking at from our board and our members that the community at large will step up," Holmes says.

For more information on the project visit:

www.tucsonchamber.org

http://www.kvoa.com/news/stretch-of-tucson-blvd-getting-a-facelift/


I'm glad to see some initiative being taken in beautifying that part since I am always grossed out when I fly in from out of town. If they need volunteers then I am willing to sign up!

YES!!! I am beyond excited to hear this, now lets fix the rest of that area, Valencia is nice but Benson highway REALLY needs work

Ted Lyons
Oct 27, 2011, 4:25 AM
Hmm which building is the 'safeway' building? the run down one right next to the rialto on 5th/broadway?

also this is on their website for tre i10 frontage.
http://peachprops.com/images/greenlinesitemap.jpg

It's the building on the southeast corner of 5th and Broadway. The render shows brick walls but it's currently stuccoed.

http://g.co/maps/t4w8e

Anqrew
Oct 27, 2011, 4:51 AM
:previous:
ahh, that one. i was hoping it was the building across the street from that. That building has such a prime spot, hope that one gets fixed up or demolished to make way for a nicer building.

andrewsaturn
Oct 27, 2011, 5:25 AM
Has this been posted?

http://peachprops.com/development/local/



http://i.imgur.com/hJCSO.jpg

Notice the Thunder Canyon Brewing signage. I'm guessing this is what the previous article I linked was alluding to.

Great find! This answers my question before about where they were going to put the grocery store and I'm guessing the building in the background is the new student housing. I thought it was the new TEP building at first. I think this is a great location for it and I can't wait until it opens!

andrewsaturn
Oct 27, 2011, 5:34 AM
:previous: thanks for the info. hope that really leads to a real commercial grade grocer. pretty much everyone i talked to want a fry's , albertsons or safeway downtown. i know downtown has small grocers but you can't beat the cheap prices of them corporate grocers.

now if we can just have a walgreens or cvs with lots of trees all over :D

I agree and I love trees as well especially the ones on the UA campus. Those trees are so nice and pretty. :)

sunbeach
Oct 27, 2011, 2:31 PM
:previous:
ahh, that one. i was hoping it was the building across the street from that. That building has such a prime spot, hope that one gets fixed up or demolished to make way for a nicer building.

Maybe, they should add at least an extra 2-3 floors on top of that 'safeway' building. You're right, it's a prime spot and it would just be a waste to build a one floor building. Maybe, add an extra 2-3 floors on top of the 'safeway' .

Downtown ain't that big and with the railway comin up, the city might want to set up a building requirement of 4-5 story minimum floors along the downtown rail path. Much like what they have in Paris where the bottom floors are retail and remaining top floors are apts and offices. And since it's sunny most of the year, add table and chairs outside with lots of trees around. IMHO :D

andrewsaturn
Oct 29, 2011, 6:54 AM
Businesses are making the difference in transforming downtown Tucson
By Roger Yohem October 28, 2011

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/insidetucsonbusiness.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/5e/55ecc3a8-00eb-11e1-9775-001cc4c002e0/4ea9db9fbafda.preview-300.jpg

One success at a time, Michael Keith is scrubbing away the stigma of Rio Nuevo that has tainted the entire downtown redevelopment effort. Most of the progress has come from the private sector that has poured millions of dollars into new commercial ventures.

At $120 million invested and growing, new businesses are getting a foothold and succeeding. From Keith's perspective, as CEO of the Downtown Tucson Partnership, most of the credit goes to a group of about 40 community-based investors.

"This is incredible when you consider this isn't top-down redevelopment. This is being driven from the bottom up by people who just want to invest in downtown. This isn't the result of some big planning effort by the city or Rio Nuevo or the county," Keith said during a forum Tuesday (Oct. 25) on downtown redevelopment put on by the Building Owners and Managers Association.

During the past three years, these investors either have opened or plan to open businesses downtown. Partnership officials surveyed them all and without exception, they wanted to be part of transforming downtown.

"When asked why downtown, to a person, they said it's not about making money. Each wanted to be there for other reasons," said Keith. "They said they wanted to be part of the vibe, to help create an urban center feeling, to re-invent downtown."

Once high-profile companies UniSource Energy and Providence Service Corp. began making their moves, other businesses were spurred to re-consider downtown. The planned modern streetcar was a major factor in sparking renewed interest, but UniSource Energy's construction of a $65 million headquarters there made a statement.

"It should have been the worst of times for downtown. The national economy had started to tank, the city was looking at a $55 million budget shortage and Rio Nuevo had imploded. But instead, a funny thing happened on the way to economic catastrophe downtown," said Keith.

The UniSource Energy building includes 9,000 square feet of street level retail space. Keith said talks are ongoing with Rincon Market to open a grocery and deli there "to serve the 500 captive employees upstairs."

Fletcher McCusker, CEO of Providence Service Corp., is the unofficial "Duke of Downtown" and the district's most vocal ambassador. Keith credited him with "personally moving ahead the downtown agenda by himself."

After buying the building at 44 E. Broadway out of foreclosure, he converted the top floor into penthouses. Two of those units have been taken, one by the owner of Café Poca Cosa and the other by a co-owner of 47 Scott Restaurant. Also on site, Tooley's Café plans to open another restaurant there.

Elsewhere downtown, other notable newcomers will be the Chocolate Fox, a gourmet chocolatier that will be tucked in behind the Hub at 266 E. Congress St. Thunder Canyon Brewery is planning to move in to a building on the corner of Broadway and Fifth Street that last housed Benjamin Plumbing Supply.

In more ways than planned, the city's streetcar project "is a game changer. Like in other cities, it will attract transit-oriented development," Keith said.

It also will impact all festivals and events downtown. Once the streetcar is operational in 2013, the tracks will have to be kept clear for safety reasons.

"Events like Club Crawl will have to change how they operate. They can't be on Congress or Broadway with the streetcar running," he said.

This change will benefit businesses in the Toole Avenue corridor, as events are expected to be pushed north of Congress Street.

andrewsaturn
Oct 29, 2011, 7:03 AM
According to the article, the grocery store might actually be Rincon Market occupying the retail space at the new Unisource building. I thought that Thunder Canyon brewery was the grocery store/brewery. Sorry, I'm not familiar with that business and didn't know it was a restaurant. :D

andrewsaturn
Oct 29, 2011, 7:09 AM
Bidding begins Friday on Tucson street car project
by Associated Press (October 28th, 2011 @ 10:24am)


TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Tucson streetcar project is starting to come alive as the bidding process begins.

Bids are due by the end of November, and the city could award a contract in December.

Officials with the Regional Transportation Authority tell the Arizona Daily Star (http://bit.ly/vlO9wU ) the work of installing rails would then begin in January.

The goal is for the streetcar system to begin rolling by 2013. The line will connect the University of Arizona, the Fourth Avenue shopping district and downtown Tucson.

Nearly $40 million has been spent on the project, which is expected to cost close to $200 million. Most of the money spent so far comes from transportation authority funding.

Ted Lyons
Oct 30, 2011, 6:29 PM
Thunder Canyon and Rincon would both be excellent additions to downtown. I'm interested to see how the chocolatier fits in behind HUB. I didn't think there was any additional space at the back of the building.

kaneui
Oct 31, 2011, 2:11 AM
A few years back, there were plans to put a full-scale grocery store downtown north of Congress and I-10, but it never materialized. However, as the saying goes, "retail follows rooftops," and with new housing going in at Plaza Centro and El Presidio for over 1,000 students, and hundreds more UniSource employees working downtown, I'm sure someone is considering the possibility of a larger market.

But don't hold your breath: downtown L.A.--with over 50,000 residents--only recently got a full-size grocery (Ralph's) a few years ago, and they still can't convince Trader Joe's to open up downtown. Certainly, downtown Tucson will have plenty of new ground-floor retail space coming online--11k s.f. at the Unisource Building, and lots more at Centro garage, Plaza Centro across the street, and El Presidio on Broadway.

Maybe smaller markets like Maynards, the two farmer's markets, the new Rincon and the market slated for Mercado San Agustin will fill the bill for awhile--in this economy, any new retail offerings will help sustain downtown's current momentum.

sunbeach
Oct 31, 2011, 2:03 PM
A few years back, there were plans to put a full-scale grocery store downtown north of Congress and I-10, but it never materialized. However, as the saying goes, "retail follows rooftops," and with new housing going in at Plaza Centro and El Presidio for over 1,000 students, and hundreds more UniSource employees working downtown, I'm sure someone is considering the possibility of a larger market.

But don't hold your breath: downtown L.A.--with over 50,000 residents--only recently got a full-size grocery (Ralph's) a few years ago, and they still can't convince Trader Joe's to open up downtown. Certainly, downtown Tucson will have plenty of new ground-floor retail space coming online--11k s.f. at the Unisource Building, and lots more at Centro garage, Plaza Centro across the street, and El Presidio on Broadway.

Maybe smaller markets like Maynards, the two farmer's markets, the new Rincon and the market slated for Mercado San Agustin will fill the bill for awhile--in this economy, any new retail offerings will help sustain downtown's current momentum.

It's nice to hear all those grocers coming up downtown. I don't mind being a customer to all of them. Rincon is a nice grocery store. And hopefully, a full-scale grocer will be built. With that in mind, downtown Tucson will be one or probably the only one in America to have so many grocers in a downtown...makes it unique. And looks like downtown Tucson is headed to the rough, rugged, rustic southwestern hippie theme - unique. I like it. If they ever build a stadium or convention center, it would be nice if it has a rustic theme.

Anyway, I can't wait to see that downtown light rail to finish - more than likely it will double, triple or even quadruple construction downtown. 2020 will be the official rebirth of downtown Tucson.

kaneui
Nov 1, 2011, 5:03 AM
Over 400 additional employees are joining the downtown workforce as UniSource Energy occupies its new nine-story corporate headquarters on Broadway, the first major office building to be built downtown in 25 years:


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/UniSourceBldg10-31-11.jpg
(photo: Downtown Tucsonan)


UniSource will move into its new HQ this weekend
By Teya Vitu
Downtown Tucsonan
Oct. 31, 2011

Move-in day is this weekend for the first wave of what will ultimately be 500-plus employees into the new UniSource Energy/Tucson Electric Power headquarters on Broadway at Scott Avenue . About 85 employees will make the move this weekend and the rest will follow on Nov. 21. More precisely, some 400 will drive home Nov. 18 from TEP’s Irvington Campus off Alvernon Road and commute to Downtown the following Monday.

This is a huge influx of Downtown employees for UniSource, which had only about 85 employees on four floors of the UniSource Energy Tower. Those exiled at Irvington for the past decade are relishing a return to Downtown.


For full article: http://www.downtowntucson.org/2011/10/unisource-will-move-into-its-new-hq-this-weekend/

Anqrew
Nov 1, 2011, 5:31 AM
Peach has a new rendering of what appears to be Broadway where their new student housing and grocery store will be going in.
not sure why it depicts broadway as a two way street...
http://peachprops.com/images/Herbert-Broadway-sm.jpg
peach

andrewsaturn
Nov 1, 2011, 7:42 AM
I like it but there seems to be an excess amount of grocery markets going into downtown. Not that I don't mind but there's also one that's planned under the unisource building, there's maynards market, the one on 4th ave, the mercado district market, retail along I-10 called greenline, and now the one for the new student housing. I guess with the significant increase in traffic in the next several years it's good to have variety and enough markets to satisfy the growth but does anybody think that the mini grocery store on 4th will go out of business because of this and that it is a good sacrifice for moving forward if it does go? I think I know the answer to the latter question. :P

sunbeach
Nov 1, 2011, 3:27 PM
I like the new TEP building (El Centro ain't bad either). The Peach rendering above is nice.

As for the survival rates of the little grocers downtown, best of luck for them. Let me see, big corporate Borders Bookstore folded but Amazon.com and Tucson's Bookman's are still around. Mervyn's is bankrupt but Tucson's Buffalo Exchange expanding (co-existing with e-bay). Starbuck's and Tucson's local cafes co-exist. Hollywood Video is gone but Netflix co-exist with Tucson's Casa Video and Loft Cinema. Bottom line, having choices is a plus.

If Tucsonan's can't stand the local grocers downtown, they could always drive to the closest corporate grocer. I think having at least one corporate grocer downtown is important - one way to lure people to live or visit downtown.

Anqrew
Nov 1, 2011, 6:41 PM
From Downtown Tucsonan's Facebook:

"A new coffee shop is coming to 39 N. Sixth Ave., across from Ronstadt. Husband and wife team Kate Preble and Phil Bryson are calling it Brewd (their spelling). They plan to serve local coffee and have a place where people can hang out. Brewd should open some time in mid-November."

sunbeach
Nov 1, 2011, 10:07 PM
Of all stores, I never thought a Target store could move in a downtown, Target in downtown Chicago in a historic building designed by Louis Sullivan (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/15/downtown-chicago-target-l_n_823682.html). This target will also sell food. The vacant space available from the TEP exodus at the Unisource building can have Target as their new tenant. That high rise has parking spaces and it's an existing building so people won't complain about Target's cookie cutter look.

Thirsty
Nov 2, 2011, 12:14 AM
Of all stores, I never thought a Target store could move in a downtown, Target in downtown Chicago in a historic building designed by Louis Sullivan (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/15/downtown-chicago-target-l_n_823682.html). This target will also sell food. The vacant space available from the TEP exodus at the Unisource building can have Target as their new tenant. That high rise has parking spaces and it's an existing building so people won't complain about Target's cookie cutter look.

Didn't this already happen in Portland? Maybe it got held up for some reason.

Either way, I think having both a Target and a WalMart at El Con pretty much kills any chance something like that happens in Tucson.

Thirsty
Nov 2, 2011, 1:18 AM
Stretch of Tucson Blvd getting a facelift

Posted: Oct 25, 2011 5:19 PM


TUCSON - A change in the works for what is often many visitor's first impression of our city. A stretch of Tucson Boulevard that begins at the airport and ends at Valencia will soon be getting a facelift and should one day look like a desert oasis.

Some consider the stretch of road an eyesore. It's what people see when they arrive at the airport and it what they see when they leave.
...

www.tucsonchamber.org

http://www.kvoa.com/news/stretch-of-tucson-blvd-getting-a-facelift/


I'm glad to see some initiative being taken in beautifying that part since I am always grossed out when I fly in from out of town. If they need volunteers then I am willing to sign up!

Another important and neglected "First Impression" street is Speedway. How could anyone have a good impression of the city if that two mile stretch is the first or last thing they see? Personally, when I lived on the East Side, and needed to get to I-10 I'd always go through the congestion of downtown to catch the Broadway on-ramp to spare my eyes from West Speedway.

I was thinking this morning that as people and employers come back to downtown, the city should look at moving any new government buildings (replacement buildings too) to Speedway east of I-10/north of downtown.

That section of Speedway is just a corridor to the city's midtown.
Government bldgs for security reasons create dead streets, the ultimate car-culture buildings, so there is a net zero impact on Speedway's culture/walk-ability.

It would help Speedway in that, while government offices take a lot of flack from architecture bloggers, they have one thing going for them; they don't look dumpy.

As for downtown, it would open up a lot of real estate for new development.

sunbeach
Nov 2, 2011, 3:17 AM
Didn't this already happen in Portland? Maybe it got held up for some reason.

Either way, I think having both a Target and a WalMart at El Con pretty much kills any chance something like that happens in Tucson.

Doesn't have to be a Target or Walmart. It could be one or more big name retail or even grocer. Heck, I don't know, ...Kohl's ...Sears? ...Sunflower? a Studio 54? a 3-D movie theater...something that can attract huge numbers of Tucsonans especially on weeknights/weekends just to fill central downtown with pedestrians.

Thirsty
Nov 2, 2011, 7:28 AM
...Kohl's ...Sears? ...Sunflower? a Studio 54? a 3-D movie theater...something that can attract huge numbers of Tucsonans especially on weeknights/weekends

Why, just last week the stage coach delivered a letter from Cousin Cathy. She says Tucson is expecting one of them colored lanterns to control traffic.

A marvel indeed! :D

sunbeach
Nov 2, 2011, 3:17 PM
Love this (El Paso Greenway) bike and pedestrian bridge. Wonder where this bike path connects to ( or ends with ).

http://peachprops.com/images/greenlinesitemap.jpg

Thirsty
Nov 2, 2011, 8:13 PM
Love this (El Paso Greenway) bike and pedestrian bridge. Wonder where this bike path connects to ( or ends with ).


On the south end, maybe the old rail line the city will convert to a bike/walk/equestrian path park to the City of South Tucson. I think that thing starts in Barrios Viejo or Santa Rosa.

On the north end, I can't think of anything, unless they take it under I-10 to connect to the Santa Cruz River park. Or it could just turn into one of the city's bicycle streets.

Anqrew
Nov 3, 2011, 9:03 PM
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/376770_169623769794260_138443652912272_312669_11684517_n.jpg
from the District on 5th's Facebook

The building is going up pretty quick, the building rises high enough that it is visible from the sidewalk on 4th Ave.

kaneui
Nov 4, 2011, 5:22 AM
On the south end, maybe the old rail line the city will convert to a bike/walk/equestrian path park to the City of South Tucson. I think that thing starts in Barrios Viejo or Santa Rosa.

On the north end, I can't think of anything, unless they take it under I-10 to connect to the Santa Cruz River park. Or it could just turn into one of the city's bicycle streets.


It's part of the El Paso and Southwestern Greenway, a partially completed six-mile bike and pedestrian path that will run from University Blvd. on the north to the Kino Sports Complex on the south:

http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/projects/elpaso

kaneui
Nov 4, 2011, 5:35 AM
The Chicago Music Store needs some major restoration work, but even small projects like this help preserve downtown's historic buildings, one step at a time:


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/ChicagoMusicStoretile.jpg
(image: courtesy of Demion Clinco)


(from Tidbits, Nov 2011)
Zocalo Tucson Magazine
October 29, 2011

Last month, The Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation in partnership with Santa Theresa Tile Works and the Downtown Tucson Partnership organized a three day workshop October 7-9 to restore the 1927 tiles on the Chicago Music Store building. There were 15 participants from Tucson, Silver City, St. David and as far away as Austin who worked to removed 50 years of paint and dirt, exposing the 1920s yellow and black ceramic tiles.

Over the years the tiles were painted, first gray, then green and finally red. The team stripped, cleaned, re-grouted and replaced these architectural treasures and brought back a rich historic color palette to Congress Street.


For full article: http://www.thezmag.com/article-821-tidbits-nov-2011.html

More on the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation: http://www.tucsonhistoricpreservationfoundation.org/

Anqrew
Nov 4, 2011, 9:14 AM
:previous:
ahh, i hadn't even noticed that! i'll have to check that out when im by it next. That building is just so ugly, it needs serious work.

Patrick S
Nov 4, 2011, 3:48 PM
Another important and neglected "First Impression" street is Speedway. How could anyone have a good impression of the city if that two mile stretch is the first or last thing they see? Personally, when I lived on the East Side, and needed to get to I-10 I'd always go through the congestion of downtown to catch the Broadway on-ramp to spare my eyes from West Speedway.

I was thinking this morning that as people and employers come back to downtown, the city should look at moving any new government buildings (replacement buildings too) to Speedway east of I-10/north of downtown.

That section of Speedway is just a corridor to the city's midtown.
Government bldgs for security reasons create dead streets, the ultimate car-culture buildings, so there is a net zero impact on Speedway's culture/walk-ability.

It would help Speedway in that, while government offices take a lot of flack from architecture bloggers, they have one thing going for them; they don't look dumpy.

As for downtown, it would open up a lot of real estate for new development.

The city (Tucson) has discussed widening this stretch of Speedway to 6 lanes - 3 each way. http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/projects/speedway

Anqrew
Nov 4, 2011, 8:47 PM
The city (Tucson) has discussed widening this stretch of Speedway to 6 lanes - 3 each way. http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/projects/speedway

That's mainly just the widening of the speedway underpass, because from i10 to Main isnt that long of a stretch, it isnt slated to begin untl at least 2016 either

andrewsaturn
Nov 6, 2011, 6:40 AM
http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/azstarnet.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/6f/46ff68f3-41d4-5f53-9152-49391fd0ffbe/4eb4db7d6bdbf.image.jpg

Hopscotching all night at Congress Playground
By Rhonda Bodfield

If restaurateur Kade Mislinski's vision comes off, downtown denizens can soon have recess on the Playground.

His new bar, being renovated now at the key corner of Fifth Avenue and East Congress Street, is scheduled to open in late December, catering to the happy-hour-to-2 a.m. crowd.

The now-vacant building he's moving into is at a key corner downtown, just west of the Rialto block and kitty-corner from Hotel Congress. Ultimately, it will revolve around four concepts, serving as many as 500 people at a time.

It will also link to the Hub restaurant, which he opened in February at 266 E. Congress, and with its exposed brick and beams and sky-high bar, quickly established itself as one of downtown's trendier spots.

The linchpin will be the Corner Bar downstairs, with a dance floor and an 80-foot video screen exhibiting visual arts, black and white classic movies or sports when appropriate. Decorative swings will hang from the ceiling and guests can hopscotch their way to the bathroom. Tongue planted firmly in cheek, a video of Niagara Falls will play in the men's bathrooms, while women will see a clip of Raquel Welch putting on her lipstick.

We're not talking kindergarten here, with nap time and lots of primary colors. But he wants visitors to have an emotional connection with where they learned to be adults. The playground for him, he said, is where kids learn how to deal with gossips and bullies and flirts and conquer the mortifying experience of being picked last for a team.

There will be an outdoor tropics-themed cinema bar area with movies playing on a looming white wall. A rooftop area will be used primarily for special events, such as parties or weddings.

An upstairs area he calls Detention will hold only about 40 people and will have a chalkboard menu featuring a selection of handcrafted cocktails. That space will probably open six months into 2012, he estimated.

The spot was originally targeted for restaurateur Kwang C. An, who had talked about opening a sports-bar-themed restaurant. When that deal fell through, landlord Scott Stiteler approached Mislinski with the new opportunity. Mislinski said he had to think about it, acknowledging he's biting off a lot.

Hub is just 9 months old and still working through some growing pains, which is why he monitors customer rating sites like Yelp.com religiously to troubleshoot why, for instance, a customer might have had dry pastrami one day.

Between the two properties, the 37-year-old and his investors have some $2 million wrapped up in the project.

Already working 100-hour weeks, he's now finding himself picking sign logos, deciding whether to grind marbles into the concrete floor and mulling over whether it's more appropriate to use the word "bar" or "lounge."

But Mislinski said he took a deep breath and then decided, "If I didn't take the opportunity, I knew I would regret it."

He said Hub, which is perhaps most noted for its rich, buttery ice cream in flavors such as bourbon almond brittle or chai or spiced cider, is doing better than he had predicted, despite the recession.

The two spaces should complement one another, he said. The new one, for example, won't have a knife-and-fork kind of menu, but will offer roasted nuts, popcorn, pretzels and bruschettas in assorted flavors and textures and that can be shared.

Five weeks ago, he went to Portland to interview riders on that city's modern streetcar, to get a sense of what's to come in Tucson. He remains convinced the streetcar will be good for business, helping him tap the university market, whether students or employees.

"We've got a small downtown. We really only have about five blocks to make it right," he said.

He said he's committed to the cause and already planning for when his 10-month son will inherit the family business. "This is the rest of my life."

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/hopscotching-all-night-at-congress-playground/article_4bef8761-19f4-5677-bd22-6c0f3134802f.html

andrewsaturn
Nov 6, 2011, 7:21 AM
http://www.ai-architects.com/urban.swf

If you follow the link (click on the plaza centro mixed use project), there is a layout plan of what's to come on top of the El Centro garage. I didn't see this posted but if it was then I apologize. I find it unique that there will be a restaurant planned on top and also, whadda-you-know, a market for the building. The layout also says there will be a book computer store? a ice cream store, and cafe/minibar ...I'm a little confused though. The renderings look as if those businesses will be on the street level because the shape of it does not look rectangular like the structure of the garage. I don't see how that will work...

andrewsaturn
Nov 6, 2011, 5:42 PM
Sparkroot: gorgeous new urban downtown coffee shop (photos)
by Carolyn Classen on Nov. 06, 2011, under Health, Life

http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/files/2011/11/SparkrootCongressSt.jpg
Sparkroot Main Entrance on Congress.

In August, 2011 a new coffee bar + fare establishment opened up on the NW corner of Congress/5th Avenue (245 E. Congress) called Sparkroot.

What is a “sparkroot” I asked? The definition is from their website, www.sparkroot.com: “we hope to spark the burgeoning creative energy of downtown, while being rooted in the lovely community around us.”

Here’s some photos I took recently of this uber-urban coffee bar, with an attractive upstairs loft (with a view), steel beams & metal staircase, and even a bamboo plant in the middle of the downstairs area, with lots of different types of seating. It’s chic, upscale, and cool at the same time, with colorful local artwork throughout.

I sampled a few unusual salad offerings – quinoa kale (with lemon avocado dressing), and roasted beet (with baby arugula, orange slices, sherry shailot vinaigrette). Then I selected a chevre cheese sandwich on ciabatta, made with herbs, spinach & artichoke hearts.

These are creative, unique offerings, along with their delicious-smelling artisan coffee by Blue Bottle Coffee Co. of San Francisco, teas, sodas, juices.

This place must be hopping on 2nd Saturdays Downtown with the thousands of people who walk by on Congress St. Check them out soon. Hours are M to Sat. 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sundays 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. As you can see from the photos below, this is the urban coffee shop that downtown was missing. And you can even call/text-in orders at 520-272-8949. And check out their weekly specials.
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/files/2011/11/Sparkrootcounter.jpg
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/files/2011/11/Spartrootseating.jpg
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/files/2011/11/Sparkrootlongcounter1.jpg
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/files/2011/11/Spartrootloft1.jpg
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/files/2011/11/Sparkrootlamps.jpg
And yes, there is free parking (for the first hour weekdays) at the underground parking garage 50 ft. north of this coffee bar on 5th Avenue. Parking is free on the weekends. Walk to it from 4th Avenue, or catch the Sun Tran bus to Ronstadt Transit Center, which is just west of this area.

I like this bar’s unusual name & food: let’s hope they continue to spark more creative community energy & the growing of roots downtown. Welcome Sparkroot.
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/files/2011/11/Sparkroot5thAvenue2.jpg
5th Avenue entrance/exit next to One North Fifth apartments

Butta
Nov 7, 2011, 5:30 AM
Sparkroot: gorgeous new urban downtown coffee shop (photos)
by Carolyn Classen on Nov. 06, 2011, under Health, Life

http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/files/2011/11/SparkrootCongressSt.jpg
Sparkroot Main Entrance on Congress.

In August, 2011 a new coffee bar + fare establishment opened up on the NW corner of Congress/5th Avenue (245 E. Congress) called Sparkroot.

What is a “sparkroot” I asked? The definition is from their website, www.sparkroot.com: “we hope to spark the burgeoning creative energy of downtown, while being rooted in the lovely community around us.”

Here’s some photos I took recently of this uber-urban coffee bar, with an attractive upstairs loft (with a view), steel beams & metal staircase, and even a bamboo plant in the middle of the downstairs area, with lots of different types of seating. It’s chic, upscale, and cool at the same time, with colorful local artwork throughout.

I sampled a few unusual salad offerings – quinoa kale (with lemon avocado dressing), and roasted beet (with baby arugula, orange slices, sherry shailot vinaigrette). Then I selected a chevre cheese sandwich on ciabatta, made with herbs, spinach & artichoke hearts.

These are creative, unique offerings, along with their delicious-smelling artisan coffee by Blue Bottle Coffee Co. of San Francisco, teas, sodas, juices.

This place must be hopping on 2nd Saturdays Downtown with the thousands of people who walk by on Congress St. Check them out soon. Hours are M to Sat. 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sundays 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. As you can see from the photos below, this is the urban coffee shop that downtown was missing. And you can even call/text-in orders at 520-272-8949. And check out their weekly specials.
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/files/2011/11/Sparkrootcounter.jpg
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/files/2011/11/Spartrootseating.jpg
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/files/2011/11/Sparkrootlongcounter1.jpg
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/files/2011/11/Spartrootloft1.jpg
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/files/2011/11/Sparkrootlamps.jpg
And yes, there is free parking (for the first hour weekdays) at the underground parking garage 50 ft. north of this coffee bar on 5th Avenue. Parking is free on the weekends. Walk to it from 4th Avenue, or catch the Sun Tran bus to Ronstadt Transit Center, which is just west of this area.

I like this bar’s unusual name & food: let’s hope they continue to spark more creative community energy & the growing of roots downtown. Welcome Sparkroot.
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/files/2011/11/Sparkroot5thAvenue2.jpg
5th Avenue entrance/exit next to One North Fifth apartments

Pretty cool, I'll make sure to try this new place out next time I'm in town.

Butta
Nov 7, 2011, 5:41 AM
http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/insidetucsonbusiness.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b6/0b669c74-0662-11e1-9980-001cc4c002e0/4eb306448caa0.image.jpg
http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/insidetucsonbusiness.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/ed/aede1cb0-0662-11e1-82b5-001cc4c002e0/4eb30756ca2a9.image.jpg

Casino Del Sol Resort, Spa and Conference Center opens 11/11/11

Posted on November 4, 2011
by Patrick McNamara

The Pascua Yaqui Tribe has completed construction of a resort and conference center located on the grounds of its bustling southwest side Casino Del Sol.

"It's amazing that this is finally happening," said Wendell Long, CEO of Sol Casinos.

The resort, which includes 215 rooms and an 18,000 square-foot ballroom, officially opens next Friday (Nov. 11) - or 11/11/11.

The hotel and conference center keeps with the casino's Tuscan-Mediterranean themed décor while incorporating Pascua Yaqui imagery. A collection of paintings by tribal artists adorn the walls of the new facility and meeting rooms given Pascua Yaqui names for elements of the natural world.

The conference center already has attracted the interest of national and international event planners.

"We've already booked about $2 million worth of business for the room," Long said.

In addition to domestic customers, the casino plans to focus much of its convention and corporate marketing efforts to customers from Mexico. Officials maintain, however, the resort isn't looking to steal business away from other regional destinations. Instead, they hope to grow the economy of the entire region.

Future plans for the resort include an 18-hole golf course and 30-acre retail center.

A new steakhouse restaurant and two bars also will open in the resort.

The project has been...
Read More (http://insidetucsonbusiness.com/news/top_stories/casino-del-sol-resort-spa-and-conference-center-opens/article_866a3b86-065f-11e1-8ec6-001cc4c002e0.html)

Ted Lyons
Nov 7, 2011, 7:07 AM
http://www.ai-architects.com/urban.swf

If you follow the link (click on the plaza centro mixed use project), there is a layout plan of what's to come on top of the El Centro garage. I didn't see this posted but if it was then I apologize. I find it unique that there will be a restaurant planned on top and also, whadda-you-know, a market for the building. The layout also says there will be a book computer store? a ice cream store, and cafe/minibar ...I'm a little confused though. The renderings look as if those businesses will be on the street level because the shape of it does not look rectangular like the structure of the garage. I don't see how that will work...

I think you're looking at the cross section of a different project in LA. The top three floors of Plaza Centro are all supposed to be student housing.

Anqrew
Nov 9, 2011, 4:27 AM
In other news, Rothschild got elected mayor. which i am happy with, i would have voted him but i dont live in city limits. He seems to back a lot of development downtown. i wouldve been happy with anyone as mayor, after 12 years of Walkup, Tucson just needs a fresh perspective.

Ted Lyons
Nov 10, 2011, 8:40 PM
Mixed in with this rambling diatribe about Rio Nuevo is news that Rialto Theatre is looking to open a full time bar.

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/josh-brodesky-across-downtown-it-s-the-bottle-talking/article_9bcd3870-5658-52ec-b819-69661ee34ddf.html

The idea is that we would turn the corner storefront into a very nice kind of upscale bar that is always open," said Curtis McCrary, general manager and talent buyer for the Rialto. "We see this as an important means by which we can stabilize.
. . .

Here's how Jonathan Paton put it: "I want to see (that space) lit up, and I want to see something happen. ... They can only really make money at the moment when they have a show. And there is more money to be made when they keep that space open all the time."

But here's the catch (There's always a catch with Rio Nuevo): The proposal from Stiteler and the Rialto Theater Foundation includes waiving a requirement for the foundation to pay Rio Nuevo $110,000 in back rent and 3 percent of its revenues by September of 2014.

Paton said taxpayers will benefit from the bar because Rio Nuevo will benefit, but for the deal to happen there needs to be a fair number on the rent and other costs. No one would disclose details of negotiations.

The corner he's talking about is the intersection of Toole and Congress, essentially right at the entrance to downtown.

Anqrew
Nov 10, 2011, 9:55 PM
Streetcar Maintenance and Storage Facility
http://www.tucsonstreetcar.com/images/msfforwebsite4.jpg
Graphic provided by GLHN Engineering

The Modern Streetcar’s Maintenance and Storage Facility or MSF will be located at the intersection of 5th Avenue and 8th Street at 290 E. 8th. The MSF is at 100% design. Prior to construction of the MSF, construction crews must complete critical drainage and infrastructure improvements in the area adjacent to the future MSF site. These improvements will take approximately six months to complete.

http://www.tucsonstreetcar.com/images/msfforwebsite1.jpg
Graphic provided by GLHN Engineering

The MSF project includes three buildings on a 51,756-square-foot site. So crews can make timely repairs, inspect vehicles and conduct preventative maintenance, the MSF will feature:

Three high profile, enclosed maintenance bays
A below ground inspection pit
Bridge cranes to hoist heavy parts and move them the length of the building
An extensive parts inventory for repair and replacement
There will be bay for washing a vehicle’s exterior plus equipment for cleaning and detailing a vehicle’s interior.
There will also be administration offices and a master control room, the hub for monitoring all streetcar line operations.

http://www.tucsonstreetcar.com/MaintenanceandStorageFacility.htm

kaneui
Nov 12, 2011, 5:07 AM
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/PECOC-Tucson.png
Pima County’s new $14.6 million emergency communications center will be
completed in 2012.
(render: Sundt Construction)


Pima County consolidates public safety communications in new operations center
Inside Tucson Business
November 11, 2011
http://www.insidetucsonbusiness.com/construction_real_estate/pima-county-consolidates-public-safety-communications-in-new-operations-center/article_3c17a162-0af7-11e1-92a7-001cc4c03286.html

Construction of Pima County's new $14.6 million, state-of-the-art emergency communications center is underway, seven years after being authorized by voters as a capital improvement project. Located at 3434 E. 22nd Street, the Pima Emergency Communications & Operations Center (PECOC) will house the regional emergency communications center for all of Pima County. This aggregation will include the 911 Public Safety Answering Point and dispatch operations of the Pima County Sheriff's Department, the Pima County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Emergency Operations. In addition, PECOC also will serve a consortium of fire districts in unincorporated Pima County, Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation and include backup dispatch facilities for the City of Tucson police and fire departments.

In 2004, Pima County voters authorized the project as part of a capital improvement bond project. In 2006, the county acquired the property, formerly a data center for a bank, for $6.2 million. In August, the existing building at the site was partially demolished and Sundt Construction Inc. has since begun building the new operations center. When completed, the entire 63,000-square-foot complex will be submitted to the U.S. Green Building Council for LEED Silver certification, said Kurt Wadlington, Sundt project director. Fall 2012 is the planned completion date.

"PECOC is designed to be an innovative solution for Pima County, centralizing communications, dispatch and public safety answering points for the Pima County Wireless Integrated Network," said Wadlington. New construction at the site will feature cast-in-place concrete structures and certain parts of the center will be blast resistant. Schneider Structural Engineering, 1700 E. Fort Lowell, Suite 109, did the structural engineering.

Butta
Nov 12, 2011, 7:29 PM
Streetcar Maintenance and Storage Facility
http://www.tucsonstreetcar.com/images/msfforwebsite4.jpg
Graphic provided by GLHN Engineering

The Modern Streetcar’s Maintenance and Storage Facility or MSF will be located at the intersection of 5th Avenue and 8th Street at 290 E. 8th. The MSF is at 100% design. Prior to construction of the MSF, construction crews must complete critical drainage and infrastructure improvements in the area adjacent to the future MSF site. These improvements will take approximately six months to complete.

http://www.tucsonstreetcar.com/images/msfforwebsite1.jpg
Graphic provided by GLHN Engineering

The MSF project includes three buildings on a 51,756-square-foot site. So crews can make timely repairs, inspect vehicles and conduct preventative maintenance, the MSF will feature:

Three high profile, enclosed maintenance bays
A below ground inspection pit
Bridge cranes to hoist heavy parts and move them the length of the building
An extensive parts inventory for repair and replacement
There will be bay for washing a vehicle’s exterior plus equipment for cleaning and detailing a vehicle’s interior.
There will also be administration offices and a master control room, the hub for monitoring all streetcar line operations.

http://www.tucsonstreetcar.com/MaintenanceandStorageFacility.htm

I like it. :cheers:

bleunick
Nov 15, 2011, 5:34 AM
I read today that there are plans for a 14 story student housing project at the corner of Speedway and Euclid. Anybody got any info on this?

Thirsty
Nov 15, 2011, 5:58 AM
I read today that there are plans for a 14 story student housing project at the corner of Speedway and Euclid. Anybody got any info on this?

14 floors?

Well, they can ignore all and any city regulation they want, but you can't throw a stone from there without hitting a Historic Neighborhood. Good luck.

Ted Lyons
Nov 15, 2011, 9:38 PM
I read today that there are plans for a 14 story student housing project at the corner of Speedway and Euclid. Anybody got any info on this?

Can you link what said that?

I haven't heard of anything at Speedway and Euclid but there was an attempt to build a taller student housing project at Euclid and 4th Street a few years back, IIRC.

Ted Lyons
Nov 15, 2011, 9:42 PM
This is what I was remembering:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=4643558&postcount=1340

Ted Lyons
Nov 15, 2011, 9:59 PM
http://www.scribd.com/doc/47488895/University-of-Arizona-Visitor-Guide-Spring-2011

Page 32 of the UA visitor's guide from this past summer details the planned 14-floor development between the Marriott and Marshall Building in Main Gate Square. That project is meant to be mixed retail, theater, and hotel, though.

bleunick
Nov 15, 2011, 10:11 PM
http://www.scribd.com/doc/47488895/University-of-Arizona-Visitor-Guide-Spring-2011

Page 32 of the UA visitor's guide from this past summer details the planned 14-floor development between the Marriott and Marshall Building in Main Gate Square. That project is meant to be mixed retail, theater, and hotel, though.

I cant seem to find it now, but it was just a short quote from somebody involved with planning at the UofA. I bet they might have been talking about that new Marriott, because i cant really imagine student housing being built to that scale when they are already about to build a ton downtown.

Patrick S
Nov 16, 2011, 4:40 AM
I've been wondering about that hotel in the Main Gate Square. Does anyone know if it's going to actually happen?

kaneui
Nov 16, 2011, 11:57 PM
I've been wondering about that hotel in the Main Gate Square. Does anyone know if it's going to actually happen?

No word about the Main Gate Square hotel proposal for awhile--I'm guessing they're still looking for financing, which is hard to come by for hotels (Bourn still needs financing for the Hampton Inn slated for the Thrifty block downtown).

Also nothing recent on the proposed Memorial Building student housing, although that is one market segment that is booming right now. (Perhaps it was rejected by UofA as one the projects they would refer students to near the streetcar route.) However, I've included both of these projects in my Tucson project list.

kaneui
Nov 17, 2011, 12:21 AM
The Mercado San Agustin will finally be adding its anchor tenants: Agustin, a Mediterranean bistro restaurant and grill (December), and Four Mile Market, as well as the Cabinet Room, a mezzanine bar (February or March):


Mercado San Agustin's Expansions
By Jim Lipson
Zocalo Tucson magazine
November 14, 2011
http://www.thezmag.com/article-846-mercado-san-agustins-expansions.html

While it’s easy to talk about the unfulfilled promise of downtown development and Rio Nuevo, Mercado San Agustin, in the 900 block of West Congress Street, continues to evolve as a Westside diamond in the rough. With 15,000 square feet of expansive retail space appearing cavernous at times, much of that is about to change with the coming of Agustin, a new Mediterranean bistro style restaurant and grill.

Mercado’s Executive Director Kira Dixon-Weinstein and Mercado’s Restaurant Partner Glen Stosius are set for a “soft opening” in early December with a more formal grand opening tentatively set to coincide with the Mercado’s Holiday Bazaar on December 16. The restaurant, slated to feature indoor and outdoor seating with a courtyard extension, will serve up seafood entrees, a raw oyster bar, a variety of organic salads and what Stosius describes as “traditional handmade cocktails.” With four star restaurant experiences in Miami and New York, he goes on to say that Agustin will distinguish itself “with the quality and simplicity of its ingredients and with its casual but professional service standards.”

Hopefully Agustin will serve as a much needed anchor business that can provide a steadier flow of foot traffic into the Mercado seven days a week. With that kind of exposure, the Mercado’s several other creative endeavors - the Community Food Bank sponsored Santa Cruz Farmers Market (Thursday afternoons), the Sunday morning brunch market, and the soon to arrive Café Libra Coffee Cart, along with special events - can begin to flourish not only on their own but as part of a larger development. And speaking of the bigger picture, Agustin (the restaurant) is but one of three major projects that Stosius and Dixon-Weinstein are simultaneously working on. Adjacent to the restaurant, come February or March, will be the Cabinet Room. A mezzanine bar with dark mood lighting and lots of leather, Stosius describes this throwback style watering hole with words like “mysterious, a gentleman’s club.” (Perhaps a la AMC’s hit show “Mad Men?”)

Completing the north end development of the Mercado will be the Four Mile Market. Described as a European-style market, this will also give more purpose and substance to a space crying out to be seen and experienced. “This is an exciting time,” says Stosius. “We’ll have coffee and cocktails within the month and as you can see there is a lot going on.” Complimenting the new in-house construction and the current businesses, which include a Mexican bakery, taqueria and a sno-cone stand, is the Mercado’s 3800 square feet of enclosed courtyard. “I’m a mom of three,” says Dixon-Weinstein, “and I want a place where kids can be free to safely wander around.”

Further details about Mercado San Agustin: www.MercadoSanAgustin.com

ComplotDesigner
Nov 17, 2011, 3:45 AM
Images of the New Armory Building, sorry about the window reflections. :P

http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/7885/photoenk.jpg

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/9864/photo1dr.jpg

Anqrew
Nov 17, 2011, 4:29 AM
that building really puts into perspective just how big the 'biggest tree in tucson' is, the tree will probably be taller than the building.

Locofresh55
Nov 18, 2011, 7:53 AM
The Mercado San Agustin will finally be adding its anchor tenants: Agustin, a Mediterranean bistro restaurant and grill (December), and Four Mile Market, as well as the Cabinet Room, a mezzanine bar (February or March):


Mercado San Agustin's Expansions
By Jim Lipson
Zocalo Tucson magazine
November 14, 2011
http://www.thezmag.com/article-846-mercado-san-agustins-expansions.html

While it’s easy to talk about the unfulfilled promise of downtown development and Rio Nuevo, Mercado San Agustin, in the 900 block of West Congress Street, continues to evolve as a Westside diamond in the rough. With 15,000 square feet of expansive retail space appearing cavernous at times, much of that is about to change with the coming of Agustin, a new Mediterranean bistro style restaurant and grill.

Mercado’s Executive Director Kira Dixon-Weinstein and Mercado’s Restaurant Partner Glen Stosius are set for a “soft opening” in early December with a more formal grand opening tentatively set to coincide with the Mercado’s Holiday Bazaar on December 16. The restaurant, slated to feature indoor and outdoor seating with a courtyard extension, will serve up seafood entrees, a raw oyster bar, a variety of organic salads and what Stosius describes as “traditional handmade cocktails.” With four star restaurant experiences in Miami and New York, he goes on to say that Agustin will distinguish itself “with the quality and simplicity of its ingredients and with its casual but professional service standards.”

Hopefully Agustin will serve as a much needed anchor business that can provide a steadier flow of foot traffic into the Mercado seven days a week. With that kind of exposure, the Mercado’s several other creative endeavors - the Community Food Bank sponsored Santa Cruz Farmers Market (Thursday afternoons), the Sunday morning brunch market, and the soon to arrive Café Libra Coffee Cart, along with special events - can begin to flourish not only on their own but as part of a larger development. And speaking of the bigger picture, Agustin (the restaurant) is but one of three major projects that Stosius and Dixon-Weinstein are simultaneously working on. Adjacent to the restaurant, come February or March, will be the Cabinet Room. A mezzanine bar with dark mood lighting and lots of leather, Stosius describes this throwback style watering hole with words like “mysterious, a gentleman’s club.” (Perhaps a la AMC’s hit show “Mad Men?”)

Completing the north end development of the Mercado will be the Four Mile Market. Described as a European-style market, this will also give more purpose and substance to a space crying out to be seen and experienced. “This is an exciting time,” says Stosius. “We’ll have coffee and cocktails within the month and as you can see there is a lot going on.” Complimenting the new in-house construction and the current businesses, which include a Mexican bakery, taqueria and a sno-cone stand, is the Mercado’s 3800 square feet of enclosed courtyard. “I’m a mom of three,” says Dixon-Weinstein, “and I want a place where kids can be free to safely wander around.”

Further details about Mercado San Agustin: www.MercadoSanAgustin.com


Good for Mercado San Agustin......considering the delays, this place deserves to be as full as possible. I also like that now the new Armory building is doing up. Continued construction of new homes in the Mercado District, just think if the Monier Brickyard Building ever goes up, this area will be booming in no time. I just hope it does detract from Menlo Park because that is an interesting neighborhood. Hopefully that neighborhood will be able to capitalize as well.

Anqrew
Nov 20, 2011, 7:19 AM
Lots of projects are coming Near the Streetcar Route at the UA!
i dont think this list is even including the new Main Gate Hotel Proposal which is 14 floors as well.
If all of these get built, the Main Gate area might have a better skyline than downtown... haha.


High-rises could go up near streetcar west of UA
Becky Pallack Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Sunday, November 20, 2011

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/azstarnet.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/49/1495b50c-133f-11e1-9db9-001cc4c002e0/4ec89b11189dc.preview-300.jpg

Tucson's plans to allow new high-rise student apartment buildings west of the University of Arizona could leave a few historic bungalows in shadow.
The city is moving quickly to amend the West University Neighborhood Plan to allow taller and denser buildings in a "transition zone" between East Speedway and East Sixth Street, and between North Euclid and North Park avenues.
Developers who want to rezone properties there now are limited to four stories. New rules would allow 14-story buildings with pedestrian-friendly streetscapes.
The goal is to encourage new projects close to the planned streetcar line that would boost streetcar ridership, said Jim Mazzocco, city planning administrator.
Historic homes in the neighborhood aren't part of the planned zoning changes - but those homes soon could be in the shade of high-rises.




*Campus Acquisitions, a Chicago-based developer, wants to build a 13- and 14-story apartment complex for 550 students, with 84 parking spaces and retail spaces, at 1020-1042 N. Tyndall Avenue, city documents show.

*Developer Mike Noonan, who previously tried to partner with Campus Acquisitions, is trying to revive his plan to develop a student apartment complex at 714 N. Euclid Avenue. The planning commission is willing to allow a four- and six-story complex. Noonan's original idea for a complex with stepped heights of six, nine and 11 stories stalled in the city's rezoning process last year.

*And Steve Shenitzer and Bill Viner want to build a 14-story student apartment building along First Street, stepping down to 12 stories and six-stories on Speedway, city documents show.

Campus Acquisitions wants to break ground in March and be ready for students to move in before the fall semester of 2013.
That developer's architectural firm is giving support services to city planners to help speed up the process, Mazzocco said.


Read more: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/high-rises-could-go-up-near-streetcar-west-of-ua/article_a99f32e9-279e-5c16-9312-e11b563be884.html#ixzz1eEBV6fGG

Ted Lyons
Nov 20, 2011, 9:26 AM
From the article:

1020-1042 North Tyndall (Campus Acquisitions - 13 and 14 floors)

http://g.co/maps/b3hc9

714 North Euclid (Memorial Complex - stepped heights from 6-11 floors)

http://g.co/maps/x6ke6

Speedway and 1st (Shenitzer and Viner - Based on the transition boundary, I can only assume we're talking about the southeast corner.)

http://g.co/maps/kaeww

acatalanb
Nov 20, 2011, 5:04 PM
It's been awhile since I've been in this forum and the Old Pueblo (visiting for holidays). I must say things are picking up real fast. I hope those high rises mentioned gets built and hopefully they're visually appealing. The new TEP building looks nice! Same with the El Centro. Downtown west side development isn't bad either. There also seems to be a growing trend of groceries and gourmet food trucks - excellent! .

I'm glad more housing for students and the elderly/disabled are being built but I'm hoping someday some firm would build a 20+ story high end mixed used office/retail/condo/apartments ( not Humberto Lopez or Bourne ). I'm looking forward to moving in (along with my small business) if it ever gets built. Driving to/from work gets tedious.

One of these days, I'm going to buy an expensive camera and take new photos of the Old Pueblo as soon as that light rail gets up and running and then amend it to the old Tucson photo thread. There's something about Tucson that expats want to come back. There ought to be a song, book or movie about it. And we may call it "Goodbye. Hello Tucson".

Anyway, my amigos and I went to another one of those secret gems that should have been listed in the metro Tucson visitors guide - it's a chain of restaurant/bars on 4th Ave between 22nd st and I-10/Benson Hwy. There's Mi Nidito (http://www.zagat.com/r/n/mi-nidito-tucson/reviews#name-anchor) , restaurant visited by Pres. Bill Clinton and Crossroads (http://www.yelp.com/biz/crossroads-tucson-2) , they serve an all you can eat mexican/american breakfast for around 6 bucks .

:cheers: Happy Holidays! :dancingtaco

If some NIMBY complains about a high rise blocking their view of a mountain and a ray of the sun, please asked them nicely to move to the next block or two .... don't :rant: or even :twoguns: maybe invite them to a :upload_71700:

Thirsty
Nov 20, 2011, 8:53 PM
sounds like bluenick was right about the 14-floors at Speedway & Euclid, though it has since been downsized.

I wonder if all this enthusiasm has been stirred because of (what looks to be) the success of the West 6th towers in Tempe. There seems to be an untapped market for $1k/month studio apartments.

What's great about this overlay, is the area is already speckled with 7-10 floor structures and parking garages. When you already have a pair of 7 floor dormitories looking down over your yard, how passionate are you gonna get about keeping new development out of the neighborhood?

Wonder what this would look like when it's all built?:
http://www.physics.arizona.edu/hep-th/Mall.GIF

Thirsty
Nov 20, 2011, 9:32 PM
For anyone who has missed it, the Star has had a number of development articles this weekend. In addition to the Main Gate Urban overlay:

Lopez seeks tax break for Hotel Arizona (http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/lopez-seeks-tax-break-for-hotel-arizona-redo/article_2924e111-0785-5f8a-ad4a-33663f5ae1c3.html)
Seems like a decent plan, though after reading the 20 year history of Lopez using the hotel as leverage in numerous attempts to extort money from the city, I kinda just want to blow the whole thing up and let one of the developers he squeezed out build a new one.

Plan would give Raytheon more room (http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/plan-would-give-raytheon-more-room/article_9215d6d4-d2c2-5196-9122-790a7a27fc08.html)
Part of what the county looked into after Tucson lost several hundred jobs because Raytheon couldn't expand.

And from today if you missed it:
UA students seek to better peers perception of area (http://azstarnet.com/news/local/ua-students-seek-to-better-peers-perception-of-area/article_971d28b8-79ea-5ecc-9ca3-b76b61ba452b.html)

Ritarancher
Nov 21, 2011, 4:50 AM
Tucson Shopping Centers

Here is a list of major shopping centers along Interstate 10 and Interstate 19.

Existing
Tucson Spectrum
Interstate-19 and Irvington Road
Status:Mostly Completed
Anchor Stores- Target,The Home Depot, Food City, Sports Authority, Harkins Theater, JC Penny,
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/Harkins-SouthSide.jpg -Picture
Barclay's website- http://www.barclaygroup.net/opencms/opencms/shoppingcenters/arizona/tucson/


Under Construction
Tucson Marketplace at the Bridges
Interstate-10 and Kino/Park
Anchor stores-Costco, Walmart, TBD (Possibly a Kohls)


Planning
Marana Spectrum
Interstate 10 and Twin Peaks Road
Website: http://www.michaelkrotchie.com/marana-spectrum-a-huge-retail-power-center-coming-in-2010/
Flyer: http://www.barclaygroup.net/opencms/opencms/sites/default/shoppingcenters/arizona/tucson/marana_spectrum.pdf
Possible Anchors: Target, The Home Depot, JCPenny, Best Buy, Sports Authority


On Hold
Houghton Town Center
Houghton Road and Old Vail
Websites: http://activerain.com/blogsview/627644/houghton-town-center-comes-to-southeast-tucson
http://www.diamondventures.com/commercial/properties/houghton.html
Possible Anchors: The Home Depot


Passages of Tucson
Somewhere along interstate 10 in Vail
Website: http://passagesoftucson.com/index.html

acatalanb
Nov 21, 2011, 4:11 PM
:previous: It's nice to see those 'big bad' corporate stores being built by I-10.

Anyway I'm still waiting for that mid-size Target AND Walmart and IMAX within downtown. Hopefully they would include that in the future luxury high end 40+ (*) story mixed used complex that will be built .... it's only a matter of time....trust me ;) I can see myself waking up in my future condo, going to the 4th floor for some gourmet coffee, then to the 3rd floor watching an IMAX film, on to the 2nd floor to buy some batteries at Walmart and toothpaste at Target and lastly to the 1st floor for some cabbage at Fry's . It's only a matter of time.

Of course, let's not forget that high speed railway to San Diego (NOT Phoenix) that will be built as soon as we get rid of the extreme Republicons in America.

Before I take off, Rita Rancher, please keep pushing for the Rainbow Bridge, Tucson's version of the Eiffel Tower, a Ferris Wheel, a Biosphere Plaza and yes, one or two crosstown freeways. :yes: Oh yeah, push for replacing the Joel Valdez library with a PINK Spanish Revival influenced architecture and rename it the Cesar Chavez Public Library instead. It just looks better with the Old Courthouse and that new UA building at the old downtown Walgreens.

IT WILL HAPPEN!!! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!! :skyscraper: :thankyouthankyou:

* it's 40+ now instead of 20+ , I changed my mind. I forgot we're at Skyscraperpage. :typing:

btw, they got good pastries at the Mercado District market. 99 cent empanadas are delicious! As far as I can remember, a student housing was planned in that area. I hope it goes forward.

"...the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.." Franklin D. Roosevelt . And thanks to Abe Lincoln for initiating the Transcontinental Railroad in the middle of the Civil War. Dwight Eisenhower, thanks for the interstate highway. But no thanks to G.W. Bush Jr - all you've done is turn Wall Street into a casino and your legacy of complex financial derivatives ( good job, MORON!)

Anqrew
Nov 21, 2011, 10:44 PM
The Grill, on Congress is closing permanently i read. Sucks for the owners but I think its a good thing, Downtown is changing and the Grill just wasn't what Downtown needed. I'd been there twice and it always attracted a sketchy crowd and the place just had this grungy feel i didn't like. I think the Grill lost business With places like Downtown Kitchen and Cocktails, HUB, Maynards and Sparkroot cropping up downtown. These new restaurants are more upscale and contemporary and attract a more sophisticated crowd of people. I think something will show up in the Grills vacant space very soon and it will be a great addition to Downtown. We'll see...!

bleunick
Nov 21, 2011, 11:57 PM
The Grill closing is not a good thing in my opinion. That place(along with the Red Room) had a cult-like following that brought in a different crowd into downtown. Was it dirty? Yes. Was it over priced? Yes. Are newer places like HUB and Downtown Kitchen and Cocktails more beneficial for downtown? Probably, but you have to realize these newer restaurants just pushed out one of the only 24hour diners close to the UofA and 4th ave. Having places like this adds to the character of downtown and brings in different groups of people. In order for downtown to thrive we cant just focus on pleasing the upscale 25-40 crowd. The idea of turning downtown into another La Encantada may sound tempting, however in order to sustain a vibrant and functioning downtown we need to keep some of these hole-in-the-wall type places.

Thirsty
Nov 22, 2011, 7:36 AM
:previous: 100% agreement Bleunick

A vibrant downtown is more than organic food and apple-tinis.

Too bad they never tried to bring in the lunch crowd with some sort of inexpensive counter service. They could have spruced up a little for the day crowd without sacrificing their cultural relevance at night.

Now if the Buffet ever closes... :ahhh: oh boy, can't even think about that right now. Ten deep breaths.

Ted Lyons
Nov 22, 2011, 8:54 AM
I've been pretty disappointed about Grill closing. Based on convos I heard around town today, a lot of other people are too. The best urban areas serve all crowds.

Having spent a decent amount of time in Seattle over the past few years, and specifically Capitol Hill, I always heard that it was changing, and not necessarily for the better. Seeing tons of new condo buildings being built with bars, restaurants, stores, etc., I didn't really understand. Seeing Grill and Red Room close helps me understand.

Does Grill closing open up a valuable storefront for new, potentially interesting development on Congress? Yes. Is downtown getting better? Yes, definitely. Will established businesses like Grill that close in the face of new development be replaceable? Never.

ppdd
Nov 22, 2011, 3:46 PM
Also bummed about the Grill. Not that I go there often, but I really enjoy it when I do. It's a great 24hr greasy spoon with a really interesting crowd. I hope it stays open somehow. If it can make it until student housing opens at the end of the block, they'd do great.

As far as opening up a storefront, there are other spaces I'd rather see made available before the Grill's spot. (How does Wig O Rama stay in business?)

Anqrew
Nov 23, 2011, 12:47 AM
New Renders for the District on 5th from their website.
i still can't figure out which direction these views are from? can anyone tell?

http://i41.tinypic.com/sw8wuq.png
http://i40.tinypic.com/2qbc6qo.png

Edit: I've recently drove past the construction and the view is looking south at the intersection of 5th and 5th.

Anqrew
Nov 23, 2011, 12:58 AM
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.278484725522056.58733.248269758543553&type=3

100's of Photos of construction at Playground Bar and Lounge nextdoor to HUB. Should be open end of December.

Anqrew
Nov 24, 2011, 8:37 PM
What we've already known based on Peach's renderings was confirmed by the ADS today.

Locally owned brewery plans to open in downtown Tucson

Locally owned Thunder Canyon Brewery, which has served pub fare and craft beers on the northwest side since 1997, plans to start serving suds downtown next year.

Owner and brewmaster Steve Tracy said he’s closing on a deal to purchase part of an old charter school on the southeast corner of East Broadway and South Fifth Avenue. He plans to open a Thunder Canyon Brewery location there.

The current owner of the charter school is Medlar Investments LLC, according to the Pima County Assessor’s Office.

Tracy declined to discuss the price because the sale hasn’t closed, which he said should happen “any day now.”

It’s going to take some time to renovate the property, so it’ll be a few months before the brew pub is up and running, Tracy said.

He anticipates opening next April.


Read more: http://azstarnet.com/business/local/locally-owned-brewery-plans-to-open-in-downtown-tucson/article_2ad0ecea-161b-11e1-9f42-001cc4c002e0.html?mode=story#ixzz1eeoPIcko

BrandonJXN
Nov 26, 2011, 9:55 PM
The Grill, on Congress is closing permanently i read. Sucks for the owners but I think its a good thing, Downtown is changing and the Grill just wasn't what Downtown needed. I'd been there twice and it always attracted a sketchy crowd and the place just had this grungy feel i didn't like. I think the Grill lost business With places like Downtown Kitchen and Cocktails, HUB, Maynards and Sparkroot cropping up downtown. These new restaurants are more upscale and contemporary and attract a more sophisticated crowd of people. I think something will show up in the Grills vacant space very soon and it will be a great addition to Downtown. We'll see...!

Disagree.

You need places like The Grill in order to have a organic feeling downtown. A downtown will never work if it's filled with nothing but high end places. The Grill always had good food, a really interesting collection of people (I met many a people there who wound up becoming good friends there) and if you pop down a super expensive restaurant all over downtown, you won't get that feel. Tucson already has a lot of bars but The Grill will be a huge loss for downtown.

azliam
Nov 27, 2011, 1:07 AM
I cannot imagine downtown Tucson without the Grill. I spent many an afterhours there...too many memories. :(

combusean
Nov 27, 2011, 4:00 AM
Any way you spin it, the loss of a venerable institution AND a 24 hour place at that is bad.

Phoenix has lost a couple restaurants in its boom that just couldn't keep up with the times and compete with the new ones. It looked like The Grill had bad service and was really starting to show its age--that'll work when you're the only game in town, but not when there's a slew of new competition.

I hope whatever goes there later will keep the classic sign work out front and whatnot. It would be a real shame if the exterior were a casualty as well.

Anqrew
Nov 27, 2011, 4:40 AM
Disagree.

You need places like The Grill in order to have a organic feeling downtown. A downtown will never work if it's filled with nothing but high end places. The Grill always had good food, a really interesting collection of people (I met many a people there who wound up becoming good friends there) and if you pop down a super expensive restaurant all over downtown, you won't get that feel. Tucson already has a lot of bars but The Grill will be a huge loss for downtown.


Yes i completely agree we need an eclectic mix of food offerings. But the fact that the Grill was the only choice for that niche downtown is a bit sad, people ate there because it was their only option for so long, the fact that these other restaurants are thriving yet the Grill couldnt make ends meet show that the restaurant market downtown has shifted to a more sophisticated atmosphere. people say "Why go to the Grill when you can go to the HUB"

Who says we can't serve that same clique of people in an actually, you know, nice looking place. The Grill was dirty and outdated. No reason they couldn't clean up the place every now and then, and give it a cheap facelift while keeping the same menu. besides theres still A Shot In The Dark Cafe and plenty of places on 4th ave that will cater to the loss of the Grill.

Ted Lyons
Nov 29, 2011, 4:55 AM
Who says we can't serve that same clique of people in an actually, you know, nice looking place.

This question is premised on the belief that the "clique" of people to whom you're referring care about the way a restaurant looks and/or that they value the way HUB looks over Grill. From my experience, I'd say both of these theories are untrue.

Just as there's a reason a lot of people prefer bars like Che's over bars like Maloney's, there's a reason some people preferred Grill, and especially The Red Room, over HUB and redesigning Grill to look like HUB (or whatever) wouldn't alter that preference for most people.

The Grill was dirty and outdated.

You see this as a fault. Believe it or not, many people appreciated the ambience.

besides theres still A Shot In The Dark Cafe and plenty of places on 4th ave that will cater to the loss of the Grill.

Restaurant-wise, there's nothing comparable to Grill near downtown or 4th. Thus, the reaction to it closing. Similarly, The Red Room was one of a kind even if it seemed like other bars on the surface. They accommodated a specific kind of live music and catered to craft beer and liquor drinkers without alienating anyone in between. They also maintained an atmosphere that wasn't in-your-face or overbearing in any way as many places on 4th can be Thursday through Saturday.

The point of all of this is that no business is perfect in the eyes of every demographic and, although Grill may have had faults, it was valued by a lot of people. The chances of it being replaced by a new restaurant/bar that garners as much of a following as it did are unfortunately slim.

Anqrew
Nov 29, 2011, 5:25 AM
This question is premised on the belief that the "clique" of people to whom you're referring care about the way a restaurant looks and/or that they value the way HUB looks over Grill. From my experience, I'd say both of these theories are untrue.

Just as there's a reason a lot of people prefer bars like Che's over bars like Maloney's, there's a reason some people preferred Grill, and especially The Red Room, over HUB and redesigning Grill to look like HUB (or whatever) wouldn't alter that preference for most people.



You see this as a fault. Believe it or not, many people appreciated the ambience.



Restaurant-wise, there's nothing comparable to Grill near downtown or 4th. Thus, the reaction to it closing. Similarly, The Red Room was one of a kind even if it seemed like other bars on the surface. They accommodated a specific kind of live music and catered to craft beer and liquor drinkers without alienating anyone in between. They also maintained an atmosphere that wasn't in-your-face or overbearing in any way as many places on 4th can be Thursday through Saturday.

The point of all of this is that no business is perfect in the eyes of every demographic and, although Grill may have had faults, it was valued by a lot of people. The chances of it being replaced by a new restaurant/bar that garners as much of a following as it did are unfortunately slim.


Well the way i see it, many Tucsonans, particularly those who are skeptical about heading downtown, are turned off by places like The Grill. Most Tucsonans still perceive downtown as a sketchy and unsafe place, and In my opinion the Grill only added to this negative perception. If we want to have successful downtown, we need it to be an attractive place where people will want to spend time. I'm not saying we need HUBs everywhere, but im sure everyone agrees the Grill could have put a little more effort into the cleanliness of their place. I don't know many people who would say "Hey i have the choice between going to a well kept clean restaurant with good service or a poorly cleaned restaurant with lousy service...I think i'll choose the dirty one."

Everyone claims the Grill had such a loyal following, well then why did it close...? Either its just a sign of the times or the owners obviously just didn't care about staying in business anymore. Downtown is in renaissance and as they say "out with the old, in with the new". The reason i see the Grill closing as a good thing is because it symbolizes the start of something new, a new image. I got dragged in there a couple times with my friends and i just hated it both times, the loudest band was playing so i couldn't hear a word my friends or the waitress was saying, the food was too expensive, and the service wasn't that great. I dont see why everyone holds it in such high regards.

azliam
Nov 29, 2011, 6:31 AM
Well the way i see it, many Tucsonans, particularly those who are skeptical about heading downtown, are turned off by places like The Grill. Most Tucsonans still perceive downtown as a sketchy and unsafe place, and In my opinion the Grill only added to this negative perception. If we want to have successful downtown, we need it to be an attractive place where people will want to spend time. I'm not saying we need HUBs everywhere, but im sure everyone agrees the Grill could have put a little more effort into the cleanliness of their place. I don't know many people who would say "Hey i have the choice between going to a well kept clean restaurant with good service or a poorly cleaned restaurant with lousy service...I think i'll choose the dirty one."

Everyone claims the Grill had such a loyal following, well then why did it close...? Either its just a sign of the times or the owners obviously just didn't care about staying in business anymore. Downtown is in renaissance and as they say "out with the old, in with the new". The reason i see the Grill closing as a good thing is because it symbolizes the start of something new, a new image. I got dragged in there a couple times with my friends and i just hated it both times, the loudest band was playing so i couldn't hear a word my friends or the waitress was saying, the food was too expensive, and the service wasn't that great. I dont see why everyone holds it in such high regards.

Having lived in Tucson from late '92-early '10, I find this to be a bunch of crap. The Grill happened to be one of the places where ALL types of people could go and fit in. Sure, the service was slow when I visited, but that was because there was always a huge wait to get a seat. Yes, it's nice that places like Sapphire Lounge, etc opened up downtown, but you could just as easily get shot at a club like that or any other place across town that attracts "that clientele" (new club opens, nice dress code, eventually turns ghetto) than at a restaurant like the Grill. There is absolutely no reason why downtown Tucson can't have places like HUB (which is my type of place) and the Grill. Downtowns need all types of people, not just those who come to visit it from the peripheral of the metro occasionally to check out the new restaurant or club and get their quick "city" fix. As a gay man, I have never found downtown Tucson to feel sketchy or unsafe.

BTW, could you post the poll that indicates that "most" people still consider downtown to be sketchy and unsafe? I also find it ridiculous when people wish to save "historic" buildings that have not been inhabited in years (I too agree that they should be saved), yet wish to put a restaurant that has been a staple of downtown for a long time out of business. By your logic, we should just tear down all of the "old" buildings and replace them with "new" ones as well if "out with the old and in with the new" is our new motto.

I honestly think that you are just too young to understand the value of a place like the Grill because you haven't seen it nor experienced it the way many of us others have. Don't feel bad though. I feel the same way about people who move to Austin and claim how wonderful and unique it is when they are about 20 years too late and although Austin IS bigger and newer, it's also a watered down version of what it once was.

Azstar
Nov 29, 2011, 2:56 PM
The point about the Grill being grundgy and gross looking is absolutely valid. I think if they had spent a small amount of money to fix the place up and make it appear to look clean would have made a huge difference. People of all types do not want to eat in a restaurant that appears dilapitated and dirty no matter how iconic it is.

BrandonJXN
Nov 29, 2011, 4:56 PM
Well the way i see it, many Tucsonans, particularly those who are skeptical about heading downtown, are turned off by places like The Grill. Most Tucsonans still perceive downtown as a sketchy and unsafe place, and In my opinion the Grill only added to this negative perception. If we want to have successful downtown, we need it to be an attractive place where people will want to spend time. I'm not saying we need HUBs everywhere, but im sure everyone agrees the Grill could have put a little more effort into the cleanliness of their place. I don't know many people who would say "Hey i have the choice between going to a well kept clean restaurant with good service or a poorly cleaned restaurant with lousy service...I think i'll choose the dirty one."

Everyone claims the Grill had such a loyal following, well then why did it close...? Either its just a sign of the times or the owners obviously just didn't care about staying in business anymore. Downtown is in renaissance and as they say "out with the old, in with the new". The reason i see the Grill closing as a good thing is because it symbolizes the start of something new, a new image. I got dragged in there a couple times with my friends and i just hated it both times, the loudest band was playing so i couldn't hear a word my friends or the waitress was saying, the food was too expensive, and the service wasn't that great. I dont see why everyone holds it in such high regards.

If a high end restaurant is going to replace The Grill then there will be riots in the streets. I only lived in Tucson for 2 years (08-10) and I've been to many a bar in Tucson (The Grill and The Buffet being my favorites) and cities NEED homegrown dirty places that have a worn in feel to them. You are never going to get the same feel of that kind of a place if you plop down another high end rizty place. You won't make the memories you would at The Grill. A place like values each and every one of it's customers whether they show it or not.

Living in Los Angeles, you come across this saying a lot when it comes to places to eat: more often than not, the worse a place looks, the better the food will be. Now I'm not saying that I like to dine out at the WORST looking slop buckets. It will be a big hit in the face now that The Grill is gone.

And Anqrew: In downtown LA, there is no shortage or places to eat. But some of the most beloved places are those that are not always the cleanest.

There is Phillipes (the floor is covered in sawdust)
http://www.roadfood.com/insider/photos/5949.jpg

http://www.roadfood.com/insider/photos/5949.jpg

The Pantry (which has never closed since it opened in 1924)
[img]http://you-are-here.com/restaurant/original_pantry.jpg
http://you-are-here.com/restaurant/original_pantry.jpg

Cliftons
http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/users13/evanlicious/default/Cliftons_Front--large-msg-11628543661.jpg?178464964
http://cdn.buzznet.com/assets/users13/evanlicious/default/Cliftons_Front--large-msg-11628543661.jpg?178464964

If ANY of those places were to close down, people will burn this city to the ground. If The Pantry were to close and were replaced with some bullshit lounge then people would lose their minds. Places like this are needed in every city in order for them to feel real.

If you want a nice lounge, put it at La Encantada. Or La Placita. That place needs all the help it can get.

Anqrew
Nov 29, 2011, 7:12 PM
Having lived in Tucson from late '92-early '10, I find this to be a bunch of crap. The Grill happened to be one of the places where ALL types of people could go and fit in. Sure, the service was slow when I visited, but that was because there was always a huge wait to get a seat. Yes, it's nice that places like Sapphire Lounge, etc opened up downtown, but you could just as easily get shot at a club like that or any other place across town that attracts "that clientele" (new club opens, nice dress code, eventually turns ghetto) than at a restaurant like the Grill. There is absolutely no reason why downtown Tucson can't have places like HUB (which is my type of place) and the Grill. Downtowns need all types of people, not just those who come to visit it from the peripheral of the metro occasionally to check out the new restaurant or club and get their quick "city" fix. As a gay man, I have never found downtown Tucson to feel sketchy or unsafe.

BTW, could you post the poll that indicates that "most" people still consider downtown to be sketchy and unsafe? I also find it ridiculous when people wish to save "historic" buildings that have not been inhabited in years (I too agree that they should be saved), yet wish to put a restaurant that has been a staple of downtown for a long time out of business. By your logic, we should just tear down all of the "old" buildings and replace them with "new" ones as well if "out with the old and in with the new" is our new motto.

I honestly think that you are just too young to understand the value of a place like the Grill because you haven't seen it nor experienced it the way many of us others have. Don't feel bad though. I feel the same way about people who move to Austin and claim how wonderful and unique it is when they are about 20 years too late and although Austin IS bigger and newer, it's also a watered down version of what it once was.


Well I might only be 20, (i'm a gay man also, although i hardly see how that was relevant in your post) but i have lived in Tucson my whole life (92-present). The "poll" to which i am referring to is if you read any comment board on the Arizona Daily Star's articles about Downtown Tucson.

Their particular article for the Grills closing can be read here http://azstarnet.com/entertainment/dining/last-call-for-iconic-grill/article_4127e732-59de-5106-99fb-a9a492d85d72.html
(read the comments section, most people weren't too fond of The Grill)
For example:

"That place was disgusting and service was awful. I feel a bit cleaner just knowing that place is not serving food anymore."

"I've been to the Grill maybe 3 times over the last 7 years and the service was always very slow and inattentive. Successful diners serve decent (or better) comfort food for cheap, and provide fast and friendly service."

"With all due respect to the Grill, and I am a big fan of diners, I don't buy the "economic failure" excuse. Where were signs posted advertising daily lunch specials? What attempt did the Grill make to bring people in, since they experienced such a sluggish summer?"

"This isn't about wanting shi-shi chain restaurants downtown. This is about The Grill being a lousy diner. Greasy spoons are great, but not when the service is lousy and the menu is overpriced. I'll got to Jerry Bob's even though the food isn't great because the price is right and the service is always fast and friendly. If that were the case at The Grill, they likely wouldn't be going out of business."



You've had your experiences with the Grill, and i've had mine. Mine were awful so naturally i dont like the place and im glad it closing. But you're right maybe im just way too young to appreciate a dirty diner, filled with transients and hipsters, maybe when i am older i will learn to appreciate eating in a filthy restaurant with lousy service</sarcasm>. but really, Theres no need to pull the age card to try and put me in my place, just because i am younger, doesn't make my opinion less valid than yours. I agree the Grill had some nostalgic values to a select group of people. But really... thats all i hear. When people talk positives about the grill its always "the atmosphere", "the ambience", "the memories" and nostalgia. So yes the Grill had some sort of place in many peoples hearts, i personally just wasn't one of those people, and i know im not the only one. And i believe The Grills space will be better used by another purpose. Now I appreciate all this discussion on the Grill but i think i've gotten my point across, i realize some of you like it, and others dont. But the fact remains that the Grill closed, time to look forward.

Anqrew
Nov 29, 2011, 7:25 PM
If a high end restaurant is going to replace The Grill then there will be riots in the streets. I only lived in Tucson for 2 years (08-10) and I've been to many a bar in Tucson (The Grill and The Buffet being my favorites) and cities NEED homegrown dirty places that have a worn in feel to them. You are never going to get the same feel of that kind of a place if you plop down another high end rizty place. You won't make the memories you would at The Grill. A place like values each and every one of it's customers whether they show it or not.

Living in Los Angeles, you come across this saying a lot when it comes to places to eat: more often than not, the worse a place looks, the better the food will be. Now I'm not saying that I like to dine out at the WORST looking slop buckets. It will be a big hit in the face now that The Grill is gone.

And Anqrew: In downtown LA, there is no shortage or places to eat. But some of the most beloved places are those that are not always the cleanest.

If ANY of those places were to close down, people will burn this city to the ground. If The Pantry were to close and were replaced with some bullshit lounge then people would lose their minds. Places like this are needed in every city in order for them to feel real.

If you want a nice lounge, put it at La Encantada. Or La Placita. That place needs all the help it can get.

I don't want a High End fancy schmancy restaurant in the Grills place. just simply A CLEAN PLACE. thats all im saying guys. The Grill closed for a reason and i believe that reason was because they were losing business to the other restaurants downtown because people prefer to eat someplace clean and decent, simple as that.


The point about the Grill being grundgy and gross looking is absolutely valid. I think if they had spent a small amount of money to fix the place up and make it appear to look clean would have made a huge difference. People of all types do not want to eat in a restaurant that appears dilapitated and dirty no matter how iconic it is.

This is what im saying.

Anqrew
Nov 29, 2011, 10:37 PM
Some photos of the Downtown Links construction of New Drainage on 8th street were released today. Not much to look at but good progress for the project to commence into the future phases.

http://www.downtownlinks.info/8thStreetDrainagePhotos.aspx
http://www.downtownlinks.info/images/11.8.118thStreetDrainage001_000.jpg

also heres an image of the District on 5th from 4th avenue. They're getting it done pretty quick it seems. Signs along the property say it opening august 2012.
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/389567_316176931726800_100000034883943_1300308_967477438_n.jpg
http://www.facebook.com/TheDistricton5thAve

azliam
Nov 30, 2011, 4:52 AM
Well I might only be 20, (i'm a gay man also, although i hardly see how that was relevant in your post) but i have lived in Tucson my whole life (92-present). The "poll" to which i am referring to is if you read any comment board on the Arizona Daily Star's articles about Downtown Tucson.

Their particular article for the Grills closing can be read here http://azstarnet.com/entertainment/dining/last-call-for-iconic-grill/article_4127e732-59de-5106-99fb-a9a492d85d72.html
(read the comments section, most people weren't too fond of The Grill)
For example:

"That place was disgusting and service was awful. I feel a bit cleaner just knowing that place is not serving food anymore."

"I've been to the Grill maybe 3 times over the last 7 years and the service was always very slow and inattentive. Successful diners serve decent (or better) comfort food for cheap, and provide fast and friendly service."

"With all due respect to the Grill, and I am a big fan of diners, I don't buy the "economic failure" excuse. Where were signs posted advertising daily lunch specials? What attempt did the Grill make to bring people in, since they experienced such a sluggish summer?"

"This isn't about wanting shi-shi chain restaurants downtown. This is about The Grill being a lousy diner. Greasy spoons are great, but not when the service is lousy and the menu is overpriced. I'll got to Jerry Bob's even though the food isn't great because the price is right and the service is always fast and friendly. If that were the case at The Grill, they likely wouldn't be going out of business."



You've had your experiences with the Grill, and i've had mine. Mine were awful so naturally i dont like the place and im glad it closing. But you're right maybe im just way too young to appreciate a dirty diner, filled with transients and hipsters, maybe when i am older i will learn to appreciate eating in a filthy restaurant with lousy service</sarcasm>. but really, Theres no need to pull the age card to try and put me in my place, just because i am younger, doesn't make my opinion less valid than yours. I agree the Grill had some nostalgic values to a select group of people. But really... thats all i hear. When people talk positives about the grill its always "the atmosphere", "the ambience", "the memories" and nostalgia. So yes the Grill had some sort of place in many peoples hearts, i personally just wasn't one of those people, and i know im not the only one. And i believe The Grills space will be better used by another purpose. Now I appreciate all this discussion on the Grill but i think i've gotten my point across, i realize some of you like it, and others dont. But the fact remains that the Grill closed, time to look forward.

I would be more prone to take your POV seriously if you didn't come across as a 20-year-old with condescending attempts at sarcasm. I get that you don't like the "age card" being pulled, but the fact remains that you ARE only 20 and you've only visited Grill less than a handful of times and had a bad time. Duly noted.

Grill opened in its location when you were only two or three. While I understand that Grill was not your style based on the couple of times you had visited, you couldn't possibly have appreciated, despised, or grasped the impact the restaurant had on downtown Tucson throughout the entire past 17-18 years like some of us (unless your parents dragged you there) and I would imagine that since you are not of age to drink legally that you wouldn't have frequented it much after hitting the clubs on 4th or Congress either. I understand that you want downtown Tucson to progress (which is a good thing), but perhaps the best thing you could have said was that Grill wasn't your style and moved the conversation along to something else and let others vent or reminisce. Grill lasted as long as it did because it offered something to a variety of people (not just a select group) even when there weren't as many bars or clubs to frequent downtown. It was a part of downtown Tucson's history and a social institution. Had Grill seen better days? Absolutely. Was it starting to show its age? Yes. Could it have been cleaner? Sure thing. Would you have been happy if Grill had remained, but with new ownership again, or do you truly desire that space to be occupied by something else? The building had been home to a diner of sorts since the 1930's.

BTW, you made the generalization that "most Tucsonans still perceive downtown as a sketchy and unsafe place, and that the Grill only added to that negative perception". I simply added that as a gay man, I never had any reason to not feel safe there for 17 years (if downtown is such as sketchy and unsafe place, I wonder why it attracts so many gay people). Therefore, I found it relevant to mention.

As far as the Arizona Daily Star is concerned, I really do not believe its comment section accurately depicts how the majority of those who frequent downtown Tucson feel; however, I have read thousands of comments from NIMBYS over the years who have found no value in going downtown nor much value in the redevelopment of downtown. Subsequently, I don't really take those comments that seriously as I do not feel that those are the type of people that downtown Tucson is trying to cater to anyways. Some people just feel safer in their gated communities.

Moving along.

Ted Lyons
Nov 30, 2011, 4:57 AM
The "poll" to which i am referring to is if you read any comment board on the Arizona Daily Star's articles about Downtown Tucson.

I know this is tangential to the overall issue, but citing comments to ADS articles hardly reflects the true feelings of most Tucsonans. Based on Daily Star comments, you'd think Tucson was just like East Mesa. It just happens that newspaper website comments are disproportionately composed by the fringe right, who also happen to avoid urbanization and businesses that cater to "alternative" crowds.

Ted Lyons
Nov 30, 2011, 5:05 AM
The Grill closed for a reason and i believe that reason was because they were losing business to the other restaurants downtown because people prefer to eat someplace clean and decent, simple as that.

Also, I really don't buy this at all. You may have a valid argument that more people disliked the place than liked it,( although the demographic that visits this forum obviously does not feel that way), but I hardly believe that a large number of people who used to frequent Grill quit going because Maynard's and Downtown K+C opened.

More likely, Grill's primary clientele, who weren't generally members of the upper-middle and upper classes began feeling the effects of the down economy a few years back and quit eating out as much, especially at places that served food that could easily be made at home. Compound that with a slow summer, which is typical for most Tucson restaurants, and you get places going out of business.

To demonstrate this chain of events, look at Red Velvet Cupcakes. There was nothing dirty about the place, it had a great location considering its target demographic, and it actually won awards from Tucson Weekly, etc.. Yet, it went out of business last month. At a certain point, down economies take a toll on businesses most people can do without. Grill was unfortunately (IMO) one of those businesses.

Butta
Nov 30, 2011, 7:08 AM
Tucson biofuels startup to go public in deal
By David Wichner Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 2:05 pm | Comments

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A Virginia company has acquired Southwest Biofuels, a Tucson-based startup company focused on the research and development of algae based biofuels and related biomass products, in an apparent effort to take the local company public.

SouthWest BioFuels' CEO Rick Jimenez was named CEO of Sloud, which will later change its name to Southwest Biofuels, according to a press release.

Sloud, a publicly traded company based in Falls Church, Va., was founded in 2005 to develop music-search technology based on audio input such as singing or humming a tune, according to filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company had no revenues in 2009, the last year for which it filed an annual report.

The deal with Sloud, which is traded on the over-the-counter "pink sheets" market, will essentially allow SouthWest BioFuels to become a publicly traded company, Jimenez indicated in prepared remarks.

Read more http://azstarnet.com/business/local/tucson-biofuels-startup-to-go-public-in-deal/article_19d9e63c-1ace-11e1-aaa1-001cc4c002e0.html

Interesting, maybe this new public company can follow in the same steps as Unisource and Providence and setup an office downtown.

Don B.
Nov 30, 2011, 7:16 AM
I've spent a fair amount of time in downtown Tucson and have never felt it was unsafe.

Being partial to Hydra and all. :D

--don

Lgv
Nov 30, 2011, 8:14 AM
I have been reading this thread for a long time now. I don't comment because usually I don't have much to say, but right now I need to say that I too have lived here almost all my life. I know this city almost entirely. I love this city because of its traditional aspects, and I wish for them to be continued in some form forever.

That being said, there is not ONE thing that makes The Grill traditional to this place. It has not been here that long, it is not unique compared to any other greasy spoon I have been to across this country (and I have been to and appreciate a lot of them). It was there because there was no other competition in the area. What does that make it. It makes it a place of convenience for some of us as a hang out spot. THAT IS SO VAILD TO A CITY, BUT Anqrew was right. I don't celebrate its demise, I just look to the future as being only more positive.

Those restaurants in Downtown L.A. that are "dirty" are there for one reason, because people like the food. The second those places turn out sub par food is the day they die. Even if they are the best hang out spots in the world, they are on hot property. We HAVE to realize that the world evolves and we have to see Downtown Tucson as hot property now. If it was good, it would still be there now. The market dose not lie. Even in a down economy, the best things stay alive.

BTW that cupcake place (good or bad) is not what will happen to other new endeavors down town. The cupcake place is not versatile enough of a business to make it in a down economy. Restaurants can do all sorts of things to keep alive. The good ones stay and the others parish. What we are learning now is that as far as restaurants go, Downtown Tucson is not known for its food (which must change). Most the the bad things are leaving and we will see what new things survive. My guess is most of them will.

ANYWAY, I am not going to comment without saying that the number one thing downtown should have is apartments, condos and townhouses. They are more permanent than retail and there fore must be done with a lot of thought and care. We need an image of a place with history and modern elements to be excited perfectly or we will fade only to have another renaissance 50 years from now. I'm glad to see so many student recommended apartment buildings getting developed. You NEED more people down there (I would move there if there was a relatively affordable option). Most people might go to these things down town on the weekend, but not every day. They must have a Trader Joes and a few other daily places to get staples so that people feel encouraged to move there. This is a catch 22, but this will change within two or three years. Just doing those to things will spur so much growth (especially with street car transportation). The real renaissance begins soon after it opens and the economy is 100% back.

Sorry this was long, I never comment, so I had to get it all out.

Patrick S
Dec 1, 2011, 5:40 PM
I know this is tangential to the overall issue, but citing comments to ADS articles hardly reflects the true feelings of most Tucsonans. Based on Daily Star comments, you'd think Tucson was just like East Mesa. It just happens that newspaper website comments are disproportionately composed by the fringe right, who also happen to avoid urbanization and businesses that cater to "alternative" crowds.

It's funny that the fringe right hates urbanization because they're the ones that are so pro-business and pro-capitalist, no matter the ills to society that it brings if not regulated (see 2007-08). Urbanization is the inevitable result of these things the right loves.

As for the AzDS web page's comment section, I argue my far-left policies on there often.

Anqrew
Dec 2, 2011, 4:31 AM
edit

Anqrew
Dec 2, 2011, 4:50 AM
I would be more prone to take your POV seriously if you didn't come across as a 20-year-old with condescending attempts at sarcasm. I get that you don't like the "age card" being pulled, but the fact remains that you ARE only 20 and you've only visited Grill less than a handful of times and had a bad time. Duly noted.

Grill opened in its location when you were only two or three. While I understand that Grill was not your style based on the couple of times you had visited, you couldn't possibly have appreciated, despised, or grasped the impact the restaurant had on downtown Tucson throughout the entire past 17-18 years like some of us (unless your parents dragged you there) and I would imagine that since you are not of age to drink legally that you wouldn't have frequented it much after hitting the clubs on 4th or Congress either. I understand that you want downtown Tucson to progress (which is a good thing), but perhaps the best thing you could have said was that Grill wasn't your style and moved the conversation along to something else and let others vent or reminisce. Grill lasted as long as it did because it offered something to a variety of people (not just a select group) even when there weren't as many bars or clubs to frequent downtown. It was a part of downtown Tucson's history and a social institution. Had Grill seen better days? Absolutely. Was it starting to show its age? Yes. Could it have been cleaner? Sure thing. Would you have been happy if Grill had remained, but with new ownership again, or do you truly desire that space to be occupied by something else? The building had been home to a diner of sorts since the 1930's.

BTW, you made the generalization that "most Tucsonans still perceive downtown as a sketchy and unsafe place, and that the Grill only added to that negative perception". I simply added that as a gay man, I never had any reason to not feel safe there for 17 years (if downtown is such as sketchy and unsafe place, I wonder why it attracts so many gay people). Therefore, I found it relevant to mention.

As far as the Arizona Daily Star is concerned, I really do not believe its comment section accurately depicts how the majority of those who frequent downtown Tucson feel; however, I have read thousands of comments from NIMBYS over the years who have found no value in going downtown nor much value in the redevelopment of downtown. Subsequently, I don't really take those comments that seriously as I do not feel that those are the type of people that downtown Tucson is trying to cater to anyways. Some people just feel safer in their gated communities.

Moving along.

I do understand the love for the Grill, sorry i don't mean to come off as condescending. I just envision something really great being done with the Grill's space, what that is, I'm not sure. I just wasn't fond of it much, so when i heard it was closing all these ideas went through my mind of all the cool things that could be done with the space. I commented on the Forum with my post, but then everyone started posting saying they disagreed, which i wasnt expecting.

But on another note, apart from hearing people talk about Downtown being unsafe, I have had some experiences downtown that i would classify as sketchy and dangerous. I went to Tucson High School, and i've had things happen around the area such as being stalked by people walking to my car after class, being harassed on 4th avenue, and just things of that nature, I got called a faggot at a gas station near downtown because my shorts were "way too short" lol. But anyway back on topic, it can be an unsafe place, but i feel that it gets better each day. Downtown today vs. 5 years ago is so different already. So i think this attitude is dated, except for occasional things like the ones i mentioned.

I know this is tangential to the overall issue, but citing comments to ADS articles hardly reflects the true feelings of most Tucsonans. Based on Daily Star comments, you'd think Tucson was just like East Mesa. It just happens that newspaper website comments are disproportionately composed by the fringe right, who also happen to avoid urbanization and businesses that cater to "alternative" crowds.

Yeah, i have begun to notice that as well recently. I often comment and i feel im rather far left compared to the commenters. I just wonder why it is the comment board attracts such far right Tea Party type people rather than really liberal comments considering Tucson is considerably liberal compared to the rest of the state.

It's funny that the fringe right hates urbanization because they're the ones that are so pro-business and pro-capitalist, no matter the ills to society that it brings if not regulated (see 2007-08). Urbanization is the inevitable result of these things the right loves.

As for the AzDS web page's comment section, I argue my far-left policies on there often.

Are you under the name Patrick S on there because if so i think i have probably read many of your comments.

Butta
Dec 4, 2011, 6:30 AM
Regents OK Arizona Stadium upgrade

Carol Ann Alaimo Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Saturday, December 3, 2011 12:00 am | Comments

The work on Arizona Stadium is to cost $72 million; the UA has raised $30 million in donations for the project.

Wildcat football fans will be sitting pretty in a couple years - and not because of the team's new coach.

The board that oversees the state's public universities gave a final OK Friday to start construction next month on a $72-million upgrade to Arizona Stadium.

Aged aluminum bleachers will be replaced with premium seating in the north end zone, one of many improvements to the 83-year-old structure that lacks modern restrooms and amenities.

The changes will give Wildcat boosters "a positive fan experience" comparable to what's offered at other PAC-12 schools, said a report to the Arizona Board of Regents.

Construction is expected to be complete by the start of football season in 2013.

The UA has already raised $30 million in donations toward the project. Fundraising will continue during construction and any shortfall will be paid for with revenue from televised coverage of games.

Regents also gave the go-ahead for preliminary work on to two other UA projects.

Construction could start next summer on a $135-million cancer center to serve the state's capital city area. The University of Arizona Cancer Center at Phoenix will be part of UA's Phoenix biomedical campus.

Also given a green light: the second phase of a new environmental research center at the Tucson campus. That project is expected to cost $75 million with construction to start late next year.

Read more: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/regents-ok-arizona-stadium-upgrade/article_cab60571-2fcf-56d0-a290-bd45e4be2024.html#ixzz1fXq4ltKE

Ted Lyons
Dec 5, 2011, 6:50 AM
Not sure, but I believe the part you bolded is in reference to the expansion of the Environment and Natural Resources building at Park and 6th Avenue. The space is currently a parking lot.

http://www.pdc.arizona.edu/projects/project.aspx?project=03-8526

http://www.pdc.arizona.edu/enr2/

The incoporation of nature into the design is pretty intense.

kaneui
Dec 8, 2011, 5:26 AM
The proposed city/county courthouse on a long-vacant downtown site may finally get built if the city of Tucson will pay its share to complete the basic shell building:


Pima waiting for city OK on new courts complex
by Becky Pallack
Arizona Daily Star
December 7, 2011

The Pima County Board of Supervisors has agreed to go ahead with interim financing for the planned Joint Justice/Municipal Courts Complex - but only if the City Council agrees next week to pay for its share. The project has been on hold for three years due to lack of funding, and it could be part of a bond election in two years, but the matter is urgent now because a construction contract with favorable prices expires next week.

It would cost about $48 million to build a shell building. That's $17 million in remaining 2004 bond funds, $18 million from the city and $13 million from the county. The county should go ahead with the project now to save money and create jobs, Supervisor Richard Elías said at Tuesday's board meeting. County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said moving ahead now would save $8 million to $10 million in construction costs and $3 million in rent for overflow courtrooms. Supervisor Ray Carroll was the only "no" vote. In a written statement, he said he supports the project but thinks the funding should be decided by voters in 2013.

kaneui
Dec 8, 2011, 5:40 AM
Barring further objections from the Rio Nuevo board, the Friends of Tucson's Birthplace nonprofit has been granted a five-year agreement by the city and county to develop, plant and operate the Mission Gardens at Tucson Origins Heritage Park west of I-10, where the perimeter wall has been complete for nearly two years:



AT LAST, PLANTING THE MISSION GARDEN WILL BE A REALITY!

A breakthrough Operating Agreement signed by The City of Tucson, Pima County and Friends of Tucson’s Birthplace gives the Friends permission to develop, plant and operate the Garden for the next 5 years!

Now the real work begins! Preparation for the water hookup has already started. Also, Request for Proposals are going out for the work required to install irrigation lines and to plant the Kino Heritage Tree Orchard.

More good news? The Gadsden Company has announced a challenge donation to Friends Of Tucson’s Birthplace of $2500. The challenge is for our wide community of friends to match that with their own tax-deductible donations between now and the end of the calendar year.


http://www.tucsonsbirthplace.org/news-events/

Ted Lyons
Dec 8, 2011, 6:07 AM
Barring further objections from the Rio Nuevo board, the Friends of Tucson's Birthplace nonprofit has been granted a five-year agreement by the city and county to develop, plant and operate the Mission Gardens at Tucson Origins Heritage Park west of I-10, where the perimeter wall has been complete for nearly two years:



AT LAST, PLANTING THE MISSION GARDEN WILL BE A REALITY!

A breakthrough Operating Agreement signed by The City of Tucson, Pima County and Friends of Tucson’s Birthplace gives the Friends permission to develop, plant and operate the Garden for the next 5 years!

Now the real work begins! Preparation for the water hookup has already started. Also, Request for Proposals are going out for the work required to install irrigation lines and to plant the Kino Heritage Tree Orchard.

More good news? The Gadsden Company has announced a challenge donation to Friends Of Tucson’s Birthplace of $2500. The challenge is for our wide community of friends to match that with their own tax-deductible donations between now and the end of the calendar year.


http://www.tucsonsbirthplace.org/news-events/

Time to move Mission Gardens out from "On Hold"?

Locofresh55
Dec 8, 2011, 6:41 AM
I would prefer to see pics of progress before putting this thing off "on hold" status. Trees won't be planted until February.....if anyone gets pics of the mission gardens, make sure you are taking pics of mercado district and new buildings going up around that area. Wish I was back in Tucson :(

Ted Lyons
Dec 8, 2011, 8:27 PM
I would prefer to see pics of progress before putting this thing off "on hold" status. Trees won't be planted until February.....if anyone gets pics of the mission gardens, make sure you are taking pics of mercado district and new buildings going up around that area. Wish I was back in Tucson :(

Well, we don't need to say it's under construction, but it was approved.

aznate27
Dec 8, 2011, 9:19 PM
Not sure, but I believe the part you bolded is in reference to the expansion of the Environment and Natural Resources building at Park and 6th Avenue. The space is currently a parking lot.

http://www.pdc.arizona.edu/projects/project.aspx?project=03-8526

http://www.pdc.arizona.edu/enr2/

The incoporation of nature into the design is pretty intense.

Very cool design!! Thanks for the links.

Ritarancher
Dec 9, 2011, 5:31 AM
Made a Rainbow Bridge Facebook Page
here's the URL
https://www.facebook.com/rainbowbridgetucson
Like, Send Invites ect: Maybe if we get a couple million fans we might get a bridge, but we need a new location because the land is currently turning into a senior housing appt.
Hmmm. Maybe 2million fans is a bit high, maybe 1,000,000...

andrewsaturn
Dec 9, 2011, 7:18 AM
Isn't this neat? A reflection of clouds off the Unisource building windows. Courtesy of Tucson Daily Photo. http://www.tucsondailyphoto.com/ ;)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f5w1dUo-l2Y/Tt_wlgQO2vI/AAAAAAAADlU/Vygv_lxlBZs/s400/clouds.JPG