Tucson Development Thread

[Schaeffa]

Long time reader here, but I finally felt like I had something to contribute you all didn't already know.

There's a triangular piece of property abutting Pennington, Toole, and Sixth that's used for a parking lot now. If the city were to obtain that piece of property and use it to make up for the lost space on Congress, that would be a major plus for downtown. Bus riders wouldn't be pushed out, the city would be able to maintain hundreds of acres of open space, and more development would be enabled on Congress.

That triangular parking lot is already owned by the city. I work in the MacArthur Building right behind the Ronstadt Center and that's our 'private' parking lot. We have an agreement with ParkWise and essentially rent the lot from them for our use. They take money out of each paycheck for us to park there and everything. I'm not sure if it's a year-long contract or anything like that, but I bet they could just move our rented spaces to the Pennington Garage or something if/when the bus station takes over that parcel.

[Ted Lyons]

Long time reader here, but I finally felt like I had something to contribute you all didn't already know.



That triangular parking lot is already owned by the city. I work in the MacArthur Building right behind the Ronstadt Center and that's our 'private' parking lot. We have an agreement with ParkWise and essentially rent the lot from them for our use. They take money out of each paycheck for us to park there and everything. I'm not sure if it's a year-long contract or anything like that, but I bet they could just move our rented spaces to the Pennington Garage or something if/when the bus station takes over that parcel.

Wow. That would be easier than I thought.

[Ritarancher]

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/9229_10151074338936923_1757045954_n.jpg
The Chicago Store Revitalization
(https://www.facebook.com/pages/Downtown-Tucsonan/283507751922)
1 east broadway, The mayor is short!!
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/3830_10151068277146923_768724793_n.jpg
(https://www.facebook.com/pages/Downtown-Tucsonan/283507751922)

[kaneui]

For years the city has been talking about developing the Congress St. frontage of the Ronstadt Transit Center. If so, it might work by pushing the RTC back to include the triangular lot currently used by Madden, and then move Madden's parking to the adjacent lot across Toole or the Pennington garage. (This scenario could mean closing off that block of Pennington to traffic and running it up 6th Ave.)

I'm also guessing that with the completion of the streetcar, the new student housing, courthouse, etc., that the traffic congestion around the existing RTC will not be conducive to easy ingress/egress by all those buses (certainly not from Congress), and that another site might be more practical.

One possibility would be the vacant lot on Toole next to the train depot, as it would still be within within walking distance for the streetcar and train passengers. Another option would be the proposed Greenline on Congress multi-modal project next to I-10, with access to the streetcar, Greyhound bus depot, freeway, and the El Paso and Southwestern Greenway path for pedestrians and bicyclists (though I'm not sure how it would fit with current bus routes).

It's just unfortunate that the city couldn't have sorted out these options before spending $1M+ on the nearly-finished upgrades to the RTC.

[ppdd]

Long time reader here, but I finally felt like I had something to contribute you all didn't already know.


That triangular parking lot is already owned by the city. I work in the MacArthur Building right behind the Ronstadt Center and that's our 'private' parking lot. We have an agreement with ParkWise and essentially rent the lot from them for our use. They take money out of each paycheck for us to park there and everything. I'm not sure if it's a year-long contract or anything like that, but I bet they could just move our rented spaces to the Pennington Garage or something if/when the bus station takes over that parcel.

I thought this was the case - Madden folks parks there via a city arrangement.

[kaneui]

With no original plans to assist them in a rehab and upgrade of UA's Old Main built in 1891, Sundt Construction will rely on the architectural team and extensive research for the $13.5M project, with an expected completion by April, 2014:


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/OldMain.jpg
(photo: Otis Blank)


Rehab of UA’s Old Main balances structural repair, preservation
By Roger Yohem
Inside Tucson Business
October 26, 2012

As the contractor to renovate historic Old Main on the University of Arizona campus, Sundt Construction is anxious to apply its rehabilitation and preservation expertise to the 121-year-old icon. “It’s still very early in the evaluation process, finding out what’s wrong and right structurally with the building,” said Kurt Wadlington, senior project director for Sundt. “We have to be sensitive to the building’s existing condition to come up with a plan to restore it. Clearly, we want to get back Old Main’s historic character. It has to be brought up to today’s building codes,” he added. “We’ll have to find that balance between the two: preservation and structural repair.”

Built on a $38,000 budget, Old Main was the first building on campus. When the UA opened on Oct. 1, 1891, with 32 students, Old Main housed the university’s classrooms, library, offices and sleeping quarters. San Xavier Mission, built about 100 years earlier, is the only building in Arizona older than Old Main. In 1938, Old Main “was condemned because the university didn’t have the funds for upkeep,” said Wadlington. In stepped the U.S. Navy to save it from demolition. During World War II, the Navy needed space and converted it into a training school. “Then after the war, the Navy became our client to get it back in shape,” Wadlington said. Under that $20,000 contract, Sundt fixed exterior walls, replaced failing roof trusses, patched and re-finished interior walls, and made various other repairs. The university then reclaimed Old Main as a functional building. In 1972, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. From 2006 to 2008, another $4.6 million was spent in partial upgrades, mostly on the first floor.

No original plans

From this point forward, Sundt will be working without the benefit of any early construction drawings. Wadlington said there are no original plans to be found. Although the building’s intended new use is still to be determined, several structural issues already have been identified. The building and surrounding porch are on separate foundations. To minimize heat gain during the summer, the main building was set about six feet below ground level. As the footings have settled, the porch has pulled away. “It’s not a dangerous situation, we have to figure out what the problem is. There is evidence of underground water issues we’ll have to deal with. Likely, the roof isn’t draining far enough away from the foundation. Maybe there is a plumbing leak,” explained Wadlington. “We’ll have to investigate the source of the moisture.” Old Main’s eight downspouts dump roof water close to building’s exterior. If poor drainage is the problem, it’s probable that sections of the porch would have to be rebuilt. Sundt would salvage as much of the original floor as possible.


For full article: http://www.insidetucsonbusiness.com/news/rehab-of-ua-s-old-main-balances-structural-repair-preservation/article_d1202f1e-1ecd-11e2-9a6c-001a4bcf887a.html

[nickw252]

Deleted

[edcan]

Fantasticating thread! Keep it up folks! I enjoyed the vintage photos of "before" and "after" as well… amazing to see what Tucson was like when I was growing up!

[Ritarancher]

I was snooping around on some websites, looking for a sign of any new skyscrapers in Tucson and I found this.
http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue/tag/teya-vitu/page/10/
In this page, there is a part about the 1South Church twin. I found this

“The core of the building infrastructure is in place for a second building,” said Buzz Isaacson, who has been the building’s broker and leasing agent since 1988.

The 20-foot-high stub with the “build to suit” signs southeast of the existing tower is filled with an elevator shaft, footings and entire foundation extending three stories down for construction of a second 22-story building, Isaacson said.

If the foundation work and elevator shafts are already complete then I see no reason for the next developer that comes to town to overlook this property. I would like a set of unique twins, born decades apart.

[Ritarancher]

Now that every hospital in the city, with the exception of Saint Joseph's and St. Mary's, has expanded or has plans to expand, I'm feeling pretty good about our growth and development of our area. (TMC: Diamond Children Center, UPH; 3 new buildings, TMC, new wing and "tower", Northwest Medical; 50 million dollar expansion)



Hospital coming to Green Valley
Facility to benefit ER patients, nearby Sahuarita; '14 opening set
Stephanie Innes Arizona Daily Star

Residents of the Green Valley and Sahuarita area will at long last get a hospital and an emergency room, TMC says.

Tucson Medical Center officials announced plans Thursday to build a $52 million, 32-bed hospital in Green Valley that is expected to open in 2014.

Some 50,000 people live in the Green Valley and Sahuarita area south of Tucson.

TMC said it had entered a "memorandum of understanding" to develop and operate the hospital with Scottsdale-based McDowell Enterprises.

Though TMC is nonprofit, the new Green Valley hospital will be for-profit. TMC has entered the agreement through its subsidiary, Saguaro Medical Holdings.

Officials say it's too early in the process to know specifics of the financing, including how much TMC will invest. They are also not saying how big the hospital will be aside from a bed count.

The hospital will give Green Valley and nearby Sahuarita residents their first emergency room. Residents must now travel about 30 minutes by car when they need an ER. The Carondelet Health Network had previously talked about opening a hospital in Sahuarita, but those plans were shelved during the recession.

"We moved here in 1995 and it's been talked about ever since then. It's something we felt we needed for a long time," said Stan Riddle, president of the Green Valley Council. "We are very pleased. We just hope it comes to fruition. There are still obstacles."

McDowell Enterprises specializes in the development of medical and office buildings. The family-owned company's completed projects include the 67,000-square-foot Gateway Medical Campus in Gilbert and the 60,000- square-foot Price Warner Commerce Center in Tempe.

Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll has been working on the project with McDowell for almost 2 1/2 years, said Tom Ward, manager of Carroll's Green Valley-Sahuarita office. Ward praised McDowell for involving Carroll and the Green Valley Council from the beginning.

Ward said the planned hospital's location - just off of Interstate 19 by the Canoa Ranch exit - will be convenient, particularly because Canoa Ranch is expected to add 2,500 new homes in the next few years.

McDowell spokesman Frank Thomson said the hospital and accompanying medical offices will sit on 22 acres of property that McDowell expects to acquire from Fairfield Canoa Ranch.

The project is expected to create nearly 1,000 indirect and direct jobs.

The hospital plans include a cardiac catheterization lab, four operating rooms, on-site radiological imaging labs, 26 inpatient private rooms, a six-bed intensive care unit and medical office space. Officials say they will build with the ability to expand the facility as the community grows.

"The most important fact is that after many years, citizens will have their own hospital," Ward said. "Right now it takes 30 minutes to get to a hospital in Tucson. Once this is built, in essence, people will be five minutes away by ambulance."

He added that retirees, who form a large part of the Green Valley population, are a "very good market for hospitals."

A recent community needs assessment completed by Tucson's nonprofit hospitals identified Green Valley as a medically underserved area. Recent additions of urgent-care clinics and a rotating specialty clinic have been positive steps for the area, but without a hospital, there was still a gap in services.




"We are thrilled to be in this process with TMC. This is one of those rare development opportunities that can truly improve the quality of life for the residents of Green Valley," McDowell Enterprises Chief Executive Officer Jim McDowell said in a news release.

TMC officials say their electronic medical records program as well as their policies and quality measures will be part of the new hospital's operations.

"Our operational expertise and investment would complement that of McDowell Enterprises, which has more than 35 years of experience developing specialized facilities including hospitals and medical offices," Judy Rich, president and chief executive officer of TMC, said in a news release.

TMC spokeswoman Julia Strange said the hospital has been interested in serving the Green Valley area for several years.

http://azstarnet.com/news/science/health-med-fit/hospital-coming-to-green-valley/article_a713e79d-c69c-56c7-83f8-d63a0cbd42e9.html

[kaneui]

With numerous matches scheduled before the Desert Diamond Cup being held from February 13-23, Tucson is taking its place as the designated western hub for MLS preseason training. (Before the matches, the county has committed to add more bleachers to the North Field #5, home of the FC Tucson team):


Kino Sports Complex to host nine Major League Soccer matches before Desert Diamond Cup
by Pima County News
Nov. 01, 2012

Seven Major League Soccer teams will be playing nine friendly matches, or friendlies, at Kino Sports Complex from Jan. 29 to Feb. 8, thanks to the efforts of FC Tucson. The Desert Friendlies presented by FC Tucson will be open to the public and lead up to the FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup later in February. Five of the teams – Colorado Rapids, Houston Dynamo, Portland Timbers, San Jose Earthquakes and Sporting Kansas City – will be training in Tucson. Two more teams that are also playing in the Desert Diamond Cup – New England Revolution and Seattle Sounders – will also play in the friendly matches.

All the matches will be played at the Kino Sports Complex’s North Field #5, north of Ajo Way. “Not only will the teams enjoy themselves, but soccer fans in Tucson are going to love the up close view of professional soccer,” said FC Tucson co-managing member and general manager Jon Pearlman. “There will be limited seats, but those who come will be just a few feet from the sidelines. They will get to experience a match closer than they ever could at an MLS stadium and it’s going to be very affordable for the entire family.”

Tickets will go on sale in November. The match schedule is:

Tuesday, Jan. 29
11 a.m. Portland Timbers vs. Colorado Rapids
3 p.m. Sporting KC vs. Houston Dynamo
6 p.m. San Jose Earthquakes vs. New England Revolution

Thursday, Jan. 31
6 p.m. Houston Dynamo vs. Colorado Rapids

Friday, Feb. 1
6 p.m. Sporting KC vs. Portland Timbers

Saturday, Feb. 2
11 a.m. San Jose Earthquakes vs. Houston Dynamo
6 p.m. Colorado Rapids vs. TBA

Tuesday, Feb. 5
11 a.m. Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers

Friday, Feb. 8
11 a.m. FC Tucson vs. Portland Timbers

New York Red Bulls and Real Salt Lake will join New England Revolution and Seattle Sounders in the double-header, round-robin Desert Diamond Cup at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium on Feb. 13, 17, 20 and 23.


http://tucsoncitizen.com/pima-county-news/2012/11/01/kino-sports-complex-to-host-nine-major-league-soccer-matches-before-desert-diamond-cup/

[Patrick S]

The 18 month Houghton Rd. widening from Irvington to Valencia should have just started at the end of October (I was at Golf Links and Houghton last weekend and there were road construction signs south of the intersection). Here's a link to the COT's website for the project (http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/projects/houghton-road/segment2). The Broadway to 22nd St. section is scheduled to start by the end of winter.

Also, I found this 5 year transportation plan (http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/files/transportation/Five-Year_Strategic_Transit_Plan_DRAFT_10.5.12.pdf) on the COT's website too. I just found it today so I haven't had a chance yet to read through it.

[Ted Lyons]

Whole Foods in moving mode

http://azstarnet.com/business/local/whole-foods-in-moving-mode/article_c20c07fd-a6b9-5fdc-a657-3944a7ac3053.html

Whole Foods Market at 7133 N. Oracle Road will close Dec. 31 and move to a location on East River Road in January, a representative from the grocery chain said.

The store will reopen at 5555 E. River Road, at the northeast corner of River and North Craycroft roads, in mid-January.

. . .

The Tucson area's only other Whole Foods is at 3360 E. Speedway, although Shenkarow said he's working with Whole Foods on building another Tucson store at a "central strategic location servicing the University of Arizona and the surrounding neighborhoods with direct access to the new light-rail system."



This. Would. Be. Huge. If I had to guess, I'd say they're looking at becoming part of a mixed use project somewhere in the overlay district or downtown. Either location would be amazing and would serve as a major spur for nearby development.

[aznate27]

Whole Foods in moving mode

http://azstarnet.com/business/local/whole-foods-in-moving-mode/article_c20c07fd-a6b9-5fdc-a657-3944a7ac3053.html



This. Would. Be. Huge. If I had to guess, I'd say they're looking at becoming part of a mixed use project somewhere in the overlay district or downtown. Either location would be amazing and would serve as a major spur for nearby development.

If you look at the bottom floor of the Unisorce Energy Building downtown, the empty retail space facing Broadway looks like a large enough space for a Trader Joes or Whole Foods. I think that would be a great location for either chain.

Also I drove by Broadway and Stone on my way home from work the other day and noticed they started construction on the seven story mixed used project going there.

I work in Catalina and on my way home driving down Oracle Rd, you can clearly see Level towering over the university area!

[Ted Lyons]

If you look at the bottom floor of the Unisorce Energy Building downtown, the empty retail space facing Broadway looks like a large enough space for a Trader Joes or Whole Foods. I think that would be a great location for either chain.

There's only 11,000 square feet in the Unisource building which is way too small for a Whole Foods. The Oracle store that they're going to tear down in order to expand is 16,000 square feet. Although they're going to rebuild that location as a 32,000 square foot store, that's already smaller than most of the new stores they're constructing right now which are closer to 50,000 square feet.

[aznate27]

Found this online, the bottom is 22nd St. with Kino going over. There is construction that has started at that intersection. From the dates listed in the image, maybe they've started??

http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/files/transportation/Kino-22-IT_Display_LR.jpg

[Ritarancher]

Now that Obama has been reelected can we ensure another 1billion in downtown revitalization :cool: ?

[Patrick S]

Now that Obama has been reelected can we ensure another 1billion in downtown revitalization :cool: ?
I don't know. I wasn't aware that Obama had any impact on Tucson's downtown or that downtown's redevelopment was dependent on Obama being reelected or not.

[Ritarancher]

I don't know. I wasn't aware that Obama had any impact on Tucson's downtown or that downtown's redevelopment was dependent on Obama being reelected or not.

I believe that Obama helped support an act that partly funded the streetcar.

[dkirk2012]

Awesome and informative thread. Thanks to whoever started it! We have been working on launching our project in downtown: The Outlet- Cafe and Innovation Centre. We got some press this past few weeks but here is our crowd-funding page is anyone is interested in more information.

http://propelarizona.com/projects/the-outlet-cafe-and-innovation-centre1/323

Very excited for Tucson and all the new development!

[Patrick S]

I believe that Obama helped support an act that partly funded the streetcar.
Very true. I wasn't thinking about that. I voted for Obama, but I don't see the federal government ensuring any more growth for downtown. They did though, as you point out, help set the table for the current (and hopefully future) growth, not just downtown but also in other parts of the central city (such as by the U of A). I thought you were going the other way with your comment - I thought you might be saying that since Mitt lost the economy was going to tank again (or not recover as fast) and the lending my freeze up again. My bad, misinterpreted your comment. Cheers.:)

[Ritarancher]

Awesome and informative thread. Thanks to whoever started it! We have been working on launching our project in downtown: The Outlet- Cafe and Innovation Centre. We got some press this past few weeks but here is our crowd-funding page is anyone is interested in more information.

http://propelarizona.com/projects/the-outlet-cafe-and-innovation-centre1/323

Very excited for Tucson and all the new development!

I hope the best for your business here. It seems like a cool place.

[Patrick S]

County considers $197M bond package for economic development (http://www.insidetucsonbusiness.com/news/county-considers-m-bond-package-for-economic-development/article_46320c0a-29d7-11e2-860f-001a4bcf887a.html)

By Patrick McNamara

On the heels of one election, the Pima County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Nov. 13) will discuss an economic development proposal requiring voter approval of nearly $200 million in bonds.

Among the recommendations of the Pima County Economic Development Plan 2012-2014 are $37 million in spending to expand and improve tourism venues, $30 million toward noise abatement around Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Tucson International Airport, $30 million to support economic development efforts in smaller municipalities and $10 million to improve infrastructure and access to the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park. ...

By far, the largest portion of the proposed $197 million bond package would be spent on roadway construction and improvement projects. County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry suggests spending as much as $90 million to fund construction of an Aerospace Parkway south of Tucson International Airport that would stretch from Nogales Highway east to Interstate 10 at Rita Road. The plan also would extend Alvernon Way south to connect to with the new parkway.

The proposed parkway would realign Hughes Access Road south of the airport and Raytheon Missile Systems’ main plant. The road would connect with Old Vail Connection Road, which would also require widening and other improvements. …

In the planning for a potential 2,800-acre aerospace and defense business park near Raytheon’s plant, the county proposal identifies potential uses for many of the properties around the airport. Preliminary drawings are posing safety concerns by the airport authority over plans to add taxiway development lots underneath the landing and take-off zones to the southeast of the airport’s main runways.

Under the bond program, Huckelberry proposes a $4 million contribution to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum to help create a new exhibit.

Another $4 million is recommended for the Pima Air and Space Museum to create a Cold War display.

The plan asks for an investment of $10 million toward a visitor center at Tumamoc Hill. Under the proposal, the the Children’s Museum Tucson would receive $6 million to build a new facility. The Tucson Museum of Art would receive $5 million to renovate the north wing of the Old Pima County Courthouse building. The project would create a Western art exhibit.

The plan also calls for the county to invest in improvements to its technology infrastructure to help accelerate and streamline building permitting and approvals.

[Ritarancher]

County considers $197M bond package for economic development (http://www.insidetucsonbusiness.com/news/county-considers-m-bond-package-for-economic-development/article_46320c0a-29d7-11e2-860f-001a4bcf887a.html)

By Patrick McNamara

On the heels of one election, the Pima County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Nov. 13) will discuss an economic development proposal requiring voter approval of nearly $200 million in bonds.

Among the recommendations of the Pima County Economic Development Plan 2012-2014 are $37 million in spending to expand and improve tourism venues, $30 million toward noise abatement around Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Tucson International Airport, $30 million to support economic development efforts in smaller municipalities and $10 million to improve infrastructure and access to the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park. ...

By far, the largest portion of the proposed $197 million bond package would be spent on roadway construction and improvement projects. County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry suggests spending as much as $90 million to fund construction of an Aerospace Parkway south of Tucson International Airport that would stretch from Nogales Highway east to Interstate 10 at Rita Road. The plan also would extend Alvernon Way south to connect to with the new parkway.

The proposed parkway would realign Hughes Access Road south of the airport and Raytheon Missile Systems’ main plant. The road would connect with Old Vail Connection Road, which would also require widening and other improvements. …

In the planning for a potential 2,800-acre aerospace and defense business park near Raytheon’s plant, the county proposal identifies potential uses for many of the properties around the airport. Preliminary drawings are posing safety concerns by the airport authority over plans to add taxiway development lots underneath the landing and take-off zones to the southeast of the airport’s main runways.

Under the bond program, Huckelberry proposes a $4 million contribution to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum to help create a new exhibit.

Another $4 million is recommended for the Pima Air and Space Museum to create a Cold War display.

The plan asks for an investment of $10 million toward a visitor center at Tumamoc Hill. Under the proposal, the the Children’s Museum Tucson would receive $6 million to build a new facility. The Tucson Museum of Art would receive $5 million to renovate the north wing of the Old Pima County Courthouse building. The project would create a Western art exhibit.

The plan also calls for the county to invest in improvements to its technology infrastructure to help accelerate and streamline building permitting and approvals.

That's a good use for that land. I could never imagine sticking houses down there

[Patrick S]

That's a good use for that land. I could never imagine sticking houses down there
Oh yeah. It's way too close to the airport for houses. Some of the article I didn't put in the text I included here (it can obviously be accessed with the link provided) said that TIA is planning on building a new runway in the future (so they aren't keen on getting rid of this land) and they worry about businesses right under the landing and take-off areas so close to the airport. But, I agree, it's an interesting idea and a good use for the land. I also like idea of doing some work on cultural institutions such as the Children's Museum and Sonoran Desert Museum. The southeast is the future growth corridor of Tucson. There's plenty of open space down there that is within the city limits. I'm totally for density and infill in the current city, but for those who want houses this isn't going to really work. The SE portion is where these people will eventually migrate too and build, so I also like the idea of starting the building of infrastructure for this area - by extending Alvernon to the south and by building an Aerospace Parkway from Nogales Hwy. to the Rita Ranch/I-10 area.

[aznate27]

Multi-purpose project breaks new ground

Inside Tucson Business
By Roger Yohem
Posted on October 26, 2012

For three years, Art Wadlund and Rob Caylor toyed with the idea of developing a vacant parking lot downtown at 1 E. Broadway. What type of project would be a good fit? Financially, would it pencil out? Would city officials support it?

“There were times we were ready to abandon this. It was taking too much time and cash,” said Wadlund. “But we made it, downtown is going to get a project unlike any done before.”

Wadlund, Caylor and several government officials celebrated their persistence Oct. 19 during groundbreaking ceremonies that also “broke new ground” for private-public collaboration. Under a new tax incentive program, their six-story, mixed-use building will feature ground-floor retail, commercial offices, 24 apartments and underground parking.

Caylor, owner of Caylor Construction, and Wadlund, a founder of Hendricks & Partners commercial real estate, also own the adjacent Chase Bank property at 2 E. Congress St. Caylor’s company plans to complete the $16 million project behind that building by late 2013.

“This will be a gateway project for downtown and the modern street car,” said Caylor. “We’re creating value out of a vacant lot at Broadway and Stone, the corner of zero and zero.”

The city’s Sun Link modern streetcar project was a major factor in the developers’ decision to move ahead. Their site is right on the streetcar route. On top of that, Pima Association of Governments and its Regional Transportation Authority, which is coordinating most of the funding for the streetcar, has signed on as tenants and will occupy all the office space.

“This is a milestone for the city, the first project in our new development incentive program,” said Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild to about 75 attendees at the groundbreaking.

Known as GPLET (Government Property Lease Excise Tax), the city incentive is a tool to spark private investment along designated gateways. Projects must benefit taxpayers more than developers and have economic benefits verified by an independent third party. Basically, the city takes ownership of a project when finished and leases it back to the developers. For up to eight years, the owners are exempt from property taxes while they grow the new venture.

“That incentive to invest downtown was huge for us,” said Wadlund.

http://www.insidetucsonbusiness.com/construction_real_estate/multi-purpose-project-breaks-new-ground/article_4f68dd72-1ee6-11e2-9399-001a4bcf887a.html?mode=story

[ComplotDesigner]

Quick Updates.

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[kaneui]

The RTA's proposed widening of Broadway threatens numerous modernist-style buildings built in Tucson's post-WWII era, now considered endangered historical structures:


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/2343EBroadway-Tucson.jpg
More than 120 structures along the stretch of Broadway between Campbell Avenue and
Country Club Road have distinctive architecture, according to the Arizona Preservation
Foundation. The above building at 2343 E. Broadway currently houses law offices.
(photo: courtesy of Jude Ignacio and Gerardine Vargas)


Stretch of Broadway joins list of AZ endangered-history spots
by Carli Brosseau
Arizona Daily Star
November 12, 2012

Broadway's "Sunshine Corridor" is among the newest additions to the Arizona Preservation Foundation's list of the state's most endangered historical places. The stretch between Campbell Avenue and Country Club Road includes more than 120 historical properties, most built in the modernist style during Tucson's post-World War II boom, said Demion Clinco, president of the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation. The area was developed largely by Jewish developers and architects to serve the neighborhoods surrounding Temple Emanu-El, near the corner of Country Club Road and Broadway, he said.

As Clinco sees it, those buildings are largely intact for the same reason they're threatened, and that presents something of an opportunity. "There's been a lack of investment because of a planned roadway expansion," he said. "I think (the area's inclusion in the list) is really a statement that this is significant statewide. It's not just a local issue." He hopes the spotlight on the area - which coincides with this weekend's Tucson Modernism Week, a three-day celebration that the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation organized - will bring attention and investment to save the historical buildings. Saturday's events included a workshop for owners of modernist buildings on strategies for preserving the buildings and highlighting their modernist features. Clinco is hopeful for the area, given the increasing numbers of inquiries from property owners looking to capitalize on their building's history.

Another reason is the debate over what the widening of Broadway, initially approved by the City Council in 1987, should look like. Councilman Steve Kozachik has led the charge for a reassessment of whether the widening is necessary given today's traffic volumes and for a conversation about how to approach changes approved in the 2006 Regional Transportation Authority bond election. Under that plan, the roadway from Euclid Avenue to Country Club was to expand to six travel lanes, two dedicated bus lanes, a bike lane in each direction, a raised and landscaped median, sidewalks and streetlighting. Also included was an alignment that stretched 150 feet to the north side of the road, said Jennifer Toothaker Burdick, project manager for the the city's Transportation Department. Although the alignment will be discussed in the recently launched two-year planning and design phase, the council's 1987 vote will likely mean that properties affected by the widening will be on the north side of the street, she said. It probably will be 2015 before the city finalizes the properties on its acquisition list, she said. Construction on the $71 million project is slated for 2016.

Other Southern Arizona properties included on the Arizona Preservation Foundation's expanded centennial year list of endangered properties are the Marist College building in downtown Tucson, Empire-Cienega Ranch, the Courthouse Plaza Miners' Monument in Bisbee, Camp Naco in Huachuca City and the Mountain View Black Officers Club in Sierra Vista. Several Pinal County sites are included, as is the whole Arizona state parks system, highlighted for its dramatic budget cuts and park closures. Because of renewed investment, the Desert Laboratory at Tumamoc Hill was taken off the list since it last was published.


What's on the list of threatened places:

Adamsville Ruins, Coolidge

Arizona State Parks

Basque Pelota Ball Court, Flagstaff

Broadway Boulevard, Tucson

Buckhorn Baths, Mesa

Camp Naco, Huachuca City

Courthouse Plaza Miners' Monument, Bisbee

David and Gladys Wright House, Phoenix

Empire-Cienega Ranch

First Baptist Church, Phoenix

Fisher Memorial Home, Casa Grande

Geronimo Station, Geronimo

Glendale Tract Community Center, Glendale

Gonzales Martinez House, Tempe

J.N. Denier Tenement House, Florence

Maple Ash Neighborhood, Tempe

Marist College, Tucson

Meehan/Gaar House, Casa Grande

Mesa Citrus Growers Association Building, Mesa

Mountain View Black Officers Club, Sierra Vista

Peter T. Robertson Residence, Yuma

Sage Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, Ganado

San Ysidro Ranch Ruins, Yuma

Sun Mercantile Building, Phoenix

White Gates House, Phoenix


Source: Arizona Preservation Foundation

[kaneui]

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/JCC-11-10-12-1.jpg
Joint Courts Complex construction - Nov. 10
(photo: tucsonwebcam.com)


Pima County Board of Supervisors votes to continue construction of courts complex without City of Tucson participation
www.tucsoncitizen.com
November 13, 2012

The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to move forward with the construction of the Joint Justice/Municipal Courts Complex near Stone and Toole avenues without the City of Tucson’s participation. The Tucson mayor and City Council agreed in October that the city could not afford to pay its share of the construction costs that exceeded the $76 million in 2004 bonds originally allocated to the project. The discovery of military and civilian cemeteries from the late 1800s on the site of the complex, the excavation of nearly 1,400 remains and consequential repatriations and reburials added nearly $17 million to the cost of the project.

The mayor and council voted to either move the city’s court operations, now housed in a former parking garage on Alameda Street east of Stone Avenue, to the complex without paying the city’s share of the excess construction costs or keep its court operations in the Alameda Street building. Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry told the Board of Supervisors that the city’s share of the excess costs, based on its anticipated occupancy of 54 percent of the complex, would be about $20 million. The continuing decline in the property tax base would prevent the County from subsidizing the city’s court operations by paying the city’s share of the costs, Huckelberry said.

Huckelberry recommended and the Board approved continuing the construction of the complex without the city’s participation and occupancy. The portions of the complex that would have been occupied by the city will not be completed. The County will explore options to fill the space with legal or court-related functions and tenants who would pay their share of the costs.

[Ted Lyons]

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/JCC-11-10-12-1.jpg
Joint Courts Complex construction - Nov. 10
(photo: tucsonwebcam.com)


Pima County Board of Supervisors votes to continue construction of courts complex without City of Tucson participation
www.tucsoncitizen.com
November 13, 2012

The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to move forward with the construction of the Joint Justice/Municipal Courts Complex near Stone and Toole avenues without the City of Tucson’s participation. The Tucson mayor and City Council agreed in October that the city could not afford to pay its share of the construction costs that exceeded the $76 million in 2004 bonds originally allocated to the project. The discovery of military and civilian cemeteries from the late 1800s on the site of the complex, the excavation of nearly 1,400 remains and consequential repatriations and reburials added nearly $17 million to the cost of the project.

The mayor and council voted to either move the city’s court operations, now housed in a former parking garage on Alameda Street east of Stone Avenue, to the complex without paying the city’s share of the excess construction costs or keep its court operations in the Alameda Street building. Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry told the Board of Supervisors that the city’s share of the excess costs, based on its anticipated occupancy of 54 percent of the complex, would be about $20 million. The continuing decline in the property tax base would prevent the County from subsidizing the city’s court operations by paying the city’s share of the costs, Huckelberry said.

Huckelberry recommended and the Board approved continuing the construction of the complex without the city’s participation and occupancy. The portions of the complex that would have been occupied by the city will not be completed. The County will explore options to fill the space with legal or court-related functions and tenants who would pay their share of the costs.

Since you can't just leave holes in a building, I'm assuming this means there will be areas of the building that aren't finished internally. That sounds fine to me. Even if the county can't fill the space immediately, it's a guarantee that, over time, they'll grow into it.

[Patrick S]

Since you can't just leave holes in a building, I'm assuming this means there will be areas of the building that aren't finished internally. That sounds fine to me. Even if the county can't fill the space immediately, it's a guarantee that, over time, they'll grow into it.
I thought all they were doing was building the shell right now anyway since construction is cheep right now, and they were going to build out the interior later when they had the money?

[Ted Lyons]

I thought all they were doing was building the shell right now anyway since construction is cheep right now, and they were going to build out the interior later when they had the money?

Yeah. My reading, though, is that, when the time comes to complete the interior, some parts won't be completed until the county needs to expand or private interests lease them.

[Ritarancher]

I knew people would be mad that Romney lost but succeeding because you're afraid that Obama is going to continue to help rebuild the economies city by city , Tucson and Detroit to name a few. That is one of the many things that people at ASU have been shouting at people with Obama stickers on their cars, like my 2013 American Malibu Eco I bought at local Oreilly Chevrolet.
Note that in the article "Liberal Austin" has agreed to leave the state of Texas if Texas succeeds. I feel your pain Austin, I'm from Tucson.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/secession-petitions-now-filed-50-states-183500440.html




Main Article
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/secession-petitions-now-filed-50-states-183500440.html

I know that this is not very related to Tucson Development but I felt like it needed to be posted.

[nickw252]

I knew people would be mad that Romney lost but succeeding because you're afraid that Obama is going to continue to help rebuild the economies city by city , Tucson and Detroit to name a few. That is one of the many things that people at ASU have been shouting at people with Obama stickers on their cars, like my 2013 American Malibu Eco I bought at local Oreilly Chevrolet.
Note that in the article "Liberal Austin" has agreed to leave the state of Texas if Texas succeeds. I feel your pain Austin, I'm from Tucson.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/secession-petitions-now-filed-50-states-183500440.html




Main Article
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/secession-petitions-now-filed-50-states-183500440.html

I know that this is not very related to Tucson Development but I felt like it needed to be posted.

First, it's seceding, not succeeding.

Second, just like you said, this is not the place for politics:

I know that this is not very related to Tucson Development

[kaneui]

A unique feature of the new Luis G. Gutierrez Bridge over the Santa Cruz River required a collaboration between engineer, architect and artist to project specific solar images onto the bridge's sidewalk on twelve days of the year, commemorating important events of Tucson's past:


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/DavidDoblerofStructuralGrace.jpg http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/GutierrezBridge.jpg
The bridge’s architect - David Dobler of Structural Grace
(photos: David Olsen)


Solar Art
by Teya Vitu
http://www.zocalomagazine.com/solar-art/
November 12, 2012

On February 19 at 8:45 a.m., a propeller blade will project onto the image of a 1910s airplane embossed into the sidewalk of the Luis G. Gutierrez Bridge, newly opened to pedestrians and bicyclist. No other time or day during the year will the propeller align with the plane. It’s a magical moment, one that the bridge’s designers purposely fashioned to make the new bridge for the Cushing Street extension to the West Side an actual destination. Such was the case at 8:45 a.m. on Oct. 14, when people gathered around a sandblasted sidewalk image of the Tucson Pressed Brick Co. as the solar projection of the TPCO brick stamp inched onto the sidewalk image. “I was out there and there were people watching for it to happen,” said Claudia Perchinelli, a bridge engineer and owner of Structural Grace, the local bridge engineering firm that designed the bridge. “It was very exciting. They all had their cameras and they were waiting.”

That’s exactly what the bridge’s architect, David Dobler of Structural Grace, wanted to achieve with the 12 solar icons laser-cut into the shade canopies above the sidewalks. Each sidewalk image and accompanying text depicts a specific moment or event that defines Tucson. “I wanted to create something in my mind to get people here for other reasons than just cross the river. I wanted to create a destination,” Dobler said. How hard is it to have the sun project an image on a precise spot at a precise time on a specific date? We always know where the sun will be. Sundials easily tell the right time. But Dobler had to wrestle with many more variables to make sure the 12 images were embossed into the exact locations on the sidewalk. The bridge follows a rounded camber across the Santa Cruz. Plus it’s rounded side-side, too. In addition, the canopy with the image to be project is curved. All this needed to be incorporated into the 3D modeling. The light poles that carry the canopies had to be exactly vertical and the crossbars with the canopies at a precise height. Even the sidewalk benches needed adjustments. The image and text for Juan Bautista de Anza wrap around one bench.

On top of all that, the Luis G. Gutierrez Bridge has undergone considerable design changes since 2007. There was the name change from Cushing Street Bridge. The bridge was narrowed by about a dozen feet, and has gone from three spans to two spans. Most significantly, there was a major realignment to have the bridge cross the Santa Cruz River at an angle to preserve Pima County’s Theresa Lee Public Health Center. The bridge is aligned 22º39’50” askew in a southeast to northwest slant. Designers learned by chance that this alignment was only half a degree off from where the sun rises and sets on the winter and summer solstices, Dec. 21 and June 21. To the lay person, that’s a rising and setting sun right down the middle of the street.

That triggered the Indiana Jones in David Dobler’s psyche. Since “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” he’s been intrigued by the tomb scene, where Jones attaches a gem on a staff and the sun projects onto the secret spot. “I bought a statue of St. John the Baptist, stuck it on a staff, and on the summer solstice 2008, I held it up on the bank of the Santa Cruz River and checked the shadow,” Dobler recalled. Of course, the shadow fell exactly where Dobler expected. Dobler and Structural Grace’s computer aided design modeler Mike Lichtenstein created a 3D computer model with the bridge specifics and then ran it with specific dates and times to see if a projected image would project onto a sidewalk image at a precise time. Then Dobler built a real life model with the image of the Spanish flag projecting onto a rough presidio drawing and set it up in the Structural Grace parking lot on Aug. 8, 2008. “At the allotted time, which I think was high noon, the image didn’t align where we expected it to,” Dobler said. “We just sat there and waited. An hour later, it aligned perfectly.”

The Google shade and shadow program they used did not account for Arizona not recognizing Daylight Saving Time. Dobler and Lichtenstein took the results of this parking lot experiment to astronomer at UA: Science Flandrau to confirm their premise. They got a thumbs-up from the astronomers. Dobler and Lichtenstein then entered exact geometrics of all the bridge elements into the 3D modeling program to align canopy and sidewalk images. The image in the canopy would be in a fixed position, and Dobler had specific historic dates in mind for all 12 images. So the variables were moving the sidewalk image and finding an ideal time for the canopy image to project onto the sidewalk. “Mike and I sat down and did the modeling. You just literally plug in different times. We would then move the sidewalk image to align at a specific time.” It took one week at the end of 2009 to establish times and sidewalk placements. But they were not done. “As the bridge design changed, the alignments had to be adapted by shifting the images by the respective narrowing amount,” Dobler said. They had to go through the 3D modeling exercise two more times to establish the precise positions of the sidewalk images you see today.

Fast forward to August 2012. The bridge is essentially done – but there are square holes at the base of each canopy where the laser-cut images would go. Armed with a carpenter’s crayon, Dobler made precise measurements from the center lines of each light pole and from barrier separating the sidewalk from the roadway. Then he drew two squares, six inches apart, one for the sidewalk image, one for the text. “I crawled on the ground. It was hot. I was out here eight hours doing this,” Dobler said. “The most important chapter of the bridge’s story is the story of collaboration between engineer, architect and artist.”

Bridge artist Brenda Semanick heartily agrees. “Dave and I worked together on this for four years,” Semanick said. “It was a beautifully collaborative project.” For the solar art, Semanick designed the canopy panels that project onto the sidewalk images, which were drawn by her artist husband, David Johnson Vandenberg. Semanick also designed the laser-cut cottonwood leaves that give the canopy an artistic perforated look. The staircases down to the river are embedded with 200 shards of replica Hohokam pottery. Semanick based the designs on pottery excavated from the Santa Cruz River. She hand-painted each one. “I went there and worked with the guys who built the staircases and said ‘put one here, put one there.’ I even put a few in myself,” Semanick said. “It was summer. It was brutal work for those guys.” Semanick also added ducks, fish and bats to the center pier that holds up the bridge. She carved 20 bats out of clay and then made molds and cast each in concrete. The bats can be found high on the pier under the bridge. “ I went up there with the guys,” Semanick said. “I wanted each bat placed a certain way.


Calendar: Solar events for the Luis G. Gutierrez Bridge

February 19 at 8:45am: First Aircraft

February 21 at 8:45am: Rodeo Parade

March 15 at 9:30am: Father Eusebio Kino

March 20 at 8:30am: The Southern Pacific Railroad

April 10 at 9:30am: Mariachi

May 25 at 10:30am: Phoenix Mars Lander

June 1 at 12pm: The Historic Streetcar

June 24 at 10:30am: El Dia de San Juan

July 3 at 10:45am: The Monsoon

August 20 at 9:30am: The Presidio San Agustin de Tucson

October 14 at 8:45am: Tucson Pressed Brick Company

October 26 at 8:15am: Commander Juan Bautista de Anza Arrives

[Patrick S]

New firm to offer 100s of local jobs (http://azstarnet.com/business/local/new-firm-to-offer-s-of-local-jobs/article_28be1ec4-d6a9-552a-989a-27318486e5ca.html)
PREFAB-BUILDING-PANEL MAKER TO LOCATE PLANT, HQ IN TUCSON

David Wichner Arizona Daily Star

Hundreds of new construction jobs are planned for Tucson, but they won't involve swinging a hammer.
A new company, Aris Integration LLC, plans to hire hundreds of people over the next five years for a manufacturing plant here that will make a new kind of modular, energy-efficient building panel.
The company, which will also plant its headquarters here, hasn't settled on a final site for its operation, but it expects to employ about 250 people in the near term and more than 600 in five years.
Aris, which already is developing a plant in Connecticut, plans to complete its Tucson plant site and start production by the fall of 2013.
The company picked the Tucson area after a whirlwind, four-month courtship by Tucson Regional Opportunities Inc., the Arizona Commerce Authority, Pima County and local business leaders.
"That is light speed to get something like this done," Duane Armijo, CEO and founder of Aris, said Wednesday as he announced the company's decision at TREO's downtown office.
Armijo said the company - which also looked at Albuquerque, Las Vegas and El Paso - picked Tucson because of its pool of skilled construction workers, coordinated public-private support and the area's focus on sustainable technologies.
"This company fits us very, very well," said TREO President and CEO Joe Snell. "Tucson has put a lot of effort into becoming a leader in sustainability."
Sandra Watson, CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority, said Aris will boost a statewide manufacturing sector that employs more than 150,000 people and netted nearly $15 billion in exports in 2011.
"This project will have an incredible return on investment for years to come in jobs, wages and investment," Watson said.
Aris' prefabricated building panel system combines light-gauge steel framing with ultralightweight polystyrene foam insulation and vapor with other sustainable materials and energy-efficient design.
The panels, which can be used for a variety of residential and commercial building applications, can be quickly assembled on job sites through a system of interlocking parts, clips and bolts.
The mass-produced yet customizable product promises to be more cost-effective and far more energy-efficient than traditional on-site construction, Armijo said.
Armijo, a 25-year construction industry veteran, closed his Scottsdale contracting firm, Chaparral Construction, in 2007 in anticipation of the housing bust.
He "vertically integrated" his company, adding stucco, drywall and paint services to his framing and trim business to offer homebuilders streamlined, lower-cost services.
A conversation with an official of the U.S. Green Building Council later convinced Armijo that a new, integrated building system was needed.
Prefab building panels are nothing new, Armijo said, noting that pre-insulated panel technology is commonplace in Europe.
United Kingdom-based Fusion Building Systems, which will partner with Aris on its Tucson operation, has supplied prefab panels to more than 5,000 projects, Armijo said.
"Even though this is new technology to us, this is not new technology," he said.
Armijo said Aris' integrated design and assembly-line production method will help push panelized systems into the mainstream of the U.S. construction industry even as the housing industry recovers.
On the commercial side, demand for nonresidential prefab building systems in the U.S. is expected to rise 7.8 percent annually through 2015, according to the Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based market research firm.
In all, Aris plans to open six regional manufacturing plants across the U.S. by 2017. Besides the plant under development in North Haven, Conn., and the planned Tucson operation, Aris plans a third plant in Austin, Texas, in the near future.
Those are ambitious plans for a "pre-revenue" company Armijo says has been in the research and development phase for four years.
Aris Integration is a successor to Armijo's original building-panel venture, Scottsdale-based Diverse Services Group, which Armijo says has sold three building jobs using the panel system.
The company also has the support of German-based chemicals giant BASF, which supplies a premium, graphite-enhanced expandable polystyrene product known as Neopor.
Armijo, who owns Aris with five partners, says he isn't getting any upfront government cash to come to Tucson but will apply for various incentive programs.
According to the Commerce Authority, Aris will be applying for state tax credits and state job-training grants. Those programs require require meeting specific criteria, such as threshold wage levels, and are performance-based.
Armijo, a military veteran, said the company also is committed to hiring as many vets as possible.
Sharon Bronson, vice chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, said that the county's new veterans job center is ready to help.
Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said Aris will especially benefit from any job-training assistance.
"In that type of manufacturing operation, that job training is very, very important," Huckelberry said.
Meanwhile, the search goes on for Aris' new home.
Armijo said Aris needs a facility of about 300,000 square feet, with high ceilings and office space, adding that the company has been looking at sites near Tucson International Airport, among others.
Building its own plant, which is still an option, would cost upwards of $30 million, Armijo said.

[aznate27]

This makes it a little clearer on how the city being left out effects the court complex.

County could sell downtown building

Darren DaRonco Arizona Daily Star

Some prime downtown real estate could be back on the market, now that the city won't be joining the county in the new court complex.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors last week rejected the city's offer to pay rent, but not a share of the construction cost, to occupy space at the new complex when it opens, possibly next year or the year after.

The county wanted the city to pay $20 million in tenant improvements in addition to paying rent, but the city didn't have the money for it.

With the city out, the new complex will have a couple of floors of empty space. Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said filling that space won't be a problem.

He said in addition to providing the county with room to grow into the new building, the county can now look to consolidating departments spread out over approximately 18 downtown properties and selling some buildings.

The most likely candidate to be sold first is the building at 97 E. Congress St. that houses the Pima County Regional Flood Control District and the county's Teen Court.

"That's on the streetcar line and we think it's probably positioned well for residential (and) commercial redevelopment," Huckelberry said during a recent supervisors meeting.

Supervisor Ray Carroll, who has criticized the county's rapacious appetite for downtown properties in the past, praised Huckelberry for beginning to think about downsizing its downtown holdings and said now is the right time to do it.

"I think the market is rising. The market will continue to rise. … I am glad to hear that we are talking about divesting," Carroll said, adding he hopes the sell-off doesn't stop at just one building. He encouraged the county to look at other potential properties it could put up for sale.

Suggestions

City Councilman Steve Kozachik says the county should put the former Housing and Urban Development building at 160 N. Stone Ave., which it purchased earlier this year, back on the market, and move the lawyers and public defenders into the new court complex.

Kozachik says the county should not have used taxpayer money to bid against a private-sector group for the HUD building. He thinks now would be a good time for the county to correct that wrong.

"I'd rather see that building driving tax revenue than to see it as just another government building at the gateway to downtown," Kozachik said.

Huckelberry defended the purchase of the HUD building because it is ideally situated for lawyers due to its proximity to the new court complex.

It was also a fiscally prudent move by the county, he said, because the county will no longer be paying rent at La Placita Village for attorney office space, which will quickly pay dividends for taxpayers since the county pays around $360,000 in rent every year. The county purchased the HUD building for $635,000.

Kozachik said he isn't buying Huckelberry's argument.

"The private sector was outbid by $10,000 using taxpayer money to accomplish that," Kozachik wrote in an email. "That's not a bargain for the taxpayers. It's just another government building that could have been placed into the private sector."

Kozachik said the county contradicts itself when it says some of its buildings are best left to the private sector while others aren't.

"It can't be both," he wrote. "And in my world fewer government owned and occupied buildings are good relative to more private sector owned and occupied buildings."

"I'd rather see that (former HUD) building driving tax revenue than to see it as just another government building at the gateway to downtown."

Steve Kozachik,

City councilman

Contact reporter Darren DaRonco at 573-4243

[Ted Lyons]

This makes it a little clearer on how the city being left out effects the court complex.

This may end up turning out better (at least for redevelopment proponents) than if the city had bought into the courts complex. 97 E. Congress is in a great location and has the perfect skeleton for a smaller mixed use project. Right now, it's just a bum haven. The HUD building on Stone isn't in as good of a location but could still make for a good office building.

[Ted Lyons]

Small update, but Ari Shapiro's new pizza place in Broadway Village, Falora, seems to finally be in development. The sign in the window projected a fall opening but I think that's been pushed out to spring.

[kaneui]

The Downtown Links Phase II reconstruction of St. Mary's Rd. will also improve storm drainage in the area, with construction by same company that just completed the Phase I 8th St. drainage segment:


Downtown Links Road Work is Starting on St. Mary’s Road
By Teya Vitu
Downtown Tucsonan
November 19, 2012

Six years after voters approved the Regional Transportation Authority, the first road work is starting on Downtown Links. Downtown Links is the “four-lane arterial roadway connector” that will link the Barraza-Aviation Parkway to Interstate 10 via a new road along the railroad tracks, a realigned 6th Street and St. Mary’s Road. A ground breaking ceremony will take place on Nov. 28 at 9:30 a.m. at the triangle formed by 6th Street., Davis Street and Hughes Street. That’s between the freeway and Granada Avenue.

That launches a 15-month construction period on St. Mary’s Road that will involve a changing variety of lane restrictions from Interstate 10 to Church Avenue. Drivers will likely encounter segments of St. Mary’s reduced to one-lane in each direction, but the street will be open to traffic for nearly the entire construction period. “There will be very minimal impact for the first five months,” said Andy North, project manager for Borderland Construction, the contractor for the St. Mary’s project. “There will be lane closures as we are putting in utility lines.” The St. Mary’s and Granada Avenue intersection will be closed to traffic for three weekends after the gem show in February. Also, St. Mary’s Road will be closed for 30 days to all vehicle traffic between Main and Church avenues around March 25.

The first five months will involve utility work under the street. The tangle of old water, sewer, electric, telephone, cable and gas lines will be replaced and relocated to create a clear path for a new 90-inch storm drain under St. Mary’s, North said. The new storm drain will take storm runoff from the north edge of the El Presidio Neighborhood to the Tucson Arroyo. “During summer, this road floods pretty good. This will take care of all that,” North said. Downtown Links is as much about improved storm drainage at the north edge of Downtown and the 4th Avenue area as it is about building a bypass road around Downtown to reach Interstate 10. Earlier this year, Borderland Construction was also the contractor for the 8th Street Drainage Project, which put in new storm drains on 8th Street, 7th Street and 5th Avenue.

After the utility work, during the summer of 2013, the entire St. Mary’s roadway will be rebuilt from I-10 to Church with four vehicle lanes, six-foot bicycle lanes on each side, eight-foot-wide sidewalks on each side, landscaping, lighting and a signaled pedestrian crossing, said Tom Fisher, the planning project manager for the Tucson Department of Transportation. Updated public information is available at 622-9000 and www.downtownlinks.info. This St. Mary’s stretch is the second of four phases of the Downtown Links project. The first phase was the 8th Street Drainage project. Phases three and four will be building the new stretch of 6th Street about a half block north of the current alignment and the new roadway along the east side of the railroad tracks. The design of phases three and four started one-and-a-half months ago and should be completed in about two years, Fisher said.

[Patrick S]

Ran across this article on the New York Times web-site about the Mission Garden's here in Tucson. This is just half of the first page of the on-line article (the article takes up 4 pages).

Seeds of an Era Long Gone (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/22/garden/in-tucson-a-search-for-fruit-the-missionaries-knew.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0)
By MICHAEL TORTORELLO

THE lost pueblito of Tucson is a Spanish outpost of Pima Indians, soldiers and ranchers on the banks of the Santa Cruz River. On a clear, sunny fall day (which could be just about any day in the desert), Jesús Manuel García Yánez will sometimes look for the missing settlement from the top of a black volcanic heap that the locals call A Mountain, after the gigantic concrete letter on the side.

In a straightforward sense, Mr. García, 44, is a Mexican ecologist. More broadly, though, he is a self-appointed emissary from the land once known as Pimería Alta, an interpreter of its culture, plants and people.

He pointed to the west. Picture the Presidio of San Agustín de Tucson right there, a 12-foot-high adobe bulwark against Apache marauders. Across the acequias, or old irrigation ditches, would be the mission and convent, which rose after the Jesuit padre Eusebio Francisco Kino visited in the 1690s.

What obscured the vista on this day, as it has for the last 50 years, was the sprawl of modern Tucson and its half million residents. The presidio had yielded to the glass office towers of downtown. The mission and convent had crumbled and become a municipal dump.

“It’s a search for what Tucson used to be,” Mr. García said. “Along the Santa Cruz River, there was a belt of cottonwoods and a mesquite forest. But that’s gone. The water table dropped. For newer generations to try to see that is almost impossible.”

Except for one thing. Mr. García waved down to the flood plain and a new adobe wall that formed a tidy square. Inside was a huerta, a small orchard of the same fruit trees that Padre Kino and his fellow missionaries brought with them from the Mediterranean.

These trees were no mirage: apricots, peaches, quinces, figs, pears, limas (or sweet limes) and pomegranates. Along with a civic group called Friends of Tucson’s Birthplace, Mr. García helped to plant the Mission Garden in March with specimens he scouted himself.

He had found the trees growing next to leaky troughs at border ranches and in the tiny Tucson backyards of elderly Hispanic ladies. How long has that quince been there, he would ask, and what is its story?

“When I became involved about 8 to 10 years ago,” he said, “it dawned on me that Tucson was a sleepy Mexican town like the Mexican towns in Sonora. If you don’t travel to Mexico, you can’t picture what that was.”

[Patrick S]

Here's a couple of articles about the streetcar - one good, one not-so-good.

Streetcar work to be done by 4th Ave. fair's opening (http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/streetcar-work-to-be-done-by-th-ave-fair-s/article_f1c5018c-a415-5b92-beb6-442a9aad7649.html)
Darren DaRonco Arizona Daily Star

Shoppers won't have to maneuver around construction equipment at this year's Fourth Avenue Winter Street Fair.

The city expects to wrap up construction a few days before the first day of the event on Dec. 7.

Streetcar project manager Jesse Gutierrez said crews have been working feverishly to get the street paved and opened.

"We've been working every weekend and even Veterans Day," Gutierrez said.

He said they will begin pouring concrete Monday, and he expects the final touches will be completed by Dec. 4.

"It's tight. But we're on track," Gutierrez said.

The fair is set for the weekend of Dec. 7.



Streetcar builder shifts workers to Ore. project; Tucson line may face delay (http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/streetcar-builder-shifts-workers-to-ore-project-tucson-line-may/article_5e375bd9-834c-5969-bb2a-5975b64faf83.html)
Darren DaRonco Arizona Daily Star

The company building Tucson's streetcars has reassigned most of the workers on the Tucson project to the already-delayed Portland, Ore., system, potentially triggering a domino delay for Tucson.

The company, United Streetcar, also lost two key senior managers at the production plant, City Sun Link Co-Manager Andrew Quigley wrote in a memo to the City Council late last week, warning of "potential schedule delays."

Tucson's first streetcar is supposed to be ready for testing by Dec. 26, Quigley said. That's still possible, he said, but a technical review team that visited the plant has advised him the changes "could impact the production schedule for the Tucson #1 vehicle."

Portland was supposed to receive its first vehicle for testing on city tracks earlier this month, but that has been delayed to address design issues discovered in testing at the factory, resulting in United Streetcar shifting "nearly all of their manpower to the Portland vehicles," Quigley wrote.

Despite his warning to the council, Quigley insisted there's no reason to think United Streetcar won't have Tucson's first vehicle ready for testing on Dec. 26 and delivered sometime in February.

"We don't believe there's going to be a schedule impact at all," he said when asked about the memo. "The schedule remains on schedule."

United Streetcar, a subsidiary of Oregon Iron Works, is the first American company in 60 years to build streetcars. Portland and Tucson are its first customers.

But it has struggled with numerous design and propulsion-system problems over the past few months. As a result, deadlines and delivery dates had to be shifted.

Both the Tucson and Portland vehicles have already been delayed about three months.

Tucson was supposed to receive the first of its eight cars in October. Portland was supposed to receive all five of its cars by Sept. 22. So far, the company has only delivered one vehicle, a prototype, to Portland.

The executive director of Portland's streetcar project, Rick Gustafson, said it comes as no surprise to him that there's another delay, since transit has such stringent safety requirements.

"The rules on safety are absolute … and schedules don't change that," Gustafson said. "You must get 100 percent (on testing). Not 95 percent and not 90 percent. And that's a good thing."

Portland's prototype went through about four months of testing before being certified, Gustafson said. It is currently in service on Portland's new streetcar line.

While United Streetcar's deadlines were achievable, Gustafson said, the company failed to account for any setbacks when it was setting its timelines.

"You want to believe there aren't going to be any," he said. "But each time you have one, it could cost you three weeks in the schedule."

Based on his experience with the prototype, Gustafson predicts testing on the next vehicle will be considerably shorter.

But he said, "You only get to find that out once you conduct the tests and make sure all of the components are working properly."

United Streetcar President Chandra Brown was out of the office this week and did not return the Star's calls.

Tucson's progress

Tucson's first vehicle was getting its floor installed last week. So far, it's mostly just a painted shell with no wiring, propulsion systems or seats.

Quigley said he expects all of those things will be in place by Dec. 26.

The other cars are in various stages of production.

Jeremy Papuga, director of transit services at the Regional Transportation Authority, said all they can do at this moment is wait and see what happens next.

"We are monitoring the situation with our partners at the city of Tucson," Papuga said.
"We are keeping our eye on it at this point … and we are waiting for the OIW (Oregon Iron Works) team to move forward on the Portland project."

The city isn't sitting idly by though.

According to the memo, the city's technical team overseeing the streetcar production process is "identifying mitigation measures" such as double shifts, increasing the staff and flying in parts so they can be installed quicker so the project remains on schedule.

City Councilman Steve Kozachik said the city staff should just level with people when it comes to the streetcar project.

"I know I've been a thorn in staff's side for two years now on both budget and schedule, but the reason is that we need to manage people's expectations. It's not a sin if we take delivery late, especially if there isn't anything we can do to control it," Kozachik said. "If OIW has shifted all of their staff to focus on Portland, and our No. 1 vehicle is still sitting on an assembly line, let's just prepare people for the probability that they're going to be late. I don't see why that's such a hard message to deliver. Then if they get here on time, it's gravy."

[Ted Lyons]

That's good news about the street fair, although I've always wondered how the fair will be set up once the streetcar is running.

As for the manufacturing delays, my hope is that we're still so far out from the opening date that it won't be a major issue. I didn't bother looking at comments on the DS website but I can guarantee there were people on there talking about how big of a failure the project is even though they probably regularly spout off about buying American.

[Anqrew]

That's good news about the street fair, although I've always wondered how the fair will be set up once the streetcar is running.

As for the manufacturing delays, my hope is that we're still so far out from the opening date that it won't be a major issue. I didn't bother looking at comments on the DS website but I can guarantee there were people on there talking about how big of a failure the project is even though they probably regularly spout off about buying American.

They just posted an image of how theyre handling the streetfair, the cars will go to fourth and then turn around: "This turnout in front of Time Market on University Boulevard will allow streetcars to change direction when 4th Avenue is closed for the two annual street fairs."
http://www.downtowntucson.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/streetcar-turnout-switch.jpg

also some cool stuff, downtown they doubled the size of the sidewalks by eliminated the parallel parking. should help make the area more pedestrian!
http://www.downtowntucson.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/streetcar-sidewalk.jpg

[Anqrew]

NEW INFO ON NEW DEVELOPMENT!

"THE HUB" (bad name considering the restaurant IMO)
13 floor housing located at 1011 N Tyndall (NW corner of 1st & Tyndall)
Services by Grenier Engineering (they did the new Unisource Building)

http://www.tucsonaz.gov/SIREPub/cache/2/4312436C2C20CE43925100C33333337373374554544557/479572811292012044640675.pdf

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg167/anqrew/Screenshot2012-11-29at45121PM.png

this thing looks pretty big! and its right next door to Level and Park Avenue, going to be a dense area!

[Ted Lyons]

They just posted an image of how theyre handling the streetfair, the cars will go to fourth and then turn around: "This turnout in front of Time Market on University Boulevard will allow streetcars to change direction when 4th Avenue is closed for the two annual street fairs."

Awesome. I had wondered why they were putting in those turnarounds.

[Ted Lyons]

NEW INFO ON NEW DEVELOPMENT!

"THE HUB" (bad name considering the restaurant IMO)
13 floor housing located at 1011 N Tyndall (NW corner of 1st & Tyndall)
Services by Grenier Engineering (they did the new Unisource Building)

http://www.tucsonaz.gov/SIREPub/cache/2/4312436C2C20CE43925100C33333337373374554544557/479572811292012044640675.pdf

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg167/anqrew/Screenshot2012-11-29at45121PM.png

this thing looks pretty big! and its right next door to Level and Park Avenue, going to be a dense area!

Wow. I'm assuming this will take out the apartment complex on the corner as well as the midblock building, listed as the Direct Center for Independence on Google Maps. That will be a dense block.

EDIT - Based on the plan measurements, it seems like this will only take up the corner lot where the apartment complex is.

EDIT 2 - Plans indicate 160 units, 606 beds, and ~7800sf of retail, although it looks like about ~500sf of the retail will be the leasing center.

[Anqrew]

theres no visuals, but there is audio. of a meeting among the developers and the Main Gate overlay district. you can find the file here: (11/14/12 Meeting audio) http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/planning/4508

from the audio they said the architect is "antunovich" i may have misheard but i googled and it is a real thing so im assuming this is it, nothing on their website yet. But in the audio they keep referring to renderings im assuming from a powerpoint they made, so hopefully some renderings will pop up on the web.

http://www.antunovich.com/index.html

[Anqrew]

Wow. I'm assuming this will take out the apartment complex on the corner as well as the midblock building, listed as the Direct Center for Independence on Google Maps. That will be a dense block.

EDIT - Based on the plan measurements, it seems like this will only take up the corner lot where the apartment complex is.

yeah i think its only that one complex on the corner theyre demolishing.

But, im fairly certain they have a second project planned where the "Direct Center for Independence" is because back when we first heard of this project, we were getting information the development would step down all the way to speedway, so i think a 12 floor building will go up next to it, because thats the allowed height for that lot.

EDIT: above in reference as I'm assuming "The Hub" is the same project the AZStar quoted as: "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."

[Anqrew]

UPDATE on ParkAve as well, going to break ground in January! so right around the corner...

Campus Acquisitions rendering:
http://www.campusacquisitions.com/ca/images/gallery/university-arizona/park-ave/full/02.jpg

"Campus Acquisitions has begun development of a second project at the University of Arizona. As a follow up project to LEVEL, which broke ground in May 2012 and will be ready for occupancy August 2013, Park Ave. will have 165 units, 386 beds, and 8,000 SF of Ground Floor Retail and 25,000 SF of underground parking.

ParkAve. will include lavish amenities such as the a rooftop pool, outdoor terraces, top of the line exercise rooms, private and collaborative study and technology rooms, and on-site management by CA's full service staff. Additionally, the residents will have exclusive access to a tanning salon, sauna, clubroom and cyber cafe. Park Ave is scheduled to break ground in January 2013 with full occupancy planned for August 2014."

[Ted Lyons]

If Antunovich is the company, I've been to Market Common Clarendon and it's a nice mixed use project. Clarendon and Arlington have a similar feel to the overlay district in that they have a mix of low-rise and mid-rise buildings that force developers to accommodate various views of what the neighborhood should look like.

This and the Park Avenue project should add 16,000sf of retail to the neighborhood. That's pretty significant considering the fact that the lot between the Marshall Building and the Marriott is also supposed to include significant retail.

[Anqrew]

okay, so "The Hub at Tucson" is being developed by Core Campus. all of their properties are called "The Hub" they also are building a "The Hub at Tempe", nothing on their website about Tucson but this is the site.
http://www.corecamp.us/about/

[Ted Lyons]

okay, so "The Hub at Tucson" is being developed by Core Campus. all of their properties are called "The Hub" they also are building a "The Hub at Tempe", nothing on their website about Tucson but this is the site.
http://www.corecamp.us/about/

I must say I like the footprint of the building here more than the one in Phoenix. The large pool area there is a waste of space.

[Anqrew]

I must say I like the footprint of the building here more than the one in Phoenix. The large pool area there is a waste of space.

thats what i thought too, looks too ressort-y and such. definitely prefer a more urban and compact project like the one here, and what i heard from listening to the over-an-hour-long audio, the developers are putting in a lot of work to get this building to look great in the neighborhood.

[kaneui]

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/McKaleCenter-2005.jpg
When it was completed 39 years ago, delays had pushed the cost of McKale Center from $2 million
to $8 million. Construction began in January 1971, and the Wildcats played their first game there
on Feb. 1, 1973. (photo: Kelly Presnell, 2005)


McKale Center remodel on track
UA seeks regents' approval to hire architect for $80M renovation

by Patrick Finley
Arizona Daily Star
November 30, 2012

McKale Center's renovation will take its first formal step next week, when the UA athletic department asks the Arizona Board of Regents to allow it to begin looking for an architect. Finalizing the proposed $80 million project, based loosely on a 2009 master plan commissioned by former UA Athletic Director Jim Livengood, would still need further regents approval. "We're in the early process, and one of the things you have to do is to hire an architect and begin the planning and design for it," UA Athletic Director Greg Byrne said. "We're asking permission from the board to move forward with that."

The renovation would upgrade spectator chairs and add new premium seating, wheelchair seating and concourses for the 14,545-seat arena, according to board documents. The UA could consider a club level, though not necessarily luxury boxes, to increase revenue. The 39-year-old building has "insufficient" access, restrooms, concessions and points of sale, according to the documents, that would be fixed by the renovation. "What used to be acceptable is not acceptable today," said Peter Dourlein, the UA assistant vice president of planning, design and construction. "That's not life or death, but that's certainly part of the fan experience."

Renovation planning began in July, according to regents' documents. Design would begin in March. Construction, done in two phases to allow McKale Center to remain open, would begin in June 2014 and be completed by summer 2017. The UA will also ask for approval of the $18.5 million South Stadium Parking Structure, which will provide 900 spaces for dorm residents and game attendees just east of the Student Recreation Center. Construction would run from December 2013 to September 2014. The board's Business and Finance Committee will discuss the plans Wednesday morning on the UA campus. Regents will examine them Thursday afternoon. Lorenzo Martinez, the regents' associate vice president for finance and administration, said the committee looks at two factors. "Is the project justified? Does the university make a good case?" he said. "And, two, is the cost reasonable for the project of that size?" The UA plans to issue $80 million in System Revenue Bonds for the McKale Center project. The athletic department is responsible for paying off the debt through private gifts and revenue.

Renovation will be possible once football staffers create space by moving to the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility at Arizona Stadium next year. McKale Center would likely "expand horizontally" toward outdoor concourses, Dourlein said. The arena's $80 million renovation cost was based on an estimated $181 per 322,789 gross square feet. UA analysis found recent renovations of The Pit at New Mexico, Crisler Center at Michigan and Pauley Pavilion at UCLA to all be more expensive than its proposed plan. Byrne has discussed remodeling McKale Center since arriving in 2010. Last year, he briefly weighed a downtown arena but said he never had "serious" discussions about it.

[kaneui]

Previously slated for loft-style apartments in 2007, the latest of Peach Properties' adaptive reuse projects is this former church building near the UofA, being converted to a storage facility with co-working space:


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/BaptistChurchEducationBuilding-Tucson.jpg
(photo: Roger Yohem)


Innovative ‘urban storage’ site planned near UA
By Roger Yohem
Inside Tucson Business
November 30, 2012

A vacant 28,000 square-foot church building near the University of Arizona campus will be redeveloped as an innovative “urban storage” facility by its new owner, Peach Properties. The company, led by renovation specialist Ron Schwabe, has purchased the former Baptist Church Education Building, 222 E. Fifth St., for $1.1 million. “This infill project is a great adaptive reuse opportunity. The urban storage concept means it will be more than basic, traditional storage. It will have higher amenities that cater to the UA student market and people living downtown,” said Schwabe. One of the more creative uses of the building will be for wine storage in the basement. That makeover will be designed to maintain a constant 58-degree temperature. Some offices will be available with a focus on co-working space. Basically, this is a shared-work environment where professional office space is made available to independent workers, consultants and small business owners who otherwise would be working from home.

Schwabe will apply this trendy co-working feature based on his success at Spoke6, another Peach Properties redevelopment project at 439 N. Sixth Ave. For a daily or monthly fee, Spoke6 customers have access to desk space, two conference rooms, wireless Internet and copy machines. Throughout the three-story former church building, about 430 storage spaces are being planned. Typical sizes likely will be 4-feet by 5-feet up to 10-feet by 15-feet. The building’s interior already is gutted. University students are projected to be a strong customer base, especially those from out of town. Plus, the site is directly north of the 760-bed The District on Fifth student housing complex. “For three months in summer, they need smaller storage for items like bikes and a few boxes. This caters to that new generation of users,” said Schwabe. Outside, plans are to convert the 42-space parking lot into a secure storage area for motorcycles, vehicles and other larger items.

The steel-and-concrete building was constructed in 1952 by the Baptist church as a school and meeting “wing.” While in use by the church, it had 55 offices, six conference rooms, a full kitchen and lunchroom, and a 2,640 square-foot multi-use “chapel” room. In recent years, the abandoned building has become a neighborhood eyesore, marred by broken windows, trash and graffiti on the exterior walls. Currently, the site has been fenced off for security and to prevent trespassing. The solid steel-concrete construction appealed to Schwabe’s expertise in preservation and redeveloping old buildings with “good bones.” He expects renovation costs to run about $1 million and plans to open about the second quarter of 2013.

The premium location is also near the Fourth Avenue entertainment district, downtown, and Sun Link, the modern streetcar route. In July 2007, developers Chris Kemmerly and Steve Quinlan bought the building for $3 million with the announced intent to convert it into loft-style apartments. But it fell into foreclosure and Peach Properties acquired it from BOKF National Association, the parent company of Bank of Arizona. The transaction was handled by Bob Kaplan and Allan Mendelsberg with Picor Commercial Real Estate Services.

[Patrick S]

Previously slated for loft-style apartments in 2007, the latest of Peach Properties' adaptive reuse projects is this former church building near the UofA, being converted to a storage facility with co-working space:


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/BaptistChurchEducationBuilding-Tucson.jpg
(photo: Roger Yohem)


Innovative ‘urban storage’ site planned near UA
By Roger Yohem
Inside Tucson Business
November 30, 2012

A vacant 28,000 square-foot church building near the University of Arizona campus will be redeveloped as an innovative “urban storage” facility by its new owner, Peach Properties. The company, led by renovation specialist Ron Schwabe, has purchased the former Baptist Church Education Building, 222 E. Fifth St., for $1.1 million. “This infill project is a great adaptive reuse opportunity. The urban storage concept means it will be more than basic, traditional storage. It will have higher amenities that cater to the UA student market and people living downtown,” said Schwabe. One of the more creative uses of the building will be for wine storage in the basement. That makeover will be designed to maintain a constant 58-degree temperature. Some offices will be available with a focus on co-working space. Basically, this is a shared-work environment where professional office space is made available to independent workers, consultants and small business owners who otherwise would be working from home.

Schwabe will apply this trendy co-working feature based on his success at Spoke6, another Peach Properties redevelopment project at 439 N. Sixth Ave. For a daily or monthly fee, Spoke6 customers have access to desk space, two conference rooms, wireless Internet and copy machines. Throughout the three-story former church building, about 430 storage spaces are being planned. Typical sizes likely will be 4-feet by 5-feet up to 10-feet by 15-feet. The building’s interior already is gutted. University students are projected to be a strong customer base, especially those from out of town. Plus, the site is directly north of the 760-bed The District on Fifth student housing complex. “For three months in summer, they need smaller storage for items like bikes and a few boxes. This caters to that new generation of users,” said Schwabe. Outside, plans are to convert the 42-space parking lot into a secure storage area for motorcycles, vehicles and other larger items.

The steel-and-concrete building was constructed in 1952 by the Baptist church as a school and meeting “wing.” While in use by the church, it had 55 offices, six conference rooms, a full kitchen and lunchroom, and a 2,640 square-foot multi-use “chapel” room. In recent years, the abandoned building has become a neighborhood eyesore, marred by broken windows, trash and graffiti on the exterior walls. Currently, the site has been fenced off for security and to prevent trespassing. The solid steel-concrete construction appealed to Schwabe’s expertise in preservation and redeveloping old buildings with “good bones.” He expects renovation costs to run about $1 million and plans to open about the second quarter of 2013.

The premium location is also near the Fourth Avenue entertainment district, downtown, and Sun Link, the modern streetcar route. In July 2007, developers Chris Kemmerly and Steve Quinlan bought the building for $3 million with the announced intent to convert it into loft-style apartments. But it fell into foreclosure and Peach Properties acquired it from BOKF National Association, the parent company of Bank of Arizona. The transaction was handled by Bob Kaplan and Allan Mendelsberg with Picor Commercial Real Estate Services.
I saw this article too. It looks like an interesting concept, but I'm not really sure how many students are going to use it. Maybe I'm wrong, but I just don't really see them using it. I still like the idea though.

[Ted Lyons]

Wow. I drive by that building all the time on 6th and never realized what it looked like from the north side.

Storage can be an issue for seasonal residents and, although I don't want to see a bunch of storage businesses popping up, I think a decent number could succeed. The wine storage idea, if marketed correctly, could go over really well.

[Ted Lyons]

The UA will also ask for approval of the $18.5 million South Stadium Parking Structure, which will provide 900 spaces for dorm residents and game attendees just east of the Student Recreation Center. Construction would run from December 2013 to September 2014.

This is one of the bigger aspects of this article, IMO. The way the article describes it, this will be built right next to the rec center on Cherry Avenue. This would be a relatively small footprint for a 900 space garage. By my estimation, the existing lot has about 260 or 270 spaces. Accounting for ramps and other infrastructure, I'm assuming a garage would have to be five floors or so to accommodate 900 cars.

Anyway, I'm rambling, but what this does is reduce the need for a lot of the other lots to the east of the rec center south of 6th. If you look at the two blocks south of the stadium and Sancet, they're predominated by surface lots. If these aren't necessary, the blocks are developable which works in the university's favor as they're running out of land.

[Ritarancher]

Ran across this article on the New York Times web-site about the Mission Garden's here in Tucson. This is just half of the first page of the on-line article (the article takes up 4 pages).

Seeds of an Era Long Gone
By MICHAEL TORTORELLO

THE lost pueblito of Tucson is a Spanish outpost of Pima Indians, soldiers and ranchers on the banks of the Santa Cruz River. On a clear, sunny fall day (which could be just about any day in the desert), Jesús Manuel García Yánez will sometimes look for the missing settlement from the top of a black volcanic heap that the locals call A Mountain, after the gigantic concrete letter on the side.

In a straightforward sense, Mr. García, 44, is a Mexican ecologist. More broadly, though, he is a self-appointed emissary from the land once known as Pimería Alta, an interpreter of its culture, plants and people.

He pointed to the west. Picture the Presidio of San Agustín de Tucson right there, a 12-foot-high adobe bulwark against Apache marauders. Across the acequias, or old irrigation ditches, would be the mission and convent, which rose after the Jesuit padre Eusebio Francisco Kino visited in the 1690s.

What obscured the vista on this day, as it has for the last 50 years, was the sprawl of modern Tucson and its half million residents. The presidio had yielded to the glass office towers of downtown. The mission and convent had crumbled and become a municipal dump.

“It’s a search for what Tucson used to be,” Mr. García said. “Along the Santa Cruz River, there was a belt of cottonwoods and a mesquite forest. But that’s gone. The water table dropped. For newer generations to try to see that is almost impossible.”

Except for one thing. Mr. García waved down to the flood plain and a new adobe wall that formed a tidy square. Inside was a huerta, a small orchard of the same fruit trees that Padre Kino and his fellow missionaries brought with them from the Mediterranean.

These trees were no mirage: apricots, peaches, quinces, figs, pears, limas (or sweet limes) and pomegranates. Along with a civic group called Friends of Tucson’s Birthplace, Mr. García helped to plant the Mission Garden in March with specimens he scouted himself.

He had found the trees growing next to leaky troughs at border ranches and in the tiny Tucson backyards of elderly Hispanic ladies. How long has that quince been there, he would ask, and what is its story?

“When I became involved about 8 to 10 years ago,” he said, “it dawned on me that Tucson was a sleepy Mexican town like the Mexican towns in Sonora. If you don’t travel to Mexico, you can’t picture what that was


As a decedent of these Spanish settlers I think I should care more about restoring this but I don't but if New York Times is posting this than maybe this can be popular in the future.


Streetcar builder shifts workers to Ore. project; Tucson line may face delay


I have a feeling that it will be done before the next U of A school year but if not I would still go to this company again for streetcars, Tucson and Portland are really starting the streetcar industry in America and I think that delays should be expected.

They just posted an image of how theyre handling the streetfair, the cars will go to fourth and then turn around: "This turnout in front of Time Market on University Boulevard will allow streetcars to change direction when 4th Avenue is closed for the two annual street fairs."

I'm glad that the sidewalk is being expanded but the trees seem to be in the way of the sidewalk's full potential.


NEW INFO ON NEW DEVELOPMENT!

"THE HUB" (bad name considering the restaurant IMO)
13 floor housing located at 1011 N Tyndall (NW corner of 1st & Tyndall)
Services by Grenier Engineering (they did the new Unisource Building)

http://www.tucsonaz.gov/SIREPub/cach...2044640675.pdf



this thing looks pretty big! and its right next door to Level and Park Avenue, going to be a dense area!


I've noticed that the shape of all these buildings are in a U formation, that's ok but I do like how that Hub will have the flat side of the building on Tyndall. This area is becoming very dense, probably one of the densest areas west of the Mississippi. It's nice to see Tucsonans in skyscrapers for a change. I like the design of this building as well. Hopefully more skyscrapers can go up for families and non-students.



McKale Center remodel on track
UA seeks regents' approval to hire architect for $80M renovation

It's good that this is going to be renovated but where the heck does the university get funds for these projects?

[Ted Lyons]

A frozen yogurt place called The Parlour (http://theparlourtucson.com/index.html) is opening at 611 North 4th between Magpies and B-Line. Based on the graphic design, my guess is that it's owned by the same people who own Magpies. Given the lack of quick dessert options on 4th and its proximity to The District, one would think this concept would work well.

[Qwijib0]

It's good that this is going to be renovated but where the heck does the university get funds for these projects?

The pac12 network and renegotiated contract with fox/espn will be very lucrative over the next 10 years.

[Crispy]

The pac12 network and renegotiated contract with fox/espn will be very lucrative over the next 10 years.

Private donations too. The athletic director is an excellent fundraiser.

[Ted Lyons]

I forgot about posting this but Reilly's plans for a beer garden behind their restaurant were approved at the end of November per Tucson Weekly.

Here's the PDF of the site plan: http://www.tucsonaz.gov/SIREPub/cache/2/4326092C2C20CE43925100C33333337373374554544557/464689412052012072556705.PDF

I really like the usage of the garage. This looks like it will be a pretty awesome place.

[Patrick S]

14-story student housing tower tops out (http://www.insidetucsonbusiness.com/news/story-student-housing-tower-tops-out/article_c4075eee-3fcd-11e2-82f5-0019bb2963f4.html)
Inside Tucson Business

Level, a $25 million student housing development near the University of Arizona, has topped out at 14 stories high and is on schedule to open before the start of the 2013-2014 school year in August. The 300,000 square-foot project at 1020 N. Tyndall Ave., just south of Speedway, will house more than 550 students in 176 units.

Chicago-based Campus Acquisitions broke ground on the project in May. The upscale student complex will feature a rooftop pool, fitness center and tech-heavy study centers for students.

Rooms will have floor-to-ceiling windows, balconies, stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, hardwood floors, modern furnishings and flat-screen TVs.

Campus Acquisitions purchased the approximately 0.7-acre site from the Marshall Foundation for $3.4 million.

While in escrow, the property was rezoned for mid-rise construction.

Next year, Campus Acquisitions plans to open a leasing office on University Boulevard.

Level is the first phase of Campus Acquisitions plans to redevelop the area west of the UA campus.

The second phase project will be a 13-story student housing tower at 1031 N. Park Ave. that will also feature ground floor retail space. Construction on that phase is planned to start early in 2013 and open in time for the fall 2014 semester.

UEB Builder, Scottsdale, is the general contractor for both projects.

[Patrick S]

Good to see that this apartment complex has been redeveloped. I've driven by it many times and it really was an eye-sore. My only concern is that the rates may be a little high.

One-time Ft. Lowell Rd. eyesore is blight no longer (http://azstarnet.com/business/local/one-time-ft-lowell-rd-eyesore-is-blight-no-longer/article_c6292014-e3e1-5488-aa38-31977db303f6.html)
Gabriela Rico Arizona Daily Star

A former north-side eyesore that drew the ire of neighbors and area businesses has gotten a face-lift.

Casa Presidio Apartment Homes, 2002 E. Fort Lowell Road, is now leasing one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments on the site of a once-boarded-up, affordable-housing complex that became a magnet for taggers and squatters.

Town West Design Development bought the vacant Vista Sierra Apartments last year after city and federal officials worked to remove the Section 8 requirement on the property, President Jim Horvath said.

"The city of Tucson and (Councilwoman) Karin Uhlich's office encouraged us to take a look at the property and the neighborhood because of the crime element being created there," he said.

Transforming the property, which was vacated in 2010, was no small task.

"We had to take the building down to the studs," Horvath said of the complex, which was built in the 1970s.

The two-story complex has 78 units, which have elevated ceilings on the first floor and vaulted ceilings on the second floor.

The floor plans were remodeled and individual air-conditioning units were installed, Horvath said.

Uhlich said her office was receiving weekly calls from residents, area business owners and even Fort Lowell Road commuters about the property when it was in disrepair.

"I'm so happy that a local developer took it over and transformed it from a blight to this beautiful property," she said.

Uhlich called herself an advocate for affordable housing, but said removing that restriction was necessary to get the property fixed up.

"We worked closely with former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and HUD to make sure that when the property went out for auction, it would be acquired and redeveloped," she said. "With the condition of this property, (affordable housing) restrictions would have meant it would have stayed vacant for years."

Aside from the remodeled units, Casa Presidio features a new pool, spa and fitness center.

Rents range from $735 for a one-bedroom to $1,485 for a two-bedroom unit with a den.

[kaneui]

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/ChicagoStore-Tucson-1.jpg http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/ChicagoStore12-6-12-Tucson.jpg
Building before work began (L), and progress as of December 6 (R)


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/ChicagoStorefacaderestorationrender-Tucson.jpg http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/Chicagostorefacaderestorationrender-Tucson-1.jpg
Renderings of finished product
(photos: Tucson Sentinel; renderings: Eglin/Cohen Architects)


For accompanying article: http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/120612_chicago_store/downtown-facades-old-bricks-get-restored-glitz/

[Ted Lyons]

I'm curious to see what the replacement glass tiles will look like where the semi hit the building.

Also, speaking of the facade improvement program, I wonder if the Pioneer Building is making any progress on their proposed plans.

[Ritarancher]

I'm curious to see what the replacement glass tiles will look like where the semi hit the building.

Also, speaking of the facade improvement program, I wonder if the Pioneer Building is making any progress on their proposed plans.

What exactly is going to happen to the pioneer if it is given money to restore or remodel the look. The building looks nice as it is so I don't see the point of remodeling it. Are they going to make it look like it did when it was first built because that's not very good looking, nothing like the chase building . There are plenty of other buildings in downtown that could do with a good remodeling (city hall, and Pima federal building to name a few).

[Patrick S]

615 acres to cost $4M; uses to include fields, lake, retail (http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/acres-to-cost-m-uses-to-include-fields-lake-retail/article_bd498f5f-bf51-595c-a279-463e178ba51f.html)
Becky Pallack Arizona Daily Star

Pima County plans to spend about $4 million to buy the CalPortland gravel pit property along Interstate 10, near West Orange Grove Road, and turn it into a 600-acre park with a lake, soccer fields and shopping.

The Board of Supervisors is set to vote on the plan Tuesday.

Buying the 615 acres is the first step in the county's 20-year Corazón de los Tres Ríos del Norte project, said County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry.

The county has been in negotiations with California Portland Co. and CPC Southwest Materials Inc. on and off for 18 months, and the property has been on the market for a long time, Huckelberry said.

He said it's a unique property that would allow the county to do transportation, flood control, water resources, recreation and economic development projects at one site.

The money to buy the land would come from the Flood Control District, which had about $10 million in its budget for this purchase, Huckelberry said.

CalPortland would continue to mine sand and gravel on part of the property, including excavating the Sunset pit to the county's design.

The company would also keep operating its asphalt plant north of Orange Grove for now, but it would eventually have to move the plant to a site near the Camino del Cerro landfill, he said.

Supervisor Sharon Bronson, who represents the area, said she supports the planned purchase.

"It moves us forward in building our community, in defining us as a special place," she said.

More parks and recreation opportunities are a top priority for residents in her district, she said. Plus, unique and beautiful parks help with economic development, she said.
The property would be developed for a wide variety of purposes over the next 20 years, Huckelberry said.

• The parcel north of Orange Grove, which is in Marana, could be redeveloped as a retail shopping center, spurring economic development.

• There's enough land area to build multipurpose sports complex for amateur tournaments, with an emphasis on soccer, and to expand the existing Ted Walker Softball Complex. And Corazón could be a potential site for a velodrome and other bike centers.

• Trails, connections to other parks and cultural interpretation sites would be built.

• The Sunset pit would be reused as a water recharge lake for wildlife and recreation, similar to the Kino Environmental Restoration Project near Kino Stadium.

• Some areas would be revegetated and kept as open space. The Orange Grove pit would be reshaped and revegetated to be an ecosystem restoration project without active water. Other areas could be developed as botanical gardens.

• Overburden material from the mines that's not sand or gravel quality can be used to close the Ina Road landfill.

• The right of way land for a Sunset Road connection between River and Silverbell roads, bridging I-10 and the Santa Cruz River, would be ready for a future road project.

Much of the work on these proposed projects would rely on bond funding and grants. Some components already have been presented to or approved by the Pima County bond advisory committee.

"The committee recognizes a huge unmet need for parks and recreational facilities," said chairman Larry Hecker.

There's not enough bond capacity to meet all the county's needs, and bond projects must be priorized, he said. But this project offers a variety of benefits, including new recreation, he said.

The Corazón project also has the potential to clean up and beautify areas that create a first impression of Tucson for visitors, Hecker said.

About the name

The project is called Corazón de los Tres Ríos del Norte (Heart of the Three Northern Rivers) because it's in the area where the Santa Cruz River, the Rillito River and the Cañada Del Oro wash meet.

[kaneui]

I'm curious to see what the replacement glass tiles will look like where the semi hit the building.

Also, speaking of the facade improvement program, I wonder if the Pioneer Building is making any progress on their proposed plans.

I'm guessing Holualoa Companies, the owner of the Pioneer Building, is waiting until they can redo the facade of the whole structure, since doing just the bottom floors wouldn't look too attractive against the modern section above it. I'm estimating several million dollars for the project, and the most they'll get from the city is probably $125,000 (what I believe the Rialto and Scott buildings were awarded a few years ago).

Hopefully, the Chicago Music Store can replace the boarded-up sections with a replica of the existing glass, which is quite nice when seen up close:


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/ChicagoStoreglass-Tucson.jpg
(photo: Chicago Music Store)

[kaneui]

Town West's 2007 development agreement for their proposed El Mirador mixed-use project is officially ending, with the city to issue a new RFP for the 3.6-acre downtown parcel:


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/TownWestparcel-Tucson-1.jpg
The lot in question is across from the Steinfeld Warehouse (right).
(photo: Downtown Tucsonan)


Council Members Romero, Kozachik Want to End Town West Development Agreement
By Teya Vitu
Downtown Tucsonan
December 6, 2012

City Council members Regina Romero and Steve Kozachik have jointly asked the City Manager and City Attorney to end the five-year-old development agreement for the city-owned property across from the Steinfeld Warehouse. This is the former railroad loading dock bounded by Stone Avenue, Franklin Street, 9th Avenue and 6th Street. Since 2007, the proposed El Mirador hotel and condo development has been tied to the site but no construction ever started.

The two council members sent a memo to City Manager Richard Miranda and City Attorney Mike Rankin on Nov. 19 “requesting that you proceed with canceling the development agreement with Town West.” This move comes as no surprise as at the Sept. 11 City Council meeting Romero and Kozachik were forthright in wanting to see a new request for proposal process for the lot that now serves as a city parking lot. The council on that date unanimously denied Town West request to extend the zoning for that property after Town West in recent times shifted gears to propose student housing for that property. “At the time the development agreement happened, there was no real process for RFPs,” Romero said Nov. 28. “It’s only fair after five years to be able to open it up and cancel the development agreement.”

Romero and Kozachik are asking for the steps that need to be taken to cancel the development agreement and put out a new request for proposals. They would like to establish a committee to assemble a vision for the property and also possibly review the proposals, Romero said. Town West’s zoning for retail, office, family dwelling and hotel expired on Nov. 26 and reverted to industrial. Town West’s 2007 El Mirador proposal called for three joined towers rising seven, 11 and 15 stories with about 235 hotel rooms, 150 condos and a brewpub. Town West had shelved El Mirador a couple years ago to focus on student housing – but had never officially told the City about this shift.

[aznate27]

What exactly is going to happen to the pioneer if it is given money to restore or remodel the look. The building looks nice as it is so I don't see the point of remodeling it. Are they going to make it look like it did when it was first built because that's not very good looking, nothing like the chase building . There are plenty of other buildings in downtown that could do with a good remodeling (city hall, and Pima federal building to name a few).
Going to have to strongly disagree with you about the Pioneer, it's pretty dreadfull I feel. The original fascade is brick, but they covered it up with what they thought was a more modern design in the 70's I believe. If they get the funding, I heard they would take down the current covering and restore the building to it's original look.

Here's a couple pics of the original fascade.
http://www.tucsongaymuseum.org/images/1931stonedowntown.jpg

http://www.tucsongaymuseum.org/images/1935pion.jpg

[aznate27]

So I drove by the Level on Speedway the other night. I swear it looks almost as tall as 5151 on broadway!

[Ritarancher]

So I drove by the Level on Speedway the other night. I swear it looks almost as tall as 5151 on broadway!

Thats a respectable height. I was driving by downtown and saw cadence and the new courts (or what I thought was the court) and was impressed but if these heights are all that we get inside downtown our skyline would be pretty weak but we might have a vibrant downtown, something worth it all.

[Patrick S]

So I drove by the Level on Speedway the other night. I swear it looks almost as tall as 5151 on broadway!
I work right across the street from 5151 Broadway. It's 246 feet tall. The Level's going to be about 190 feet tall. I will say, it does look tall for the neighborhood and will look really nice when the other 2 buildings of similar height are built.

Here's a list of the tallest building's in Tucson from Wikipedia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Tucson)

[Ted Lyons]

The construction walls in front of the new Thunder Canyon Brewery location were taken down at some point in the recent past and the brewery has installed signs. I'd be curious to walk by on foot to see how far along the interior work is.

On the brewery front, I was walking down Herbert over the weekend and some exterior demo is occurring at the location that should be housing Corbett Brewing. It looks like two large holes have been cut out of the wall facing Herbert that are about the size of industrial garage doors. It's tough to see what else is going on there as the metal fence is really tall.

[omarainza]

i drove by cadence too and the garage along side it made that intersection to 4th feel urban :) i wish theyd agree to higher buildings but i guess im happy with the density.

patrick, where do you work? i think that meryll lynch and williams centre would be cool to work in. plus i like the purple lighting on 5151 at night along with udall's white lights.

[Ted Lyons]

TWO LOCAL FIRMS ACQUIRE AND RENOVATE ARMORY PARK APARTMENTS (http://www.downtowntucson.org/2012/12/two-local-firms-acquire-and-renovate-armory-park-apartments/)

http://www.downtowntucson.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/TheHerbertBoard.jpg

Peach Properties HM, Inc. and Holualoa Companies, two Tucson based firms, are pleased to announce their partnership for the renovation of the former Armory Park Apartments that has been renamed the “Herbert”. Plans call for the Herbert to open the summer of 2013, timed to coincide with the passenger service for the Sun Link streetcar system in late 2013.

The extensive renovation of this 41-year-old property includes upgrading interior units with new cabinets, countertops, flooring, bathroom fixtures and windows. Amenities will include an exercise facility, massage room, a “flex-space” common area and lobby. One bedroom apartments will be 600 square-feet and studios 450-square-feet. The eight-story, 144-unit property will feature an entrance to the north side of the property that is pedestrian and bicycle friendly. The renovation will create a fresh and modern feel for this pivotal residential property located at the transition of the historic residential Armory Park neighborhood and the modern street car commercial district that includes shops, restaurants and entertainment.

Architects for the project are Eglin-Bresler Architects and FORS Architecture + Interiors.

Click here (http://herbertliving.com/) for the latest update and to find out when pre-leasing begins.

No major news on this, maybe the completion date is new, but I think the image is bigger and the leasing website is live.

[ComplotDesigner]

aLoft 12/13/12

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/535/img1702ce.jpg

[kaneui]

Rio Nuevo says it's ready to spend some significant funds on the TCC (though on what they're not exactly sure yet), and is also hopeful of resolving the outstanding lawsuits with the city before year-end:


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a228/kaneui/TCCremodelrender-2008.jpg
2008 artist's rendering of proposed $54M remodel of TCC
(courtesy: Tucson Citizen)


TCC likely to get funds from Rio Nuevo
Some of $4.5M in leftover bond funds will be used

by Darren DaRonco
Arizona Daily Star
December 13, 2012

The Tucson Convention Center could receive Rio Nuevo money after all. For years, Rio Nuevo and the city have fought over who should pay for much-needed repairs to the dilapidated TCC. On Wednesday, Rio Nuevo attorney Mark Collins informed the board the Rio Nuevo District was cleared by its bond counsel to spend the remaining approximately $4.5 million from the $80 million 2008 bond sale. While the board could allocate the money to any of the approved bond projects or debt service, Chairman Fletcher McCusker said it's most likely it will be spent on the TCC. "Because of the notice to proceed issue, the only thing we can spend money on is the TCC," McCusker said. McCusker said it's probably better to spend the money sooner rather than later. "It's money. The TCC needs it. Our sense is let's put it to work," he said. Collins said not all of the $4.5 million would be available to the district. He said some would be obligated to the city and other sources. Since he received the bond counsel's opinion just a few days ago, Collins said he would have to dig a little deeper before he could make any concrete recommendations to the board on how to proceed.

Flood Control
The district board also approved 5-1 a $43,250 drainage study on two properties behind the TCC. Stantec Consulting Services will perform the study. One of the lots is the city-owned parcel where an arena was planned and the other is owned by land investor Allan Norville. "There's some serious drainage issues on both those lots. There's an arroyo that runs through the middle of it that makes it hard to develop," McCusker said. "So what this study will do is tell us how we can route the rainwater runoff around those two lots and make both of them developable."

Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik questioned the move, saying unless Rio Nuevo files a notice to proceed on a hotel and convention center, state law only allows Rio Nuevo to spend money on debt service or outstanding obligations. "Spending any money violates the statute until those two things have happened," Kozachik said. "It also seems like they are just provoking the Legislature by doing this and I don't think that's helpful." He also noted that the city has to sign off on Rio Nuevo expenditures, so the board should not act as if a deal is in place until they have it in writing.

McCusker said the district can spend up to $50,000 without city approval and this money doesn't commit the district to any future obligations. By commissioning the study now, it will make it easier to develop that land once an agreement with the city is reached, McCusker said. "The bigger picture is the ability to develop that land. And that can't happen without (the city)," he said. "We'll go ahead and get the engineering work done. But I don't think we would have done that if we weren't optimistic that we would get a settlement here pretty quickly." Rio Nuevo board member Mark Irvin was the sole objector to the deal on the grounds the study should have been competitively bid. "Stantec is a really good firm," Irvin said. But "as a normal course of business, I just like to see at least three bids." Collins said a competitive bid is not mandatory when the award is only a study.

Rio Nuevo and City Negotiations
While the board met in executive session for over an hour Wednesday to discuss a settlement with the city over disputed property ownership and funding issues, it did not vote on its talks. Instead, the board is considering a special meeting Monday to finalize a settlement and discuss publicly what it entails. McCusker said the lack of a vote is an indication of how close the two sides are to resolving their differences. "Because we've converted this to a full settlement agreement, there's much more legal work that needs to be done than if we just signed a term sheet," McCusker said. "A term sheet is just kind of an indication of intent. It's not really binding. "What we have now will be binding agreement on both jurisdictions that we have to approve and the City Council will have to approve." Wednesday was also the deadline for the Rio Nuevo board to decide what to do about its $25 million claim against the city, but that topic wasn't broached because the city pushed that deadline back to the end of the year.

[ProfessorMole]

First time posting, but reading for about a year. Found this old story from 2010 below on Tucson Velo that had a picture of the proposed park area for the Three Rivers Park.

Pima County plans lake-front park with several bike amenities (http://tucsonvelo.com/news/pima-county-plans-lake-front-park-with-several-bike-amenities/3570)
Michael McKisson Tucson Velo


http://tucsonvelo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/threerivers.jpg
Drawing of potential layout for the park.
(image:tucson velo)

[Anqrew]

some fun news. Google Maps updated their satellite images of Tucson, so if you like to look at things on there- everything is updated, looks recent too because you can see the Cadence and lots of new streetcar work.

[Ritarancher]

some fun news. Google Maps updated their satellite images of Tucson, so if you like to look at things on there- everything is updated, looks recent too because you can see the Cadence and lots of new streetcar work.

Yea I noticed that ,it was taken on a tuesday, my trashcans were out, in the monsoon.

[aznate27]

some fun news. Google Maps updated their satellite images of Tucson, so if you like to look at things on there- everything is updated, looks recent too because you can see the Cadence and lots of new streetcar work.

Hmm, I see the New MLK and the apartments next to it under construction, but not Cadence? And nothing on the street car:shrug: Am I looking at the wrong Google maps??

[Ted Lyons]

Hmm, I see the New MLK and the apartments next to it under construction, but not Cadence? And nothing on the street car:shrug: Am I looking at the wrong Google maps??

If you zoom in too far, it reverts to the old maps. You have to be at least three notches out, I think.

[aznate27]

If you zoom in too far, it reverts to the old maps. You have to be at least three notches out, I think.

OH, I see now, cool thanks.

[aznate27]

OH, I see now, cool thanks.

You can also see the courthouse and level under construction. BTW has anyone seen or have a picture of the Tucson skyline WITH the new Unisource Energy Building?? I've looked in vain and can't find any.

[Ritarancher]

Scott&Co. was recognized nationally when Yahoo posted this list of 10 best new bars in America.

http://travel.yahoo.com/ideas/best-new-bars-in-the-u-s--220221659.html

[ppdd]

You can also see the courthouse and level under construction. BTW has anyone seen or have a picture of the Tucson skyline WITH the new Unisource Energy Building?? I've looked in vain and can't find any.

I have one I shot last year...

http://i45.tinypic.com/2cnytrn.jpg

[Ritarancher]

I have one I shot last year...

http://i45.tinypic.com/2cnytrn.jpg

A pretty good picture. Our skyline has improved with the new UNS building but still needs work. For a perfect skyline we'd need a 1 south church twin slightly to the right of the existing one and 2 midrise buildings between the new UNS building and the 1 south church. To top it off we'd need a large 400+ foot tall building between 1 south church and bank of america plaza. Tucson 2020?

[ComplotDesigner]

I agree, it is a pretty picture. Btw, there's a crane at the One East Broadway project now.

[Ted Lyons]

I agree, it is a pretty picture. Btw, there's a crane at the One East Broadway project now.

A pretty significant pit too.

[aznate27]

I have one I shot last year...

http://i45.tinypic.com/2cnytrn.jpg

I really like this pic, thanks for posting!

[Ritarancher]

I agree, it is a pretty picture. Btw, there's a crane at the One East Broadway project now.

That's strange, the building isn't really that tall, they built the Sentinel Plaza and the District on 5th without a crane and they're just a floor or two shorter. But the MLK and Cadence projects both required a crane so maybe it is because of the density of tall buildings in downtown, besides the point I am glad to see progress with another building here.

[kaneui]

New delays mean streetcars might not run until 2014
by Darren DaRonco
Arizona Daily Star
December 18, 2012

Those hoping to board a Tucson streetcar for the first time next fall may have to wait up to eight additional months before riding the new line. The company hired to build the city's streetcars continues to experience production delays. Some city officials are now saying it's possible the opening day for the line could get pushed back from October 2013 to late spring or early summer of 2014.

As recently as last month, city officials thought Tucson's first streetcar would begin testing on tracks in Oregon on Dec. 26 and be delivered here sometime in February. However, expectations changed after a visit to the United Streetcar plant about two weeks ago. "They have been plagued by production issues," said Tucson's Sun Link co-manager, Andrew Quigley, who was on the trip to the plant in Oregon. "And I think they have been unrealistic with their timelines." Quigley said changes to the Portland, Ore., streetcars that the plant is also producing and other factors have him predicting Tucson's first vehicle likely won't start testing until the end of February. United Streetcar "has allocated staff to the Portland vehicles due to continued design modifications," Quigley wrote in a memo. "This has resulted in their inability to put sufficient labor on our vehicles to meet their schedule."

Based on this, Quigley anticipates the city's first car won't be delivered until mid- to late April. If this occurs, United Streetcar will have missed the end of March contractual deadline to deliver the first vehicle. At that time, it will be up to the city's Procurement Department to determine if it wants to start assessing damages of $250 a day for the first 90 days and $1,200 a day thereafter, Quigley said. United Streetcar President Chandra Brown was out of the country and could not be reached for comment. Even after it arrives, the car still needs to undergo rigorous testing on Tucson's tracks before being approved for service. "We have lots of testing before meeting our certification requirements," Quigley said.

For a frame of reference, it took Portland about four months to complete testing of the prototype it received from United Streetcar before putting the car into service on its tracks. In addition, Quigley said, while one vehicle is an adequate start, the city's new system can't be tested thoroughly until the second vehicle is delivered. The second vehicle "tells you what your demands for power are and how to safely operate the system." Quigley estimates the second car could arrive in May or June. The other six cars would be delivered sometime after that. Even though delays are becoming commonplace, Quigley still believes United Streetcar will overcome these issues and deliver in the end. "They are going to have a quality streetcar, and they are going to make this right," he said. He said safety and reliability should be the city's top priority, and it shouldn't rush just to make a deadline, which is part of the reason Quigley is mentioning a potential delay in opening the line. Quigley will return to Oregon next month for another update.

Too soon to panic
Jeremy Papuga, director of transit services at the Tucson area's Regional Transportation Authority, said while there is reason to suspect an October 2013 opening may be in jeopardy, it's too early to make any definitive changes to the schedule. "At this point we would like to get some more information from the vehicle manufacturer before we really start talking about what type of delay may be incurred on the project," Papuga said. City Councilman Steve Kozachik wasn't shocked by the revelation the streetcars are further behind schedule. "Nobody can be surprised about this. When they said they were pulling the crew to work on the Portland cars, even Houdini couldn't have gotten out of that delay in our production schedule," Kozachik said. Kozachik said while it's important to keep an eye on what's happening in the Pacific Northwest, Tucson shouldn't lose sight of the pressing issues here regarding the streetcar, like opening the roads so businesses along the line can return to normal. "The most important thing is to simply finish the on-street construction and get the fence lines down so the businesses can get off life support," he said. "We're right in front of our winter visitor season and the Gem Show visitors. I don't care if it takes all year to get the streetcars - just get the streets opened up."

[Ted Lyons]

New delays mean streetcars might not run until 2014
by Darren DaRonco
Arizona Daily Star
December 18, 2012

Those hoping to board a Tucson streetcar for the first time next fall may have to wait up to eight additional months before riding the new line. The company hired to build the city's streetcars continues to experience production delays. Some city officials are now saying it's possible the opening day for the line could get pushed back from October 2013 to late spring or early summer of 2014.

As recently as last month, city officials thought Tucson's first streetcar would begin testing on tracks in Oregon on Dec. 26 and be delivered here sometime in February. However, expectations changed after a visit to the United Streetcar plant about two weeks ago. "They have been plagued by production issues," said Tucson's Sun Link co-manager, Andrew Quigley, who was on the trip to the plant in Oregon. "And I think they have been unrealistic with their timelines." Quigley said changes to the Portland, Ore., streetcars that the plant is also producing and other factors have him predicting Tucson's first vehicle likely won't start testing until the end of February. United Streetcar "has allocated staff to the Portland vehicles due to continued design modifications," Quigley wrote in a memo. "This has resulted in their inability to put sufficient labor on our vehicles to meet their schedule."

Based on this, Quigley anticipates the city's first car won't be delivered until mid- to late April. If this occurs, United Streetcar will have missed the end of March contractual deadline to deliver the first vehicle. At that time, it will be up to the city's Procurement Department to determine if it wants to start assessing damages of $250 a day for the first 90 days and $1,200 a day thereafter, Quigley said. United Streetcar President Chandra Brown was out of the country and could not be reached for comment. Even after it arrives, the car still needs to undergo rigorous testing on Tucson's tracks before being approved for service. "We have lots of testing before meeting our certification requirements," Quigley said.

For a frame of reference, it took Portland about four months to complete testing of the prototype it received from United Streetcar before putting the car into service on its tracks. In addition, Quigley said, while one vehicle is an adequate start, the city's new system can't be tested thoroughly until the second vehicle is delivered. The second vehicle "tells you what your demands for power are and how to safely operate the system." Quigley estimates the second car could arrive in May or June. The other six cars would be delivered sometime after that. Even though delays are becoming commonplace, Quigley still believes United Streetcar will overcome these issues and deliver in the end. "They are going to have a quality streetcar, and they are going to make this right," he said. He said safety and reliability should be the city's top priority, and it shouldn't rush just to make a deadline, which is part of the reason Quigley is mentioning a potential delay in opening the line. Quigley will return to Oregon next month for another update.

Too soon to panic
Jeremy Papuga, director of transit services at the Tucson area's Regional Transportation Authority, said while there is reason to suspect an October 2013 opening may be in jeopardy, it's too early to make any definitive changes to the schedule. "At this point we would like to get some more information from the vehicle manufacturer before we really start talking about what type of delay may be incurred on the project," Papuga said. City Councilman Steve Kozachik wasn't shocked by the revelation the streetcars are further behind schedule. "Nobody can be surprised about this. When they said they were pulling the crew to work on the Portland cars, even Houdini couldn't have gotten out of that delay in our production schedule," Kozachik said. Kozachik said while it's important to keep an eye on what's happening in the Pacific Northwest, Tucson shouldn't lose sight of the pressing issues here regarding the streetcar, like opening the roads so businesses along the line can return to normal. "The most important thing is to simply finish the on-street construction and get the fence lines down so the businesses can get off life support," he said. "We're right in front of our winter visitor season and the Gem Show visitors. I don't care if it takes all year to get the streetcars - just get the streets opened up."

I have a few beefs with this.

One, a $250 a day penalty is pathetic. I lived in an apartment once that had a $50 per day late fee on rent. The fact that we're talking about a $200 difference for a multi-million dollar contract is unbelievable.

Two, and this is somewhat speculative, I can only imagine the city went with this company because it was American and they thought that fact would pacify a contingent of the electorate that would generally oppose this type of project. I realize that the company was selected after the RTA was passed but appeasing people with token gestures is often politically expedient. Assuming that premise is even partially true, I can guarantee a good portion of that contingent make up the trolls on ADS who celebrate every reported holdup.

With that out of the way, I think Kozachik is exactly right. As long as streets are reopened as soon as possible, businesses generally shouldn't suffer too much from delays on the cars themselves. The Cadence could potentially face some leasing issues but it's not much further from UA than The District which is totally full, IIRC.

[retrorv]

I have a few beefs with this.

One, a $250 a day penalty is pathetic. I lived in an apartment once that had a $50 per day late fee on rent. The fact that we're talking about a $200 difference for a multi-million dollar contract is unbelievable.

Two, and this is somewhat speculative, I can only imagine the city went with this company because it was American and they thought that fact would pacify a contingent of the electorate that would generally oppose this type of project. I realize that the company was selected after the RTA was passed but appeasing people with token gestures is often politically expedient. Assuming that premise is even partially true, I can guarantee a good portion of that contingent make up the trolls on ADS who celebrate every reported holdup.

With that out of the way, I think Kozachik is exactly right. As long as streets are reopened as soon as possible, businesses generally shouldn't suffer too much from delays on the cars themselves. The Cadence could potentially face some leasing issues but it's not much further from UA than The District which is totally full, IIRC.

The major funding for this project is a federal TIGER grant, The feds have a Buy American requirement so that's where this came from. Further, the City uses a competitive bidding process so if it weren't for the federal requirement perhaps another company may have been selected.

[Ted Lyons]

The major funding for this project is a federal TIGER grant, The feds have a Buy American requirement so that's where this came from. Further, the City uses a competitive bidding process so if it weren't for the federal requirement perhaps another company may have been selected.

OK. I realize that the source of my confusion is United's claim, which is oft-repeated, that they're the "only manufacturer of modern streetcars in the United States." Knowing that several other streetcars have been funded through TIGER and Tucson's is one of only three that United has worked on led me to believe the other cities were using imported vehicles. Turns out, United's advertising just isn't 100% honest as the other cities are using traditional streetcar builders like Siemens and CAF who build their existing products in newly developed US facilities.

[kaneui]

Arizona now 15th most populous state

According to the Census Bureau's latest estimates as of July 1, 2012, Arizona has now surpassed Indiana as the nation's 15th largest with 6,553,255 residents, slightly behind #14 Massachusetts.

http://www.census.gov/popest/