Tucson Development Thread

[andrewsaturn]

Originally Posted by ZonaRealtor2021

I just absolutely HATE this city and university I’m just done at this point. What a joke! For the first time ever! The neighborhood wanted height!

Argh it's absolutely frustrating and it really pours into our jaded mindset of future developments. I think $$$ was a big factor in downgrading this project too.

[AZ71]

Originally Posted by andrewsaturn

Argh it's absolutely frustrating and it really pours into our jaded mindset of future developments. I think $$$ was a big factor in downgrading this project too.

Its not even a good location for their desired 1st year student experiment to try to keep them in school. Its quite a ways from the heart of the campus and really not a practical place where most activity is. If they were going to stick to a 9 story building they should build it on the parking lot at 2nd and Mountain right behind the Student Union yet still on the streetcar line. What a waste.

[AZ71]

Well it doesn't look the designs we saw before...but it looks like the Fox Movie Theater downtown will give Hughes Federal Credit Union naming rights and turn it into an event center. Appears the outside design has changed. Hopefully they add some of that glorious art deco style from the current front to the event center entrance off Stone. At least we have some good news after all the disappointing development news lately.

https://tucson.com/life-entertainment/lo..._source=facebook&utm_campaign=user-share

[Eapiwo]

Originally Posted by AZ71

Well it doesn't look the designs we saw before...but it looks like the Fox Movie Theater downtown will give Hughes Federal Credit Union naming rights and turn it into an event center. Appears the outside design has changed. Hopefully they add some of that glorious art deco style from the current front to the event center entrance off Stone. At least we have some good news after all the disappointing development news lately.

https://tucson.com/life-entertainment/lo..._source=facebook&utm_campaign=user-share

Looks like Swaim from the design

[AZ71]

Originally Posted by Eapiwo

Looks like Swaim from the design

Yes I believe you're right. Here is an article from Nov 2025 with some slightly different looking designs but the same. Seems they've dumbed it down even more.

https://www.tucsonspotlight.org/tucson-c...major-expansion-of-historic-fox-theatre/

[somethingfast]

25 years later and they are STILL talking about building Fox Theater. gmafb.

[ZonaRealtor2021]

I was at the Whataburger today at Tucson Marketplace and noticed that directly behind the area that was purchased from Aldi is being graded and is fenced off with obvious construction equipment and trucks so it looks like the Aldi’s is finally being built!

Something completely random but since the Ronstadt has now opened up for bidders has anyone heard rumors of who might be given the bid it was said to only be incremental piece by piece and not a full one developer project does anybody think it could be significant anything?

Also has anybody heard if the city is going to open up the library downtown property anytime soon once the county moves across the street I wonder if they would raise the library property all together and start from scratch?

Also I was able to listen to the latest few episodes of Edmund Marquez The Upside podcast and one of the episodes recently had Erin Knot from the Mosaic Quarters Development on and I got to admit it was an impressive interview, I really enjoyed her answers and the conversation they had! she and her family is the type of developers that we need for downtown Tucson to get anything built hopefully they transition and focus on downtown at some point.
With that being said she did provide a few updates and changes to phases two and three of the Mosaic Quarter Development it looks like because of the property itself they’re going to combine phases two and three together after one year of phase 1 being completely built out due to financials.

[Eapiwo]

Not breaking news here, but the Hotel Arizona set to open in fall 2027 as the Hyatt Regency. Interior space looks wonderful! I believe it might have also been Swaim.

This is a lot of life and vibrancy desperately needed at the west end of downtown. The gateway to downtown from I-10 has been too vacant for too long. Hopefully this is not a standalone project, but a catalyst for more development.

https://www.kgun9.com/absolutely-az/once-a-tucson-gem-defunct-downtown-hotel-will-soon-see-new-life

[andrewsaturn]

Originally Posted by ZonaRealtor2021

I was at the Whataburger today at Tucson Marketplace and noticed that directly behind the area that was purchased from Aldi is being graded and is fenced off with obvious construction equipment and trucks so it looks like the Aldi’s is finally being built!

Something completely random but since the Ronstadt has now opened up for bidders has anyone heard rumors of who might be given the bid it was said to only be incremental piece by piece and not a full one developer project does anybody think it could be significant anything?

Also has anybody heard if the city is going to open up the library downtown property anytime soon once the county moves across the street I wonder if they would raise the library property all together and start from scratch?

Also I was able to listen to the latest few episodes of Edmund Marquez The Upside podcast and one of the episodes recently had Erin Knot from the Mosaic Quarters Development on and I got to admit it was an impressive interview, I really enjoyed her answers and the conversation they had! she and her family is the type of developers that we need for downtown Tucson to get anything built hopefully they transition and focus on downtown at some point.
With that being said she did provide a few updates and changes to phases two and three of the Mosaic Quarter Development it looks like because of the property itself they’re going to combine phases two and three together after one year of phase 1 being completely built out due to financials.

The PRO Tucson webpage doesn't indicate any new request for permits for Aldi so not sure what is happening there but apparently, they bought the land already and have been sitting on it for a while now.

I haven't heard anything official about the Ronstadt bus center yet, but I reread the KGUN9 report. It mentioned Jim Tofel as one of the interested developers. I looked at his portfolio, and I hope to heavens he is not chosen. All of his developments are generic type boring buildings.

https://www.kgun9.com/news/community-ins...tadt-transit-center-amid-safety-concerns
https://tofeldent.com/completed/

[andrewsaturn]

Originally Posted by Eapiwo

Not breaking news here, but the Hotel Arizona set to open in fall 2027 as the Hyatt Regency. Interior space looks wonderful! I believe it might have also been Swaim.

This is a lot of life and vibrancy desperately needed at the west end of downtown. The gateway to downtown from I-10 has been too vacant for too long. Hopefully this is not a standalone project, but a catalyst for more development.

https://www.kgun9.com/absolutely-az/once-a-tucson-gem-defunct-downtown-hotel-will-soon-see-new-life

I think the new windows make it look so much better.

[Eapiwo]

Originally Posted by andrewsaturn

The PRO Tucson webpage doesn't indicate any new request for permits for Aldi so not sure what is happening there but apparently, they bought the land already and have been sitting on it for a while now.

I haven't heard anything official about the Ronstadt bus center yet, but I reread the KGUN9 report. It mentioned Jim Tofel as one of the interested developers. I looked at his portfolio, and I hope to heavens he is not chosen. All of his developments are generic type boring buildings.

https://www.kgun9.com/news/community-ins...tadt-transit-center-amid-safety-concerns
https://tofeldent.com/completed/

Ditto the Tofel comment. With the exception of the senior housingon Church Ave that has the nice copper flare, the rest of the buildings look like if Walmart sold a generic Great Value brand apartment.

[somethingfast]

Originally Posted by andrewsaturn

I think the new windows make it look so much better.

Agree - really glad to see this eyesore getting a new lease on life. The interiors look fantastic. Now if only someone would rehab the horrendous Home Federal Savings/Govt building. That is quite possibly the ugliest building in America.

[AZ71]

Originally Posted by somethingfast

Agree - really glad to see this eyesore getting a new lease on life. The interiors look fantastic. Now if only someone would rehab the horrendous Home Federal Savings/Govt building. That is quite possibly the ugliest building in America.

Haha. I LOVE that blue mid-century building!!!! I love the blue tiles and gold details. What I hate is that horrible metal wrapping on the old Pioneer Hotel. I wish someone would rip it off and bring it back to its Spanish Revival style.

[AZ71]

Can someone tell me what has happened with the Uptown (old Foothills Mall project)? They just came out with new renderings today posted on their instagram and website and its dramatically changed it seems. Everything is the same height and it looks like the projects now.

https://www.instagram.com/uptowntucson/
https://uptowntucson.com/

[InTheBurbs]

Originally Posted by AZ71

Can someone tell me what has happened with the Uptown (old Foothills Mall project)? They just came out with new renderings today posted on their instagram and website and its dramatically changed it seems. Everything is the same height and it looks like the projects now.

Maybe this is just a concept of a plan. The Bourn website still shows the more recent renderings with some variety. On the plus side, this appears to be much denser than the original plans, and covering more area with fewer open parking lots, so may be nicer at street level, more walkable, etc. And from the surrounding area you wouldn't notice the uniformity so much.

But yeah, a bit of height, a bit of variety, a bit of imagination would be nice.

[AZ71]

Originally Posted by InTheBurbs

Maybe this is just a concept of a plan. The Bourn website still shows the more recent renderings with some variety. On the plus side, this appears to be much denser than the original plans, and covering more area with fewer open parking lots, so may be nicer at street level, more walkable, etc. And from the surrounding area you wouldn't notice the uniformity so much.

But yeah, a bit of height, a bit of variety, a bit of imagination would be nice.

I hope so. Its strange that Uptown would post these image today though, since the other renderings have been circulating for months. If they've changed their mind...they got rid of Barnes & Noble, Whiskey Downs, Applebee's, Outback, etc. However if you look closely AMC is still wedged in there. Strange they'd leave that in in just concept postings. Guess we'll eventually see. Having old renderings posted on a builder site isn't unusual. I mean Peach Properties still has the 19-story 75 E Broadway renderings posted.

[ZonaRealtor2021]

More Apartments are being developed with this long awaited project now underway. The Parkside Reserve is a 210 unit in 7 3-story apartment buildings at the corner of Campbell and Benson Highway across from the Mosaic quarters project, by The Founders Group. This area of town has seen insane amount of activity and is truly the only part of town that is building anything of substance at the moment alongside the Mosaic quarter across the street the new Aldi‘s grocery store is finally going up in the same area!