Tucson Development Thread

[Ted Lyons]

Originally Posted by southtucsonboy77

That actually looks pretty classy.

Unfortunately, it turns out it was purely conceptual. The bar itself is definitely a go, I think, and I hope it ends up being something innovative like that.

[Ritarancher]

Originally Posted by Ted Lyons

FORS is working on the bar Rialto Theatre plans to put in on their northeast corner.

Looks good but we are in Tucson and if a haboob doesn't blow that cloth patio away, a monsoon storm will. I think a rusted copper trellis with a vine would last longer.

[technical]

Originally Posted by Ritarancher

Looks good but we are in Tucson and if a haboob doesn't blow that cloth patio away, a monsoon storm will. I think a rusted copper trellis with a vine would last longer.

Makes sense. Might also think about a candle or cigarette butt accidentally touching the patio cloth.

[kaneui]

An artist's rendering of the planned Science Lab and Classroom Building, which will be built
at the south end of Pima Community College's Northwest Campus. Work on the building is
scheduled to begin in October.
(render: Pima Community College)


Pima College's northwest campus plans building for science classrooms, nine labs
Three-story structure will be site's largest when it opens in 2014

by Gerald M. Gay
Arizona Daily Star
June 15, 2012

Pima Community College will construct its first new building in eight years on its Northwest Campus, 7600 N. Shannon Road. Tentatively dubbed the Science Lab and Classroom Building, the 48,000-square-foot facility will include seven classrooms, a lecture hall, a math emporium, nine science labs and a lab prep space when it is completed in October 2013. The three-story building, which will be at the south end of campus, will also accommodate the college's hotel restaurant management program and 11 faculty offices. It will be the largest structure on the grounds.

C.J. Karamargin, vice chancellor for public information at PCC, said the new facility is being built in response to the rapid growth on Tucson's northwest side. Enrollment at the Northwest Campus has jumped 40 percent since it opened in 2003, with an average of nearly 6,000 students a semester.


For full article: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/nort...52ccfbad4.html

[kaneui]

El Con Mall must await a Superior Court ruling on a legal challenge from its El Encanto neighbors before replacing the former Levy's building with a 102k s.f. Walmart Supercenter:



The three-story Levy's building was built as the western anchor of El Con Mall.
(photo: Roger Yohem)


El Con Mall preparing to raze Levy’s store in July
By Roger Yohem
Inside Tucson Business
June 15, 2012

Make way for the wrecking ball. By early July, the long-vacant former Macy’s — and originally Levy’s — department store building in El Con Mall will be history. The three-story, 60,000-square-foot store was built in 1960. “We’re taking the building down. It’s so dilapidated, so old, it’s not worth saving,” said Susan Allen, spokeswoman for El Con. For several weeks, construction crews have been working inside and outside on the building, 3601 E. Broadway at the mall’s west end. Barker Morrissey Contracting, 3619 E. Speedway, has workers tearing out interior walls, doing environmental abatement work, cleaning up debris, and salvaging materials and equipment that can be used either for spare parts or recycled as scrap.

The crews are working for El Con, not Walmart, which plans to rebuild a new store within the existing building’s footprint. The new 100,000 square-foot, freestanding Walmart store has been designed specifically for the El Con site and been approved by the City of Tucson. The new construction, however, is on hold as a result of a lawsuit filed by El Encanto Estates Neighborhood Association seeking to overturn a development agreement approved by the city in 2000 after meetings between El Con and its neighbors. Court hearings on the lawsuit ended in late May and a ruling from Pima County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Bergin could come at any time.

Allen said preparing the building for demolition is a “methodical process” as it relates to safety. The existing structure has large sections of roof damage where heavy pieces of heating and air conditioning equipment has set unused for years. Crews are gutting the interior, working around wiring, piping, utility equipment and other infrastructure. “There’s a lot of prep work to be done before it’s safe to take the walls down, before the wrecking ball hits,” Allen said. The demolition site has been fenced and is being closely watched by security.


*NOTE: the three-story building was actually 290,000 s.f. and was completed in 1969.

[andrewsaturn]

Originally Posted by kaneui

El Con Mall must await a Superior Court ruling on a legal challenge from its El Encanto neighbors before replacing the former Levy's building with a Walmart Supercenter:



The 60k s.f. building that was the original western anchor of El Con Mall, built in 1960.
(photo: Roger Yohem)


El Con Mall preparing to raze Levy’s store in July
By Roger Yohem
Inside Tucson Business
June 15, 2012

Make way for the wrecking ball. By early July, the long-vacant former Macy’s — and originally Levy’s — department store building in El Con Mall will be history. The three-story, 60,000-square-foot store was built in 1960. “We’re taking the building down. It’s so dilapidated, so old, it’s not worth saving,” said Susan Allen, spokeswoman for El Con. For several weeks, construction crews have been working inside and outside on the building, 3601 E. Broadway at the mall’s west end. Barker Morrissey Contracting, 3619 E. Speedway, has workers tearing out interior walls, doing environmental abatement work, cleaning up debris, and salvaging materials and equipment that can be used either for spare parts or recycled as scrap.

The crews are working for El Con, not Walmart, which plans to rebuild a new store within the existing building’s footprint. The new 100,000 square-foot, freestanding Walmart store has been designed specifically for the El Con site and been approved by the City of Tucson. The new construction, however, is on hold as a result of a lawsuit filed by El Encanto Estates Neighborhood Association seeking to overturn a development agreement approved by the city in 2000 after meetings between El Con and its neighbors. Court hearings on the lawsuit ended in late May and a ruling from Pima County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Bergin could come at any time.

Allen said preparing the building for demolition is a “methodical process” as it relates to safety. The existing structure has large sections of roof damage where heavy pieces of heating and air conditioning equipment has set unused for years. Crews are gutting the interior, working around wiring, piping, utility equipment and other infrastructure. “There’s a lot of prep work to be done before it’s safe to take the walls down, before the wrecking ball hits,” Allen said. The demolition site has been fenced and is being closely watched by security.

I hope the neighborhood wins. To have a Walmart Supercenter is too much for that area. I would of been okay if it was just a grocery center but Walmart has enough stores in the Tucson region. I would like to see a trader's joe or another grocery store occupy that space instead.

[technical]

Here's an article I saw about the Indian Village Trading Post, http://azstarnet.com/business/local/...a7da550d9.html .

This building could also be a candidate of that facade renovation project downtown. The older building looks nicer than the current one.

btw, I wished they tear down that La Placita Village downtown along with the Hotel Az and replaced with a much nicer development.

[ppdd]

HSL owns both the hotel and La Placita now, so don't get your hopes up...

[ppdd]

BTW, have you all see the new (April 2012) streetcar video? This version has more of the route, greater rendering detail and the updated SunLink branding...

• Video Link

[technical]

Originally Posted by ppdd

HSL owns both the hotel and La Placita now, so don't get your hopes up...

I'm new in this town, I'm assuming HSL is an evil creature in Tucson... Do you want the hotel and La Placita replaced?

That's one nice video, btw. It's looks real.

[Ritarancher]

Originally Posted by technical

I'm new in this town, I'm assuming HSL is an evil creature in Tucson... Do you want the hotel and La Placita replaced?

That's one nice video, btw. It's looks real.

The La Placita is worth saving, we're better off replacing parking lots and putting new highrises there

[andrewsaturn]

Originally Posted by technical

Here's an article I saw about the Indian Village Trading Post, http://azstarnet.com/business/local/...a7da550d9.html .

This building could also be a candidate of that facade renovation project downtown. The older building looks nicer than the current one.

btw, I wished they tear down that La Placita Village downtown along with the Hotel Az and replaced with a much nicer development.

I don't mind if Hotel Az is replaced but I actually like La Placita Village. But if the opportunity came for a better development for that property, I would be all for it. I just wish there was a better idea or plan for that property. It could have been a shopping mall with brand name stores to bring people downtown. I don't think it will ever be replaced though because it is like a downtown Tucson landmark, except a majority of Tucson doesn't care to visit it! And I don't blame them because there's nothing famous or something really good to bring people there. I can think of one event that actually has tons of people there which is the Tucson Meet Yourself event that expanded into the village.

[technical]

Sorry RitaRancher & AndrewSaturn, I'm gonna have to disagree. La Placita looks like a Lego Land park to me, IMHO. Replacing La Placita with a nice looking high rise would be nice.

AndrewSaturn, yes, downtown seem to be lacking of retails that people go to. I don't even think downtown has any brand name retail stores. Browsing through this forum, downtown used to have a Safeway, JC Penny, Montgomery Wards, Sears etc...

[ppdd]

Originally Posted by Ritarancher

The La Placita is worth saving, we're better off replacing parking lots and putting new highrises there

I don't mind La Placita from the outside - it's an interesting looking place, local color and all, but have you ever visited or tried to find something in there? Everything faces in, and it's the most visitor-hostile, labyrinthine mess of complex space I've ever seen. Once you get off the ground floor, it's silly. And the spaces are low and aged - not attractive. I don't see how it can ever gain occupancy.

It has acquired near-landmark status since it was painted (used to be just gray/creme colored).

[technical]

Well guys, I think we agree that a high rise should be built in that area. This skyscraper page is becoming one of my favorite websites...love skyscrapers!

This building would be nice in that area, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ca...Hall_Tower.JPG . This color fits Tucson. The colors on La Placita makes downtown look like a playground for kids.

Here's more nice looking high rise that would look good downtown (of course, it doesn't have to be that tall ... 10-20 floors? but taller would be nice).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Me...fr_W58_jeh.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:10...Street_NYC.jpg

[southtucsonboy77]

Originally Posted by technical

Well guys, I think we agree that a high rise should be built in that area. This skyscraper page is becoming one of my favorite websites...love skyscrapers!

This building would be nice in that area, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ca...Hall_Tower.JPG . This color fits Tucson. The colors on La Placita makes downtown look like a playground for kids.

Here's more nice looking high rise that would look good downtown (of course, it doesn't have to be that tall ... 10-20 floors? but taller would be nice).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Me...fr_W58_jeh.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:10...Street_NYC.jpg

Status quo...La Placita is under used...maybe even a failure. That whole "urbanization" mass and mess from the 60s/70s we call the TCC is a failure. In my previous job, I got an Econ Dev. certificate from the Univ. of Oklahoma. I got to take a tour of OK City's redeveloped downtown and it was amazing and it was so simple on how they succeeded. Unlike Rio Nuevo where they initially had 20 projects that they wanted to do at the same time, OKC had a few MAJOR BIG PICTURE projects. They built the Ford Center where the Thunder is now playing in the NBA Finals. At the time, they had no major tenant. OKC was on the "build it and they will come" mentality. The first night I stayed at the hotel next door, a Kenny Chesney concert was ending. What an amazing vibe...Bricktown (entertainment district) was packed with concert goers who wanted to eat and party and keep the night going.

They revitalized their Cox convention center where they do convention things. They built 2 modest hotels...an 18 story Marriot first, then a 10 story Courtyard second. They built the Bricktown Riverwalk (more like a canal). They built their Triple AAA stadium in downtown. Lastly, they fixed up their river to be more recreational friendly. The point to this novel is that TUCSON HAD ALL THESE SAME OPPORTUNITIES! Although we've blown it, I still hope we get it right. We need to do the arena. We need to develop a modest hotel. Build it and they will come.

[southtucsonboy77]

Originally Posted by ppdd

BTW, have you all see the new (April 2012) streetcar video? This version has more of the route, greater rendering detail and the updated SunLink branding...

• Video Link

That was really cool. Thanks for sharing that update.

[technical]

Originally Posted by southtucsonboy77

Status quo...La Placita is under used...maybe even a failure. That whole "urbanization" mass and mess from the 60s/70s we call the TCC is a failure. In my previous job, I got an Econ Dev. certificate from the Univ. of Oklahoma. I got to take a tour of OK City's redeveloped downtown and it was amazing and it was so simple on how they succeeded. Unlike Rio Nuevo where they initially had 20 projects that they wanted to do at the same time, OKC had a few MAJOR BIG PICTURE projects. They built the Ford Center where the Thunder is now playing in the NBA Finals. At the time, they had no major tenant. OKC was on the "build it and they will come" mentality. The first night I stayed at the hotel next door, a Kenny Chesney concert was ending. What an amazing vibe...Bricktown (entertainment district) was packed with concert goers who wanted to eat and party and keep the night going.

They revitalized their Cox convention center where they do convention things. They built 2 modest hotels...an 18 story Marriot first, then a 10 story Courtyard second. They built the Bricktown Riverwalk (more like a canal). They built their Triple AAA stadium in downtown. Lastly, they fixed up their river to be more recreational friendly. The point to this novel is that TUCSON HAD ALL THESE SAME OPPORTUNITIES! Although we've blown it, I still hope we get it right. We need to do the arena. We need to develop a modest hotel. Build it and they will come.

Good info, southtucsonboy77. Thanks for sharing. Arena and a new convention center is needed downtown, I agree. A nice hotel. I don't mind an Aquarium myself. It doesn't have to be gigantic. I'd bet it would be popular in this desert city. Pretty much everything you ask for I agree it should be in Tucson.

So much missing in this city. It's just amazing it doesn't even have a crosstown freeway.

[ComplotDesigner]

UA Bryant Bannister Tree-Ring Building.

[Ted Lyons]

Originally Posted by ComplotDesigner

UA Environmental and Natural Resources Building

This is actually the Bryant Bannister Tree-Ring Building.

http://ltrr.arizona.edu/building

This is the Environment & Natural Resources Building.

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