Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Lyons
I'm not really sure what's going on with the Visit Tucson building here. Definitely not reflective of reality right now.
I agree that it's not the greatest use of this land, but it's better than I envisioned from HSL sadly. Given the lot size, this would be ideal for a ground floor grocery store, but there is nothing to suggest this is a multi-use project from these images.
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In a nod to the existing complex, it appears HSL is keeping the corner building for the visitor's bureau; otherwise, it seems that they're dropping one of their suburban apartment building designs onto a prime downtown parcel, without any thought of activating the street-level traffic with retail/office, or connecting the project to the rest of the existing block containing the Ekbo gardens, Music Hall, etc. (And who knows what they have in mind for their empty white-elephant hotel next door.)
Hopefully, the city will insist on a more thoughtful, urban-oriented design that corrects the shortcomings. (And oddly, the renderings don't match the proportions shown on the site plan, particularly from the east elevation side.)