Tucson Development Thread

[Azstar]

Originally Posted by Tloc

Bourn Companies are gonna be busy next year! Cant wait for City Park, been waiting a VERY long time.

http://tucson.com/business/tucson/tu...97ded43b1.html

So, Bourne Companies has funds to purchase a dying mall, but needed 2.5 million dollars from Rio Nuevo for it's 15 year delayed downtown project where the land was practically given to him by the city and demolished the existing buildings at no charge to him. This is one of the reasons that downtown Tucson is still, and probably always will be, tentative and struggling.

[Tloc]

YES Finally! Ive been waiting for this lot to be redeveloped in the heart of midtown. I'm secretly hoping for a Whole Foods, but I won't accept a Walmart neighborhood market sorry.

http://tucson.com/business/tucson/br...38006d4bf.html

[Ted Lyons]

Originally Posted by Tloc

YES Finally! Ive been waiting for this lot to be redeveloped in the heart of midtown. I'm secretly hoping for a Whole Foods, but I won't accept a Walmart neighborhood market sorry.

http://tucson.com/business/tucson/br...38006d4bf.html

My guess would be Fry's.

[southtucsonboy77]

Originally Posted by Tloc

YES Finally! Ive been waiting for this lot to be redeveloped in the heart of midtown. I'm secretly hoping for a Whole Foods, but I won't accept a Walmart neighborhood market sorry.

http://tucson.com/business/tucson/br...38006d4bf.html

Careful...someone is gonna claim those structures are "historical".

[kmiller5]

http://tucson.com/business/tucson/ji...c886d8ad2.html

The Garage

[Ted Lyons]

Originally Posted by kmiller5

http://tucson.com/business/tucson/ji...c886d8ad2.html

The Garage

Much better concept, IMO. The interior looks nice based on the one pic in the slideshow.

[InTheBurbs]

ADS: La Placita owner seeks tax break from city for redevelopment

The owner of La Placita Village in downtown Tucson is asking the city of Tucson for a tax break to help redevelop the property.

Demolition on the brightly colored buildings is scheduled for April, the property's owner said.

City officials confirm HSL Properties recently applied for the city's Proposed Revision to Government Property Lease Excise Tax incentive, paying the $5,000 application fee.

Early plans call for a new six-story building with up to 230 apartments while still protecting three existing historic buildings in the iconic development at 110 S. Church Ave.

There are also plans to open some retail shops on the first floor, including plans for a restaurant and a coffee shop inside the project.

[kaneui]

If even half of the 18 projects proposed for 2017 break ground, downtown will be booming with new construction this year:


DOWNTOWN - PROJECTED CONSTRUCTION STARTS

Winter, 2016-17
Mercado San Agustín Annex ($5.3M)
City Park ($17M)

Spring, 2017
The Monier ($25M)
Cathedral Square redevelopment:
- Marist on Cathedral Square ($22M)
- Marist College ($3M)
- Diocesan Complex ($12M)
West End Station ($12M)
January 8 Memorial - El Presidio Park ($4M)
Seventh Avenue Commons ($14M)
Westerner/West Point Apartments

Summer, 2017
RendezVous Urban Flats (100U)
Menlo Park Rowhouses ($3.8M)
Arena Site project - mixed-use ($100+M)
Caterpillar Inc. - Division HQ ($50M)

Fall, 2017
Downtown Links - Phase III ($70M)
La Placita Village redevelopment ($22M)
West Abbey (Mission District)
Block 175 (mixed-use; 138U)


Downtown projects to be completed in 2017 include the AC Hotel by Marriott, the Downtown Motor Apartments and the Stone Avenue Homes condos.

[aznate27]

Originally Posted by InTheBurbs

ADS: La Placita owner seeks tax break from city for redevelopment

What a waste of space. That is one ugly rendering.

[balugajames]

Originally Posted by aznate27

What a waste of space. That is one ugly rendering.

Compared to similar developments around the country its not bad. Interesting roof line and integration of some older buildings.

Beggars can't be choosers. Also not sure how 230 units is a "waste of space". Gibsons market which I hear is barely breaking even at this point, plus other businesses in the downtown area, could use the increased foot traffic of the likely additional 300+ frequent patrons. The main thing downtown needs at this point is more people living there.

What do you think would be a better use for that corner?

Cheers!

[Azstar]

Originally Posted by balugajames

Beggars can't be choosers. Also not sure how 230 units is a "waste of space". Gibsons market which I hear is barely breaking even at this point, plus other businesses in the downtown area, could use the increased foot traffic of the likely additional 300+ frequent patrons. The main thing downtown needs at this point is more people living there.

What do you think would be a better use for that corner?

Cheers!

This is 100% on target. More people = more business.

[southtucsonboy77]

Originally Posted by Azstar

This is 100% on target. More people = more business.

Its not the use that is the problem, its the structure...its the non-urban/streetscape design. Look at the layout...its an apartment complex in the middle of downtown. Put an apartment building that looks good. "The Mark" on the other hand is more urban/streetscape appropriate and its proposed on a site 1/4 mile outside of downtown. If HSL proposed 230 shipping containers as units should we still praise it because its bringing more bodies to downtown? Better than nothing? Sure, its only a rendering, but its awful.

[chenley333]

Originally Posted by southtucsonboy77

Its not the use that is the problem, its the structure...its the non-urban/streetscape design. Look at the layout...its an apartment complex in the middle of downtown. Put an apartment building that looks good. "The Mark" on the other hand is more urban/streetscape appropriate and its proposed on a site 1/4 mile outside of downtown. If HSL proposed 230 shipping containers as units should we still praise it because its bringing more bodies to downtown? Better than nothing? Sure, its only a rendering, but its awful.

I agree that the rendering seems pretty vague at this point - and what's up with the pasted-in picture of cars? I think the make or break part is what does it look like and what are the uses on the ground floor, how does it present itself to the street/pedestrians. I think the mention of at least some retail is new from when this first surfaced.

[bleunick]

Originally Posted by chenley333

I agree that the rendering seems pretty vague at this point - and what's up with the pasted-in picture of cars? I think the make or break part is what does it look like and what are the uses on the ground floor, how does it present itself to the street/pedestrians. I think the mention of at least some retail is new from when this first surfaced.

The only "retail" associated with this project will be going in the existing historic Stables and Samaniego house (likely small restaurants). There is absolutely no street level activation of the site whatsoever... Why they can't squeeze in any real retail is beyond me

[crzyabe]

Something to remember when we beat early renderings to death.

[T'Town]

What are the chances the Arena Site gets and Arena built on it? I know this idea was squashed years ago and wasn't a part of the Norgen proposal but its odd there is still a posting for it published last month on a paid construction website. Here is the posting for what they call a multipurpose arena/event center.

11,000 fixed seats for ice hockey with the capability of expanding to 12,500 total seats for concerts and other events through use of portable seating; .. 25,000 square foot arena floor capable of accommodating an ice sheet compatible for minor league hockey; .. 3,000 to 3,500 square feet of sub-dividable meeting space (8 to 10 rooms); .. 3,700 to 4,200 parking spaces within walking distance, including the existing parking that is available at the TCC complex; .. 20 private suites; .. 25 loge boxes; .. 500 club seats; and, .. total arena square footage of approximately 300,000 square feet.

Anyone know if Norgen is considering teaming up with the city to build an Arena? This is specifically talking of minor league hockey which hasn't been in Tucson for more than 4 months. Could there be an Arena announcement coming? Could the proposed Norgen gem and mineral hall be changed to an Arena and the TCC be used as Norgen's gem & mineral show hall?

There could be something going on here or my imagination has the best of me.

[farmerk]

Originally Posted by aznate27

What a waste of space. That is one ugly rendering.

I agree. This building belong at 22nd St. not downtown.

It's short for that location. My good guess it will end up the typical 3 floor 'skyscraper' cookie cutter strip mall 'luxury' apartment that most Tucsonans embrace (including some posters in this thread)

[Ted Lyons]

Originally Posted by T'Town

What are the chances the Arena Site gets and Arena built on it? I know this idea was squashed years ago and wasn't a part of the Norgen proposal but its odd there is still a posting for it published last month on a paid construction website. Here is the posting for what they call a multipurpose arena/event center.

11,000 fixed seats for ice hockey with the capability of expanding to 12,500 total seats for concerts and other events through use of portable seating; .. 25,000 square foot arena floor capable of accommodating an ice sheet compatible for minor league hockey; .. 3,000 to 3,500 square feet of sub-dividable meeting space (8 to 10 rooms); .. 3,700 to 4,200 parking spaces within walking distance, including the existing parking that is available at the TCC complex; .. 20 private suites; .. 25 loge boxes; .. 500 club seats; and, .. total arena square footage of approximately 300,000 square feet.

Anyone know if Norgen is considering teaming up with the city to build an Arena? This is specifically talking of minor league hockey which hasn't been in Tucson for more than 4 months. Could there be an Arena announcement coming? Could the proposed Norgen gem and mineral hall be changed to an Arena and the TCC be used as Norgen's gem & mineral show hall?

There could be something going on here or my imagination has the best of me.

The mention of minor league hockey is definitely intriguing.

[balugajames]

Originally Posted by farmerk

I agree. This building belong at 22nd St. not downtown.

It's short for that location. My good guess it will end up the typical 3 floor 'skyscraper' cookie cutter strip mall 'luxury' apartment that most Tucsonans embrace (including some posters in this thread)

I understand, we all want towers, especially since they are never built anymore except in tier 1 and 2 cities. I hear the same things on the Denver forums.

As a Tucson native who currently resides in Denver I can say it took about 50 of those scale buildings downtown before we got one new tower, so you may want to check your expectations or I am afraid you will be continually disappointed. Overall I think its a great infill and given it doesn't have street level parking, it is perfectly urban and in line with the downtown area of Tucson with its mass. Not every residential unit needs retail, and I mean it will have a coffee shop/restaurant to boot. You should be glad this is not at 22nd since we need the concentrated development to get a tower and keep downtown thriving. This includes the utilization of the vacant/underutilized parcels such as La Placita.

The only reason we have the towers that exist now is because in the 60s and 70s downtown was still largely built out with no vacant land and highly populated with housing and retail uses. None of the ghastly parking lots you see today existed, they were created as apart of the ideas of urban renewal spreading across the nation which dictated destroy and rebuild. Sad honestly. Denver, leveled some 20 full square city blocks of old architecture in the name of renewal and they are only now being infilled.

Tucson saw a similar fate that started in the 60s: 1960s Urban-Renewal-and-Barrio-Destruction.

Tucson 1940-50s:


Source: Above Tucson Then and Now

I realize you have probably seen all these, but still always fun to look back. Funny thing was, once they destroyed everything, no one wanted to be down there anymore, not to mention the car and Jetsons attitude was dominate! Thank god that mindset is waning.

Same thing with the Denver Urban Renwal: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=207698

Before:


After:


You may want to take a hint from Chuy's. "If our food (scale) doesn't meet your expectations, lower them."

Either way I understand the disappointment but hopeful you can see the promise. I certainly am happy to see downtown lively again more than anything!
It's gone a long way since the decay of the 80s and 90s. Don't worry though, I see a bright tower in its future, but we may need to see 20 or so more of these scale developments first though!

Cheers!

[OldPueblo$]

Good luck financing that.