Tucson Development Thread

[farmerk]

Originally Posted by Azstar

Reality check. None of these projects is likely to go anywhere. Between local developers, who are underfunded and lack resources, to the City Council, which has shown itself to be uncooperative and obstructionist at every turn.

Azstar, you just predicted Tucson for the new year of two thousand fifteen (plus).

Btw, Cadence is still ugly. In fact, it got uglier. I wish Tucson would build another downtown (I-10/Kolb) from scratch. The current downtown is just locked with corruption and ugliness . Oh ...that won't happen either.

For those new in this forum, downtown development in Tucson is just another episode in the Twilight Zone.

Happy New year everyone!

[andrewsaturn]

Originally Posted by farmerk

Azstar, you just predicted Tucson for the new year of two thousand fifteen (plus).

Btw, Cadence is still ugly. In fact, it got uglier. I wish Tucson would build another downtown (I-10/Kolb) from scratch. The current downtown is just locked with corruption and ugliness . Oh ...that won't happen either.

For those new in this forum, downtown development in Tucson is just another episode in the Twilight Zone.

Happy New year everyone!

I know it's frustrating to not see any fruition to some projects that we had in the past in downtown, however, let's not forget that before we did not have the streetcar. As we all know the streetcar has already provided an incredible amount of investment in downtown we have not seen in a long time. I cannot help but think that downtown's momentum will move forward in 2015 as plans for the Ronstadt Center renovation is in it's planning stages with two bidders, the new Johnny Gibson Market opening soon, as well as the Barraza Aviation Parkway project still in progress ( http://downtownlinks.info/app/upload...ec14-Final.pdf New Photos Update Included).

Something will get built on the Tucson Arena site because if Norville does not come through, Peach Props. will take over. That land along the streetcar is too prime to not let some happen IMO.

[farmerk]

Originally Posted by andrewsaturn

I know it's frustrating to not see any fruition to some projects that we had in the past in downtown, however, let's not forget that before we did not have the streetcar. As we all know the streetcar has already provided an incredible amount of investment in downtown we have not seen in a long time. I cannot help but think that downtown's momentum will move forward in 2015 as plans for the Ronstadt Center renovation is in it's planning stages with two bidders, the new Johnny Gibson Market opening soon, as well as the Barraza Aviation Parkway project still in progress ( http://downtownlinks.info/app/upload...ec14-Final.pdf New Photos Update Included).

Something will get built on the Tucson Arena site because if Norville does not come through, Peach Props. will take over. That land along the streetcar is too prime to not let some happen IMO.

My frustration stems from those local developers that have been promising to build their $1 gov't handout for the past 10 years. These criminals are just cheating Tucson taxpayers for constantly breaking their promise.

*Norville surely will never build anything.
*Peach Prop is bidding on bigger projects when they can't even build their smaller project across Cadence (eye sore and a building that's suppose to be 11 floors high)
*Bourne ... 10 years and counting. Building other stuff but not downtown.
*Butt end of downtown west ... WILL never happen. Year after year the same ol' fart - we'll start this summer, we'll build this fall ...

Before Oct 2008 (Crash), there was very easy credit. These morons could've built their $1 giveaway before '08 and get it done.

Meanwhile, we got non-local developers right by the U of A successfully finishing projects. The COT's preference of awarding local developers needs to stop. It just doesn't work. We also need more brand name stores downtown. We can't always go through this merry go round of local businesses relocating downtown and then move out the following few months. I was at Park Place Mall few days ago and the place was packed. The parking lot is filled to full capacity. Park Place Mall is filled with brand name stores that people go to. Downtown Tucson doesn't even have a Starbucks. There's something wrong with that.

I'm glad for Johnny Gibson's, the Street Car and Downtown Links. Not glad with these local developers. I'd say kick them out right now.

EDIT:
Wasn't there suppose to be brand name stores at the base of the new TEP building? What happened to that? I've heard rumors of high rise condo. Makes me wonder if there is a group or an individual that's preventing these to happen. Is Michael Keith, the CEO of the Downtown Tucson Partnership, the 'god' that's deciding who stays in or not? If he is, he needs to go.

Big Plans to downtown Tucson 2015 - first joke of Tucson 2015

[Patrick S]

Originally Posted by farmerk

Btw, Cadence is still ugly. In fact, it got uglier. I wish Tucson would build another downtown (I-10/Kolb) from scratch. The current downtown is just locked with corruption and ugliness . Oh ...that won't happen either.

I'm confused by this statement. Unless you're building a city from scratch (think Brasilia), you don't just build a downtown from scratch. It's an organic process, same as the growth of a city. You don't just say, "This is downtown. Let's build some high rises or skyscrapers here and wait for people to move in". I'm not sure that Kolb and I-10 would be the best place for the center of Tucson commerce, arts, and culture anyway. I-10 is 2 lanes in each direction there, it's far from I-19 (compared to downtown), it's far from midtown, it's far from the 2 main established suburbs of Marana and Oro Valley. Granted, it is closer to the undeveloped portion of the city south of I-10 and southeast of TIA, but my guess is in the next 50 years as that portion of the city is built on and grown, that an almost mini-downtown will develop organically in the southern portion of town. Not sure where it will be, and not saying it will be as big as downtown is now (and will be in the future with further growth). I picture something like what you see further east on Broadway (around the Williams Center, 5151 E. Broadway, and around Broadway and Wilmot), but only more condensed and substantial. Plus I see more growth in downtown - possibly spreading further down Broadway and/or spreading all the way to the U of A. And the thought that downtown is the only portion of the city that is rife with corruption is incorrect. The whole city is rife with it, as well as incompetence and too many nonsensical regulations.

[southtucsonboy77]

Below is a link for a kaneui-type summary of completed, under construction and planned projects for urban Albuquerque. If you compare Albuquerque with Tucson...and if you've visited the Duke City...you'll see that Tucson is currently ahead of the game and has developed more density and urbanicity (if that's a word) than its southwest counterpart of similiar size and economies. I feel we should be proud of what our region has accomplished the last few years and we should be excited for 2015.

http://urbanabq.com/2014/12/29/thanks-for-2014/

One last point...I agree with farmerk and even Linda Ronstadt about how ugly some of our buildings are in downtown. However, yesterday afternoon while I was eating outside at Fired Pies...the urban feel, the college girls walking around, and just observing the businesses and traffic that has occurred recently in downtown was a great feeling. Tucson (the developers) have done a good job with that.

[crzyabe]

Originally Posted by southtucsonboy77

However, yesterday afternoon while I was eating outside at Fired Pies...the urban feel, the college girls walking around, and just observing the businesses and traffic that has occurred recently in downtown was a great feeling. Tucson (the developers) have done a good job with that.

I agree. If you compare today's Downtown Tucson to 5 years ago, there has been substantial progress and I believe more is coming. My wife and I are frequently downtown on the weekends and she has commented more than once that it almost feels like a different city. True, sustained improvement does not and should not happen quickly. There have been and will continue to be missteps, but I think things are on the right track.

[Patrick S]

I moved here a little over 6 years ago. Downtown's feel is night-and-day. When I first moved here I only would go downtown for business type things (paying property tax, paying a speeding ticket, jury duty). I live even farther away from downtown then I did when I first moved here, and I still don't make it down there enough, but I like being downtown now. There's a definite change and it seems like the place to be now, not the place to avoid.

[balugajames]

Hey everyone! Its amazing to see Tucson's transformation. As a kid, downtown was more or less a No mans land... I left 10 years ago to attend college and then found employment in downtown Denver which is where I currently reside. My wife and I spent 2 weeks in Tucson over the holidays as both our families live there and wow!! Tucson is becoming a really cool little city. In fact we are contemplating on how we can get back there. We want to support downtown's future and we loved the vibe, laid back atmosphere and weather!

Don't get me wrong. We love Colorado and Denver is amazing but Tucson certainly has a place in our heart and the Catalinas, Tucson, and Rincon mountains are always breath taking.

Its great to see some progress. Its certainly shaping up to be a really nice community to live and work. I hope the best, and who knows... We may be joining you for the renaissance!
Go Tucson!

[crzyabe]

The District Tavern on Congress will close. Interesting write up on the details.

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange...ing-bars-place

[southtucsonboy77]

Originally Posted by crzyabe

The District Tavern on Congress will close. Interesting write up on the details.

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange...ing-bars-place

The caution that these property owners and developers need to apply is that if they try to run out the diversity of downtown...then the progress will be all for nothing. Downtown Tucson will end up like Downtown Phoenix...completely bland. Great cities like New York, S.F., and Chicago have a mix of higher-end and dive right around the corner from each other.

[Azstar]

It's ironic that downtown property owners feel their properties are so valuable now. Downtown redevelopment is still very tentative and more businesses have closed and left than those that have opened. Frequently landlords feel they can double the rents, but when the tenants leave the space often becomes vacant, again, for years. I may be ignorant on the subject, but I don't really believe there is a long line of high end tenants just waiting for the opportunity to risk a huge investment in downtown Tucson.

[Ted Lyons]

Originally Posted by Azstar

It's ironic that downtown property owners feel their properties are so valuable now. Downtown redevelopment is still very tentative and more businesses have closed and left than those that have opened. Frequently landlords feel they can double the rents, but when the tenants leave the space often becomes vacant, again, for years. I may be ignorant on the subject, but I don't really believe there is a long line of high end tenants just waiting for the opportunity to risk a huge investment in downtown Tucson.

District's rents were probably at the same rate as when the building housed Shark's and a fledgling art gallery. There is no doubt the values are higher with Playground, Bianco, and HUB as neighbors. That's not even accounting for someone taking over the Saint House space.

[hthomas]

Originally Posted by Ted Lyons

District's rents were probably at the same rate as when the building housed Shark's and a fledgling art gallery. There is no doubt the values are higher with Playground, Bianco, and HUB as neighbors. That's not even accounting for someone taking over the Saint House space.

I know several people looking to open businesses along Congress, and from what they've said there is a lot of competition to get in there. That might just be what is being told to them by the landlords... Additionally, the people I know have told me that the owners of certain spaces (i.e. the space where Buffalo Exchange was) are very particular about what they want to see in those spaces, and if the use doesn't match what the landlord wants they wont lease it to them. I would imagine a Wine Bar/Tapas restaurant will go in where the District is and another bar will be opening up with the opening of Gibson's in the back alley. There are a lot of cool nodes in downtown... At some point some of these business owners should look at areas further down Toole, 5-Points, etc. Congress is great but it doesn't have to be the end all...

[Qwijib0]

New streetcar headways start the 19th



Positive changes imo-- the best being relatively frequent service all the way to midnight now. Guess they had to take from somewhere and early morning/evening sunday is as good a place as any.

[ComplotDesigner]

I know it's not a large development, but I drive by every morning and took a couple pictures. (Broadway & Craycroft)

[ppdd]

Originally Posted by ComplotDesigner

I know it's not a large development, but I drive by every morning and took a couple pictures. (Broadway & Craycroft)

I see this all the time as well. I was poking around trying to figure out what it was. Looks like it will be a Select Comfort store. http://realestatedaily-news.com/sele...ycroft-tucson/

Ugh. This will be the third mattress store at that intersection. At least.

Lots of activity just down the road as well, at Wilmot and Broadway. The land is being cleared for a Dick's Sporting Goods, and the tenets of the rest of the complex (Christies appliance, etc.) have been cleared out. Just TJMaxx remains.

[ArbyW]

The provisions of Section 5.12, Downtown Area Infill Incentive District, end on January 31, 2015, unless Mayor and Council extend the date by separate ordinance.

Does anyone know if this is on the Agenda?

[Ted Lyons]

Originally Posted by ArbyW

The provisions of Section 5.12, Downtown Area Infill Incentive District, end on January 31, 2015, unless Mayor and Council extend the date by separate ordinance.

Does anyone know if this is on the Agenda?

Yes, it's on the agenda for the 21st. Plan is to push the sunset date to 01/31/2016.

[InTheBurbs]

Time to break this January lull.

Tucson's first deck park design soon to be approved

Tucson's first deck park, or plaza as it's now being called, is entering its final design phase.

It will sit above the new downtown links roadway being built as a bypass around downtown. Cars will drive underneath the railroad tracks and the park just west of the Stone Avenue bridge.

http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/27946138/tucsons-first...

Tucson Launches Streetcar Development Guide

Tucson is trying to shape the kinds of commercial development that happen along its modern streetcar line so that future construction matches the tone of each area along the route.

In 2012, the Pima Association of Governments funded a land use planning process for the areas along the streetcar from the University of Arizona Medical Center on the northeast end of the line, to the west side of downtown on the other end of the line.
The planning process contributed to a development guide the city published online this month, said Nicole Ewing-Gavin, the city's director of integrated planning.

Story from AZPM here.

Link to City of Tucson's Modern Streetcar Land Use and
Development Implementation Plan here

[InTheBurbs]

On a different note...The BBC has been traveling around the country stopping in different cities and is currently spending a month in Tucson.



Link to BBC Pop Up Series

The latest story was a look at trailer parks in Tucson, but they've also done stories on farmers markets, immigration, and the fog. It will be interesting to see what else they cover.