Tucson Development Thread

[Butta]

Originally Posted by farmerk

Nope. Disagree.

That area has been de-malled last few years with Target, Home Depot, Starbucks, Walmart etc... around the mall building proper. I won't be surprised if that building gets demolished with a new building.

The owner Kroenke has an estimated worth of $5.6 billion. He's no local developer.

"Kroenke is married to Walmart founder Sam Walton’s daughter, Ann Walton"

So there's literally greater than 0% chance that mall being replaced.

EDIT:
I believe we got our "Elon Musk" in Tucson. Who knows what Kroenke , a Walton, could do in Tucson. I did a wiki on this guy - "he has been in the special position to develop many of the plazas near Wal-Mart stores". Silent Stan is into sports and real estate - arena in Tucson? Apartment high rise in downtown old pueblo? A billionaire interested in Tucson is a big deal and unheard of in a very long time. The last billionaire interested in Tucson made a very huge foot print in our economy - Howard Hughes .

EDIT Part 2:
Might wanna google "Stan Kroenke". He deals with large projects on a global scale. He's also a recluse.

Just because he owns the company that is buying this shopping center, doesn't mean Tucson will become a high rise and development mecca or he'll move to Tucson or he'll spend millions of dollars of investments in the city. We will need to wait and see, but probably this is just another small piece of his very large portfolio.

[farmerk]

Not good news .

Over abundance of mattress firms in the OLD Pueblo?

btw, Hope I'm wrong but I'm becoming increasingly convinced that Tesla's gigafactory might just end up back in California.

This one is good news - run down motel planned to be converted to a 4 story 42 unit affordable housing . Here's a funny comment from some of our mattress lovin' residents "Armory Park residents opposed the plan, saying it would rob the neighborhood of a historic property designed by famed Tucson architect Josias Joesler" . Frank Lloyd Wright...yes. Josias Joesler who? Bwahahahaha!!

[cdsuofa]

Im so tired of hearing about some Tucsonans faceless sentimentality towards "historic sites" being torn down to make room for progress and economic development. Whenever this reason for opposing a development comes up it is never something that anyone really considers historically significant to Tucson. In this case a long time neglected and abandoned building is supposed to be considered part of Tucson's Character? Maybe save the sign and put it up as décor somewhere else but for gods sake Im so tired of this sentimentality towards how the way things were holding up economic growth. I am so relieved we saved El Rio as well because when I think Tucson history I think El Rio Golf Course. Who needed hundreds of jobs and additional higher education in this city any ways? P.S. I wish they would consider 6 or 8 stories. 4 doesn't really go tall enough to effect the skyline.

[soleri]

Originally Posted by cdsuofa

Im so tired of hearing about some Tucsonans faceless sentimentality towards "historic sites" being torn down to make room for progress and economic development. Whenever this reason for opposing a development comes up it is never something that anyone really considers historically significant to Tucson. In this case a long time neglected and abandoned building is supposed to be considered part of Tucson's Character? Maybe save the sign and put it up as décor somewhere else but for gods sake Im so tired of this sentimentality towards how the way things were holding up economic growth. I am so relieved we saved El Rio as well because when I think Tucson history I think El Rio Golf Course. Who needed hundreds of jobs and additional higher education in this city any ways? P.S. I wish they would consider 6 or 8 stories. 4 doesn't really go tall enough to effect the skyline.

No tears shed for the Downtown Motor Hotel although in another context it might be a legitimate preservation target. Still, a little pushback here. Tucson's future really needs to connect to its past. Old buildings give the city character and charm. Take them out and you're left with another nondescript and soulless sprawl town like Tucson's big brother to the north. When I went to UofA in the 1970s, it looked like Tucson might evolve into Arizona's Portland, a high-quality-of-life city with a dense core and growth boundaries. The "economic growth" cabal (Don Diamond, Jim Click, et al) ended that dream and today Tucson's potential sputters along with a weak downtown and a drive-everywhere transportation system. This is only "progress" if you think cities are meant to look like suburbs. There's still creative energy in Tucson, of course, and a good place to meet them is in Armory Park. They actually live in and around downtown. They're your allies. The people who want Tucson to emulate Phoenix are not.

[Ted Lyons]

I'm all for saving historic buildings but the only architecturally notable part of this building is the front office.





What do you know? The developers are saving that part.





I do hope they keep the sign, though.

EDIT - Looks like they are based on the NW elevation.

[cdsuofa]

Originally Posted by soleri

No tears shed for the Downtown Motor Hotel although in another context it might be a legitimate preservation target. Still, a little pushback here. Tucson's future really needs to connect to its past. Old buildings give the city character and charm. Take them out and you're left with another nondescript and soulless sprawl town like Tucson's big brother to the north. When I went to UofA in the 1970s, it looked like Tucson might evolve into Arizona's Portland, a high-quality-of-life city with a dense core and growth boundaries. The "economic growth" cabal (Don Diamond, Jim Click, et al) ended that dream and today Tucson's potential sputters along with a weak downtown and a drive-everywhere transportation system. This is only "progress" if you think cities are meant to look like suburbs. There's still creative energy in Tucson, of course, and a good place to meet them is in Armory Park. They actually live in and around downtown. They're your allies. The people who want Tucson to emulate Phoenix are not.

I completely agree. The thing is the only time this reason for opposition comes up is when the building or site in question has no significance to the feel of the city. If we were talking about a group of maintained historic homes in that area It would be a completely different discussion.

[Thirsty]

Originally Posted by farmerk

Not good news .

Over abundance of mattress firms in the OLD Pueblo?

btw, Hope I'm wrong but I'm becoming increasingly convinced that Tesla's gigafactory might just end up back in California.

This one is good news - run down motel planned to be converted to a 4 story 42 unit affordable housing . Here's a funny comment from some of our mattress lovin' residents "Armory Park residents opposed the plan, saying it would rob the neighborhood of a historic property designed by famed Tucson architect Josias Joesler" . Frank Lloyd Wright...yes. Josias Joesler who? Bwahahahaha!!

Josias Joesler was a big deal around southern Arizona. Anything by him or Roy Place should get a second look.

In this case however there isn't much reason to raise a fuss.

[Ritarancher]

The motel has to go. Nobody should be protesting it's demolition unless they're ready to buy it themselves and make the necessary repairs to keep it well. I'm not too crazy for the new design, but it's still an improvement.
In other news, One East Broadway is 100% full! Hopefully this creates more housing projects downtown which would help businesses downtown and create a need for more urban projects, such as a City Target.

[farmerk]

I'm glad that there's even a developer who has interest in this run down motel. This motel is beyond the point of restoring but the developer is nice enough to keep the front office and the sign.

That area needs a 'starter' development and this could be it. There is barely any foot traffic in that area. This will hopefully attract further developments in this area.

However, should this building turn out to be another drug infested low income housing, the developer could always sell this place and hopefully, a new developer would build a 10+ floor modern mixed used development.

As for some local businesses closing their downtown location, I think it's time to bring in big bad corporate business. I'm all for local business thriving but 30+ years of local business downtown just won't help. An urban Walmart AND urban Target downtown will be a great addition.



Btw, Good thing they kept the MaCarthur Building downtown. The was slated for demolition.

[Thirsty]

A mini-Walmart like in Tempe wouldn't kill business, but I think you're going to need more residential density before one movies in.

Maybe a great compromise would be one of the "Urban Walgreens" They've got an emphasis on ready-to-go food, kind of like a QuikTrip mixed with a pharmacy. I think that would do well with students.



Speaking of students, is there a liquor store downtown?

I would think you could open a "wine and spirits" shop that fit the ambiance of East Congress, while actually making a killing selling 30-pack domestics and Jose Cuervo to all the students who will be living on the streetcar line.

[aznate27]

World's best new skyscraper is ...

Not one U.S. city made the list.

[Ted Lyons]

Update on Scott Stiteler's AC project downtown. Looks like construction is scheduled to start at the beginning of 2015.

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt...1fd448815.html

[InTheBurbs]

Originally Posted by Ted Lyons

Update on Scott Stiteler's AC project downtown. Looks like construction is scheduled to start at the beginning of 2015.

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt...1fd448815.html

CNBC reports on the AC Brand and mentions the "Tucson Downtown" location, in addition to AC hotels planned for New York, Miami, KC, and Cincinnati.

[DSGNR7]

Rio Nuevo has early concept renderings of the AC Hotel up on the their website. Check em' out!

http://rionuevo.org/wp-content/uploa...Renderings.pdf

[aznate27]

Tucson's P3 Hotel Moves Forward with Rio Nuevo Board Approval

Found this online on Real Estate Daily News posted a couple days ago. It talks about the new AC hotel for Tucson. I thought I scored on the rendering, but the guy above me did much better, haha.

[aznate27]

Originally Posted by DSGNR7

Rio Nuevo has earlier concept renderings of the AC Hotel up on the their website. Check em' out!

http://rionuevo.org/wp-content/uploa...Renderings.pdf

Of course you scored on the renderings much better than me, lol. I am loving the design!! This is exactly what downtown Tucson needs, modern forward thinking architecture. I hope this sets a precedent for other future projects downtown.

[aznate27]

Big Brothers/Big Sisters Tucson Prepares For Much-Needed Renovation After Their 50th Anniversary

Not sure if someone posted this already, it's from back in February, but Big Brothers/Big Sisters downtown has started renovating their building. Should breathe some new life into that corner.

[farmerk]

Nice to see a hip looking hotel. Now, downtown has a modern hotel, grocery store and a handful of resident housing plus the modern streetcar. We pretty much have the building blocks for Phase II and hopefully, that would include a huge number of 20+ floor mixed used modern architecture. They have to be 20+ floor buildings since downtown is not that big. The taller the better. We've seen the very strong demand for high rise living in downtown old pueblo.

We're entering a 'new normal' , words I keep hearing around Tucson these days. We'll see retirees, New Yorkers, Californians, rich Chinese etc. who want to own a second home live downtown. Tucson lacks earthquakes, blizzards and expensive living. Why live in Florida and evacuate during hurricane season?

If you guys are craving for a feel good news program, I suggest watching MetroWeek with Andrea Kelly . I've seen her close to slapping Tucson NIMBY's when she was working at AZ Illustrated. Her show will likely be the anti-AZStarnet show.

[southtucsonboy77]

Originally Posted by farmerk

Nice to see a hip looking hotel. Now, downtown has a modern hotel, grocery store and a handful of resident housing plus the modern streetcar. We pretty much have the building blocks for Phase II and hopefully, that would include a huge number of 20+ floor mixed used modern architecture. They have to be 20+ floor buildings since downtown is not that big. The taller the better. We've seen the very strong demand for high rise living in downtown old pueblo.

We're entering a 'new normal' , words I keep hearing around Tucson these days. We'll see retirees, New Yorkers, Californians, rich Chinese etc. who want to own a second home live downtown. Tucson lacks earthquakes, blizzards and expensive living. Why live in Florida and evacuate during hurricane season?

If you guys are craving for a feel good news program, I suggest watching MetroWeek with Andrea Kelly . I've seen her close to slapping Tucson NIMBY's when she was working at AZ Illustrated. Her show will likely be the anti-AZStarnet show.

The 8 story hotel is another good DENSITY project with a much needed use...hotel. The interior design and modern look looks cool, but the box shape is a little too much like Cadence.

I'm still waiting for that SKYLINE changing project. I'll definitely take 20 stories, but I like the stepping stones and direction that downtown has made and a 10-15 story mid-rise, much like the student housing at the Main Gate overlay would be a good start.

[Classical in Phoenix]

This looks like a great project, hope it goes through. As someone who spent some time at U of A in the 80's, I have always thought downtown Tucson had tons of potential.