Tucson Development Thread

[Ted Lyons]

Originally Posted by kaneui

As a belated holiday gift to the thread, I have made yet another update to my metro Tucson project list (see link below). Happy 2014!

Don't know how I missed this earlier, but awesome!

[farmerk]

Kaneui, thanks for posting.

I like these. Tucson is moving forward ... finally! I want more!!

[Thirsty]

Originally Posted by farmerk

Kaneui, thanks for posting.

I like these. Tucson is moving forward ... finally! I want more!!

I think you mean upward.

[Qwijib0]

Originally Posted by Ted Lyons

The Daily Star ran an article about Potbelly opening three locations in Tucson over the next several months the other day. In searching for renderings of Next, I just stumbled upon this: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...&stream_ref=10

That's a good tenant to start out with and, hopefully, is indicative of what the mixed use buildings (Hub and Next) will bring to the neighborhood.

I just want LUCKY back :/

[ppdd]

Originally Posted by Ted Lyons

Let's be honest, the VF outlets are an absolute joke. Also, I'm originally from Sierra Vista and I don't know what outlets you're referring to down there. Foothills mall is the only relatively direct comparison and I think it was mired by bad management for years. The fact that it only became an outlet mall after it failed as a real mall elucidates on that.

The economic input per year of the Mexican visitors targeted by these centers is in the hundreds of millions of dollars if not more. I'd be surprised if these places didn't make money as long as they're well managed.

Whoops, I meant Casa Grande, not Sierra Vista, sorry. The VF mall closed years ago.

[aznate27]

So I finally went to the Tucson page on Emporis.com and submitted Level, Hub and Next. The page is finally updated! If you guys create a profile they let you submit updates and changes to the page. If anyone has pics of one of the three buildings above you should submit it

[Patrick S]

Well, it's not Triple-A, or even Double or Single-A, heck, it's not even a league with teams affiliated with MLB teams, but it's still something.

Professional baseball could return to Tucson

A minor league out of Texas is swinging for the fences in a bid to bring baseball back to Tucson this year.

The investor group behind an independent baseball league based in Texas has submitted a formal proposal to take over Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, starting as early as next month.

John Bryant, chief executive officer of Reunion Sports LLC, said in a letter to County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry that a team with the United League Baseball could play as many as 72 games this year if a deal could be worked out.

“We wish to permanently locate an independent, minor-league professional baseball team in Tucson beginning in the 2014 season which would make its home at Kino Sports Complex,” wrote Bryant, shortly after touring the facility with county officials earlier this month.

The proposal offers the county-run stadium district roughly $72,000 for year-round occupancy of the team offices and seasonal use of the stadium.

Reunion Sports Group also wants to take over concessions at the stadium, offering the county 20 percent of the gross concession revenues.

The two-page letter also hints at the possibility of major-league baseball returning to Tucson, offering to pay the stadium district an additional $10,000 for every major-league exhibition game held at Kino Stadium.

It even contains a scaled-back proposal to essentially share the stadium with El Paso Chihuahuas, as the Triple A baseball team still has an existing lease with the county.

The team, formerly known as the Tucson Padres, has the option to play in Tucson for another season if its new stadium built in downtown El Paso isn’t ready for spring training.

The league offers to work around the “home” schedule of the El Paso team, playing as few as 48 games at Kino Stadium.

Bryant, who toured the stadium on Jan. 3, said the stadium is one of the nicest in the country his teams have access to.

He said the teams in the United League Baseball play in similarly sized markets but have access to much smaller stadiums.

Huckelberry said the county staff has reviewed the proposal and is working on a response.

Some possible sticking points could include the concessionaire license and handing over control of the stadium to a single group for the entire year.

The county has found some recent success in marketing the baseball stadium to other groups, mostly notably semi-professional soccer teams.

If the two sides can reach an agreement in principle, Huckelberry said a decision could go before the Pima County Board of Supervisors in a matter of weeks.

Greg Foster, a managing partner of FC Tucson, believes there is plenty of room inside the stadium district for both his semi-professional soccer club and the baseball team.

While not privy to the offer made by Reunion Sports, Foster said he welcomes the idea of the stadium finding a year-round new tenant.

He praised county stadium district officials for their ability to quickly convert the field at Kino Stadium to accommodate the schedules of both soccer and baseball teams.

His only concern, Foster said, was that he hopes the stadium will continue to be available for smaller groups, including local amateur sport teams.

[Patrick S]

Originally Posted by aznate27

So I finally went to the Tucson page on Emporis.com and submitted Level, Hub and Next. The page is finally updated! If you guys create a profile they let you submit updates and changes to the page. If anyone has pics of one of the three buildings above you should submit it

I took a look at the page, and not to quibble, but the little blurb says Tucson is surrounded by 5 mountain ranges, then only lists 4 of them - leaving out the Tucson Mountains to the West. It does say the Tortolitas are to the west, but I always thought they were more to the NorthWest.

[aznate27]

Originally Posted by Patrick S

I took a look at the page, and not to quibble, but the little blurb says Tucson is surrounded by 5 mountain ranges, then only lists 4 of them - leaving out the Tucson Mountains to the West. It does say the Tortolitas are to the west, but I always thought they were more to the NorthWest.

I only updated those three buildings, they weren't even listed, but if you sign in you can send them correct info and stats on the city. The population number is wrong as well, it's over a million for Pima County, not Tucson.

[Ritarancher]

I stumbled upon a interesting article about a new apartment complex south of the UofA
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/neto...d7a37da76.html

Neto's Tucson: Charming 1897 Tucson home in danger of being razed
In the Rincon Heights neighborhood, at the southeast corner of East 10th Street and North Mountain Avenue, sits an old, lovely home. While it is empty and in need of lots of TLC, the house still radiates yesterday’s charm and character.

The house was built in 1897, six years after the University of Arizona held its first class, and once was the residence of Clara Lee Tanner, a pioneering UA archaeologist and Native American art curator.

It’s the kind of residence that enabled the Rincon Heights neighborhood to gain, last February, designation on the National Register of Historic Places.

The neighborhood designation, however, does not protect the adobe ranch home at 1300 E. 10th St. from being razed. Unless it is bought, for the asking price of $400,000, the property owner is expected to build a large, two-story apartment complex for UA students.

To the neighbors, the planned project will scar Rincon Heights and burden it, but to the property owner, it’s a business decision.

“I understand we need to densify, but we need to do it the right way. That’s a challenge,” said Colby Henley, president of the Rincon Heights Neighborhood Association.

Henley, his neighbors and Ward 6 Councilman Steve Kozachik have had discussions with the property owner, Jarrett Reidhead of Tucson Integrity Realty, about preserving the property but to no avail.

Reidhead, a 35-year-old Marana resident, said he plans to tear down the two-bedroom, three-bath, 1,760-square-foot home and adjoining guest house. He then plans to erect four eight-bedroom residences, two stories high, with a pool in the middle, which will house at least 32 people and — if he wants to, because law allows him — up to 64.

“There is a university there and demand for housing,” said Reidhead, a 2003 UA grad who played on the Mountain View High School varsity basketball team.

And developing housing is his business, added Reidhead, who has a total of seven properties in Rincon Heights. Of the seven, three were remodeled and one was torn down, and of the other three, two will be demolished and the remaining one will be remodeled.

He said residents should pool their resources and buy and preserve coveted properties.

These two forces, neighborhood preservation and development, have long clashed in Tucson, especially around the university area, as well as in some of Tucson’s older downtown barrios.

While the city of Tucson has provided some protection for the pressured neighborhoods, and tax laws give owners of old homes some incentive to preserve their properties, these measures are not enough to retain historic structures and prevent multi-unit complexes from taking their place.

If the property owner meets the regulations and zoning requirements, the owner can bulldoze and build big. The result is the slow erosion of homes and structures, erasing the richness of Tucson’s history and character.

“We become a place that people are no longer interested in visiting because it looks like every other place,” said Gretchen Lueck, a resident in Rincon Heights who has also met with Reidhead.

In the petition for the national designation, the Tucson Historic Preservation Office wrote that Rincon Heights provided homes for families associated with the UA and the railroad.

“Interestingly, the lack of deed restrictions within Rincon Heights created a neighborhood with a high degree of racial, religious and ethnic diversity. Today, the neighborhood exhibits an eclectic mix of architectural styles ranging from American Territorial to mid-century Ranch homes.”

Jonathan Mabry, the city’s preservation officer, said the designation on the National Registry does not put any new regulations on the use of private property. In Tucson there are 34 neighborhoods designated on the registry. Rincon Heights is the most recent.

For six neighborhoods, the city has an “overlay,” which sets stricter regulations to make any significant changes to exteriors of historical structures, said Mabry. Rincon Heights doesn’t have the overlay.

It simply has a great location, just south of the UA and east of downtown, and it has what many people look for in its graceful character. It’s why Reidhead and other developers are looking to build apartments in Rincon Heights and other older areas.

The irony, of course, is that the development of large, out-of-character buildings will destroy the very charm that makes Rincon Heights special.
(Arizona Daily Star)

In my opinion, we need to densify, but not in Rincon Heights. I also see that the home is undesirable, for 400k I'd want a nicer home in the foothills. Looking at streetview on Google Maps, it's not a bad house, but it is across the street from a 2 story apartment complex. The complex across the street isn't the best looking building. Personally, I think that the best thing to do is to add the apartments, otherwise we'd have an unmaintained home rotting away.

[Anqrew]

In an Interview with Arizona Daily Wildcat, the Mayor said something that caught my attention:

"One of the issues for the community and university relations is the fact that the university does intend to grow its population over the next 10 years. The university is surrounded by these historic neighborhoods, and so when there wasn’t a place for students and they wanted to be close to the university, up came mini-dorms. It was controversial, but the building of the new university overlay district where we’re going to have four towers that will hold UA students has already taken the market out of the mini-dorms. We said, “Look, this is the solution to the mini-dorm problem. We can try and regulate mini-dorms out of existence, [but] the fact of the matter is those kids are going to be in your neighborhood having parties on Saturday night."

So... we have Hub, Next, and Level. I assume a 4th tower will begin construction this year in the spot next to Hub?

Full Article/Interview here: http://www.wildcat.arizona.edu/artic...ege-experience

[Ted Lyons]

Originally Posted by Anqrew

In an Interview with Arizona Daily Wildcat, the Mayor said something that caught my attention:

"One of the issues for the community and university relations is the fact that the university does intend to grow its population over the next 10 years. The university is surrounded by these historic neighborhoods, and so when there wasn’t a place for students and they wanted to be close to the university, up came mini-dorms. It was controversial, but the building of the new university overlay district where we’re going to have four towers that will hold UA students has already taken the market out of the mini-dorms. We said, “Look, this is the solution to the mini-dorm problem. We can try and regulate mini-dorms out of existence, [but] the fact of the matter is those kids are going to be in your neighborhood having parties on Saturday night."

So... we have Hub, Next, and Level. I assume a 4th tower will begin construction this year in the spot next to Hub?

Full Article/Interview here: http://www.wildcat.arizona.edu/artic...ege-experience

That would be my assumption given the reports awhile back about the current owners selling that lot. Curious if that's moving along behind the scenes.

[ProfessorMole]

Came across this in my perusing of the interwebs. They didn't make their goal to build the first parklet in Tucson, but I love the idea and can think of numerous places these could be downtown and along fourth too.

Tucson's First Parklet via Tucson Velo

[Ted Lyons]

Originally Posted by ProfessorMole

Came across this in my perusing of the interwebs. They didn't make their goal to build the first parklet in Tucson, but I love the idea and can think of numerous places these could be downtown and along fourth too.

Tucson's First Parklet via Tucson Velo

I don't know how Indiegogo works but they'll evidently get to keep the funds they did raise, which should cover the city application fees at least.

[farmerk]

Originally Posted by Anqrew

In an Interview with Arizona Daily Wildcat, the Mayor said something that caught my attention:

"... we’re going to have four towers that will hold UA students ....."

So... we have Hub, Next, and Level. I assume a 4th tower will begin construction this year in the spot next to Hub?

Full Article/Interview here: http://www.wildcat.arizona.edu/artic...ege-experience

Mr. Mayor, only 4 (F0uR) Towers ?

Let's see, more 'Towers' downtown (that's were you build them...look at other downtowns around the planet) vs whiny Neighborhood Associations (ILLEGAL Autocratic Delusional Associations) who are against virtually everything .

Mr. Mayor, FOCUS . The best way for Tucson to get out of it's continuing cycle of decline and poverty is URBANIZED and DENSIFY central Tucson....that includes building mini-dorms or better, 'towers' around these historic neighborhoods (most of them are ugly, btw ) .

@Rita Rancher, I'd tear down that butt ugly slum looking 'historic' house and crossed our fingers that it will be replaced by a classic art deco mini-dorm . Those ugly apartments across and around it need to be replaced also!

[Thirsty]

Originally Posted by farmerk

Mr. Mayor, only 4 (F0uR) Towers ?

Let's see, more 'Towers' downtown (that's were you build them...look at other downtowns around the planet) vs whiny Neighborhood Associations (ILLEGAL Autocratic Delusional Associations) who are against virtually everything .

Mr. Mayor, FOCUS . The best way for Tucson to get out of it's continuing cycle of decline and poverty is URBANIZED and DENSIFY central Tucson....that includes building mini-dorms or better, 'towers' around these historic neighborhoods (most of them are ugly, btw ) .

@Rita Rancher, I'd tear down that butt ugly slum looking 'historic' house and crossed our fingers that it will be replaced by a classic art deco mini-dorm . Those ugly apartments across and around it need to be replaced also!

I think you misunderstand the term "mini-dorm" They aren't small apartment complexes.

Mini-dorms refer to the 2-3 bdrm houses investors buy to gut, throw up some extra walls and/or add on a large cinder-block addition so they can fit a dozen or so students into these lots intended for single-family homes.

Oftentimes landscaping is pulled out so the yard can be used for parking. These Franken-houses are done as cheaply as possible and it shows on the outside too.

That is what the mayor is hoping the new 14-story housing in the overlay district and downtown will put an end to.

[farmerk]

Originally Posted by Thirsty

I think you misunderstand the term "mini-dorm" They aren't small apartment complexes.

Mini-dorms refer to the 2-3 bdrm houses investors buy to gut, throw up some extra walls and/or add on a large cinder-block addition so they can fit a dozen or so students into these lots intended for single-family homes.

Oftentimes landscaping is pulled out so the yard can be used for parking. These Franken-houses are done as cheaply as possible and it shows on the outside too.

That is what the mayor is hoping the new 14-story housing in the overlay district and downtown will put an end to.

I was being sarcastic. I agree with you and the mayor, I'd prefer 'towers' than those cookie cutter mini-dorms. In fact, any cookie cutter strip mall looking development should be banned in Tucson.

Not against mini-dorms , it's the cookie cutter architecture that bothers me. There are some mini-dorms around the U of A that have been around for a long time and they look nice.

As for apartment complexes around the U of A, I can't think of one that I find architecturally attractive. Those need to be replaced also.

[Qwijib0]

Originally Posted by Patrick S

Well, it's not Triple-A, or even Double or Single-A, heck, it's not even a league with teams affiliated with MLB teams, but it's still something.

Professional baseball could return to Tucson

We did a story on this possibility, and the 'league' is still having huge financial difficulties.

https://news.azpm.org/p/news-fp-feat...all-in-tucson/

I think that trying to bring baseball back is silly-- nobody is going to sit in 95 degree weather to watch not-major-league teams. The future of Kino is soccer imo.

[bthom3000]

Looks like Yard House is going in at Park Mall where Z Gallerie used to be.

[ProfessorMole]

While we're on the baseball talk, here's the live feed for the Chihuahua's new digs in downtown El Paso.

Stadium Live Feed

EDIT: The Chihuahua's aren't the only baseball team getting the golden treatment in El Paso, either.
Diablo's get deal for Becker Stadium