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Downtown Tucson – A Year in Review

January 5, 2010 | By Kelley Koehler | Filed Under About Tucson 

There’s nothing quite like talking about Downtown Tucson to stir up some heated opinions among the locals.  Rio Nuevo, the downtown revitalization project, often feels like an enormous sinkhole of time and money.  So let’s take a look back and stop to appreciate the progress that has been made!  Sometimes, we get caught up in all the politics and hoo-ha that we miss some of the lovely improvements to downtown that have occurred.

From the Downtown Tucson News:

• The Scott Avenue Street improvements were completed between Broadway and 13th Street (on time and on budget).
• One North Fifth’s new retail building was completed and its first tenants moved in.
• The Depot Plaza parking garage is in the final stages of completion and construction of the new MLK Building on top of the garage is well underway.
• Renovations to the MacArthur Building were completed and Madden Media moved in.
• Maynard’s opened in the Historic Depot and a new plaza was built on Toole. Avenue in front of Hotel Congress.
• The new 4th Avenue Underpass was completed and the Old Pueblo Trolley line was extended into Downtown.
• Construction of the Downtown portion Interstate 10 was completed.
• The new Cushing Street Underpass (which will accommodate the Modern Street Car when it is built) was completed.
• MEB acquired, renovated and moved into the Hittinger Building on Congress.
• The Screening Room façade renovation was completed and a new marquee added to the building.
• The 64 E Broadway façade renovation was completed.
• The Rialto Block façade renovation was begun.
• The Carrillo Placita at St. Augustine Cathedral was completed.
• Construction began on the new entrance to the Tucson Convention Center, which will accommodated future construction of the convention hotel.
• The new Fire Headquarters was completed and opened with fanfare.
• The Museum of Contemporary Art leased the old Fire Hall and began work to reopen it as their museum.
• Tucson Electric Power acquired the Santa Rita Block. The Santa Rita Hotel was razed to make room for a new TEP headquarters.
• Construction of street improvements in front of the Julian Drew Building at Broadway and 5th Avenues began. O2 Modern Fitness and Fitworks Cycling Support open in the building.
• Sixth and Stone Avenues south of Broadway were converted to two-way traffic.
• ParkWise launched one hour of free parking in the Pennington, Library and City-State garages.
• Mrs. Tiggy Winkles moved into the Tucson Children’s Museum.
• A host of new restaurants and clubs opened including Jimmy John’s, Zen Rock, A Steak in the Neighborhood and Xoom Juice.
• Skrappy’s reopened on Toole Avenue.
• Meet Me at Maynards started and became a greater success than anyone imagined.
• The inaugural Downtown Tucson Latin Jazz Festival was held in September.
• The inaugural Flamenco Festival was held at Casa Vincente in September.

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