Courthouse Annex becomes Urban Lofts
RJ Properties recently purchased the former Federal Courthouse Annex located at 44 E. Broadway Blvd. The group plans to convert the building into residential space with retail on the ground floor.
Currently, RJ Properties is working with architects on the project design, but they plan to offer Tucsonans light, open interiors that take advantage of the building’s 21-foot ceilings and industrial feel. When the project is complete, it will be urban loft-style living at its best, in the heart of the Old Pueblo.
“We’re really not ready to make a lot of noise about it,” said Ron Schwabe, partner. “But we will start marketing it soon.”
Validating Parking at the New Pennington Street Garage
On August 15, the new Pennington Street Garage will be open for public parking. The garage is located on Pennington Street between Scott and 6th Avenues, with the main public entrance on Scott Avenue. Inside, Downtown visitors will find 750 covered parking spaces. The site will also be the new home of Café Poca Cosa. In November, the restaurant plans to move into the structure’s street-level retail space.
“It’s probably the nicest garage Downtown,” said Chris Leighton of ParkWise. “It has higher ceilings, is better lit, and there is public art inside and out.”
The garage is eco-friendly as well. Spaces on the roof level are covered with canopies, and most of the canopies have solar panels on them. They generate almost enough energy to run the whole building.
When it opens, merchants will be able to give customers parking validation for the garage as an added bonus. This is the first Downtown parking structure to offer such a program, and each business will decide how it wants to dole out free parking. With validation, patrons will be able to park free of charge for two hours.
The cost to park is the same as other garages in the area, $2 for the first two hours and $1 for each hour after that with a maximum charge of $5. Monthly parking is also available for $85 per month by contacting ParkWise at (520) 791-5071.
New Pathway to Santa Rita Hotel Redevelopment
Pathway Developments is purchasing the Santa Rita Hotel and plans to redevelop the entire block in addition to renovating the hotel. Located at 88 E. Broadway Blvd., the hotel will be restored to its 1920s charm as the centerpiece of the project. The rest of the development will feature a slightly more contemporary interpretation of the hotel’s design, while complementing the Santa Rita Hotel’s historic architecture.
When completed, the development will include 168 condominiums, 66 high-end boutique hotel rooms, 1,500 square feet of retail space, and a day spa. Currently, Pathway Developments is in the process of closing on the property, which has been owned by Humberto Lopez.
“It’s coming in early 2006, and I believe it’s going to be the most exciting project in Rio Nuevo,” said Mike Teufel, owner of Pathway Developments. “It’s the first project out of the ground, and we’ll start sales in early 2006.”
Taco Centro Now Open
Hungry for tacos, but don’t know where to go Downtown? Try the new Taco Centro located at 274 E. Congress St.
Taco Centro is a family-owned restaurant, serving a la carte tacos and burritos made with your choice of fish, shrimp, chicken, beef, or carnitas. Side items including rice, beans, chips, and delicious salsa are available as well, and the restaurant offers daily specials.
When Ed Cobos, owner of Majico Mexico Imports, noticed that there wasn’t a place on East Congress to get authentic tacos, he decided to fill the void. Together with brothers Carlos and Fabian Cobos, Ed opened Taco Centro to give Downtown access to the food he was craving. “I love Congress Street, and so I thought it would be a nice thing to offer people Downtown some good Mexican tacos,” explained Ed Cobos.
Taco Centro is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m., and on Saturday, noon to 3:00 a.m. In addition to dine-in and take- out options, Taco Centro will deliver to Downtown offices. Just call (520) 792-1556 to make an order.
Beowulf Alley Theatre Opens
Tucson’s newest live theatre venue is the Beowulf Alley Theatre at 11 S. 6th Ave. Home to the hip and eclectic Beowulf Alley Theatre Company the facility boasts state-of-the-art design, and the space conveys an air of comfortable intimacy.
Led by Artistic Director Stephen Elton and Managing Director/Producer Amy Almquist, Beowulf Alley already has presented several well-received plays in Tucson. In the new space, the company plans to present exciting productions that can’t be found at other theatres in Tucson.
Through August 14, Beowulf Alley will be presenting The Death of Zukasky, written by Richard Strand. The production stars Stephen Elton, Bill Epstein, Carrie Hill, and Steve McKee. Elton also directs the play, which is billed as a modern-day farce set in corporate America.
“This summer production is to give people a taste of what Beowulf Alley is all about,” said Elton. “This fall we will be presenting a full season of six shows, and hopefully people will want to become subscribers. By opening now, they can find out what they are subscribing to.”
Tickets for The Death of Zukasky are $15.00 each, and Beowulf is calling them “all-you-can-eat tickets.” One ticket allows you to see the production as many times as you like. So, bring a friend and visit the new Beowulf Alley Theatre. Call (520) 882-0555 for ticket information.
Fox Supporters See Stars
You don’t have to be a Hollywood legend to receive a sidewalk star. Tucsonans can have one too by supporting the Fox Tucson Theatre.
The sidewalk star program recognizes donors who give $10,000 or more to restore the theatre. Already, there are 26 stars in place, and the Fox hopes to have the sidewalk filled with 100 stars before the grand re-opening in January.
Businesses and individuals interested in purchasing one of the terrazzo stars should contact the Fox Foundation at (520) 624-1515 for more information.
Transportation Museum Gets Grant for Oral History Exhibit
Wander through the hushed rooms at the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum and you will a find the past whispering stories of steam, steel, and railway adventure. Located in the historic depot at 414 N. Toole Ave., the museum captures the energy of a bygone era when the locomotive was Tucson’s main link to the rest of the country.
Bringing history to life is one of the museum’s primary goals, and the Arizona Humanities Council recently awarded the facility a $3,000 grant to further that mission. With the funding, the museum plans to install an oral history exhibit featuring stories from railroad employees during the Diesel era.
Oral historian Renee Ross will be conducting interviews with approximately a dozen former railroad employees for the exhibit. The idea for the exhibit was sparked in part by a previous project carried out by the Arizona Historical Society. During the 1980s, the Historical Society put together an oral history exhibit with recordings from people who worked for the railroad during the days of steam-powered trains. With these personal experiences captured for posterity, the transportation museum wanted to make sure stories from the Diesel era would remain accessible as well.
Once the interviews are complete, the museum will create an exhibit made up of four separate installments. “First there will be an introduction that explains what we are doing and that we have a continuing oral history program,” said museum director Laura Caywood-Barker. “There will be a new installment every four months or so that will have approximately four panels talking about four different people in railroading.”
The museum is also completing the installation of interpretive panels outside the depot. A Federal Transportation Enhancement Grant provided the initial money for the exhibits that are already in place. With the remaining funds from that grant, the museum will provide a panel dedicated to Locomotive 1673, located on the track-side of the depot, under the ramada. There will be another panel dedicated to the depot building, and one to explain the sculpture of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday that stands outside the depot.
The museum is open Tuesday through Thursday from 12 to 3 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition, the museum offers special appointments for visitors who are unable to make it during regular hours.
Food Conspiracy Makes Fair-Trade Trip
In July, Megan Thompson, outreach coordinator for Food Conspiracy Co-op, traveled to Peru to visit the Agrarian Cooperatives of Coffee Farmers (COCLA). Food Conspiracy was one of eight natural food stores in the United States to make the trip as part of Equal Exchange, a worker-owned organization that promotes fair trade.
Equal Exchange sponsors the trip to deepen the connection between clients and producers. Participants, including Thompson, spent several mornings harvesting coffee with local farmers, and stayed with COCLA families during the visit.
With this trip, Food Conspiracy Co-op is launching an initiative to promote awareness about fair trade. Thompson has plans for developing a shelf-tag labeling program at the store for fair trade and locally produced items. The system will be similar to the program the Co-op has for labeling organic products.
“Our customers have a really high level of concern about where their food comes from and how it is produced,” says Thompson, “it is an important part of our educational mission to help them identify the cleanest and most socially-responsible products they can buy.”
Wingspan move
Wingspan, Southern Arizona’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community center, has moved to a new location at 425 E. 7th St. The new facility will allow Wingspan to bring more community services together under one roof, including a youth program, an anti-violence project, information and referral services, heath programs, an annual film festival, senior and Latina/o programs, and a new advocacy and public policy program. In addition to moving, Wingspan will also expand their hours of operation, opening weekdays 11am to 9pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4:30pm. Wingspan’s phone numbers and Web address will remain the same: (520) 624-1779 and www.wingspan.org. Join them for a Open House on Saturday August 6, from 11am to 4pm at 425 E. 7th St.
