PEDAL POWER
Gems, touring Broadway shows, and Home Shows are guaranteed to bring big crowds downtown, as will the 25th running of El Tour de Tucson on November 17th --- an event preceded by a Bike/Fitness/Health Expo at Tucson Convention Center, November 14-16, and a Wellness Conference at TCC, noon-5pm, November 15-16.
As many as 10,000-11,000 participants are expected for the silver anniversary celebration of festivities that have been named by the League of American Bicyclists (America’s largest bicycling advocacy organization) as this year’s National Bike Rally event. Participants in this year’s ride --- from a shorter 35-mile distance to the full 109-mile finish line that encircles the city --- will receive a commemorative 25th El Tour medallion. Theme for this year’s event is “cycling in pursuit of wellness”.
WORD OF THE DAY: PATIENCE
Traffic barricades and restricted lanes are part of the path of progress downtown and, judging from the barriers and restrictions currently evident, lots of progress should be in the works when it comes to a former downtown conduit, the 4th Avenue tunnel, shut down for construction.
From the northern side of the railroad tracks comes word that “dirt is flying and it appears progress is being made.” Beyond that, John Sedwick, Fourth Avenue Merchants Association Executive Director, says he knows as much as anybody else does and takes the dirt and noise on a day-by-day basis. “Construction projects seem to have a life of their own and we’ve learned to live with the ‘when-its-done-is-when-its-done’ philosophy. I think with the tunnel closed and pedestrian traffic flow taken out of the mix that downtown businesses are being impacted even more than our merchants are. We’re all just suffering through it and hoping the days go by quickly.”
From the other side of the tracks, Brooks Keenan of the City’s Department of Transportation offers some reward for patience as a virtue: “Work on the Fourth Avenue Underpass project is proceeding well, the contractor has been making good progress, and the lengthy process of approvals by Union Pacific Railroad has been completed.”
With steps forward, however, come steps backward. “A problem with underground utility relocations has caused the project schedule to slip a little bit,” says Keenan. “Although the connection from Broadway to South Toole Avenue has reopened, it now looks like we will not be able to get Toole and Congress Street opened by the end of the year. We should have that link reconnected by mid-January, however, in time for the start of the Dillinger Days celebration. By that time, Congress Street should be reconstructed --- complete with traffic signals, streetlights, new brick sidewalks and trolley tracks.”
BURN THE MORTGAGE
“Historic restoration on the first synagogue in the state, the most important Jewish building in Arizona, is done and the mortgage has been burned,” says Eileen Warshaw, Director of The Jewish Heritage Center. The building at 564 S. Stone opened in October 1910 and through the years has housed a succession of various churches, a radio station, and a theatre before becoming part of Barrio Libre District in 1983.
The Jewish Heritage Center collects, preserves, and teaches about, early Jewish education in the American Southwest and was named by USA TODAY as one of the top ten places in the United States to learn about this history.
AND THE WINNER IS
TUCSON 12, the City’s television channel, received six Rocky Mountain Emmy Award nominations for the 30th annual awards given out last month in Glendale. Of those half dozen, considered by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in recognition of “Excellence in Broadcasting”, three were honored with an Emmy, one of the highest individual achievement awards in the TV industry.
Mitch Riley received Photographer kudos for “I Am Tucson”; Lety Bazurto-Mathews brought back the Single Story Sports News award for “Formula For Success”, and Riley and Gene Einfrank were recognized as co-winners for their Historical/Cultural Feature called “The Mission”.
The station was also honored with eight first-place awards from the National Association of Telecommunications officers and Advisors.
In 2006, the station’s Dan Sheffer and Mitch Riley were nominated for the promotional campaign, “It’s Happening Downtown”.
“Tucson 12 continually develops and adapts programming to reflect the ever-changing community and having our efforts recognized is an honor for a staff committed to telling Tucson’s stories,” says Ann Strine, Chief Information Officer, City of Tucson.
Tucson 12 has been on the air since 1984, providing 24-hour programming about city government as well as live coverage of Mayor and Council and Board of Supervisors meetings. Check it out at www.tucson12.tv.
A MOVEABLE MARCH
Over 10,000 participants, many in costume, are expected to participate in the 2-mile- long human-powered All Souls Procession, November 4th. This is the 18th annual All Souls Weekend inspired by Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos holiday. The procession will “end with the finalizing action of burning, in a large urn, the hopes, offerings, pictures and wishes for those who have passed,” according to Many Mouths One Stomach, the community non-profit arts and culture organization that sponsors the event.
Other events are connected with the procession including a month-long Day of the Dead fine art photographic exhibition in the Hotel Congress lobby, 311 E. Congress. www.allsoulsprocession.org for further information and schedules.
BEFORE THE WALLS FALL
“Call it The Rialto Art Project,” says Dinnerware’s David Agguire in reference to the newly-decorated west wall (5th Avenue side) of the Rialto Block, where light construction has started as part of planned renovation. “Owner Doug Biggers gave the go-ahead for a group of emerging artists to use boarded-up façade faces as giant canvases for their creativity. Southwest Paint made a supply donation and five artists took four days to expresses themselves for the appreciation of passersby over the next four months. And more projects will soon appear in that locale.”
Biggers has a December 2008 completion date in mind for construction of a retail-restaurant-apartment combination on that site to hopefully coincide with the re-opening of the 4th Avenue underpass.
DING. DING.
A draft Environmental Assessment plan for Tucson’s modern streetcar project has been submitted and is under review by the Federal Transit Administration before being released for public circulation. Transit Oriented Development plans and a market feasibility analysis for the University and Fourth Avenue areas are also nearing completion as part of the Tucson Department of Transportation “Transit on the Move” study.
“The draft environmental assessment can be reviewed at the next meeting of the Community Liaison Group on November 1st,” says Shellie Ginn, Transportation Project Manager. Meeting time and place is available at information@tucsontransitstudy.com.
DYNAMIC DOWNTOWN DUO
Downtown dowager Cele Peterson’s presence lingers in her historic store at 48 E. Pennington Street, once a fashion headquarters and now a focal point for artistic, social, educational and recreational opportunities.
Called Partnership 48, the strategic collaboration of City High School and VOICES: Community Stories Past and Present will use the renovated 6,200 square feet in the building’s lower level to both in-school and out-of-school programs. The refurbished footage offers classrooms, a library, offices, and a multi-media lab/newsroom for programs such as the 110 degrees After School magazine program.
Opening of the facility also signals kickoff of the joint capital campaign, Building OUR Future, a $1.5 million effort to fund further renovations and establish operating endowments for both organizations.
PRESIDIO TERRACE, WHITHER ART THOU?
Deadlines for monthly publications are tough because things sometimes change after stories have been written and are in the process of being printed. At press deadline time, the proposed developer for Presidio Terrace downtown had yet to reply to a 30-day default notice dated September 28th. “We provided a notice to cure default. We await her response,” was how Downtown Development Director Greg Shelko summarized the status.
Peggy Noonan (Reliance Commercial Construction) was given the time to come up with a more definitive financing plan for the seven-story condominium project on city-owned land north and east of the Tucson Water building. Telephone attempts to reach Ms. Noonan through her business partner, local mortgage broker Spitzer Financial, were not returned. Noonan has been quoted as believing she is in compliance with the city’s right to buy and develop terms and insists her estimated $43 million project of lofts, townhouses, café, and neighborhood store will eventually be built.
Shelko says if Noonan does not comply with development agreement terms, rights to the project (which she won in a competitive process against three other developers) would likely be put up for sale to other developers.
DOWNTOWN DOERS
Polls are open from 6:00am until 7:00pm for the November 6th General Election with a portion of downtown directly affected by the results. While downtown’s geographic area primarily falls in Ward 6, the purview of City Council member Nina Trasoff, Ward 1 (currently represented by Jose Ibarra who decided to not seek re-election) covers lots of downtown’s western flank on both sides of a good portion of Interstate 10.
Ward 1 candidates are Democrat Regina Romero and Green Party member Beryl Baker. Incumbent Republican Mayor Bob Walkup is opposed by Dave Croteau of the Green Party in Walkup’s bid for a third term. Polling place locations can be found at www.pima.gov/elections, click “Where to Vote”.
MISSED ONE, CATCH ANOTHER
Runway ‘07, a TCC showcase of design talent from the Art Institute of Tucson, slipped under the publicity radar on October 23, as a scholarship fundraiser featuring student-designed and crafted clothing styles from sophisticated and formal to hip-hop and casual.
Not to be bummed however --- “We’ll do a Runway for Research show to benefit the pediatric oncology unit at UMC’s Steele Children’s Research Center on November 9th,” says designer/coordinator Elizabeth Heuisler. Get tickets (adults $15) and further information by calling 690 8850.
DO-RE-MI-FA-SO-LA-TI-DO…
La Placita Village is hosting live music at its lovely plaza during the “winter” months with a free Thursday lunch time series, 11:30am-1:00pm, through November 15 and a $10 Saturday early evening Jazz series, 4:00pm-6:00pm, starting November 10 and running through December 8. Visit www.tucsonjazzradio.org for more information on the jazz series. See the DT music listings for the line-up of notable musicians performing. Both music series are co-sponsored by Bourn Partners and the Downtown Tucson Partnership.
SPEAKING OF PARTNERSHIPS
The Downtown Tucson Partnership, publisher of the Downtown Tucsonan, kicked off its 2007-2008 Downtown Saturdays event series with a Music & Art Festival on Saturday, September 22 at the Main Library Plaza – 101 N. Stone Ave.
The event, which ran from 6:00pm to midnight, featured performances by Salvador Durán, Leila Lopez, Mitzi Cowell, The Swim, Bread & Circus, and Greyhound Soul, with KXCI’s Laurie Starr doing a fabulous job as emcee.
Local non-profits included: KXCI, Southern Arizona Roadrunners, Defenders of Wildlife, The Drawing Studio, Tucson Museum of Art, City High School, Tucson Department of Transportation, Tucson Office of Conservation & Sustainable Development, Flandrau Science Center, The Physics Factory, BICAS, Tucson Artists & Musicians Health Alliance, and Tucson Taiko Kyokai.
Big thanks to Nimbus Brewing for being the beer sponsor and to Tucson Parks and Recreation for providing the space and other necessities. KXCI was a huge part of the event’s promotion by providing a ton of public service announcements and local print media, and also partially sponsored ad space.
Saturday, October 20 saw the next Downtown Saturdays with Fools’ Hollow, also at the Main Library Plaza. The backbone of the event’s activities were performances by Tucson Puppet Works, Flam Chen, and Odaiko Sonora – all who deferred their performance payment to Many Mouths One Stomach to help support the All Souls Procession on Sunday, November 4.
The Drawing Studio and Tucson Museum of Art contributed to the event by coordinating art stations for the kids.
Other event activities included Halloween games, tours of Fools’ Hollow, face paintings, fun with fabrics (donated by Preen), pumpkin carvings and mask-making.
Carl from the Scratchy Records Show DJ’ed and emceed between the live bands that got the kids dancing: Beatnik Dream Vacation, The Carnivaleros, Al Foul, and The Mission Creeps.
CITY APPROVES ASSIGNMENT OF DEPOT RESTAURANT LEASE
With the closure of Central Bistro over the summer, Hotel Congress’ owner Richard Oseran wasted no time in investigating options for salvaging opportunity from the jaws of failure.
Oseran and partner Ross Rulney agreed to step in and assume the balance of the lease from Mark and Sonia Economou, operators of Central Bistro, with the intent to create a lively market and “ grab-and-go” eatery in the space at the historic Depot on Toole Avenue.
On October 23, the Tucson City Council agreed to assign the lease and provide free rent to Oseran and Rulney, aka Depot Partners. Depot Partners intends to invest several hundred thousand dollars on tenant improvements to create a unique destination market and restaurant, opening sometime in 2008.
Oseran said that he’s traveled to other cities searching for inspiration, including New York, Los Angeles, and even Phoenix. A place called Le Grand Orange in Phoenix’s Arcadia District caught his eye, as an impressive combination of a unique market and restaurant.
