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Living Downtown

Housing Developments

Downtown areas around North America have reinvented themselves as vibrant residential neighborhoods. What were once predominantly office centers with life only from 9 to 5 are becoming 24-hour/7-day places where people live, work, shop, and enjoy the arts, culture and entertainment.

Downtown Tucson is no exception. Ringed by historic residential neighborhoods, Downtown’s commercial core is becoming a residential center as well. Lofts, condominiums, apartments, and single-family detached homes are all coming on the market in the Downtown area. From the Ice House Lofts in the industrial zone of Downtown’s east side, to the converted convent that is now Academy Lofts on the south, to the Mercado District at Menlo Park on the west, Downtown housing is on the move.

New residential developments will be under construction in the near future in the heart of Downtown’s Congress Street District. Residents will be able to walk to enjoy professional theater, live music, sidewalk dining, concerts at the Tucson Convention Center, exhibitions at the Tucson Museum of Art, as well as shopping and special events.

Under Construction / Coming Soon

  1. One North Fifth
    UNDER CONSTRUCTION: With the official "ground-denting" ceremony back on November 1, construction is underway at the old Martin Luther King Apartments at 5th Avenue and Congress Street, as the former 96-unit public housing complex is being renovated as a rental apartment building with ground-floor retail space. Rental apartments at One North Fifth will be available for pre leasing in the Spring of 2008, with move ins by late June, says Ron Schwabe of Peach Properties. "The commercial space along Congress Street will follow, but we will have people moving in to the apartments by mid summer," says Schwabe, whose firm is working with Williams & Dame Development of Portland, Oregon on the project. The new facility will feature 85 market-rate rentals and 11 affordable units. For more information on the project, go to www.onenorthfifth.com.
  2. The Post on Congress
    COMING SOON: The Post lofts- an opportunity to invest in Tucson’s downtown! The Post, which has been in development, is ready to go into the ground this summer. Located on Congress Street, it will be the first of the downtown residences that have been planned for downtown. It will contain 52 spectacular loft units ranging in size from studios to penthouses. Residents will have the benefits of secure garage parking, a top floor club facility, and shops and restaurants at the street level. The building will be a state of the art "green" building, with an efficient airconditioning system and will qualify for the TEP Guarantee Program. The building will be ready for occunpants in late 2008. The City has recently announced the development of a new 12,500 seat arena, a new 700 room hotel and the expansion of the Tucson Convention Center. In addition significant dollars have been committed to new museums, a University of Arizona Science Center, and new street scapes through-out downtown. In addition, downtown will be served by a modern streetcar that will connect the University with downtown and the west side. The Fox theatre, the Rialto, The Club Congress, a dozen of Tucson’s best restaurants, the Tucson Symphony, the Arizona Opera, and the Leo Rich Theatre are all within walking distance. Throughout the country, cities have experienced exceptional revitalization - San Diego, Portland, Los Vegas, Denver, Austin to name a few. Tucson is now poised for this type of growth. The Post lofts are an opportunity to participate in Tucson’s growth. A chance to profit. An opportunity to live in the new downtown. Contact Deb McCray or Brett Latta at 322-7678 or visit the website at www.thepostlofts.com.
  3. Dos Pedros Lofts
    UNDER CONSTRUCTION / READY: Dos Pedros Lofts designed by Rob Paulus in Historic Barrio Viejo. Three stand-alone lofts feature 2bd/2ba with private courtyards and garage, concrete and bamboo floors, stone and avonite countertops, stainless appliances, deck with views, and spacious spa-like bathrooms. High ceilings and large windows emphasize light and space. Highly insulated, TEP approved, many green and artistic extras. Walking distance to downtown, cultural performances, restaurants, & the Tucson Convention Center. For more information, please contact Eileen Holman at 520-780-4062.
  4. 44 E. Broadway
    UNDER CONSTRUCTION: The former Walsh Federal Courthouse annex, located at 44 E. Broadway, will be renovated to create 30 upscale loft units for stylish Downtown living. With their eighteen-foot ceilings, sweeping views and other luxurious amenities, the lofts promise to be a unique destination when they’re complete. The property, being developed by RJ Holdings, will also include ground floor commercial space, and two adjacent lots will be developed into combination live/work space in a later phase of the project. Call (520) 798-1950 for more information.
  5. The Lofts at Fifth Avenue
    COMING: The corner of Fifth Avenue and 6th Street will be home to one of Downtown’s most innovative residential developments: The Lofts at Fifth Avenue. VantagePoint LLC is building the Lofts to bring a unique urban experience to homebuyers looking for close proximity to the attractions of Downtown, Fourth Avenue, and the West University neighborhood. A number of distinctive design elements will be incorporated into the project, including mountain views, bright natural lights, local materials and landscaping, and green building materials. The project will consist of 117 residential units from one-story condos to penthouse units plus 10,000 square feet of ground level live/work space.
  6. Mercado District of Menlo Park
    UNDER CONSTRUCTION: The Mercado District of Menlo Park is a new 14-acre residential and commercial neighborhood designed to honor the diversity, beauty and vitality of Tucson’s past by emphasizing the authentic design and building materials that mark the unique charm of early Tucson. With narrow, winding streets, wide sidewalks, and seven small plazas, the design for the Mercado District is pedestrian-oriented, reflecting the historic feel of Tucson’s neighborhoods. Rio Nuevo and the developers have worked closely with neighborhood residents, builders, and architects to plan and design this 250-unit neighborhood in ways that will enhance the area while blending with the surrounding architecture. Local custom home builders have teamed up with the Rio Development Company to provide a variety of housing options for prospective residents. Buyers will be able to choose from small bungalow-style units, several loft-style options, traditional Sonoran row houses, traditional Tucson barrio-type townhouses built with rammed earth, adobe and masonry as well as custom designed homes. For more information, call (520) 393-1015.
  7. Depot Plaza
    COMING: This 1.3-acre site will be redeveloped into both market rate and affordable housing with commercial space incorporated into the ground-floor design. A public plaza will be created to the east of the buildings and across the street from the Historic Depot. Partial funding for Depot Plaza comes from a $9.9 million federal HOPE VI grant, $6 million in affordable housing tax credits, and a $950,000 commitment from Rio Nuevo. Congress Street Redevelopment, a partnership of private sector developers, is also collaborating on this $45 million project.

Completed Developments

  1. Franklin Court
    This is a unique residential development featuring architecture inspired by Tucson’s past and an emphasis on energy efficiency and green building materials. Contemporary West Development of Tucson has built the nine-home community, which is located across from El Charro Café on the northeast corner of Franklin Street and Court Avenue. The homes are designed in three styles that reflect the traditional architecture of Downtown Tucson: a pre-1880s Sonoran row house, an 1880s Territorial, and a turn-of-the-century modified Craftsman.
  2. Armory Park Del Sol
    The John Wesley Miller Company is constructing 99 single-family homes that are architecturally inspired by the historic Armory Park neighborhood where this project is located. The development includes two small parks, a community garden, and landscaped common areas with spacious sidewalks in the pedestrian and bike friendly environment. The project’s emphasis on environmentally friendly design has created a community of houses with some of the best energy ratings in Tucson. For more information, call (520) 798-7607.
  3. Ice House Lofts
    Deep Freeze Development LLC has renovated the former Arizona Ice and Cold Storage Co. building in the area of South Park Avenue and East 16th Street to create 51 authentic residential loft spaces in an award-winning modern design. The development incorporates some of the original fixtures in this 1920s-era building. For more information, call (520) 623-5638.
  4. Academy Lofts
    The former convent of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and St. Joseph’s Academy on 15th Street and South Sixth Avenue has been renovated by Academy Lofts LLC. The Academy Lofts offer approximately 36 loft-style apartments for rent and sale in an adjacent structure and this 1880s-era building with high ceilings, deep windows and views of the surrounding Downtown area. In the main building, Academy Lofts offer a variety of apartment styles including garden level apartments, first floor units off the main hallway, and units accessed by the grand staircase on the upper floors. For more information call (520) 323-6515.
  5. Barrio Viejo Town Homes and Osborne Place
    These mixed-income infill projects were built by the City’s Community Services Department. Both projects include a variety of three-bedroom floor plans in joined buildings with interspersed patios and barrio-style finishes that blend with the surrounding fabric of the neighborhood. For more information, call (520) 791-4123.
  6. Paseo Estrella
    Paseo Estrella, a community of 104 energy-efficient homes designed in the historic Presidio architectural style, is underway on Starr Pass Boulevard west of Interstate 10. Doucette Communities and Standard Pacific Homes have teamed up on the project, which will have a total value of $20 million. The homes are available in a number of floor plans for the wide variety of both families and singles who want to be part of Tucson’s revitalized Downtown. For more information, please call the sales office at (520) 623-2867.
  7. KB Home Starr Pass Heights
    Situated on the edge of the Rio Nuevo District is KB Home Starr Pass Heights. This new community features a selection of seven one-and two-story floor plans ranging from 1,261 to 2,530 square feet. Upon completion, the community will include 114 homes with outdoor common areas. Homes at Starr Pass Heights offer a selection of four distinctive architectural designs and optional enlarged garages. Floor plans are spacious with up to five bedrooms and three baths. For more information, call (520) 624-9700.
  8. Lalo Guerrero Barrio Viejo Senior Housing
    Lalo Guerrero Barrio Viejo Senior Housing is an important part of an award-winning revitalization project in the Barrio Viejo neighborhood. The project incorporated portions of an existing elementary school building in the development of 62 units of affordable senior housing, answering an important community need while re-using a unique structure in a way that’s creative and attractive. Special care was taken to integrate the architecture into the historic neighborhood while creative a site plan that allows the project’s elderly residents to move around easily and safely. For more information, call (520) 791-4123.
  9. La Entrada Apartment Homes
    Triumph Builders is nearing completion of this exciting private sector project, adding 66 luxury apartments to an existing luxury-style rental development at Granada Avenue and Franklin Street, in Downtown’s historic Presidio District. The new units at La Entrada come in 1- 2- or 3-bedroom floor plans, including a 3-bedroom loft option that features vaulted ceilings, large windows, two bathrooms and other special amenities. The project is a great example of “infill” development- building on vacant land within an already developed area- which reduces urban sprawl and allows people to live near their workplace. For leasing information, call (520) 884-8284.
  10. Court and Meyer
    The Court and Meyer development is a 6-unit, mixed-income project designed with input from the surrounding neighborhood-the result is new housing that fits beautifully into the El Presidio historic district. This colorful development provides increased homeownership opportunities and a creative solution to one of the neighborhood’s concerns-traffic and traffic noise. The Court and Meyer project transformed a vacant parcel of land, which exposed the neighborhood to a busy street, into attractive housing that completes the El Presidio development pattern and buffers residents form the traffic through the site design and a perimeter wall. For more information, call (520) 791-4123.

On Hold

  1. Presidio Terrace
    ON HOLD. A vacant parcel of land adjacent to Tucson Water’s headquarters and across from the Tucson Museum of Art will hold a 60-unit residential development specially designed to reflect the history and unique character of the El Presidio neighborhood. Neighborhood-friendly commercial space and an attractive parking facility will also be included at Presidio Terrace in this multi-level structure designed to portray the sense of place unique to Tucson. For more information, call (520) 791-4123.
  2. The Historic Santa Rita Hotel and Condos
    ON HOLD. Remodeling of the Historic Santa Rita Hotel was set to break ground fall 2006. The builder, Pathway Developments, was planning 148 condominiums, 66 hotel rooms, 8,275 retail sq ft, 6,830 restaurant sq ft, and 5,437 banquet sq ft. For more information, call (520) 322-6800.