2. b Downtown Tucson Partnership
University of Arizona
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E BROADWAY BLVD
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DowntownTucson
3. 1State of Downtown 2015
Map Key
Downtown Economic Reporting District
One-mile Radius
Streetcar Route
Table of Contents
Introduction: Being Downtown 2
Living Downtown 3
Downtown Resident Data 3
Housing 5
Doing Business Downtown 6
Investment 6
New Business 6
Retail Space 8
Office Space 8
Getting Downtown 10
By Bike, Foot, and Bus 10
By Car 11
By Train and Plane: Intercity Travel 11
Playing Downtown 12
Arts, Culture and Entertainment 12
Special Events and Tourism 12
Learning Downtown 13
University of Arizona 13
Public Schools 13
Looking Ahead 14
Works Cited 15
Board of Directors and Staff 16
Staff 16
Board of Directors FY2014 16
Ex-officio Directors 16
About the Partnership
Cover photo by David Olsen
4. 2 Downtown Tucson Partnership
Introduction: Being Downtown
The Downtown Tucson Partnership is pleased to share this
first edition of the State of Downtown Tucson report with you—
the developers, brokers, investors, and community members
interested in Downtown’s revitalization.
Over the past seven years, Downtown Tucson has undergone
a remarkable transformation, with unprecedented levels of
investment, hundreds of new businesses, and thousands
of new jobs coming into Tucson’s historic heart. Downtown
has re-established itself as the place to be for dining,
entertainment, and culture; hosting dozens of major
events that attract more than a million people annually.
Entrepreneurs working in Downtown’s co-working spaces
have developed a culture of innovation that attracts recent
university graduates and professional service firms. This is
only the beginning of Downtown’s renaissance, with no signs
of slowing.
As Downtown has redeveloped, a need has emerged for data
collection to benchmark our progress. The Downtown Tucson
Partnership has developed new data series, tracking market
conditions and other key indicators to meet this need and to
complement the other information we share with investors,
property owners, businesses, and residents in our role as
Downtown’s information clearinghouse.
This report summarizes data from the past several years. It
contains timely information on Downtown demographics;
public and private investment; retail, office, and residential
space; transportation; and arts, culture, and entertainment.
Combined, these data show a trend of significant growth.
We invite you to turn the page, read about the healthy state
of our Downtown, and learn more about why more people
are choosing to live, work, play and invest in Downtown
Tucson. It’s a great place to be!
Jan Cervelli, Board President Michael Keith, CEO
Spotlight
Tucson Accolades
Top 10 City for Export Assistance
in Global Trade
Global Trade Magazine (2014)
Top 5 City for Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneur Magazine (2013)
#1 Bicycle Friendly City
Outside Magazine (2012)
Top 5 U.S. Solar City
Solar Electric Power Association (2012)
Top 5 City for Public Transportation
and Job Access
Brookings Institute (2011)
Top 20 Most Innovative City
Forbes (2010)
Jan Cervelli
Board President
Downtown Tucson Partnership
Michael Keith
CEO
Downtown Tucson Partnership
5. 3State of Downtown 2015
Living Downtown
Downtown’s 17 historic neighborhoods are unique, offering
diversity and a high quality of life for its growing residential
population. Downtown living is accessible and attractive to
a wide variety of people. Increasingly, a renewed interest in
urban living has led to more people moving into new and
renovated apartments directly along the newly launched,
3.9-mile modern streetcar route.
Downtown Resident Data Census Bureau data indicates
that nearly 13,000 people lived within a mile of Downtown in
2010, 56.8% of whom are 15-34 years old (US Census Bureau
2010). An estimated 100,000 people live and work within
a half-mile of the streetcar route, 20,961 of whom work in
Downtown (ESRI). Projections based on 2010 Census data
estimate that the population has grown and will continue to
grow at a modest rate. However, future population growth
is likely underestimated, given the pace of development that
Downtown Tucson is currently experiencing.
Table 1
Population and Income Profile within One-mile Radius of Downtown
2010 2012 2017
Population 12,908 13,298 13,839
Households 5,751 5,927 6,246
Families 1,662 1,673 1,757
Average Household Size 1.82 1.82 1.81
Owner Occupied Housing Units 1,384 1,274 1,327
Renter Occupied Housing Units 4,367 4,654 4,920
Median Age 26.2 26.3 27.0
Source: US Census Bureau, Census 2010 Summary File 1;
ESRI forecasts for 2012 and 2017.
Table 2
Households by Income within a One-mile Radius of Downtown
2012 2017
Number % Number %
<$15,000 2,079 35.1 2,172 34.8
$15,000-24,999 1,030 17.4 870 13.9
$25,000-34,999 815 13.8 659 10.6
$35,000-49,999 684 11.5 642 10.3
$50,000-74,999 610 10.3 872 14
$75,000-99,999 314 5.3 486 7.8
$100,000-149,999 231 3.9 316 5.1
$150,000-199,999 87 1.5 128 2
$200,000+ 78 1.3 101 1.6
The character and color of
Downtown Tucson’s Mercado
District continue to draw young
families as the newest residents of
this emerging neighborhood.
6. 4 Downtown Tucson Partnership
Table 3
Population by Age within a One-Mile Radius of Downtown
2010 2012 2017
Age Number % Number % Number %
0-4 439 3.4 447 3.4 469 3.4
5-9 398 3.1 406 3.1 426 3.1
10-14 334 2.6 335 2.5 355 2.6
15-19 2,232 17.3 2,259 17 2,273 16.4
20-24 2,714 21.0 2,820 21.2 2,767 20
25-34 2,366 18.3 2,468 18.6 2,643 19.1
2010 2012 2017
Age Number % Number % Number %
35-44 1,326 10.3 1,327 10 1,385 10
45-54 1,175 9.1 1,178 8.9 1,161 8.4
55-64 1,002 7.8 1,068 8 1,180 8.5
65-74 527 4.1 578 4.3 731 5.3
75-84 291 2.3 299 2.2 329 2.4
85+ 104 0.8 113 0.8 122 0.9
Figure 1
Population Trends: Downtown Tucson, Arizona and US, 2012-2017
Annual Rate in Percent Tucson Arizona US
2.8
2.4
2.0
1.6
1.2
0.8
0.4
0
Figure 2
Comparison of Population by Age, 2012 and 2017
Percentage of Total Population 2012 2017
21
18
15
12
9
6
3
0
Spotlight
Completed
Residential
Projects
The Cadence
350 E. Congress St.
Located on the streetcar line at
the entrance to Downtown from
the 4th Avenue business district,
the Cadence is a 456-bed student
housing complex with 20,000 SF
of retail space and a 378-space
parking garage. Opened in August
2013, the building was the result
of a public-private partnership
wherein the City of Tucson
owns and operates the garage
component. (Photo Courtesy of
The Cadence)
The Herbert
202 E. 12th St.
Armory Park Apartments, a low-
income senior housing complex,
underwent substantial renovations
and reopened as the Herbert
in October 2013. The building
contains 144 market-rate studio
and one-bedroom apartments with
rents ranging from $650-$1,090
per unit. (Photo Courtesy of Peach
Properties)
Arena Site
The winning proposal for the
2014 Arena Site request for
proposals combines 96 market-
rate apartment units with a new
exhibition hall for the Tucson
Convention Center, a 140-room
convention hotel, a visual arts
center, an office building, and a
1,444-space parking structure.
This $100 million development will
be built along I-10 at Congress St.
The developer, Nor-Generations, is
currently in talks with the agency
managing the RFP, Rio Nuevo.
(Rendering courtesy of Nor-
Generations)
Spotlight
Proposed
Multifamily
Projects
One East Broadway
1 E. Broadway Blvd.
This mixed-use development
combines 24 one-bedroom and
two-bedroom apartment units with
more than 24,000 SF of office space,
4,000 SF of retail space, and garage
parking. Rents range from $1,184-
$1,703 per market rate unit. Opened
in December 2013, the LEED silver
building was partially financed using
New Markets Tax Credits. (Photo
Courtesy of Hendricks-Berkadia)
0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85+ Population Households Families Owner HHs Median
HH Income
4 Downtown Tucson Partnership
7. 5State of Downtown 2015
Housing1
A recent surge in new housing development has brought
significant numbers of new residents to Downtown. New multi-
family projects range from student housing to market-rate
apartments and condominiums.
Student Housing The opening of The Cadence in August 2013
added more than 400 students to Downtown’s already youthful
composition. Along the entire Sun Link streetcar route, more
than 3,000 new student beds have been constructed in the last
two years and additional projects have been proposed.
Market Rate Housing The luxury apartment complex One East
Broadway opened fully leased in November 2013. Renovations
to two former low-income housing complexes created more
than 200 new market-rate, one-bedroom and studio units at
Herbert Residential and One North Fifth. A condo conversion
at the Flats at Julian Drew allowed Tucsonans to purchase
renovated studio and one-bedroom units.
Housing Demand The demand for housing in Downtown
remains strong as demonstrated by a 97% rental occupancy
rate (Downtown Tucson Partnership 2014) and Downtown’s
designation as the city’s most-searched neighborhood for
renters (Craig 2014). All Downtown multifamily buildings built
since 2000 have occupancy rates above 90%, and many have
waiting lists. In response to this demand, approximately 450
units have been proposed for construction in Downtown
(Downtown Tucson Partnership 2014).
Table 5
Existing Student Housing Inventory in Downtown
Property Name Year Opened Total Beds
Cadence 2013 456
Table 4
Existing Market Rate Inventory
Property Name Year Opened Total Units
Flats at Julian Drew Block 2013 53
Herbert Residential 2013 144
One East Broadway 2013 24
One North Fifth 2008 96
Academy Lofts 2006 30
La Entrada Phase 2 2005 66
La Entrada Phase 1 1985 120
Redondo Towers 1962 100
Olde Town Apartments 1961 31
Abasto 1947 22
Monier Apartments
The Gadsden Company has
proposed this multifamily
development featuring 122
market-rate units in the master-
planned Mercado District at the
western terminus of the Sun Link
Streetcar. Once completed, the
area will feature retail, office, and
housing units with a grocery store
and cultural amenities. (Rendering
courtesy of Gadsden Company)
Historic Trading Post
This 44-unit apartment complex
on Congress St. and Scott Ave
will feature first floor retail space
with a courtyard and on-site
parking. The Developer, Bourn
Companies, will also reactivate two
formerly vacant historic buildings
by renovating them into Class A
office and retail space. (Rendering
Courtesy of Bourn Companies)
1
All multifamily vacancy data is collected for buildings with 20 units or greater.
Source: Downtown Tucson Partnership, interviews with management offices, 2014
Spotlight
Occupancy Rate
at 97%
Studio Apartment Rentals
Range from $550 to $735
One-bedroom Apartment Rentals
Range from $460 to $1,412
Two-bedroom Apartment Rentals
Range from $1,050 to $1,703
8. 6 Downtown Tucson Partnership
Figure 4
Six-year Total Completed Investment Projects by Category
Dollars in millions
Office 110
Mixed Use 80
Residential/Hotel 60
Retail 40
Utilities 60
Cultural Arts 10
Health/Education 20
Public Construction 530
Source: Downtown Tucson Partnership, interviews with investors
Figure 3
Total Completed Investment Projects by Year, 2008-2014
Dollars in millions
2008 10
2009 100
2010 50
2011 130
2012 100
2013 190
2014 220
Figures exclude $110 million in multi-year continuous investment projects
Source: Downtown Tucson Partnership, interviews with investors
Spotlight
Working
Downtown
There are 2,232 employers within
a one-mile radius of Downtown
with more than 26,000 employees.
(Dun & Bradstreet 2014). The
establishments are a mix of
retail, services, construction and
manufacturing firms, along with
government.
Total employees within one-mile
radius of Downtown: 26,285
•55.6 % of employees Downtown are
in service industries (hotel, health,
education, legal)
• 27.4% work in government
• 7.2% work in retail
• 4.3% work in construction or
manufacturing
• 2.2% work in finance, insurance,
or real estate
• 1.9% work in wholesale trade
• 1.4% work in other industries
Doing Business Downtown
Since 2008, Downtown business has shown steady growth
and diversification. Commercial investments have led to new
construction and renovations to the area’s many historic
buildings, creating unique spaces for street-level businesses
and office-based firms. New construction, primarily located
near the Sun Link Streetcar line, has re-established Downtown
as a magnet for real estate development and has been a driver
for Tucson’s economy.
Investment Over the past six years, $380 million in private
investment and $530 million in public investment have been
made in Downtown (Downtown Tucson Partnership 2014).
As of December 2014, more than $200 million in additional
private investment projects have been proposed, ranging from
new low-income and market-rate residential projects to hotels
and cultural venues (Downtown Tucson Partnership 2014).
As Downtown’s revitalization has advanced, the scale of the
projects has increased. Major projects such as the Unisource
Energy Building in 2011, the Cadence student housing and new
County courthouse scheduled to open in February 2015, and
Sun Link Modern Streetcar in 2014 resulted in large differences
in year-to-year investment levels.
9. 7State of Downtown 2015
Spotlight
Upcoming
Retail Projects
AC Hotel
This $32 million, 8-story
development will feature a 150-
room AC Hotel, first floor retail
space, and a 200-car parking
garage. The project features a
public-private partnership between
the developer, Scott Stiteler, and
Rio Nuevo, and construction
is expected to begin in the first
quarter of 2015 and last 12 to 15
months. (Rendering courtesy of
FORS architecture + interiors)
New Business Since 2008, more than 200 new businesses
have been established in Downtown (Downtown Tucson
Partnership 2014). Streets that were once empty are now
bustling with pedestrians exploring the dozens of dining
options, retail stores, and nightclub destinations that call
Downtown home. Professional services firms have returned
to Downtown, improving the office market and increasing
demand for lunch options. With a new grocery store set
to open in February 2015, Downtown will offer all of the
essentials for residents to live car-free.
Figure 5
New Business Openings by Year, 2008-2014
2008 9
2009 12
2010 23
2011 38
2012 43
2013 37
2014 49
Source: Downtown Tucson Partnership, New Business Listings, 2008-2014
Figure 6
New Businesses by Type, 2008-2014
2014 Total 2008-2014
Cultural Arts 4 25
Offices 15 48
Services 6 19
Shopping 9 49
Nightlife 5 17
Dining 10 53
Source: Downtown Tucson Partnership, New Business Listings 2014
In total, new businesses have brought more than 3,000 new
or relocated jobs to Downtown. Remarkably, much of this
75-month surge has been driven through local, small business
investment. More than 95% of retail and restaurant businesses
in Downtown are independent and owned by Arizonans
(Downtown Tucson Partnership 2014).
Spotlight
New Downtown
for 2014
Dining, Nightlife and Retail
•5 Points Market
•About ME Hair Studio
•Amp Juice Vapors
•Aquadec
•Barrio Cuisine
•Blu: A Wine and Cheese Stop
•Cut, Color, Polish Salon
•Dusty Monk Pub
•Fed by Threads
•Fired Pie
•Flash in the Past
•Hi Fi Kitchen & Cocktails
•Krikawa Jewelry
•L&J Burgers
•Littlest Pub
•Miss Saigon
•Old Town Market
•Pizzeria Bianco
•Planet Smoothie
•Pueblo Vida
•R Bar
•Salon Salon
•Seis Kitchen and Catering
•Street Taco and Beer Co
•Transit Cycles
•Tucson Olive Central
10. 8 Downtown Tucson Partnership
Table 6
Retail Square Footage and Availability
Buildings Building SF Vacancy Avg. Dir. Rate
45 487,913 6.01% $20.00
Source: CBRE, 2014 data analysis using CoStar
Spotlight
Completed
Retail Projects
Old Market Inn
403 N. 6th Ave
Peach Properties completed
renovations to the Old Market
Inn in December 2009. The 8,600
SF restored brick warehouse now
houses three retail spaces occupied
by a coffee shop, a craft beer and
wine bar, and an artisan tile shop.
(Photo by Benjie Sanders/Arizona
Daily Star)
Mercado San Agustin
100 S. Avenido del Convento
This 15,000 SF of retail space
was developed by Gadsden
Company. Opened in May 2011,
the public marketplace features
an assortment of local shops
and restaurants around an open
courtyard, and hosts a weekly
farmers market. It is also home to a
shared-use kitchen and cannery for
small businesses. (Photo courtesy
of Zocalo Magazine)
Rialto Block
300 E. Congress St
Anchored by the historic Rialto
Theatre, the 20,000 SF of first-floor
commercial space features two
restaurants, a butcher shop, a
bar, and first-floor entrances for
Connect Coworking housed above.
Renovations were completed
in May 2011 by Tucson Urban
LLC. (Photo courtesy of Connect
Coworking)
One North Fifth
1 N. 5th Ave
In August 2012, renovations were
completed on MLK Apartments,
a former low-income housing
building that was converted to
market-rate with 9,000 SF of first-
floor retail space.
Broadway Brewery Block
220 E. Broadway
This 10,600 SF former warehouse
was renovated in October 2012
by Peach Properties. Current
tenants include a coffee shop and
Downtown’s largest restaurant,
which owns its space. (Photo
courtesy of Cartel Coffee)
Retail Space2
Downtown has established itself as a
destination for shopping, dining, and nightlife. Its diverse,
upscale restaurants recently accounted for six of the top
ten best places to eat in Tucson (Ruelas 2014). Two of the
restaurants are home to James Beard award-winning chefs.
Downtown bars and clubs receive top reviews for their creative
cocktail combinations and have been featured nationally in
publications like Esquire and Food & Wine magazine. These
high quality establishments have made Downtown a popular
entertainment destination, which has created a high level of
demand for Downtown retail space.
Downtown’s retail market has nearly 500,000 SF of storefront
space with a 6.01% vacancy rate (CBRE 2014). Much of this
retail space is located within restored historic buildings; there
are no malls, strip malls, or department stores. Congress
Street is the primary retail corridor with a significant number
of restaurants, bars, and shops, but storefronts also exist on
the side streets and along Broadway Boulevard, Pennington
Street, and 6th Avenue. A new 144-unit AC Hotel by Marriott
will start construction on Broadway Boulevard in the first
quarter of 2015; it, along with proposed projects in the
Mercado District, on Congress Street, and at the Arena site
along the Interstate will all include first-floor retail space.
8 Downtown Tucson Partnership
11. 9State of Downtown 2015
Table 7
Office Square Footage and Availability
Class Buildings Building SF Vacancy Avg. Dir. Rate
A 16 860,938 2.11% $24.65
B 28 472,637 11.76% $17.75
C 17 517,945 37.99% $16.58
Total 61 1,851,520 19.26% $19.13
2
All office vacancy data is collected for buildings of 5,000 SF or larger.
Spotlight
Completed
Office Projects
Connect Coworking
33 S. 5th Ave.
Opened in June 2014, Downtown’s
newest collaborative coworking
space features over 200 desks or
private offices for small businesses,
entrepreneurs, and freelancers.
Connect Coworking offers a full
range of amenities including kitchen,
entertainment space, and meeting
rooms in 14,000 SF of office as well
as two large patios. (Photo Courtesy
of Connect Coworking)
MacArthur Building
345 E. Toole Ave.
In September 2009, Madden Media
completed renovations on the historic
24,600 SF MacArthur Building to
house its new headquarters. The
Partnership collaborated with the
City of Tucson to arrange for the
$1.7 million sale of the public
property to private owners. (Photo
Courtesy of Erik Hinote)
Bates Mansion
283 N. Stone Ave.
Maker House, a collaborative
space for artisans, inventors, and
entrepreneurs, opened its doors in
October 2013 after renovating the
historic 11,000 SF Bates Mansion.
The distinctive architecture and
large courtyard have made Maker
House a popular place for events
in addition to its role as a hub for
innovation. (Photo Courtesy of
Maker House)
210 E. Broadway
Renovations were completed in
May 2014 to convert a 5,400 SF
warehouse that formerly housed
a Safeway grocery store into office
space for Summit Funding, a
residential mortgage company. The
space features high ceilings with a
loft that contains conference rooms
and an employee gym. (Photo
Courtesy of Downtown Tucson
Partnership)
The Scott
64 E. Broadway Blvd.
In April 2010, Providence Service
Corporation, a nationwide social
services provider moved into the
historic 10,700 SF Scott building
in Downtown Tucson. With more
than 8,000 employees in 44 states,
Providence is the largest company
headquartered in Downtown.
(Photo Courtesy of Peach
Properties)
Unisource Energy
88 E. Broadway Blvd.
Work was completed in November
2011 on the $65-million
headquarters for Unisource Energy
Services. With 170,000 SF of office
space distributed across 9 floors,
the building houses more than 500
employees. It also has 10,000 SF
of first-floor retail space. (Photo
Courtesy of Inside Tucson Business)
Office Space Professional services companies are returning
to Downtown in search of an innovative community that is
attractive to top talent. In 2009, Madden Media renovated the
historic MacArthur Building to house its 80 employees. Social
service provider Providence Service Corporation relocated
its national headquarters to Downtown in 2010. Unisource
Energy Services opened its new $65 million, 170,000 SF
headquarters with more than 500 employees in 2011. The
additions of financial, architectural, translation, and office
services companies in 2014 demonstrate that the growth in
Downtown’s professional sector is accelerating.
Although conditions are improving, Downtown’s office
vacancy rate stands at 19.26% (CBRE 2014), due in part to
the economic slowdown in 2008 and the relative newness
of Downtown’s redevelopment.
In June 2013, local tech firms and collaborative co-working
spaces joined forces to launch the Downtown Innovation
District. Together, they aim to make Downtown Tucson a
regional tech center for young entrepreneurs by offering
collaborative office space, tech open houses, maker
events, startup competitions, hack days for civic good, and
youth education initiatives. In September 2014, Startup
Tucson received a five-year, $1.44 million contract from
the Small Business Administration to launch a business
growth accelerator program, making Downtown Tucson
the only community west of the Mississippi to receive
ScaleUp America funding.
9State of Downtown 2015
12. 10 Downtown Tucson Partnership
E 6TH STW 6TH ST
E 18TH ST
W CONGRESS ST
NGRANDEAVE
W CUSHING ST
W PENNINGTON ST
E
TO
O
LE
AVE
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ST. MARY’S
RD
W ST. MARY’S RD
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S3RDAVE
NSTONEAVE
W CONGRESS ST
W FRANKLIN ST
W
ALAMEDA ST
E CONGRESS ST
E BROADWAY BLVD
S5THAVE
Figure 7
Downtown Daily Bike and Pedestrian Counts
Location Bikes Pedestrians
16th St at 3rd Ave 44 57
18th St at 6th Ave 74 111
6th St at 9th Ave 105 86
7th Ave at 7th St 91 93
7th Ave at Toole Ave 18 70
Alameda St at Church Ave 114 1,068
Broadway Blvd at Presidio Bridge 60 317
Congress St at Granada Ave 76 562
Congress St at Grande Ave 85 66
Congress St at Scott Ave 99 857
Congress St at Toole Ave 293 520
Cushing St at Main Ave 43 181
Santa Cruz Pathway at St. Mary’s Rd 115 51
Source: Pima Association of Governments
Figure 8
Sun Link Streetcar
Opened: July 25, 2014
Ridership: 4,200 daily
Length: 3.9 Miles
Frequency:
10 min.–weekdays
20 min.–evening/weekends
Source: Sun Link
Sun Tran Bus System
Established: 1975
System Ridership: 54,000 daily
Routes Serving Downtown:
14 local service routes and
8 express routes
Recognition:
Named America’s Best
Transit System (2005)
Source: Sun Tran
Getting Downtown
Downtown is the region’s transportation hub. With buses,
streetcars, trains, miles of bike lanes, and easy freeway access
nearby, there are many convenient ways to get to Downtown
to work, visit, and play. Downtown’s dedicated bike paths, wide
sidewalks, and public transportation options allow residents to
enjoy a car-free lifestyle.
By Bike, Foot, and Bus Instead of driving, many Tucsonans
use the alternative transportation modes of biking and
walking. Tucson is consistently ranked as a top ten city for
bicyclists and boasts the most designated bikeways in the
nation—more than 700 miles (Van Duzer 2013). More than
5,600 people cycle to work each day, ranking Tucson 6th
among large cities for the percentage of bicycle commuters
(Alliance for Biking and Walking 2014). Tucson ranks 20th
among large cities for the percentage of people who walk to
work (IBID).
Tucsonans also take public transit. The Ronstadt Transit Center
is Tucson’s main bus hub serving an estimated 23,000 people
per day (Inside Tucson Business 2013). The new Sun Link
modern streetcar launched passenger service in July 2014 with
daily ridership exceeding expectations at 4,200 (SunLink 2014).
The 3.9-mile system links the University of Arizona and its
medical center with the Main Gate and 4th Avenue shopping
districts, Downtown Tucson, and the Mercado district.
13. 11State of Downtown 2015
Figure 9
Downtown Daily Traffic Counts
4th Ave
18th St to Broadway 2,390
5th Ave
Congress to Broadway 1,346
6th Ave
6th St to Congress 5,821
Congress to Broadway 8,608
Broadway to Stone Ave 6,243
Church Ave
6th St to Alameda 6,778
Alameda to Congress 7,443
Congress to Cushing 4,640
Granada Ave
St. Mary’s to Franklin 9,205
Franklin to Alameda 9,310
Alameda to Congress 11,571
Congress to Cushing 5,179
Grande Ave
Speedway to Congress 10,323
Congress to Mission
to Starr Pass Ramp 9,955
Main Ave
Cushing to 18th St 3,285
Stone Ave
6th St to Franklin 18,820
Franklin to Congress 9,568
Congress to Broadway 9,709
Broadway to 6th Ave 8,491
Toole Ave
Stone to 6th Ave 10,090
6th Ave to Congress 8,056
Congress to Broadway 23,224
18th St
I-10 to 10th Ave 1,604
10th Ave to 6th Ave 1,298 E 6TH STW 6TH ST
E 18TH ST
W CONGRESS ST
NGRANDEAVE
W CUSHING ST
W PENNINGTON ST
E
TO
O
LE
AVE
W
ST. MARY’S
RD
W ST. MARY’S RD
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W CONGRESS ST
W FRANKLIN ST
W
ALAMEDA ST
E CONGRESS ST
E BROADWAY BLVD
S5THAVE
W ST. MARY’S RD
W
ST. MARY’S
RD
W 6TH ST
E
TO
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LE
AVE
W CONGRESS ST
W CUSHING ST
SSTONEAVE
S6THAVE
SMAINAVE
S4THAVE
NGRANDEAVE
NGRANADAAVE
6th St
Granada to Stone 23,041
Stone to 6th Ave 22,401
Alameda St
Granada to Stone 5,527
Stone to 6th Ave 3,693
Broadway Blvd
Congress to Stone 16,654
6th Ave to 4th Ave 21,322
Congress St
Grande to I-10 18,253
I-10 to Granada 36,733
Granada to Broadway 43,433
Broadway to Stone 15,343
Stone to 6th Ave 15,478
6th Ave to Toole 16,920
Cushing St
Granada to Stone 4,611
Franklin St
Granada to Church 2,703
Church to Stone 7,899
Pennington St
Church to Stone 1,799
Stone to Toole 3,019
St. Mary’s Rd
Silverbell Rd to I-10 31,125
I-10 WB to Granada 28,542
By Car Car and truck traffic in Downtown Tucson is
relatively light compared to other similar-sized cities. Recent
improvements including the repaving of Congress Street
and Broadway Boulevard and the conversion of 6th Avenue
to a two-way street have improved traffic flow and reduced
congestion. Work is currently underway on Downtown Links, an
$85 million project to connect Aviation Parkway with I-10, which
will provide alternative vehicular and pedestrian routes into
Downtown to accommodate future growth (City of Tucson).
Downtown boasts some of the most customer-friendly parking
rates in the nation. On evenings and weekends, metered
parking in Downtown is free, and on weekdays metered parking
costs just $1 per hour. Weekdays, parking is free in garages for
the first hour, then $1 per hour, up to a daily maximum of $8.
The completion of two new parking garages has brought the
total number of spaces available Downtown up to 15,000 (City
of Tucson ParkTucson).
By Train and Plane: Intercity Travel Travellers coming to
Tucson by train are just steps away from the city center. The
Amtrak station, located Downtown, is the second busiest in
Arizona with more than 25,000 on/offs in FY2013 (National
Railroad Passenger Corporation 2014). Tucson International
Airport had 3.3 million passengers in FY2013 (Tucson Airport
Authority 2014). People who are coming into Downtown for
business or pleasure are just a short, 15-minute drive away.
15. 13State of Downtown 2015
Table 9
University of Arizona by Numbers
Undergraduate Students: 31,565
Graduate Students: 8,658
Faculty and Staff: 17,590
Statewide Economic Impact: $3.6 Billion
Source: University of Arizona, Economic and Social Contribution
of the University of Arizona (Tripp Umbach 2014)
The historic Roy Place Building
was renovated by Pima County
to house the new UA Downtown
offices for the College of
Architecture, Planning and
Landscape Architecture. Housed
within are offices, studios and
classrooms for the college’s
academic and research programs.
Learning Downtown
Downtown has also emerged as a center for education.
University of Arizona Now connected to Downtown by
the streetcar, the University of Arizona plays an increasingly
important role in Downtown’s economy. As an urban
institution that plans to continue expanding student
enrollment, the University has opened several offices
downtown to house programs relating to architecture, urban
planning, law, and civil discourse. It has proposed opening
performing arts venues, museums, and additional offices in
Downtown.
As one of the nation’s top 15 public research institutions,
with an enrollment of more than 40,000 and 8,800 students
graduating per year, the University of Arizona provides
an abundance of highly skilled workers for Downtown
businesses. The University’s recent push to have 100 percent
of undergraduates engaged in the community has increased
student interest in Downtown internships and employment
opportunities. Additionally, the collaboration between
Innovate UA, Startup Tucson, and the Downtown Innovation
District has created a pipeline for developing student ideas
into successful businesses.
Downtown’s shopping, restaurant, and nightlife offerings have
made it a popular entertainment destination for University
students. With the completion of the Sun Link Streetcar and
the opening of The Cadence student housing, Downtown
businesses are kept busy with student and faculty patrons, in
addition to members of general public.
Public Schools Downtown is also the classroom for nearly
1,800 K-12 students (Downtown Tucson Partnership 2014).
Public charter schools are among the many new organizations
that have made Downtown home. Safford International
Baccalaureate K-8 Magnet School, Carillo Elementary Magnet
School, City High School, Nosotros Academy, Pima Vocational,
Imago Dei, IDEA School, and Paolo Freire Freedom School,
have their campuses in Downtown, serving families from
across the city. City High recently expanded, transforming
a long-vacant storefront into a state-of-the-art facility while
preserving the historic façade.
16. 14 Downtown Tucson Partnership
Looking Ahead
Against all odds, Downtown Tucson has reinvented itself.
In the midst of the worst recession in Arizona’s history,
community members, inspired by Downtown’s historic
architecture and unique cultural assets, have come together
to create an economic miracle. Collaboration between the
private and public sector has created several hundred-million
dollars of investment, which has generated thousands of
jobs. Hundreds of new residents and more than 200 new
businesses coexist alongside long-time community institutions
to create an authentic experience that represents the very best
Tucson has to offer.
In the coming months, Downtown will welcome dozens of
new businesses. Already announced newcomers include
Downtown’s first grocery store in 40 years, a distillery,
and several shops and restaurants. Construction will start
on the first new hotel in decades and several housing
projects representing hundreds of new units. In spite of
all the development that has already occurred, substantial
opportunities remain for future growth on more than 3 million
SF of undeveloped land (Downtown Tucson Partnership 2013).
With low costs of construction and a high level of interest from
the community, we anticipate that Downtown Tucson will
continue to be the focus for development for years to come.
Downtown Tucson, looking east
from Tumamoc Hill.
17. 15State of Downtown 2015
Works Cited
All Souls Process Brings Millions
to Economy.
KVOA-TV. Tucson, AZ, 10
November 2014.
Alliance for Biking and Walking.
Bicycling and Walking in the United
States: 2014 Benchmarking Report.
Washington, DC: Alliance for
Biking and Walking, 2014.
AZ Economic Research.
Economic Impact of the Fox
Theatre on Downtown Tucson.
Tucson: AZ Economic Research,
2012.
CBRE.
Commercial Real Estate in
Downtown Tucson: Data analysis
using CoStar.
CBRE, 2014.
City of Tucson.
Downtown Links—Barraza Aviation
Project.
http://dot.tucsonaz.gov/projects/
project.cfm?cip=23814370-DA0B-
C395-BBBC08F438FC61DF
(accessed November 10, 2014).
City of Tucson Park, Tucson.
Craig, Courtney.
Tucson’s Top 10 Neighborhoods
Renters Love Most. 11 July 2014.
http://www.apartmentguide.com/
blog/tucson-neighborhoods/
(accessed November 10, 2014).
“Downtown Multifamily Database.”
Tucson, AZ: Downtown Tucson
Partnership, 2014.
“Downtown Schools Database.”
Tucson, AZ, 2014.
Downtown Tucson Partnership,
2014.
Investment Study. Tucson, AZ:
Downtown Tucson Partnership,
2014.
“New Business Database.”
Tucson, AZ: Downtown Tucson
Partnership, 2014.
“Undeveloped Properties
Database.” Tucson, AZ, 2013.
Downtown Tucson Partnership,
2013.
Dun & Bradstreet.
“ESRI Business Summary,
Downtown Tucson.”
15 November 2014.
ESRI.
“Community Analyst/ Dun and
Bradstreet.”
FMR Associates, Inc.
“Characteristics and Economic
Impact of Tucson Gem, Mineral
& Fossil Showcase Tracking
Study.” Visit Tucson. February
2014. http://www.visittucson.
org/includes/content/docs/
media/gemshow-econimpact-
results-5-14.pdf
(accessed November 10, 2014).
Inside Tucson Business.
“Editorial: Downtown Not Just
for Sun Tran.”
Inside Tucson Business, 26 April
2013.
National Railroad Passenger
Corporation.
“Amtrak Sets Ridership Record
and Moves the Nation’s Economy
Forward.” Amtrak.com. 13
October 2014.
http://www.amtrak.com/
ccurl/730/658/FY13-Record-
Ridership-ATK-13-122.pdf
(accessed November 10, 2014).
Ruelas, Richard.
“Top 10 Paces to Eat in Tucson.”
AZ Central, 25 September 2014.
SunLink, interview by Downtown
Tucson Partnership.
Ridership Statistics (October
2014).
Tucson Airport Authority.
“Comprehensive Annual Financial
Report.” 2014.
Tucson Pima Arts Council.
Our Town Tucson: A Study of
One Naturally Occurring Cultural
District. Tucson, AZ:
Tucson Pima Arts Council, 2013.
US Census Bureau.
“Census 2010 Summary File 1.”
2010.
Van Duzer, Ryan.
“Outdoors and Adventure:
Top 10 Cycling Cities in the US.”
Travel Channel.
http://www.travelchannel.
com/interests/outdoors-and-
adventure/articles/top-10-cycling-
cities-in-us
(accessed November 5, 2014).
18. 16 Downtown Tucson Partnership
Board of Directors and Staff
Board of Directors FY2014
Roberto Bedoya Tucson Pima Arts Council
Don Bourn Bourn Partners
Elizabeth Burden Armory Park Neighborhood Association
Jan Cervelli University of Arizona
Stacy Collins Abby Office Centers
Michael Crawford Mesch, Clark & Rothschild PC
Darryl Dobras Downtown Development Corporation
Randi Dorman MOCA
Gene Einfrank Downtown Neighborhoods and Residents Council
Tony Ford Maker House
Sharon Foltz Tucson Electric Power
Susan Gamble Santa Theresa Tileworks
Tannya Gaxiola University of Arizona
Katie Grogan Tucson Young Professionals
Tim Hagyard Dunbar Spring Neighborhood Association
Larry Hecker Hecker& Muehlebach
Chuck Huckelberry Pima County
John Jacobs Maker House
Mike Kasser Holualoa Companies
Ben Korn Safeguard Tucson
Lisa Lovallo Cox Communications
Jill Madden Madden Media
Katharine Martinez Center for Creative Photography
Fletcher McCusker Rio Nuevo District; Sinfonia
Richard Miranda City of Tucson
Omar Mireles HSL Asset Management
Melanie Morrison MEB Management
Renee Morton Home Style Galleries
Richard Oseran Hotel Congress
Kevin Heath Wells Fargo
John Humenik Arizona Daily Star
Travis Reese 47 Scott
Ron Schwabe Peach Properties
John Sedwick Fourth Avenue Merchants Association
Craig Sumberg Fox Tucson Theatre
Bob Vint Vint & Associates Architects
Bud Walters Southwest Gas
Tom Warne JL Investments
Adam Weinstein Gadsden Development
Ex-Officio Directors
Brent DeRaad Visit Tucson
Richard Elias Pima County Board of Supervisors, District 5
Gary Molenda Business Development Finance Corporation, Industrial
Development Authority, City of Tucson
Steve Kozachik Tucson City Council, Ward 6
John O’Dowd Amado & Associates, CPA
Marilyn Robinson Industrial Development Authority, City of Tucson;
UA Drachman Institute
Regina Romero Tucson City Council, Ward 1
Si Schorr ADOT, Pima County Representative
Ron Shoopman Southern Arizona Leadership Council
Don Durband City of Tucson, Parkwise
Staff
Michael Keith Chief Executive Officer
Austin Gilliland Economic Development Manager
Brandi Haga-Blackman Operations and Events Manager
Caitlin Jensen Marketing Manager
Russ Stone Maintenance Manager
Stan McIntyre Security Manager
Downtown Tucson Partnership staff
from left: Russ Stone, Brandi Haga-
Blackman, Stan McIntyre, Michael
Keith, Caitlin Jensen, Austin Gilliland
19. 17State of Downtown 2015
About the Partnership
Downtown Tucson the most dynamic urban center in the Southwest.
The Partnership is a non-profit, 501(c)(6) corporation that creates a
more vibrant community for businesses, property owners, residents,
employees, and visitors. Our programs have led to increased
investment, growing numbers of businesses of all types, improved
streetscapes, and improved quality of life.
The Partnership manages the Tucson Downtown Business
Improvement District (BID). The Partnership provides enhanced
maintenance and security services, along with marketing, public
relations, advocacy, and economic development services to the
33-block area. Commercial property owners in the BID fund these
services through an annual surcharge of .053 cents per $100 of
assessed property value.
Contact Downtown Tucson Partnership
Economic & Community Development
Michael Keith, CEO 520.268.9035
Caitlin Jensen, Marketing and PR Manager 520.268.9033
Brandi Haga-Blackman, Operations and Events Manager 520.268.9032
Austin Gilliland, Economic Development Associate 520.268.9034
Operations: Security and Maintenance
Stan McIntyre, Security Supervisor 520.940.5652
Russ Stone, Maintenance Supervisor 520.940.0806
Main Security 520.940.1038
Main Maintenance 520.940.0806
GodatDesign
20. 18 Downtown Tucson Partnership
Downtown Tucson Partnership
100 N. Stone Avenue
Suite 101
Tucson Arizona 85701
www.downtowntucson.org
Published by the Downtown Tucson Partnership
January 2015
