Living Large

Downtown Tucson Offers Hip Spots to Live, Work, Play

By Jay Gonzales

Live, work and play.

It’s a mantra that fits so many facets of so many communities and can mean so many different things to different cities.

For decades, Downtown Tucson was top-heavy on the “work” part.

There were a few places to play, such as the aging Tucson Convention Center, the Temple of Music and Art, the Tucson Museum of Art and the refurbished Fox Theatre.

The “live” part – not so much.

But for about the last dozen years, business, community and government forces have joined together to turn downtown into a hub of activity where live, work and play is now a thing.

“They say that for a vibrant downtown, you have to live, work and play,” said Fletcher McCusker, chair of the Rio Nuevo board of directors, which has driven much of the development downtown with access to millions of dollars in assistance from the tax increment financing district.

“All of a sudden, things started coming together,” McCusker said. “And once you have that kind of mass, you start seeing retail, grocery stores, Starbucks, hotels.” 

You also get unique activities like one of downtown’s signature events, the DUSK Music Festival. This November will be the  eighth festival, bringing in an eclectic group of musicians and DJs for a two-day event on the streets of downtown around the Jacome Plaza adjacent to the Main Library.

The event combines music from a wide range of genres with food, drink and art for a festival with something for everyone. This year’s event is Nov. 9 and 10.

Each piece of what has happened to make downtown attractive as a place to live, work and play relies on another piece.

The modern streetcar started bringing people downtown when it connected the University of Arizona and the thousands of students looking for urban living. It also helped attract restaurants and businesses with a total investment along the streetcar line well into the billions of dollars.

Downtown Tucson Partnership, funded mostly by the downtown Business Improvement District, the city of Tucson, Pima County, Rio Nuevo and donors is tasked with keeping downtown safe, clean and vibrant, and it’s doing just that, making it safe for downtown residents and visitors to walk the streets at night.

“When people walk downtown, we want it to be abundantly clear that someone is caring for downtown,” said Kathleen Eriksen, DTP president and CEO. “But it’s not just a one-time thing. Every 24 hours, we have to do it again and again.”

With so much investment going on around it, the YMCA of Tucson raised the funds for a $4 million upgrade and renovation of the Lohse Family YMCA, 60 E. Alameda St. The downtown YMCA provides a variety of services, including a place for kids of parents working downtown as well as all the signature health club amenities for those living and working there.

“Seeing the transformation of downtown was definitely a key part of it, but it was not the only factor in that decision for us,” said Kurtis Dawson, president and CEO of the YMCA of Tucson. “It was clear that with building, and the people living downtown, and everything else that’s happened, that we needed to be a part of the transformation.”

Jim Tofel, managing member of Tofel Dent Construction, managed the construction of The Flin, the largest residential development opened to date with 245 units. The challenges of the project, because of its location and footprint, were a difficult learning experience for how to build downtown, Tofel said, yet he’s ready for more.

“I love it,” he said of the opportunity to add living space downtown. “I think it’s important. I feel like we understand it. I’m looking at a handful of other projects right now that are in the development pipeline downtown and they don’t scare me.”

As Eriksen looks around the area where DTP plays a key role in downtown management, she observes the activity and sees who is living there and playing there. 

“When I first started here, I was very intentional about living downtown because I wanted to be a downtown resident and experience it from that perspective,” said Eriksen, who took the DTP job in 2016. She sees two primary demographics living downtown.

“We have young professionals that come here. They’re new to the community and this is a really attractive space for them because it’s luxurious, it’s high-end, and it’s convenient. There’s a lot to do downtown,” she said.

“Then, the people that are retiring, that are downsizing, their children have grown, they’re empty nesters, they want a beautiful space, but they also want a sense of community,” Eriksen said. “They want a neighborhood of people. They want to be able to walk everywhere. They get downtown and they don’t need a car. They’re walking around, riding the streetcar. They’re going to shows. They’re going out to eat at lovely restaurants. 

“And they’re enjoying it. It is the coolest neighborhood in the city.”