The Treasury 1929
Daniel Scordato’s Newest Venture for Elegant Events
By April Bourie
Vivace Restaurant owner Daniel Scordato grew up in a restaurateur family and has owned and managed several eateries of his own.
However, his new venture, The Treasury 1929, is his first foray into running an event venue, and he’s jumping in with both feet.
One of the first challenges he faced was how to fund it. “I was going to try to raise money at first, but I don’t like doing that. Instead, I sold my house to finance it,” said Scordato. “I know it was a major thing to do, but I decided I’d rather create this new venture than have a house that was close to being paid for.”
The building housing The Treasury 1929 was completed in 1929 for Consolidated National Bank. In 1935, the bank was sold to Valley National Bank, which later merged with JPMorgan Chase. Chase Bank was the last to reside in the space before vacating in December 2023. The Treasury 1929 now occupies the basement, first and second floors of the building.
Scordato fell in love with the space the first time he saw it. “When I saw the steps coming up from the basement and coming down from the second floor, I just thought it would be the perfect place for weddings,” he said.
Its Italian Renaissance Revival design is lit by two original chandeliers that each cost $1,000 in 1929. The first floor features Tavernelle Rose marble countertops, pink Tennessee marble floors with a Tennessee marble border, and 14 scagliola columns supporting a second-floor mezzanine.
The basement is designed as a speakeasy and features booths used for photos and for guests to use vintage-looking phones to leave messages for the bride and groom. The safety deposit box room has been transformed into an area where guests can relax and enjoy a drink until the festivities begin.
The groom’s changing room is also located in a vault in the basement. On the second-floor mezzanine, the bride and her bridal party can change in another vault, and an adjacent room has been transformed into a mini salon with several chairs set in front of individual mirrors. Original artwork is displayed throughout The Treasury 1929. Murals painted by the renowned Dutch-born artist Anthony B. Heinsbergen depict Tucson’s history and business evolution.
A professional kitchen was added to the space on the first floor. The food is often prepped at Vivace and then cooked onsite at The Treasury 1929.
“Unlike many event venues that have warming kitchens and hold their food in warmers for hours and hours, our food is cooked here and held for 10 minutes at the most in the warmers, so everyone appreciates that they are served real food,” said Scordato.
Although weddings of up to 200 people are the main events held here, others have also been hosted successfully, including nonprofit and professional events, in addition to private holiday parties.
Scordato’s main goal at the location, no matter what type of event, is to match the building’s distinctive ambiance with a unique experience. “Our biggest thing we perform very well is a whole different experience for a wedding or event,” said Scordato. “What I do bring to this is a fresh look. I don’t have the mindset of how it’s always been done.”
The Treasury 1929 began hosting its own “Dinner Concerts,” featuring a pianist and other musicians as well as Arizona Opera singers. These are open to the public and offer an intimate experience where attendees of up to four people have their own table. Cocktails are served, followed by a half hour of entertainment. Then a full dinner is served, followed by another half hour of entertainment.
“I don’t know anyone else who is doing this. It’s like the old days where there were elegant dinners and everyone dressed up in a coat and tie…but we won’t make them get that dressed up,” said Scordato. “I want to keep working on new ways to entertain customers here along with food and drink where it’s unique because of this special building.”
In the future, Scordato envisions throwing Roaring Twenties parties, Halloween parties, ballroom dancing and many other events. “I want to do something that not everyone is doing and add a little twist to it because the building is so unique and beautiful.
