Downtown Tucsonan - May 2008 - (Page 4)

F r om t h e E di tor eaders of this column know that I try to use it to mark downtown’s progress amid the chaos of construction and uncertainty, and this month is no different. Perhaps because I missed a month, I’ll hit various random topics in this column. so, watch out for changing subjects! R elsewhere in this issue, is an article about tucson thunder and the HoG Rally. these are examples of tourism and special events having an economic impact on our city and on downtown, because they attract out-oftown guests with money to spend. april was a busy month with special events that brought, cumulatively, tens of thousands of visitors to downtown. we were pleased to see large and steady crowds at the Madonnari chalk art Festival on april 26, and look forward to planning an even bigger and better event for next year. we were also pleased to hear comments later from businesses who noticed the positive impact of the crowds that day at their cash registers. I perceive an increased willingness among merchants to take advantage of these opportunities to elevate their business’ visibility and sales. coming in May are (possibly) some city council decisions about the convention hotel, arena, and convention center expansion. It would be dandy if those projects could be completed roughly around the time that I-10 is reopened, and definitely by the time the modern streetcar is operational. the downtown Links citizens advisory committee may make a decision on the complete alignment of the Barraza-aviation extension, at its May 12 meeting. we will continue to keep you informed about all of these important projects. In June, we will tell you all the details about the Façade Improvement Program, which is being developed right now. we will likely be requesting and reviewing proposals this summer. I enjoyed Jamie Manser’s account of her ride-along with our Maintenance crew during its early, early-morning shift. she captures the positive attitude these guys and gals maintain as they encounter and clean up the not-so-attractive detritus of urban life. we are very proud of them. If they were to stop working for a week, people would be truly amazed at what downtown would look like without their efforts. we mustn’t take them for granted. Finally, if you did not hold onto the april issue as a reference or a keepsake, did you remember to recycle it? donovan durband Executive Director, Downtown Tucson Partnership since the last issue, 6th avenue and stone avenue south of Broadway have been converted to two-way travel. while this will doubtless cause some short-term confusion, especially where the two-way meets the one-way sections at Broadway, there will be a very positive long-term effect on navigating to and around downtown as a result of this change. while the 4th avenue underpass is a year away from reopening, we can now say we’re halfway there, and the worst of the mess on the downtown side of the tracks is behind us. More work to finish the trolley tracks around the Rialto block remains, and 5th avenue at toole will be messy with the construction of the depot Plaza Garage, but for the most part, congress and Broadway will be clear for a while. next year, segments of congress and Broadway will be rebuilt with new underground utilities and attractive aboveground landscaping and amenities. this is to prepare for the arrival of the modern streetcar by 2011. the timetable for this infrastructure work is not yet known with specificity, but the plan from what I understand is to do the work in sections, so the entire streets are not disrupted at once. we will provide more information on that project as it becomes available. the design-build team was selected just in the last month, so there is much planning and design to be done before we can tell you about the work schedule or what it will look like when it is done. we can say now that we are at least onethird of the way through the I-10 construction. two articles in this issue highlight projects that have been undertaken to create positive economic impact for downtown businesses and hopefully mitigate, if temporarily, the ill effects of construction. on page 10, the article about MtcVB’s ongoing effort to bring more amateur athletics to the tcc mentions two such events that are coming this summer that we have never had before. on page 23, and referenced 4 downtown tucsonan.may.08 http://www.foxtucsontheatre.org http://www.foxtucsontheatre.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Downtown Tucsonan - May 2008

Downtown Tucsonan - May 2008 Contents From the Editor Downtown Lowdown Vital Signs Downtown Live Arts Galleries Performances Vital Signs Continued Events Film Museums Billboard Classifieds

Downtown Tucsonan - May 2008

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