Downtown Tucsonan - May 2008 - (Page 7)

FUNDING FOUND Without fanfare, the City Council has approved a fiveyear renewal of the Business Improvement District “our original reason for existence and still our primary source of revenue,” says Donovan Durband, Downtown Tucson Partnership’s Executive Director. The city and more than 100 other downtown property owners pay annual assessments to cover DTP costs of providing security, maintenance, marketing, advocacy, and special events involving downtown. Now Noonan, of Reliance Commercial Construction, claims she had fulfilled all legal requirements of the earlier agreement and wants either the right to buy and develop the property or collect damages. five nominees artists, volunteers, individuals, businesses, arts organizations have been chosen to compete in ten categories representative of “outstanding contributions to the arts.” Initially presented as the Mayors Arts Awards and Costume Ball in 2001, the event came under TPAC’s guidance in 2005. Weatherman Chuck George is this years MC. Joe Snell of Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, Inc., is 2008 Honorary Chairman. Advance tickets are $35 per person. WHERE TO GO There’s a danger in asking someone to tell you where to go but in the case of the Greyhound bus terminal, a definitive answer is needed. And soon. Because of other construction plans, the existing temporary terminal at I-10 and Congress was scheduled to relocate until its new $18 million facility was up and running at 6th and Toole Avenues. Escalating construction costs on this and other projects have slowed things down, giving the City Council (in the form of its subcommittee on downtown issues) time to hold public discussion on the subject, tentatively on May 22. COME ON IN The Warehouse Arts Management Organization (WAMO) and Dinnerware Artspace are partnering to present the 2008 version of Tucson Open Studios Tour, an afternoon event (noon to 5pm) the weekend of May 10-11. “From our little part of the world, we present programs and serve as a downtown arts resource,” says David Aguirre, director of the about-to-be-30-year-old Artspace organization. Look for a year-long anniversary celebration next year. For further info on the Open Studios Tour, check out DinnerwareArts.com. MARK YOUR CALENDARS Civic Plaza projects, all of them development at two hotel sites, purchase of Alan Norville’s downtown land, expanding the Tucson Convention Center, building a new arena are slated to come before Mayor and Council on May 6th. One of the biggest items of concern is a reported major increase in the price tag for a new arena, now estimated at “nearly $200 million” as reported in the Arizona Daily Star. That figure doesn’t mirror reality, according to TCC Director Rich Singer, who says a more realistic number would be between $130-$165 million. “These numbers are still in draft form and I’m confident they will come down,” he says. “Twenty-nine months of inflation have taken their toll and we’ve still not put together a financing plan, so the term ‘done deal’ won’t happen for awhile.” SPRING 2009 Look for completion of the 4th Avenue Underpass by Spring 2009, according to project manager Mike Skilsky. Sundt Construction is just wrapping up demolition of the north half of the underpass with new construction to start immediately. When done, a temporary Union Pacific Railroad detour will be installed and contractors will get to work on removing and building anew on the south underpass. Installation of water mains on 5th Avenue wrapped up just prior to the April 19 Club Crawl and will continue on Broadway. When complete, the contractor will start on trolley track construction with tracks south of the underpass expected to be in place by June/July. “Weekly meetings are held every Thursday (10am) at the construction trailer and the public is invited,” says Skilsky. LACE ‘EM UP Fox Theatre Foundation and the Greater Tucson Leadership organization are beneficiaries of this year’s Meet Me Downtown 5K Night Run/Walk on June 7th. Race time for the 3.1-mile loop Southern Arizona Roadrunner event is 6:30pm, according to director Randy Accetta. Further details at www.azroadrunners.org. STONE AVENUE SLOWDOWN Work at Stone Avenue and Ochoa Street, the St. Augustine Cathedral Placita and Hall, has slowed and won’t be completed at the end of May as earlier hoped. “We’d like to finish construction on the main placita by the end of June. We’ve already paid for a lot of the materials, but are still waiting for steel to be bent and fabricated for the plaza performance stage,” says project coordinator Dr. Tony Carrillo. Over $700,000 has been raised to pay for the reconstruction/renovation/preservation effort. “We still need $350,000 to complete the work,” Carrillo says. When finally finished with hundreds of wrought-iron flowers, leaves, and birds, “It will be the most colorful thing downtown and hopefully will spur further development nearby.” WAVE GOODBYE For the last 3+ years Laura Caywoo -Barker has reigned as director of the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum at the Historic Downtown Depot, 414 N. Toole Avenue. Calling it “a memorable experience,” she stepped down as of April 25th to join her husband on a career move to Williamsburg, Virginia. BIG SHOES TO FILL Fox Theatre Foundation executive director Herb Stratford figures after shepherding the $13 million restoration project at Fox Tucson Theatre, he’s run his course and it’s time to move on. The 43-year-old’s last day was April 25 and a search committee has been formed to look for his successor. “Moving on to other things” is the way he envisions it, hopeful the other things don’t involve the 70-hour workweeks he’s been putting in since 2001 to restore the downtown landmark and make it profitable. Although the Fox has hosted several hundred events that have attracted in excess of 100,000 attendees, it has yet to wind up a year with a surplus. Indications are the theater is headed toward the profit side of the ledger this year. Stratford says he accomplished what he set out to do and has offered to stay on as a consultant to the Fox Theatre Foundation. GOVERNOR RECOGNIZES ANDREWS The executive director of the Arizona Theatre Company (ATC), Jessica Andrews, was honored with the prestigious Individual Award at the Governor’s Arts Awards ceremony, held April 23 at the Arizona Biltmore. Andrews has been the executive director at ATC for 13 years, and has been known nationally for many years for her work with arts agencies in several states prior to her arrival in Tucson. Governor Janet Napolitano presented Andrews with the award, which is “given to a living Arizonan who has made a significant impact on the arts in Arizona, through philanthropy, leadership and/or direct involvement”. ATC is the State Theatre of Arizona, with productions that debut in Downtown Tucson’s Temple of Music and Art and then move up the road to Phoenix’s Herberger Theater Center. LEGAL FEEDBACK Remember developer Peggy Noonan who lost the right to construct condominiums on city property downtown (DOWNTOWN LOWDOWN, December 2007) for lack of progress? She’s back in the form of a $15 million damage claim filed against the City of Tucson alleging “lost profits” as a result of the initial agreement cancellation. After waiting two years for visible signs of a seven-story, 101-unit condo complex to be built on a city-owned parking lot on Paseo Redondo behind the Tucson Water building, Rio Nuevo director Greg Shelko terminated the exclusive option for lack of progress. RECOGNITION RENOWN Luminaries in our community get their lights lit on May 4th as the Tucson Pima Arts and Business Awards ceremonies move downtown this year to the Fox Tucson Theatre. Fifty- Correction: Last month we incorrectly identified the name of the salon and day spa at 614 N. 4th Avenue. The correct name of the business is Elements in Balance Salon and Day Spa. may.08. downtown tucsonan 7 http://DinnerwareArts.com http://www.azroadrunners.org

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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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