The Arizona Court of Appeals has denied historic preservationists’ request to block Pima Community College from razing three motels.
The court, on Thursday, upheld a previous ruling by Pima County Superior Court Judge Brenden J. Griffin, rejecting the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation’s bid for a preliminary injunction blocking demolition.
The PCC Governing Board unanimously voted in November against restoring the motels for a cost of $35.7 million, and to instead demolish them at an estimated cost of $500,000 while trying to preserve the motels’ neon signs.
A block party was held Dec. 12 to celebrate the lighting of the Tucson Inn sign near Pima Community College's downtown campus. The sign's restoration started as part of the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation's Neon Sign Project.
Wednesday's event, hosted by the PCC Governing Board, featured a preview of the lit sign, which is set to be full operational in early 2023. Video by Pascal Albright / Arizona Daily Star.
The 1940s-’50s era motels — the Tucson Inn, Frontier Motel and Copper Cactus — are on Drachman Street north of downtown Tucson and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
They were purchased by the college in 2018 and 2019, while historic preservationist Demion Clinco was on the PCC board, at costs of more than $1 million for the Tucson Inn and about $1.3 million for the Frontier Motel and Copper Cactus.
Griffin’s December decision was based on his finding that PCC is a “political subdivision,” not a “state agency” subject to state laws on preserving historic properties.
The Court of Appeals agreed with his finding, saying “the plain language of the historic preservation statutes in question ... establishes that our legislature did not bind political subdivisions when establishing the responsibilities of ‘agencies’ ... for historic preservation.”
The Tucson Inn, far left, Copper Cactus Inn, middle and the Frontier Motel, all along West Drachman Street.
The ruling said the preservationists who sued “cannot establish either a strong likelihood of success on the merits” in an appeal “or that irreparable harm will result if a stay is not granted.”
The college issued a statement Friday: “Pima Community College is pleased with the Court of Appeals decision that the College Governing Board has the authority and responsibility to make decisions about the properties that it determines are in the best interests of the College. This outcome allows the College to move forward with addressing long-standing safety and security concerns at the site and continue to focus our efforts on serving students and the broader community.
“Throughout this process, the College has remained transparent and diligent — evaluating preservation and redevelopment options, issuing a public Request for Proposals, and engaging with community stakeholders to identify financially viable alternatives that aligned with our mission. Despite these good-faith efforts, no sustainable path emerged to preserve and restore these properties.”
Clinco, CEO of the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation, has said he hoped for a solution “that saves the buildings or designates/rezones them a local city historic landmark and sells them to the public or private sector for redevelopment.”
“These properties are quintessentially Tucson,” Clinco has said. “Their neon signs, particularly the Tucson Inn’s, have been featured on the cover of the travel section of the New York Times.”
Clinco did not immediately comment on the new ruling.
