Tucson Time Machine: 5 historical photos of La Placita Village
These photos were recently featured in the Star's Tucson Time Machine newsletter, which highlights Tucson's history through snapshots of people, places, and events.
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This week's Tucson Time Machine newsletter features a few historical photos of La Placita Village.
The village, which was located near Broadway and Church Avenue, was originally built in 1973 and featured around 90 shops, offices and restaurants.
However, the most noticeable thing about the village was its colorful buildings that occupied the space. La Placita Village also often acted as a shaded hideaway for many folks during the hot summer months.
Here are a few Tucsonans enjoying a quiet day at the hospitable confines of La Placita Village in 1977.
Photo credit: Tucson Citizen archives.
Here's a peek at the construction of La Placita Village, pictured in the middle foreground, on Feb. 26, 1973.
The village cost around $6.3 million and included a 2.6-acre complex with Mexican-style stores, cafes and offices along the newly realigned Broadway in downtown Tucson.
It was adjacent to the Tucson Convention Center (pictured in the background) and a now-closed hotel (pictured in the lower right) then called Braniff Place which eventually became the Hotel Arizona.
Photo credit: Bruce Hopkins, Tucson Citizen.
Check out this bird's-eye view of La Placita Village from 1977.
The landlords, Cushman & Wakefield of Arizona, were the first national commercial real estate firm to manage the property.
Photo credit: Tucson Citizen archives.
Here's a peek inside La Placita Village in 1987. The village went through several owners throughout its 40-plus-year history in Tucson.
In 2011, HSL Properties acquired La Placita Village, according to the Arizona Daily Star. In 2018, demolition began on the colorful plaza, but it will always be a part of Tucson history.
Photo credit: David Sanders, Arizona Daily Star.
During its last years, La Placita Village was the site of the Tucson visitors bureau, Platinum Fitness and the historic Samaniego House. Here's the village on Dec. 21, 2015, a few years before it was demolished in 2018 to make way for new apartments.
What do you remember about La Placita Village? Let us know at timemachine@tucson.com.
Photo credit: A.E. Araiza / Arizona Daily Star.
