A copper mining company’s former Tucson headquarters will soon become a dwelling place.
Constructed in 1964 at 1150 N. Seventh Ave., the concrete building with copper accents housed Asarco employees until the company relocated in 2008.
Local developer Zach Fenton is renovating the building into a 35-unit complex called The Seventh Avenue Lofts with studio and one-bedroom floor plans.
“Our goal is to breathe new life into this architectural gem by creating upscale residential spaces that honor the building’s modernist design roots,” Fenton said. “This is not your typical, boring cookie-cutter apartment building.”
The Seventh Avenue Lofts will have 35 units in studio and one-bedroom models.
He said he toured the building in 2020 when it was being marketed for office use.
“I remember being struck with the thought that this already feels like an apartment building,” Fenton said. “The building just spoke to me.”
The main three-story building will have 29 one-bedroom and two studio apartments, ranging in size from 400 to 650 square feet.
Four additional studio apartments will be located in the adjacent building that once housed the server equipment for Asarco.
The units will feature tall ceilings with exposed concrete and steel, stained concrete floors and many windows.
Amenities will include a fitness center, lounge, pet areas with turf and 42 parking spaces in a gated lot.
Fenton said rents will range from $900 to more than $1,200 per month and pre-leasing is available now at seventhavenuelofts.com.
The complex is expected to open in August.
The building was designed by the architectural firm Cain Nelson & Ware and built by contractor W.F. Connelly.
The Seventh Avenue Lofts will feature tall ceilings with exposed concrete and steel, stained concrete floors and many windows.
The copper decorative panels represent Asarco’s main mineral extraction.
Average new home prices have held steady under $500,000 in Tucson with smaller lots, fewer amenities and homebuilder financing programs contributing to cost reductions.
