Photos: Colorful La Placita Village office complex comes to an end
La Placita Village at Church and Broadway, which opened in 1973, had its origins in the "urban redevelopment" projects of the 1960s that resulted in the completely new look of the west end of downtown Tucson. With nearly 90 shops, offices and restaurants, it was a quirky, colorful hideaway on hot days. It was demolished in 2018 to make way for residential apartments.
La Placita Village office complex
La Placita from the air in 1977. The new landlords, Cushman & Wakefield of Arizona, were the first national commercial real estate firm to manage the property.
La Placita offices
La Placita Village in 2015, a colorful, mixed use, multi storied building complex with office and retail space on West Broadway Boulevard and South Church Avenue in downtown Tucson.
La Placita Village office complex
La Placita Village and the United Bank building being constructed by M.M. Sundt construction company in September, 1973. Looming behind is the hotel at the Tucson Community Center, now closed.
La Placita Village office complex
La Placita Cinema 3 won a design award from Print, a graphic design magazine, in March, 1976.
La Placita Village office complex
La Placita Village as seen from Pima County Superior Court in 1980.
La Placita Village office complex
A quiet day at the hospitable confines of La Placita Village in 1977.
La Placita Village office complex
La Placita Village in 1987.
La Placita Village office complex
Narrow walkways, nooks and crannies were a well-known part of La Placita Village in 1988.
La Placita Village office complex
Mature trees provided welcome shade at La Placita Village on a May day in 1978.
La Placita Village office complex
Artist's rendering of La Placita Village and the financial Center in 1972.
La Placita offices
The three story United Bank building, left was the first portion of La Placita Village to open. At right is the old El Charro Restaurant. In the background is the steel frame of other village shops. Looking east St. Augustine Cathedral can be seen in the distance.
La Placita offices
The Veinte de Agosto Park rests between La Placita Village and Braniff-Place-Tucson hotel, left, and the county's buildings on the right in early August, 1973.
La Placita offices
Work is underway at La Placita Village as they build the structures around the old band shell, middle. Broadway Boulevard was realigned to make way for the construction of the village in early August, 1973.
La Placita offices
Construction is underway at La Placita Village, Veinte de Agosto Park, the Braniff Place-Tucson and the new county Superior Courthouse. Broadway Boulevard was realigned to make way for the construction of the village and the hotel in early August, 1973.
La Placita offices
The site of La Placita offices at Broadway and Church in 1969. Note the bandshell, center foreground, and the original El Charro building. Both were incorporated into the La Placita complex.
La Placita offices
The gazebo at La Placita Park on January 4 1967. Note: The photo is looking east and the Greyhound bus depot is in the background.
La Placita offices
Fiesta de La Placita at La Placita Park in Downtown Tucson on April 2, 1974.
La Placita offices
La Placita Park, which was on West Broadway Boulevard near South Church Avenue, was surrounded by several businesses including El Charro restaurant and the Ronquillo's Bakery.
La Placita offices
La Placita Village as scene in 2015 -- a colorful, mixed use, multi storied building complex with office and retail space on West Broadway Boulevard and South Church Avenue in downtown Tucson.
La Placita offices
The courtyard at La Placita Village is the setting for the Cinema La Placita Outdoor Film Series in 2006, which began in May 2000. On the screen above is James Stewart in 1954's "Rear Window."
La Placita offices
Nick Balig serves up popcorn at Cinema La Placita, which was screening Sidney Poitier's 1950 debut "No Way Out" in 2010.
La Placita offices
Projectionist for the La Placita outdoor cinema film series, Jim Klingenfus rolls the film on the movie "The Rainmaker" in 2003.
La Placita offices
Tres English and Paula Schlusberg watch Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 classic Rear Window at the La Placita courtyard as part of the Cinema La Placita Outdoor Film Series in 2007.
La Placita offices
Cinema La Placita in 2010, showing Sidney Poitier's 1950 debut "No Way Out."
Cinema La Placita
The little dog at lower right may feel a bit lonely as the screen hound get some love.
Cinema La Placita
A large crowd gathered to relax, eat and watch "Best in Show", the final movie to appear at Cinema La Placita in Tucson, AZ. The event will move from here to the Old Courthouse beginning June 9th. Photo taken Thursday, May 26, 2016.
La Placita Village office complex
The colorful La Placita Village, middle, at 100 S Church Avenue is scheduled for demolition and possibily replaced by mixed use residential in Tucson on Oct 17, 2016. It has been fenced off and the tenants have left the premises.
La Placita Village office complex
La Placita Village is a colorful, mixed use, multi storied building complex with office and retail space on West Broadway Boulevard and South Church Avenue in downtown Tucson. It is currently the site of the Tucson visitors bureau, Platinum Fitness, the historic Samaniego House and is adjacent to the Tucson Convention Center and the now closed Hotel Arizona. It is also the site of historic La Placita Park which has a grassy area as well as a gazebo. The photo was taken in Tucson, Ariz., on Monday, Dec. 21, 2015.
La Placita Village office complex
Demolition continues on the La Placita Village in downtown Tucson on Mar. 14, 2018. HSL Properties, which owns the complex, submitted plans to build a housing project in its place on West Broadway Boulevard and South Church Avenue. La Placita opened in 1973 and had more than 200,000 square feet of office and restaurant space and a 500-space parking garage. The Samaniego House, the Flin Building and the Stable, in the background, are inside La Placita are expected to escape demolition
La Placita Village office complex
Demolition continues on the La Placita Village in downtown Tucson on Mar. 14, 2018. HSL Properties, which owns the complex, submitted plans to build a housing project in its place on West Broadway Boulevard and South Church Avenue. La Placita opened in 1973 and had more than 200,000 square feet of office and restaurant space and a 500-space parking garage. The Samaniego House, the Flin Building and the Stable are inside La Placita are expected to escape demolition.
La Placita Village office complex
Crews with BCS Enterprises bring down the colorful buildings of La Placita Village on Feb. 13, 2018, in downtown Tucson, Ariz. Current plans call for apartments to be built with space for ground-floor retail and a restaurant and coffee shop.
La Placita Village office complex
Rendering for La Placita Village, east elevation facing Church Ave.
Rick Wiley
Photo editor
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These photos were recently featured in the Star's Tucson Time Machine newsletter, which highlights Tucson's history through snapshots of peopl…