A long-running soup kitchen in South Tucson has branched out into the housing market.
Casa Maria recently bought the El Camino Motel, 297 E. Benson Highway, with plans to operate it as an affordable housing complex.
The 20 units will be rented monthly to people earning less than 80% of the area median income, for between $600 and $700 a month, which will include utilities, said Roxanna Valenzuela, a community organizer for Casa Maria.
The average household income in South Tucson is about $36,000, according to data from the U.S. Census.
“In 2020, Casa Maria recognized that the economic disruptions caused by the pandemic were likely to increase rental prices,” Valenzuela said. “In that year, we embarked on a strategic plan to purchase residential properties and remove them from the speculative real estate market (and) rent these units to low-income families, prioritizing those with historic connections to South Tucson.”
Casa Maria had previously bought single-family homes and duplexes in the area to keep them affordable.
“The El Camino presented an opportunity to accelerate these efforts,” Valenzuela said. “It’s walking distance to the VA Hospital, a social security office, several non-VA medical clinics, a grocery store, and other social service agencies.”
The nonprofit hopes to raise $400,000 to add kitchenettes to all units.
Michele Ream, with Central Realty, handled the $850,000 sale of the motel which was built in the 1940s.
Most existing residents were renting by the week or day and were very nervous when they learned it was for sale.
“The motel was either going to get bulldozed or become more upscale and all of the folks there would be removed,” Ream said. “When they heard Casa Maria bought it, they were so relived...on the verge of tears.”
The El Camino Motel will become a month-to-month rental community for between $600 and $700 a month.
Valenzuela said Casa Maria hopes to acquire more South Tucson motels in the future.
Other recent commercial transactions include:
Tucson-based Holualoa Cos. and LaPour Partners had a record-setting sale in Phoenix. The 160-room AC Hotel Phoenix Biltmore by Marriott, 2811 E. Camelback Road, sold for $67.8 million — $423,750 per room. The five-story hotel opened in 2018 and was bought by Nella Invest. Melvin Chu, John Strauss and Ben Geelan, with JLL Hotels & Hospitality, represented the seller.
Nido 2 LLC bought the seven-unit University Casitas at 1409-1429 E. Drachman St. for $1.7 million. Allan Mendelsberg and Joey Martinez, with Picor, handled the sale.
Mark Longhi Jr. and Anthony Longhi bought the former Family Dollar building at 3035 E. 36th St. for $400,000. Gordon Wagner, with NAI Horizon, represented the seller and Mark Longhi Sr., with Coldwell Banker, represented the buyers.
A pit house is part of the new Early People's Park exhibit at the Presidio San Agustin del Tucson Museum, which opens on January 28. The exhibit features the history and cultural traditions of the early inhabitants of Tucson, the Tohono O'odham and their ancestors. Video by Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star.
