Tucson to sell land for new animal center

A concluding land acquisition for a planned new county animal-control facility has been finalized.

The city has agreed to sell Pima County a 2.3-acre parcel northeast of the current Pima Animal Care Center facility at 4000 N. Silverbell Road, according to a deal approved at last week’s City Council meeting.

The sale price for the property was $81,000.

The land is unused and free from buildings.

“It will help to keep us on schedule and under budget,” said Jan Lesher, deputy Pima County administrator.

The land would be used for trailers and other temporary structures during construction of the new animal-care facility, which voters approved as a single-question bond plan in 2014, Lesher said.

Under current plans, the property would be home to new veterinary clinics and animal facilities.

Voters agreed to allow the county to borrow $22 million to build a modern animal-care facility that serves the changing view of animal care, one that has mostly eliminated the practice of euthanasia.

The planned facility would be at least 63,000 square feet, nearly double the size of the existing center.

Plans for the center propose increasing the number of permanent dog-housing units from 285 to 431. There also would be more space for cats, with housing available for 200, up from 150 now.

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The existing Pima Animal Care Center facility was built in 1968 to house stray animals. Its original capacity was about 500 animals.

The average daily population at the facility today is more than 800 animals. As demand has increased and the county moves closer to a no-kill shelter model, a temporary tent structure was built on PACC grounds.

Lesher said the new facility, currently in the design phase, would retain portions of the existing animal-care center.

An area of the facility that was expanded several years ago would remain, but its interior would be completely redesigned.

“It is all new when you see how the kennel is going to look,” Lesher said.

Retaining the section of the old building also is expected to cut down on construction costs, Lesher said.

Construction of the new facility is planned for 2017, with final opening in 2018.

The center receives more than 25,000 animals each year.

About 85 percent of those find new homes through the center and other animal-rescue organizations the county works with.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors must approve the final sale of property from the city.