The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Kenneth Scoville
The three historic motor lodges on Drachman Street that are owned by the Pima Community College are facing demolition with more parking lots or adaptive reuse.
The campus is encircled by parking lots that define the institution as a commuter school detached from the surrounding neighborhoods. These contributing buildings to the Miracle Mile Historic District are the last opportunity for the College to connect to the community that is proud to be identified as the automobile gateway into Tucson.
Last year the PCC Board began considering the demolition of these motor lodges but a large community response against demolition brought the creation of a study committee to address these concerns. Unfortunately, the structure, timeframe, and limitations imposed on the committee became a harbinger of an expected outcome that could become political cover to justify demolition.
One member of the board who voted for the committee insisted that the requested six-month time frame begin at that moment, before any such committee was even organized. The committee was composed of administrative staff beholden to the board, a facilitator with business expectations connected to the board, community members (including myself), and city representatives. Members from the community had varying degrees of experience with the assigned task of identifying adaptive reuse with the lodges retained or uses for the land if they are demolished. Given the time to organize the committee, the holiday season and background information, the committee barely had three months to address this task.
Other limitations imposed by the board included no funds from the college as they withdrew the approximately ten million dollars designated by the previous board, and that the adaptive or new uses be student-centered. This is a high bar to attain given that matching funds would not be possible and uses were focused inward rather than toward community uses that include students, the surrounding neighborhoods, and businesses.
The previous PCC Board purchased the motor lodges to support the effort of the Thrive in 05 HUD Grant which the City of Tucson was successful in obtaining in the amount of $50 million for the rehabilitation of the Tucson House, to revitalize Drachman Street, provide nearby health services and food security options. Numerous pages of the scope for the implementation of the grant indicate the importance of historic preservation and the historic district. HUD identified and supported this emphasis with funds to restore the Tucson Inn neon sign and new signage along Drachman and the corridor announcing the historic district. During the entire committee process, not one city representative spoke at all in support of historic preservation and adaptive reuse. All three lodges, with a mix of preservation and new construction, could fit the needs of health and food venues identified in the implementation plan and would be within walking distance of the Tucson House; but again, all quiet. One glimmer of hope that came late in the process was the willingness of staff to move forward with a request for information/qualifications (RFI/RFQ) which would solicit developer interest and proposals for the lodges, but with no requirements for preservation other than adaptive use of the existing structures is desirable but not a requirement. Ironically, this process should have begun in January so the committee could have reviewed the proposals. Developers for downtown have done some excellent adaptive reuses with historic buildings, and the former Corbett Lumber Yard is now transformed into Corbett’s with pickle ball courts, beer garden, and restaurant. It is a standout.
The Pima Community College Board meets on April 3 and may proceed with the RFI/RFQ or decide for demolition. All citizens concerned about the future of the three contributing historic motor lodges and the Miracle Mile Historic District, which supports the ongoing revitalization, should speak up, given no one other than myself did so during the committee meetings.
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