TUCSON, Ariz. - The City Council just approved tax incentives for a very big change for 4th avenue.
There's a 13 story apartment tower going in on the South end of 4th.
The old bar called Maloney's has been a fixture on 4th Avenue but now it is making way for a new project Tucson City Council has just approved, 13 stories worth of mixed use including what they call market rate apartments, not student housing, what people are willing to pay.">
The site is in Councilmember Kozachik's Ward 6:
“You know, so we were kind of played out with a student housing with the district and the other one that just opened up across the street. And frankly, there is a saturation issue with respect to student housing. So this is going to be a different clientele. And it will be expanding our demographics in around the downtown core."
The city still has to approve construction details of the project. What it did do is approve five and a half million dollars in tax incentives to encourage the developer to invest.
Kozachik worries too much development will spoil the atmosphere that makes people want to be on 4th Avenue.
He wants the developers of this project to work out an agreement on how the project would fit in.
That would be between the developer and the Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition.
Henry Werchan of the coalition says, “We always reiterate, we're not anti growth, we're smart growth and, you know, properly with community input. So we just want to have a voice at the table and make sure that our concerns are, are dealt with and that we have dialogue, you know, going forward."
The incentives with the city require negotiation over how to mitigate the impact a big new building would have. Tom Warne, who represents the developer says even if there were no requirement it's good business to be good neighbors.
“I think that's very important to have really good communication as time goes on, and work together. And it's good. Also, they have accountability, From the coalition to the projects. So that, you know, it's a two way street, That's very important for the future."
