TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A new development is coming to Midtown Tucson at the edge of the University of Arizona campus after a lengthy negotiation with nearby neighbors.
At the southwest corner of 6th Street and Campbell Avenue, property owner Scott Cummings plans to build a multi-floor apartment complex with ground floor restaurant or retail space.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Building agreement on large development near UA
Last month, Tucson City Council approved rezoning the corner.
Cummings and neighbors in the adjacent Rincon Heights neighborhood came to their own agreement on what the project will look like.
“No party got everything they wanted,” said Colby Henley, who has lived in Rincon Heights for 15 years. “At the end of the day, we got to a good point.”
Henley says getting there took more than four years.
“At the very beginning it felt like the neighborhood was treated kind of almost as a nuisance and you know, just kind of to check the box and get past and move us off to the side,” he said. “The last year or so, we were brought to the negotiating table and really our concerns were treated with respect and looked at seriously.
“Some of our concerns were around affordable housing, what the development would look like structure-wise, physically, this close to a residential neighborhood. And then just some of the uses. Kind of a restaurants, bars, late at night, what that would mean for residents… At the end of the day, we got to a good point.”
The agreement between Cummings and the neighbors is known as a ‘Community Benefits Agreement.’
“[It includes] everything from parking to the height of the buildings to operation hours to the operation of any restaurant,” said Henley. “What the liquor license would allow.”
The development will not include affordable housing units, but Cummings also agreed to donate hundreds of thousands to the city to fund those programs.
“We recognize that this part of town is priced out for a lot of people,” said Henley. “We wanted to make sure that it had a component to it that addressed the affordability and those issues.”
There is also an agreement for ongoing meetings between the developer and neighbors in the years after construction is done to address issues that come up.
Neither detailed plans nor a construction timeline have been announced. KGUN 9 reached out to Cummings for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
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Ryan Fish is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9 and comes to the Sonoran Desert from California’s Central Coast after working as a reporter, sports anchor and weather forecaster in Santa Barbara. Ryan grew up in the Chicago suburbs, frequently visiting family in Tucson. Share your story ideas and important issues with Ryan by emailing ryan.fish@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
