TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — “Right now, our biggest concern with crime is the shooting over in the Mission Plaza Center on Speedway and Swan,” said Lois Pawlak, president of the Garden District Neighborhood Association.
Tucson Police detectives continue investigating the incident on August 11th that started in the parking lot of Arizona Hookah Lounge.
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The Garden District has been keeping the neighborhood informed through the weekly newsletter. The recent newsletter shared an update from a neighborhood meeting with TPD.
Updates on safety in the community has been one of the top sections of each weekly newsletter since the shooting. Garden District President Lois Pawlak addressed the violence in meeting with KGUN 9, while bringing attention to other ways the area was impacted.
“Businesses lost an entire day's worth of revenue," said Pawlak. "And so we're concerned about that. We've seen business after business pick up and move.”
Businesses in the strip mall on the southwest corner of Speedway and Swan have relocated due to the violence, leaving several units vacant.
On August 5th, the owner of Zain Investments LLC finalized the purchase of several units on the east end of the strip mall. Owner Jamal Qasim shared his perspective of the ongoing violence in the area, specifically on the shooting that followed shortly after his purchase.
“I definitely am concerned about the violence, but hopefully Tucson Police will step it up," said Qasim. He added that he's lived in the area for most of his life and has seen crime go up and down. His plan is to move forward with his plans.
“I want to try to get all the stores ready to be rented," he said.
When it comes to new businesses or potential renters coming to the area, Lois Pawlak said she wants to be proactive in getting to know who is moving in.
“We hope that new businesses are good neighbors. Being a good neighbor is not hard, keep your place clean. If you have crime issues, work with us or TPD. We can even help you advertise in our newsletter,” said Pawlak.
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Reyna Preciado is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2022 after graduating Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Reyna by emailing reyna.preciado@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or Twitter.
