TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The city of Tucson is looking to the community for feedback and input on a plan to rename and revitalize Downtown's Sixth Avenue Underpass. The plan would rename it to The Donovan Durband Historic Sixth Avenue Underpass after the late public servant and longtime Tucsonan who helped to revitalize downtown Tucson. The plan would also add work by local artist Stephen Farley to the walls.
The underpass connects Downtown Tucson, an area Durband's friends and family say he loved, to Fourth and Sixth Avenue.
His wife, Erin Durband, says that the history of the underpass and its physical job as a connecting point is the perfect way to memorialize Donovan, who was involved in some of the neighborhood's most recognizable features.
“He was either on a committee for, or involved in, or showed up to support everything," she said.
Donovan Durband helped to bring modern street cars to Tucson, worked on the restoration and revitalization of the Fox and Rialto Theaters and was involved in multiple sects of the city government.
Former Ward Six city councilman Steve Kozachik said that Donovan was one of his first two hires when he got elected in 2009.
“He realized that the eclectic nature of our downtown required somebody to sit and listen to all the different perspectives," Kozachik said. "That’s the way you make good public policy; you take all the input and somehow those concentric circles overlap and you find that sweet spot, and that’s what Donovan was great at doing.”
Donovan's love of history is inspiring new art around the underpass. He was an avid collector and trader of postcards that showed Tucson over the years.
“He wanted to know about every building, about every street, how did it start, what was there first, what was there next," said Erin Durband.
Some of the card from his collection, chosen in part by Erin Durband, will be turned into ceramic tiles for the walls. The art is paid for by the Donovan Dean Durband Supports Tucson Foundation.
Erin Donovan says that her husband avoided anything too flashy but would've enjoyed the tribute.
“He’s just a stay under the radar, get it done, do the hard work kind of guy," she said "And he would be truly honored with what we came up with.”
Tucsonans can give their thoughts on the plan to the Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility by emailing michael.graham@tucsonaz.gov by Oct. 25, 2024.
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