SOUTH TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A small space in South Tucson is making a big impact by bringing more shade, trees, and community connection to the 1.2 square mile city.
“There's not one locally owned coffee shop south of 22nd that's a sit-down community space," said Selina Barajas, co-owner of Luna Y Sol Cafe.
Luna Y Sol Cafe is on track to become the first sit-down coffee shop in the City of South Tucson. The owners, Selina and Abraham Barajas, have been working toward their grand opening. In addition to their business, they also wanted to make an impact by giving back to the community.
On Sunday, the Barajas family was able to cut the ribbon on their community habitat connected to the soon-to-be coffee shop. The outdoor space, a project funded by Mrs. Meyer's Clean Days and Kids Gardening "Lots of Compassion" grant, started as a vacant lot. Luna Y Sol Cafe was one of ten recipients of the $20,000 grant from across the nation tasked with turning that into an urban garden.
“It is the hottest area, one of the hottest areas, in all of the county with the heat island effect, and there's not a lot of trees. There's not a lot of consistent public parks available for our families. So that's what we wanted to do here," said Selina Barajas.
As many gathered to celebrate this milestone, South Tucson leaders praised community organizations for their collaborations. One of the partners in the project was the Tucson Bird Alliance.
“Spaces like this help to cool the neighborhood," said Megan Eubank with the Tucson Bird Alliance. "They provide wonderful spaces for people to gather, and they're also excellent for our birds and our butterflies and bees, making sure that they have what they need to stay here in this really biodiverse region that we're very fortunate to be part of.”
Southside's Barrio Restoration has also played a role in the project by hosting community clean-ups around the area.
“It's a space where numerous individuals from the neighborhood have come and invested their time and sweat equity into the soil here,“ said Barrio Restoration's David Garcia.
The family business is still preparing to open the coffee shop at 137 W. 29th St.
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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.
