SOUTH TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Spanish Trail Motel is one of the abandoned structures seen as "eyesores" in South Tucson that have been damaged by large fires. The structure caught fire in February last year, and again this past Sunday. The fire rekindled again with the strong winds seen Monday afternoon.
South Tucson has been taking action by enforcing the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance, which sets safety standards for businesses in the 1.2 square mile city.
"We're investigating several properties within South Tucson, and citations have been given out, and some are pending," said South Tucson Police Commander Raul Navarro.
The mayor of South Tucson, Roxanna Valenzuela, provided details on those citations and clarified one citation had been issued to the owner of the Tucson Greyhound Park that caught fire in May last year. Now, she said on Monday, the city is working on citing the owner of the Spanish Trail Motel.
“He should have remediated this area a long time ago, and we waited too long. We waited too long to take action, and now our community is suffering more,” Valenzuela said.
The city has seen frequent fires since August 2023.
- The Crossroads Restaurant— August 2023
- Spanish Trail Motel— February 2024
- Tucson Greyhound Park— May 2024
- Arizona Feeds Country Store— January 2025
- Spanish Trail Motel— March 2025
While businesses such as the Crossroads Restaurant have worked to restore the damage, the destroyed structure of the Spanish Trail Motel can be seen by anyone driving by.
In January of last year, the City of South Tucson issued a lawsuit to the owners of the Spanish Trail and the Sixth Avenue Suites for frequent crime in and around the properties. In addition to the lawsuit, there was a protest outside of one of those properties held by people who claimed to be advocating for better conditions, and a better South Tucson.
The protest was separate from the city's lawsuit, but several members of the South Tucson council led the protest, including newly-elected Mayor Roxanna Valenzuela. The City of South Tucson eventually worked through a settlement agreement with the owner of the properties.
Before the fire rekindled Monday afternoon, Valenzuela talked to KGUN 9 about the property.
"The reality is that the conditions haven't changed,” she said. She brought up the limited resources the city has to work with and talked about taking further action against the owner.
“Staff has been working really hard right now, along with our city attorney, to try to reignite another lawsuit, but this one's going to be a lot more aggressive, because we're tired. We've had enough. He has not complied with his agreement to keep that property safe for not just the benefit of his tenants, but the whole community,” Valenzuela added.
KGUN 9 reached out to the owner, Brian Bowers, and asked about his response to the fire and the idea of another lawsuit. Bowers provided the following statement:
"I don’t know the specifics on how the fire happened. Someone trespassed on the property and broke into the building which is secured, fenced, and posted no trespassing. I hope the investigation finds the person who started the fire. The entire property is checked several times a day. We are installing additional fencing, repairing any areas that were damaged, and security will continue to patrol the property. The security company will continue to detain trespassers and contact South Tucson Police.
The prior lawsuit was dismissed July 30, 2024. All the terms agreed upon by both parties and ordered by the judge were satisfied."
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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.
