The right kind of development
A couple of years ago I flew former Portland Transportation Commissioner Charlie Hales to Tucson to talk to folks about the economic benefits of the Modern Streetcar and Light Rail. He talked a little about how Portland developers thought differently from those from other places.
“Most developers get up in the morning,” Charlie said, “and think, ‘How can I make some money?’ Portland developers get up in the morning and think, ‘How can I make some money by carrying out the City’s plan.’ “
Well, there are finally some developers here in Tucson thinking like Portland developers. Here’s one example. I just saw a presentation by Jim Counts, founder of the independent and locally-owned Nimbus Brewing Company. He is proposing a terrific downtown mixed-use development on a surface parking lot east of 9th Avenue between the railroad tracks and Franklin.
Instead of simply plopping down his idea on the site as is, he talked with neighbors and planners like Corky Poster and came up with a concept plan that carries out the adopted Warehouse District Master Plan. There will be a brewpub/restaurant, the brewery, art galleries & studios, a six- to seven-story condo building, affordable apartments, and public plazas, and a possible grocery and pharmacy–all in line with the adopted plan. It’s a great, visionary project in the right place that can mean a whole lot to downtown, and it makes sense for Tucson.
We need to help developers like Jim Counts to make more money doing good projects like these; and we need to make sure that sprawling Tucson-unfriendly projects make less money. That’s how we will get the built environment we need to preserve our quality of life as we grow.