In the latest in our series on local architects and their favorite places, Page Repp shares a spot that helped shape his life.
What is it about a place that makes it your favorite? Maybe it’s the way a space makes you feel or the memories made that remain vivid no matter how much time has passed.
For me, this sense of place is embodied by two buildings and the spot right between them, the middle of Congress Street, between Hotel Congress and the Rialto Theatre. Since moving here in 1992, my life has revolved around these buildings and that midstreet spot in particular.
The vibrant Hotel Congress, which first opened in 1919, was the playground of my young adult life. I credit it with nurturing downtown from its infancy to the energetic entertainment district we all know and love today.
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Across Congress Street lies the Rialto Theatre. Not much to look at back in ’92, but after a major renovation, she sure does sparkle.
During Club Crawl, one spring evening back in 2000, Congress Street was packed. It looked lived-in, sort of like it does now any given Thursday. While crossing the street, I spied her, the girl I would eventually marry. Seven years later, we said our vows on the stage of the Rialto.
I’ve been to both Hotel Congress and the Rialto for countless events and shows, and each time I am reminded how this part of Tucson has shaped my life and given me so much.
If you are ever in need of some entertainment, head downtown. See what it’s like in the middle of Congress, the heart of Tucson’s resurgence. I can’t promise that you will find true love, but who knows? There is so much happening there now, anything is possible.
Just be careful and quick about it. The new streetcar is running. It’s quiet, and I would hate to think you got run over on Congress because of me.
Page Repp is President of Repp Mclain Design + Construction in Tucson and a member of the Southern Arizona chapter of the American Institute of Architects. He and his company were responsible for construction of the Rialto’s new R Bar. Find out more about the AIA by visiting