Idle building downtown weighed as UA class space

The UA is in talks with Pima County for a deal that would put the university in the former Walgreens space with a $1- per-year lease.

Architecture college Dean Janice Cervelli called the space at North Stone Avenue and East Pennington Street a "fabulous building in a good location." It's near bus stops, and someday streetcar stops, and there are parking garages nearby, she said.

"It's a natural for us because we teach urban design, urban revitalization, sustainable design," Cervelli said. "It's a great opportunity for the students to watch the revitalization process occur and be part of it. We can lend a lot of our expertise, as we have for many years, in the revitalization efforts downtown."

Ideally, Cervelli said, subject experts who already work downtown would teach the classes as adjunct faculty. But some faculty members on campus also are interested in teaching downtown, she said.

"We think that would be a huge benefit to the downtown," said Reid Spaulding, facilities management director for Pima County.

The UA is assessing the costs of operating the building and looking at security considerations, said Bob Smith, the university's associate vice president of planning, design and construction.

If the deal goes through, the UA would take over operations and maintenance of the building without having to buy it.

The building needs renovations. Smith said the old mechanical and electrical systems are problematic, though Spaulding said they are acceptable.

The exterior facade is in bad shape, but the county wants to "restore that building to prominence," Spaulding said.

Scaffolding is up as a contractor works on installing a glass-reinforced concrete facade that will look like the original cast stone. The work should be finished this summer, Spaulding said. The county bond project is not part of Rio Nuevo.

While the building has some historical significance, it doesn't meet historical registry requirements because it's been changed too many times through the years, Spaulding said.

No private tenants have expressed interest in the space for two years. So if the UA doesn't take the deal, the county probably would put the building back on the market, Spaulding said. The Walgreens closed in 2004.

The move is part of a larger plan for the UA to have a presence downtown.

But that's barring any more major state budget cuts. The economy will dictate the moves the UA can make, said Cervelli, a master planning specialist who is leading the downtown discussion for the university.

"Were we in better financial times, heck yeah, we would be moving on it much more quickly," she said. "Downtown's got incredible potential."

The UA's master plan identifies some departments that could fit well downtown.

Public administration is a natural choice because downtown is a center for government employees, Cervelli said.

There also is talk of creating a media and communications center downtown by locating several groups in one space. Ideas include Arizona Public Media, Cox Communications, the public access channels and some film production programs.

The combination would create synergy for investment and creativity that would help all of the groups advance, Cervelli said.

Other options include continuing education programs in demand by those who work downtown.

The UA has been looking for other downtown locations but isn't actively reviewing any facilities other than the former Walgreens, Smith said. The UA doesn't have the money to take advantage of available space downtown right now, he said.

On StarNet: Read Becky Pallack's blog on higher education in Tucson at go.azstarnet.com/campuscorrespondent

DID YOU KNOW

The 1928 Spanish Colonial Revival building at North Stone Avenue and East Pennington Street was designed by noted architect Roy Place. Place also defined the look of the University of Arizona campus as its chief architect.

Contact reporter Becky Pallack at bpallack@azstarnet.com or 807-8012.