One Tucson oddity won't be odd for much longer.
A plywood structure that covers a three-story concrete hole in the ground near downtown's tallest building will soon get a face-lift.
But more on that in a moment.
"The bump, the hump and the stump" - as it is referred to by many - has been at Stone Avenue and Broadway since 1986, when a 22-story skyscraper opened at 1 S. Church Ave.
That skyscraper - a project of the then-Sundt Corp. now known as Sundt Construction Inc. - remains the tallest building downtown. It was first known as the United Bank Tower, then Citibank Tower, followed by Norwest Tower and then UniSource Energy Tower.
Now it is referred to as "One South Church" or "The Tower," and what should have been its twin tower has not been realized, said Buzz Isaacson, first vice president for CBRE.
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Rather, the plywood structure covers the foundation and structural core for "Tower II".
Isaacson has not given up on construction of a Tower II for office space. In the original plans, that tower was expected to have gone up by 1989, but there was overbuilding in the office market.
When Tower II will be built all depends on the market, said Isaacson, who is the leasing agent and represents Massachusetts-based Commonwealth, the building's owners.
But, come April the north-side portion of the structure will be covered in colorful mosaic tiles showing figures of people joining hands - a project by the nonprofit organization Ben's Bells.
This first phase of the mosaic mural was made possible by an $8,300 Kresge Arts in Tucson grant through the Tucson Pima Arts Council. The project artist is Gary Mackender.
Other artists will design the mural "Tucsonans Commit to Kindness" for the remaining sides of the structure, said Jeannette Maré, the creator of Ben's Bells. The mural should be finished this year.
Ben's Bells is dedicated to acts of kindness as a tribute to Maré's son, Ben, who died from croup at age 2 a decade ago. In dealing with the loss, Maré, her family and others created bright, ceramic wind chimes in honor of Ben. More than 24,000 chimes, or Ben's Bells, with messages of kindness have been distributed since 2003 in Tucson and other cities.
Maré will now work in conjunction with the community to spruce up the covering and use the surrounding area, which will have a walkway and entrance, for functions.
"This area represents the heart of downtown, and we want to make Stone and Broadway attractive," Maré said.
The One South Church building is striking with its rose-colored glass and granite exterior, Maré said. "It's courtyard adds to its beauty, and we believe the mosaic mural will add a surprise when people turn the corner. We plan to host Ben's Bells art projects in the plaza."
Maré is spending lots of time downtown because Ben's Bells opened up a second studio last year across from One South Church at the Charles O. Brown historic house.
Contact reporter Carmen Duarte at 573-4104 or cduarte@azstarnet.com
