As the Fox Tucson Theatre approaches its 100th anniversary in 2030, the nonprofit organization that operates the historic downtown venue is launching a $26.6 million expansion designed to broaden its programming, improve accessibility and help secure the theater's future for another century.
The project, known as Vision 2030, will add a roughly 20,000-square-foot performing arts facility immediately adjacent to the historic theater. Plans include a new 350-seat flexible performance venue, expanded lobby space, elevators, additional concessions and restrooms, creating a more modern experience while preserving the original 1930 theater.
“This new expansion project is really going to help the Fox bridge the next 100 years, enabling us to better serve our public in ways that audiences expect and deserve,” said Jonathon Crider, the Fox Tucson Theatre's director of external relations.
Crider emphasized that the expansion will complement, rather than alter, the historic building.
“It’s going to be built directly next door to the Fox,” he said. “Nothing is happening to the Fox itself. It’ll remain exactly as is.”
The new venue will allow the Fox to host multiple events and performances that its current layout cannot accommodate.
“We’ll have a secondary theater where we can have more artists come to the Fox,” Crider said. “We can have pre-show and post-show events.”
The expansion follows years of planning and received approval from the Tucson City Council in 2025 after a preservation review process. The project is expected to preserve the theater's historic character while significantly increasing its capacity for performances, educational programming and community events. Officials have said the expanded complex could generate nearly $19 million annually in economic activity for downtown Tucson.
Funding for the project will come entirely through private fundraising. Hughes Federal Credit Union recently announced a $5 million contribution — the largest single gift in the campaign to date — in exchange for naming rights to the new event center.
“This really ties in our contribution to the Fox, the donation, to serving the community well and serving our members,” said Elisa Ross, senior vice president of Hughes Federal Credit Union.
The naming agreement brings the capital campaign to roughly the halfway point, with theater officials continuing to seek additional major donors before construction begins.
For Fox leadership, the expansion is also about adapting to a changing entertainment industry.
“The industry is changing drastically and organizations like ours, to succeed, must diversify our revenue,” Crider said.
The new addition is scheduled to open in April 2030, coinciding with the Fox Tucson Theatre's centennial celebration, marking 100 years since the Pueblo Deco landmark first welcomed audiences to downtown Tucson.
