TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Ada Imports Market has been a fixture in Tucson for 13 years, but the owners say they are barely hanging on.
The market, owned by a family originally from the African country of Mali, sits along Grant Road, where ongoing construction has made it difficult for customers to reach the store.
"At first everything is good but since a couple years ago it has gotten really bad," an owner said.
The owners say they are paying $2,500 a month in rent and roughly $900 in electricity — all on what they describe as approximately $80 a day in sales.
"We can't pay the rent and the electricity bill is too much," an owner said.
Parking has become a central problem.
"For parking, people don't have space to park," an owner said.
The situation has grown so dire that one of the owners has taken a second job to keep the store open.
"We need help because it's very very bad," an owner said.
The Regional Transportation Authority is holding an open house Monday night for residents to learn about the next phases of the Grant Road project.
Phases 3 and 4run from Sparkman to Swan, and phases 5 and 6 run from Campbell to Country Club. The RTA will discuss the current project schedule and next steps, including property acquisition, utility relocation and noise mitigation.
For the owners, keeping Ada Imports alive is about more than saving a store — it is about holding onto the community they have built over more than a decade.
The City of Tucson recently addressed the closures in an interview with KGUN 9. Click here for the story.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Marc Monroy joined KGUN 9 as a multimedia journalist after moving from KGUN 9’s sister station, KXXV, in Waco, Texas. He graduated from California State University, Northridge, in 2024 with a degree in journalism. A native of Southern California and a bilingual reporter, Marc is excited to serve Southern Arizona and looks forward to connecting with neighbors in the community. Share your story ideas and important issues with Marc by emailing marc.monroy@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
