TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — There's a new development proposal called the Ascent Tucson Project in the Sunshine Mile District. A five-story apartment complex with a parking garage is planned to take over the space between Park and Fremont, from 9th to 10th St., near the U of A. Most of the area is currently a Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) parking lot but was sold about four to five months ago. Therefore, TUSD is not involved in this process.
Ascent Property Company is under contract to purchase the over 3.5 acres. The developers held a neighborhood meeting Thursday night at the Robert D. Morrow Education Center to present their proposal and gather community feedback.
The developers say all edges of the project are designed to support a safe and welcoming pedestrian environment and include promoting creative urban infill development.
The property is part of the Sunshine Mile Urban Overlay District, so the zoning does not change. No vote from Tucson City Council is needed to move forward with the development.
The complex is expected to have 235 units that can range from a studio to four bedrooms.
The development will offer market-rate units and include a parking garage with more spaces than apartments, according to the developers. Public open spaces will be incorporated along the project's perimeter, including a mobility hub with bicycle parking and repair facilities on Park near 9th St. There will also be a designated rideshare zone, a wide pedestrian plaza and shaded seating along 9th St.
Matthew Taylor, owner of Screwbean Brewing, which sits across the street from the proposed site, says he supports the project.
"I think this neighborhood could use some redevelopment and increase the residential capacity of the area," said Taylor. "I'm a little bit worried about parking and other infrastructure issues."
It also presents potential opportunity for business owners.
"400 customers across the street is always nice," Taylor said.
While the property is near the University of Arizona, developers emphasized the housing is intended for anyone, not just students.
Jules Taglieri who lives in the area feels that an apartment complex isn't needed.
"It's not just for students, but the thing is a family with two kids does not want to live right next to the U of A where people are like walking around to parties at night or somebody is running over people with their car," said Taglieri.
Community members also raised concerns how the proposed building doesn't match the neighborhood's historical character.
The Rock, a concert venue, on 9th St. and Park will also be taken down as part of the project. Many people weren't a fan because they say it holds something special.
"That's been there forever. A lot of people grew up there and there's a memorial out front to the artist Lil Peep," Taglieri said. "Not a lot of people know about him anymore but he used to be an underground artist and he ended up dying from an overdose outside of The Rock. We needed to take a lot of attention to drugs in the town cause our town literally killed an artist and there's an active memorial for him."
The project team said they will work with the community to find ways to preserve the memorial.
Ascent Property Company plans to submit a revised development plan to the City of Tucson, hoping for approval by early next year. If approved, construction would begin by 2027 with completion targeted for 2029.
If you would like to learn more about the project or have more questions, you can reach out to the Law Offices of Lazarus & Silvyn, P.C. who represents Ascent.
You can email Rory Juneman at RJuneman@LSLawAZ.com or Robin Large at RLarge@LSLawAZ.com.
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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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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