TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — As the city of Tucson prepares to close an encampment site known as the 100 Acre Wood next week to prep for construction for a new BMX bike park, residents living in the area are expressing concern about what comes next.
On Wednesday, November 12, officers from the Arizona Department of Public Safety served a warrant for drug-trafficking in the encampment area.
According to the city’s parks department, the area is scheduled to shut down next Wednesday ahead of construction of the new bike facility. Meanwhile, outreach efforts are already under way.
For three years, resident Patricia Contreras has lived in the 100 Acre Wood. “Out here, it’s been rough for the most part… It’s different, it’s hard…” she said.
She added she had city-provided housing lined up but now faces a deadline due to her pets. “Now I have until tomorrow to find housing or to get rid of all my dogs," she said. "And I’m not gonna get rid of my dogs. They knew I had the dogs. And now, I’m probably going to be homeless as of tomorrow.”
Contreras worries that the city’s plan — to offer services and possibly transitional housing — may not suit everyone. “They change everything up and all of a sudden it turns into transitional living, not even housing, you know? And they have 10 p.m. curfews now; we’re not in trouble out here, we just got nowhere to go.”
According to a memo from the city’s parks department, during the transition, 311 and 911 will be available for any emergencies in the park, and outreach teams will engage those living on-site.
The new bike park project has been in planning for decades and represents a collaboration between the city, Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists, the Trek Foundation and others.
As the clock ticks for Contreras and others who call the park home, the city faces a dual task: advancing a long-awaited recreation amenity while responding compassionately to an unsheltered population that feels under pressure and uncertain of its next move.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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