SOUTH TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — In South Tucson, The Old Spanish Trail Motel went from a point of pride and a community gathering place to a real eyesore and a danger to the community. Now it is being torn down.
A series of fires left the motel a twisted wreck but by then it had been closed for many years and was long past the days when it was a community center able to attract national entertainment acts.
Councilmember Brian Flagg says, “The Spanish Trail property was this real important part of South Tucson back in the day. You hear stories from old timers about how famous guys would play music there and it was a big deal and so was the dog track. And so that's changed to the point of where it's an eyesore. It's like a burnt out ruin. It's filled with asbestos. “
The hotel became a hazard, it attracted squatters, and the damage exposed dangerous asbestos.
Councilmember Flagg says the City of South Tucson sued owners to force them to clean up. The latest buyer has not been sued but that company, Cottonwood Construction, is clearing the site.
So far most of the work is toward the back of the lot where it’s hard to see, but you can see workers in protective gear covering loads of debris before truckers haul it away.
Once the site is cleared the question is how to turn the land from an eyesore to an asset.
Flagg says, “We're big affordable housing advocates and getting all these people on the street housed. We'd like to see housing. We'd also like to see retail or other kinds of economic development that's going to bring revenue to our city that's historically been mired in poverty.”
Building retail on the site would bring in more of the sales tax cities depend on. For South Tucson that could help pay for more police and fire protection.
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