On June 24, the San Juan’s Day festival was held on the meeting place out West Congress by the huge eucalyptus tree. Horse shows, dancers and a superb ranchero band, plus tamales and tacos served while people prayed for rain.
I was pleased to see a Rio Nuevo booth, the portender of change for the ancestral heart of Tucson. Surrounded by Spanish costumes and customs from the 1500’s, I could not help but think that the people need this space and more to hold family style events like festivals and games.
So the city of Tucson will receive $1,100,000,000 to revitalize downtown. Revitalize does not mean the creation of a moribund residential district catering to expensive clients who all demand 200 square feet for their two vehicles per unit, thereby reducing the commercial space accordingly. Perhaps downtown is not the place to build high density housing.
Let’s make a park and a recharge lake downtown and set up low rent business units adjacent to official museum and science center units. Variety is truly the spice of life. Our climate allows for outdoor businesses and sports, so why not take advantage of it? Old downtown could furnish saloons and salons while Rio Nuevo could furnish eclectic shopping and eating and pubs.
Public money equals public facilities.
