Rio Nuevo Tax Increment Financing District

When the mission is to revitalize a community’s listless downtown, a spirit of collaboration has to be ingrained into every project that comes along.

Rio Nuevo, Tucson’s tax increment financing district – or TIF – was established by the Arizona Legislature to direct state tax dollars into a fund to support downtown revitalization. In addition to the dollars, Rio Nuevo has served as a collaborator and helped bring together the various interests needed to complete the projects that have turned downtown into a vibrant and attractive place to visit and live.

Multiple downtown projects have won MPA Common Ground Awards with the AC Tucson Marriott at East Broadway and Fifth Avenue being one of the first and most visible projects that injected life into the downtown area.

The Marriott was the first brand-name hotel to be built downtown in 40 years when it was completed in 2017. It was a winner of a 2015 Common Ground Award which listed the City of Tucson, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 5 North Fifth Hotels, Swaim Associates Architects, Cypress Civ- il Development, FORS Architecture & Interiors, Lloyd Construction Company and Visit Tucson as collaborators.

The Tucson Convention Center Arena renovation was another award winner in which Rio Nuevo was listed as a collaborator with the City of Tucson, Concord General Contracting and Swaim Associates Architects.

The ongoing TCC Improvement Project was a Common Ground Award finalist in 2021. That project included remodeling the Music Hall, adding meeting rooms at the Exhibition Hall and renovating the Eckbodesigned plaza.

Those projects, among others, have continued to drive business to downtown with retail and residential projects.

“There’s more interest in Tucson’s urban core. There are more developers talking to us about public/private partnerships. We’re seeing multifamily developers. We’re seeing restauranteurs,” Fletcher McCusker, longtime Rio Nuevo Chair, said in a recent BizTucson report on downtown.”

Town of Marana

Marana Heritage River Park

The Marana Heritage River Park was a carefully planned, publicly funded project to be a centerpiece of the town’s parks and recreation offerings.

Completed in 2015, the park was developed with input from public- and private-sector interests including the Marana Chamber of Commerce, Marana Heritage Conservancy, MHC Health Centers, Town of Marana Western Heritage Committee, Forest City Southwest, Gladden Farms Community Association and The Aspen Group. The Drachman Institute at the University of Arizona College of Architecture was involved in developing the design concepts.

Input also came in from an online community survey which indicated that hiking and biking trails were the most desired options. The public wanted a splash pad for kids. There also was input that the park would be ideal for farmers markets, possibly some restaurants as well as performance venues and a fitness facility.

The goals for the park as stated in the Master Concept Site Plan were: To establish the park as a showcase of Marana’s culture, heritage, and history; To establish the park as a financially viable operation within the town; To promote the park as an economic development activity center within the town.

“The Marana Heritage River Park was developed to present Marana’s rich pre-historic and agricultural history,” the Town of Marana said in its nomination form for its Common Ground Award. “This location allows the Town of Marana to offer a variety of programs and events in a unique, outdoor setting.”

A number of existing structures and facilities on the site at 12375 N. Heritage River Park Drive, were adapted as part of the park. The park has easy access to the Santa Cruz River Shared Use Path and access to the Juan Bautista De Anza National Historic Trail.

The park now hosts the Town of Marana’s Fall Festival the second weekend of October which draws more than 7,000 people and features carnival rides, live entertainment, games, food trucks, a mutton busting competition for kids, and the Sunflower Garden. It also has been a venue for large and small events and has hosted numerous weddings for residents of Marana and surrounding areas.