TUCSON, AZ (Aug. 19, 2026) — The City of Tucson’s El Pueblo Housing Development and Gorman & Company have received a second statewide honor for Milagro on Oracle, the 63-unit affordable housing community created through the adaptive reuse of two historic motor courts along North Oracle Road.

The Arizona Multihousing Association presented Milagro on Oracle with its Developers Award for Best Community Design, Affordable Community, during an Aug. 7 ceremony in Phoenix. The awards recognize outstanding people, companies and projects in Arizona’s apartment and rental housing industry.

“Milagro on Oracle demonstrates that affordable housing can and should combine thoughtful design, quality construction, and a strong sense of community,” said Housing and Community Development Director Ann Chanecka.

Chanecka said the project reflects a shared commitment to expanding access to high-quality housing, strengthening the Oracle Road corridor, and creating lasting value for residents and the surrounding neighborhood.

The recognition follows another statewide award received in August 2025, when the Arizona Department of Housing named Milagro on Oracle its Urban Development of the Year Housing Hero Award recipient.

The $21 million development serves low-income residents age 55 and older, including formerly unhoused seniors through the Continuum of Care program. The project was completed in January 2025, when Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, then Arizona Department of Housing Director Joan Serviss, and Chanecka joined project partners to celebrate its opening.

Milagro on Oracle is located within both the Thrive in the 05 area and the Miracle Mile National Historic District. It was the first development completed by El Pueblo Housing Development, the City of Tucson’s nonprofit development entity, and represented Tucson’s first Low-Income Housing Tax Credit project in more than a decade.

That combination gives the project significance beyond its 63 residential units. Milagro on Oracle became an example of how an affordable housing development can address several community goals at once, including housing affordability, historic preservation, neighborhood reinvestment and the reuse of aging properties that otherwise might have continued to deteriorate.

The development’s most distinctive feature is the preservation and incorporation of two historic motor courts, the DeAnza Motel, later known as the No-Tel Motel, built in 1940, and the Don Motel, built in 1941. Both properties were part of the era when Oracle Road served as one of Tucson’s primary automobile gateways.

Rather than clearing the site and starting over, the development team worked to retain the historic character of the properties while adapting them for a new residential use. A new four-story, elevator-served structure was added to the site to provide additional housing while allowing significant portions of the original motor courts to remain part of the finished development.

“Milagro on Oracle is a beautiful example of historic preservation blended with new construction, honoring the past and celebrating the future with new, modern, and sustainable affordable housing for generations to come,” said Sally Schwenn, Arizona Market President for Gorman & Company.

The redevelopment was not without challenges. The age and condition of the original structures created structural and environmental issues that had to be addressed during design and construction. El Pueblo Housing Development and Gorman & Company ultimately incorporated the historically significant properties into a modern affordable housing community rather than treating the existing buildings as obstacles to new development.

The result preserves visible pieces of the corridor’s mid-century history while introducing new housing intended to meet current standards for accessibility, sustainability and long-term residential use.

Milagro on Oracle also incorporates public art as part of the redevelopment. Tucson artist Jessica Gonzales created a two-piece mural inspired by the area’s history as a mid-century vehicular gateway into Tucson. The artwork adds another connection between the new development and the history of the surrounding neighborhood.

The project is part of Tucson’s 10-point Housing Affordable Strategy for Tucson (HAST), which calls for increasing the city’s supply of affordable housing. It also advances goals contained in the Thrive in the 05 Transformation Plan, which focuses on sustainable, community-driven, and equitable reinvestment in Tucson’s historic northern gateway.

Those goals include not only attracting new investment but also reducing the potential for displacement as improvements occur within the area. Milagro on Oracle was designed to contribute to that effort by preserving affordable housing opportunities for residents who may be particularly vulnerable to rising housing costs.

El Pueblo Housing Development was created to develop stable, healthy and affordable housing and supportive services for residents of Tucson and Pima County. Its work includes both the development of new housing and the rehabilitation of existing properties for affordable rental and homeownership opportunities.

Milagro on Oracle was the organization’s first development, but it is part of a larger pipeline of affordable housing projects now underway in Tucson.

Additional developments being pursued by El Pueblo Housing Development include Tucson House, Sugar Hill on Stone, Amazon Flats, Stone and Speedway, and El Rincón at Main and Davis.

Together, those projects represent a broader City effort to add and preserve affordable housing across Tucson while using redevelopment as a tool to strengthen existing neighborhoods.

For Milagro on Oracle, the latest Arizona Multihousing Association award adds another recognition to a project that has already drawn statewide attention for combining affordable senior housing with historic preservation and neighborhood revitalization.

Its second statewide award also underscores the role adaptive reuse can play as Tucson looks for ways to address housing needs without losing the architectural and cultural history that distinguishes many of the city’s older commercial corridors.

AMA Tribute Award Winners 

PIMA COUNTY, (June 22, 2026) – American Heritage Railways, the company operating Old Tucson Studios, 201 S. Kinney Road, has indicated that it doesn’t wish to execute the 10-year lease agreement option when the current term ends in April 2027.

County officials have met with representatives of American Heritage Railways and are actively discussing how they can move forward together.

“Both Pima County and American Heritage Railways share a deep and genuine appreciation for Old Tucson, and we remain committed to working collaboratively to determine the best path for its continued success,” County Administrator Jan Lesher wrote in a memo to the Board of Supervisors.

“We’ve met with them and are working to see how we can move forward,” said Diane Frisch, Pima County Attractions & Tourism director. “The bottom line is they love Old Tucson, and we love Old Tucson.”

The Halloween-themed Nightfall event and the holiday Yuletide celebration, both wildly popular, will continue as planned. Old Tucson is currently open, and all tours and other events are continuing as normal. County officials are encouraging visitors and residents to continue exploring all Old Tucson has to offer, from Ghost Tours to Summer Night Markets to studio tours and more.

County staff will continue to focus on the broader public interest in preserving and enhancing Old Tucson.

Old Tucson Studios, located between Saguaro National Park and Tucson Mountain Park, was built in 1939 and has served as the filming location for hundreds of classic western films and TV shows. Film greats such as John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and many more have worked there. The studio opened its doors as a theme park in 1960 and continues to offer tours, special events, and rides to guests.

Phoenix, Ariz. (March 11, 2026) — The Arizona Corporation Commission at its March 4th meeting voted on 24 matters, including water, telecommunications, electric, and railroad items.  Highlights from the meeting include:

Securities

• Densco Investment Corporation, Kevin Ray Goodwin et al.
• Ryan Morgan, et.al.
• MCM AF Assets LLC, et al.

Utilities

• Tucson Electric Power Company
• Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District
• EPCOR Water Arizona
• Picacho Water Company
• Arizona Corporation Commission – Electric Rules

Densco Investment Corporation, Kevin Ray Goodwin et al. –  The Commission approved a request to terminate the Maricopa County Superior Court case of Arizona Corporation Commission v. Densco Investment Corporation (“Densco”)after recovering almost $19.7 million for defrauded investors. In 2016, the Commission filed a complaint against Densco for multiple violations of the Arizona Securities Act, seeking appointment of a receiver to manage Densco following the sudden death of Densco’s owner and sole operator. Densco had raised over $40,000,000 from investors, all of which was loaned to real estate ventures. The investors were told that the maximum loan-to-value ratio was 70% and the loans were protected by first deeds of trust.  This information turned out to be false. Some loans were at or above 100% loan-to-value, and some properties were not even secured by a deed of trust.

Ryan Morgan, et.al. (S-21266A-23-0238)– The Commission ordered Ryan Morgan and All Done Consulting, LLC to pay more than $4 million in restitution and $510,000 in administrative penalties for violating the Arizona Securities Act. Morgan and All Done were found to be unregistered dealers or salesmen that offered unregistered securities in the form of investment contracts. The violations arise from the sale of service agreements to at least 109 investors.  The service agreements promised investors passive income, usually through the creation of an automated business.

MCM AF Assets LLC et al. (S-21371A-25-0231)- The Commission ordered Dean Douglas Odle and MCM AF Assets LLC, doing business as “Milan Capital,” to pay $10,000 in administrative penalties for violations of the Arizona Securities Act. Odle posted advertisements on Craigslist seeking investors for “After Foreclosure Assets.”  After foreclosure, assets are surplus funds created when property is purchased at a foreclosure auction and the purchase price exceeds the amount owed to the mortgage lender. The Commission found that Odle and Milan Capital violated the securities laws by selling securities in or from Arizona without being registered as dealers or salesmen.

Tucson Electric Power Company (L-00000C-77-0031-00030 (L-00000C-01-0030) & L-00000C-86-0000-00074 (L-00000C-01-0074)- The Commission voted unanimously to approve the conversion of two units at the Springerville coal generating plant to natural gas. TEP expects the natural gas pipeline required to serve the Springerville plant to be completed by the end of 2029, with the conversion of Units 1 and 2 expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2030.

Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District (L-00000B-75-0000-00016)-The Commission voted unanimously to approve the conversion of the Coronado coal generating plant to natural gas. SRP noted the cost of the conversion is estimated to be $1.1 billion through 2045. In comparison, SRP estimates replacing Coronado with a brand-new natural gas facility would cost $300 million more. SRP also considered long-duration lithium-ion batteries, which would cost approximately $1.2 billion more than the Coronado conversion and would limit the firm’s capacity available all hours of the day with the conversion.

EPCOR Water Arizona, Inc. (WS-01303A-25-0201)- EPCOR provides wastewater services to approximately 281,000 customers.  The Commission approved the Company’s request to extend its wastewater Certificate of Convenience and Necessity to include 535.85 acres located near Loop 303, including Parkway 303 West, Parkway 303 East, and Evergreen. The extension areas are planned for commercial warehouses and a retail center.  The effluent from the extension areas will be recharged into a recharge basin, which will be expanded to accommodate the full expansion of the Luke 303 Wastewater Reclamation Facilities plant.

Picacho Water and Picacho Sewer Companies (W-03528A-25-0056, SW-03709A-25-0057, W-03528A-25-0096, SW-03709A-25-0097)- Both Picacho Water and Picacho Sewer were owned by Robson entities and created to serve a development known as Robson Ranch, a 3,000-acre community south of Casa Grande in Pinal County.  Picacho Water serves approximately 1,900 customers, Picacho Sewer serves approximately 1,800 customers. During the Robson entities’ ownership, Picacho Water and Picacho Sewer never filed rate applications.  The Robson entities funded all utility plants with equity. Residential customers paid an average of $30.01 per month for water services and $42.00 per month for sewer services.  For a residential customer with average usage, the rates would result in an increase of $6.85 for water and $64.73 for sewer, for a combined increase of $71.58.  “In this case, the Commission took significant steps to reduce ratepayer impact. It set the return on equity at 9.65%, rather than the company’s requested 10.8%,” said Chairman Nick Myers.

“It also considerably reduced the rate expense request. Though I personally would prefer not to approve rates increase, we have a constitutional duty as Commissioners to set just and reasonable rates.”  The item passed 3-2 with Commissioners Thompson and Marquez Petersen voting “no.” Commissioner Thompson offered a verbal amendment during the hearing that would have implemented a five-year phased in rate increase; however, Picacho did not agree to forgo revenues that otherwise would have been not recovered in a phased in approach.

Arizona Corporation Commission – Electric Rules (RE-00000A-24-0026) – The Commission voted unanimously to approve the repeal of the Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff (REST) Rules, adopted in 2006.  Since then, the REST Rules have served to expand renewable energy production in Arizona. The mandates are no longer needed, and the costs are no longer justified. Twenty years have passed since the ACC adopted the REST rules.  During that time, APS, TEP, and UNSE have collected more than $2.3 Billion in REST surcharges from all customer classes to meet these mandates.  The renewable energy landscape has changed dramatically in the last two decades.

“There is no disputing that Arizona’s current renewable portfolio is one of the most robust in the country and has the potential to thrive for the foreseeable future,” said Commissioner Kevin Thompson. “While some point to the REST rules as a major impetus for that success, the time has come for the renewable mandate and the customer surcharges that have cost ratepayers billions of dollars to end. Industry must find a way to capitalize on the economics of renewables and demonstrate their reliability without relying upon subsidies or forcing ratepayers to pay for mandates that have outlived their useful life.”

To view this meeting and other upcoming meetings, go here: Live | Arizona Corporation Commission