TUCSON, AZ (July 9, 2026) — Two longtime Grant Road businesses are preparing to close as Tucson’s long-running Grant Road widening project moves forward, adding to concerns over the effect of major infrastructure construction on small businesses along one of the city’s most heavily traveled corridors.

Dante’s Tavern, located in its distinctive A-frame building on Grant Road, announced it will close July 19 after 13 years in business. Owner and chef Kenneth Foy cited several factors in the decision, including an upcoming building remodel, changing neighborhood conditions and the future widening of Grant Road between Tucson Boulevard and Country Club Road.

Foy told local media that the combination of a building remodel and the timing of the Grant Road project created too much uncertainty for the restaurant to continue. Construction on that section of Grant Road is expected to begin in summer 2029 and last approximately 24 to 30 months, according to information cited from the City of Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility. The project is expected to include additional travel lanes, wider sidewalks, improved bicycle facilities and new signalized crosswalks.

American Antique Mall, at 3130 E. Grant Road, is also preparing to close after more than three decades in business. The store has operated since 1993 and describes itself as Tucson’s oldest antique mall, with approximately 7,500 square feet of antiques, jewelry, Native American items, turquoise, furniture and collectibles.

Owner Dwight Schannep told local media the City of Tucson plans to purchase the property for the Grant Road widening project, forcing the business to leave its longtime location. The owners have said they expect the property purchase to be completed by this time next year and plan to begin liquidating inventory this fall.

The closures highlight the difficult balance between public infrastructure investment and the survival of legacy businesses that depend on visibility, easy access and steady customer traffic. Grant Road has long been identified as a major east-west corridor in Tucson, and the widening project is part of the voter-approved Regional Transportation Authority roadway improvement program. But for businesses already operating on thin margins, prolonged uncertainty, construction disruption and potential property acquisition can be enough to end decades of investment in a location.

The disruption is not limited to businesses facing direct displacement. Earlier this year, the City of Tucson advised that a section of Grant Road between Interstate 10 and Fairview would be closed in both directions for more than two months as part of ongoing work, with construction expected to continue beyond the summer and the full project expected to be completed by October. During that phase, city officials encouraged the public to continue patronizing affected businesses and pointed to assistance through the RTA Mainstreet Business Alliance.

For Dante’s Tavern and American Antique Mall, however, the impact appears more permanent. One is leaving after 13 years as redevelopment and future road construction reshape its site. The other is preparing to vacate after 33 years because its building is expected to be taken for the project.

Grant Road may eventually emerge with wider lanes, safer sidewalks, improved crossings and better bicycle facilities. But the immediate cost is being felt by small business owners whose livelihoods were built along the corridor long before the final designs reached their doors.

As Tucson continues investing in major transportation improvements, the closing of these two businesses raises a larger question for the city and the RTA: How can public infrastructure be delivered without erasing the very local businesses that give these corridors their identity?

TUCSON, ARIZONA  (July 9, 2026) — KB Home is expanding its presence in Tucson’s eastside housing market with the opening of a new community at Bella Tierra after the acquisition and demolition of the former Carson Middle School campus.

KB Home announced the opening of Bella Tierra Horizon, a new-home community within the Bella Tierra master plan in East Tucson. The community is located on East Irvington Road between South Houghton Road and South Camino Seco and offers one-story single-family homes priced from the $390,000s.

Homes at Bella Tierra Horizon offer up to four bedrooms and two baths. The master-planned community includes eight parks with children’s playgrounds, ramadas, open space, walking trails and dog parks.

Bella Tierra Horizon provides access to Interstate 10, downtown Tucson, Tucson International Airport and major eastside employment centers, including UA Tech Park, Amazon’s distribution center, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Pima Community College East Campus. The community is also near Lincoln Regional Park, Old Spanish Trail Marketplace, Houghton Town Center and The Loop, Tucson’s 131-mile walking-and-biking path.

“With Bella Tierra Horizon, we’re bringing beautiful new homes to our highly desirable East Tucson master plan with a wide variety of community amenities,” said Amy McReynolds, President of KB Home’s Tucson division. “At KB Home, we focus on creating value through competitive, transparent pricing and giving buyers the ability to personalize their home based on what matters most to them. We put them in control, so they’re not paying for features they don’t value or compromising on ones they do.”

KB Home said its homes are designed to be energy and water-efficient and built to support healthier indoor environments. The company said its homes are designed to be ENERGY STAR® certified, a standard met by fewer than 12% of new homes nationwide.

Separately, KB Home Tucson purchased the former Carson Middle School property at 7777 E. Stella Road for $4,337,725 for future residential development in May 2026. The former school campus is being demolished after Tucson Unified School District closed the school in 2013. Carson Middle School opened in September 1967 and was named after Charles A. Carson, a former TUSD administrator.

The 18.14-acre site includes an approximately 119,947-square-foot former school building. TUSD said the property had originally been held with the intention of renovating it and reopening the school. In 2017, an architect’s assessment estimated the cost of renovations at $7 million, according to the district.

The property was approved for sale by TUSD voters in 2014 and was offered for sale in 2023. TUSD said neighbors within 300 feet of the property were notified about the pending sale and had the opportunity to provide comments before the contract was approved by the school board during a public hearing.

The seller in the KB Home transaction was Summit Development Services LLC, which had previously acquired the property from TUSD for $3.1 million. The resale to KB Home was part of a double-escrow transaction. Craig Masters Investment LLC represented the seller, and Andrew Gasparro, Director of Land Acquisitions, represented KB Home Tucson.

City of Tucson records show KB Home is the applicant on the demolition permit for the project. The permit lists RCD Demolition as the contractor and describes the project as a 99-lot Flexible Lot Development with single-family detached homes planned for the site. Permit records also include a “Confirmation of Notice of Demolition” signed by TUSD in April 2026.

KB Home is marketing the former school site as Carson Corner, with a sign posted at the property identifying the new development as The Reserves at Carson Corner. Homes are expected to open in spring 2027. The property is located near Pantano Road and Stella Road, surrounded by established neighborhoods and eastside retail and service corridors.

Together, the Bella Tierra Horizon opening and the Carson Corner acquisition point to continued builder interest in East Tucson, where established infrastructure, access to employment centers and infill redevelopment opportunities are supporting new-home activity.