Progress at a Price: Grant Road Widening Displaces Longtime Tucson Businesses

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?