TUCSON, Arizona – A recent article on TIBO website is reporting Rio Nuevo is currently working on landing an Arena Football League (AFL) expansion team that would play at the Tucson Convention Center in Downtown Tucson. At last month’s Rio Nuevo meeting, the board approved up to $400,000 in additions that would make the arena suitable to play arena football in. These improvements are, of course, dependent on an AFL expansion team choosing Tucson. The money would be spent on a turf field, goalposts and some additions to the locker room facilities. The AFL plays its games during the Spring and Summer months, so there would be no scheduling conflicts with the Tucson Roadrunners Hockey team.
Future Arena Football isn’t all that Rio Nuevo is hoping for TCC's future.
Phase one of the TCC improvements were completed in 2015 and included new restrooms, a ticket office, concession stands, seats, lighting, sound, digital signage outside and inside along with a video board. The majority of the $7.8 million first phase of improvements to the TCC took place on the arena portion, getting the electronic infrastructure up to par with other arenas across the Country in order to draw more shows to the venue.
Now under discussion, Rio Nuevo would move on to other improvements to make the convention center more competitive with others around the U.S. Architectural firm, Swaim Associates came up with a list of over $50 million worth of improvements that the TCC should have, although Rio Nuevo acknowledges they cannot afford all of the improvements at once.
Phase two being discussed, would include the most necessary projects totaling about $10 million. This would include $4 million in improvements to the ballroom, $1.5 million to upgrade the rest of the center’s restrooms, $3.5 million to create a conference center with a high-tech board room and another $1 million in additional upgrades to locker rooms, green rooms and dressing rooms.
Phase three could possibly then move on to build a $6 million west side addition to the exhibition hall, $2 million on premium seating in the arena and $12 million to add meeting rooms. Finally, phase four would include an $18 million parking garage on the west side of the TCC, on top of the existing surface parking lot near Granada Avenue and Cushing Street. Combined with the new hotel planned for the east side of the TCC by Caliber Hospitality, Tucson should become much more competitive in the convention and events markets, helping boost tourism dollars and downtown economy significantly. Also, Caliber Hospitality hired an architect to design the hotel a month or two ago, so we should get a look at the future hotel soon, as well.
None of this suggestions have reached final approval by the Rio Nuevo Board yet.
Rio Nuevo chairman Fletcher McCusker has stated that chances are “better than 50 percent” of landing the Arena Football League, due in part to the success Tucson has shown in supporting the Tucson Roadrunners, an American Hockey League franchise connected with the Arizona Coyotes NHL team.