PIMA COUNTY – The Pima County Board of Supervisors Sept. 18 unanimously approved selling at auction a portion of a County-owned parcel located at Kino Parkway and 36th Street to TEP and rezoning of Foothills Mall.
The County plans to sell 5.16-acres of the property for a minimum of $1.435 million. The entire County-owned parcel spans 20 acres. The remaining 15 or so acres will be used for the park. TEP has agreed to also pay for 10 years maintenance costs for the park, which will be rolled into the purchase.
Tucson Electric Power is expected to purchase the property for a power substation. Proceeds from the sale will be used to construct an open space park. The substation will stabilize power provision in this growing area of the city. The proposed TEP substation would serve the surrounding area, which includes several neighborhoods and the growing Tucson Marketplace at The Bridges, a large retail complex that includes Wal-Mart, Costco, a multi-plex theater and dozens of retail shops and restaurants. It would also serve The UA Tech Park at The Bridges, a mixed-used development that will feature UA-associated research labs and biotech incubators, plus residential areas.
TEP has determined a new substation would provide greater capacity and allow for the decommission of up to three of the substations that currently serve the area. The substation also will improve power provision along the Ajo corridor between Kino Parkway and Country Club, which includes numerous Pima County buildings and departments, the Kino Sports Complex and Banner University Medical Center South Campus.
The new neighborhood park will be mostly open space and will feature ramadas and picnic tables, walking trails, security lights and fencing and “wildlife drinkers,” which will attract birds and other wild critters to the park.
Also at the Sept. 18th meeting the Board of Supervisors The Foothills Mall Specific Plan received approval after the Planning Commission 9-0 vote recommended approval, with staff support.
Bourn Companies is the new owner and has been working with the private sector and County officials to reposition & re-brand the Foothills Mall. The model for repositioning is based on successful efforts involving older mall concepts throughout the country. The vision is to create an exciting mixed-use entertainment venue to include the upgraded AMC movie theater, other entertainment uses, outdoor gathering and community areas, opportunities for office/employment, multi-family uses and hospitality. The goal is to create a destination area for visitors, employment and residents in this part of the Pima County. The goal with this Specific Plan is to create shovel-ready opportunities for employment, entertainment, hospitality, residential and a great mix of uses.
As proposed, the Specific Plan offers flexibility in locating uses based on market demands. The property is uniquely situated adjacent to two major roadways and surrounded by commercial/multi-family uses. Single family residential uses are not located adjacent to the property. This is an infill project with buffers including a wash on the west with mature vegetation and the two major roads - Ina and La Cholla. As proposed, the project includes the ability to develop office, multi-family or hospitality at 10 stories or 120 feet. If that should occur, there are setbacks required along the west and east edges.