The City of Tucson Mayor and Council adopted Ordinance No. 11386 recently, intended to ease the administrative process for improvement in privately and publicly owned right-of-way areas.

It was moved by Council Member Romero, duly seconded and PASSED by a roll call vote of 6 to 0 (Council Member Scott absent/excused), to PASS and ADOPT Ordinance No. 11386.

The ordinance applies only to future major street right-a-ways and only to streets that don’t have plans for future widening, Dan Bursuck with Tucson Planning and Development Services told us.

The revised UDC Section 5.4 (Major Streets and Routes Setback Zone) introduces an administrative approval process for minor MS&R adjustments modeled after existing UDC code exceptions.

The MS&R text amendment would allow for a streamlined review process.  Prior to this, each proposal that includes use of right-of-way would need to be granted approval by Mayor and Council.  This amendment allows for an internal review process modeled after UDC Section 7.4.5 Reduction and Exceptions for projects in which both the PDSD Director and the Tucson Department of Transportation (TDOT) Director have made a finding of no adverse effects for the City. The MS&R setback relief would only apply to future right-of-way with no TDOT plans for expansion, and must conform to Plan Tucson and all neighborhood and area plans. Setback relief does not apply to scenic routes.

Based on feedback from Planning Commission and comments from the public meeting, a clarification regarding scenic routes was added and one of the proposed required criteria (Section 5.4.5.7.D.8) related to setbacks was removed.

Quentin Bryson, chairman of the Planning Commission, who was in favor of the change said, “The changes are ‘common sense’ and way overdue and will help developers with revitalization of older properties where exceptions are often needed to the setback.”

For more information, Dan Bursuck can be reached at City of Tucson Planning Department at 520.837.4984.

To read the amendment summary: MCComm re UDC Text Amendments

The following commercial leases were reported to the Real Estate Daily News for the Tucson Lease Report from June 29 thru July 3, 2015.

INDUSTRIAL – 2760 S. 4^th AVENUE, TUCSON
Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) has leased an 11,860-square-foot space at Madera Business Park, located at 2760 S. 4^th Avenue, in South Tucson. The Premises will be used for providing services of the Department of Child Safety. They are scheduled to open for business July 2015. Andy Seleznov and Melissa Lal represented the Landlord, Larsen Baker, while Rob Glaser, of Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR Commercial Real Estate, represented the Tenant. [mepr-show rules=”58038″]Asking lease rate: $16.00 SF/YR Modified Gross; Tenant Phone: 620-255-2500[/mepr-show]

RETAIL – 3352 E. SPEEDWAY BLVD., TUCSON
Mattress Firm, Inc. leased 6,000-square-feet at 3352 East Speedway Boulevard. The space is located within Rancho Center, which is anchored by Whole Foods, Bookmans Sports Exchange, and Performance Bikes. Darren Pitts and Michael Clark of Velocity Retail Group, LLC represented the Tenant. Debbie Heslop, CCIM, of Volk Company represented the landlord, Rancho Center, LLC

RETAIL – 3653 N 1^ST AVENUE, TUCSON
Andy’s National Glass, an automobile glass replacement shop, leased 4,813-square-feet at 3653 N 1^st Avenue in Tucson from Steve Koch and The MEF Company, Inc. The property was previously vacant and the new tenant expects to be open by September 1^st. The landlord was represented by Aaron LaPrise and Ron Zimmerman of Cushman & Wakefield | Picor of Tucson. Dean Cotlow of Cotlow Company of Tucson represented Andy’s National Glass. [mepr-show rules=”58038″]Asking lease rate: $12.48 SF/YR Modified Gross[/mepr-show]

OFFICE – 6300 E EL DORADO PLAZA, TUCSON
Greg Bryson of Bryson Capital, a financial services firm, leased 2,025-square-feet at The Mountain Oyster Club, 6300 E El Dorado Plaza in Tucson. Quentin Bryson of Quentin Bryson Realty represented the tenant and Dean Cotlow of Cotlow Company of Tucson represented Mountain Oyster Club, Inc., the landlord. [mepr-show rules=”58038″]Tenant Phone: 520.917.1168[/mepr-show]

RETAIL – 901-935 PRINCE ROAD, TUCSON
Command Center, Inc. has leased a 1,400-square-foot space at Prince & Fairview Plaza, located on the SW corner of Prince Road and Fairview Ave. The Premises will be used as an office providing temporary and on demand staffing solutions. They are scheduled to open for business July 2015. Andy Seleznov and Melissa Lal represented the Landlord, Larsen Baker. Tenant Phone: 520.887.0961

RETAIL – 11941 N. FIRST AVE., TUCSON
Farmer’s Insurance Agency, Richard Ferreira Agent, has signed a lease for a second location at 11941 N. First Ave., Suite 103, Oro Valley, AZ in the Placita de Oro shopping center at the southwest corner of 1st Avenue and Tangerine Road. The new office will be 1,255 square feet. Richard Ferreira’s Farmers Insurance Agency has been in business for 10 years at 1^st Avenue and River Road. Craig Finfrock of Commercial Retail Advisors, LLC represented the Landlord, CTW-FVP, LLC, and the tenant was not represented in this lease transaction. [mepr-show rules=”58038″]Asking lease rate: $12.02 – $18.00 SF/YR NNN; Tenant Phone: 520.293.2900[/mepr-show]

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NOVA Financial & Insurance Services (NOVA), through an affiliate, 1630 E River, LLC (Jacob Kagele, manager) purchased the 8,339-square-foot office condominium it occupied at 1630 East River Road, at Mesquite Corporate Centre, in Tucson for $1.25 million ($150 PSF). The class-A office space, located at Campbell Ave and River was purchased by Nova after being a tenant for several years and the property became available for sale, listed by Roger Breckenridge of Long Realty in Tucson.

NOVA is a full service financial services company that believes a solid investment strategy must be developed individually for each client by focusing on their core goals and interests.

NOVA Financial & Insurance Services uses National Financial Services, LLC, a Fidelity Investments company as custodian. They are one of the largest providers of brokerage services nationally. National Financial Services LLC serviced over 18.5 million accounts representing $1.7 trillion in assets in 2008. NOVA Financial and Insurance Services’ partnership with National Financial Services ensures that our clients will receive the personalized investment attention they deserve coupled with the security of a stable, nationally recognized investment corporation.

Breckenridge represented the seller, A&B Ventures of Tucson in the transaction and Mark Irvin of Mark Irvin Commercial Real Estate represented the buyer.

To learn more Breckenridge should be reached at 520.918.5813. Irvin can be contacted at 520.620.1833

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In an unrelated transaction, the Food Conspiracy Cooperative decided to purchase the Hoff Building at 425 E 7^th Street and adjacent lots at 413 & 415 N 3^rd Avenue in Tucson for $650,000 ($100 PSF) instead of continuing to lease the property.

Since signing the lease on the 6,497-square-foot property at 425 E. 7^th Street a couple of years ago, the Coop had made many improvements to it, installing a new state-of-the-art kitchen, expanding the administrative offices, and set up a “Community Room” for classes, movies, lectures, and events. “Obtaining the property has been a tremendous boost to the Co-op,” according to a written statement, “enabling it to continue with the renovations by remodeling the store and giving it the facelift it deserves to meet the challenges and opportunities afforded by the growth of Downtown.”

In addition to the building, the Coop has built the Conspiracy Gardens on the lots purchased, the Co-op’s urban micro farm that provides fresh, local produce for sale and for use in the kitchen. With the help of a grant from the City it was able to set up a water harvesting program. Owning the Hoff Building will also make it easier to undertake other renovations and projects in the future, without having to negotiate with the owner for permission. Owning the property will help to meet future needs of the Coop.

Quentin Bryson of Quentin Bryson Realty in Tucson handled the transaction for seller, Hoff-7^th, LLC (Ann Lovell, manager) and the buyer.

To learn more Bryson can be reached at 520.780.0808.