Rio Nuevo: Pics you don’t see in the Star, but should

by David Safier

Maybe photos like the ones below have appeared in the Star, but if so, they haven't been there often enough. I figure we should see at least one pic like these and an accompanying story for every anti-Tucson Rob O'Dell hit piece the paper publishes.

This morning I went to the breakfast at the Mercado San Agustín celebrating Tucson's Birthday and Mission Garden. Lovely event, terrific food, well attended.

It was the first time I've ventured west of the freeway on Congress to see what's happening with Rio Nuevo on that end of things. It's still in the beginning stages of completion, but what's up is terrific, and what's planned and being built is promising. The ground has been prepared, and building is ongoing (Yes, Rob, that's where a good deal of Rio Nuevo money went, to prepare the ground so private enterprises would be willing to invest.)

Here are a few pics of the Mercado San Agustín, a beautifully designed commercial area with a restaurant (and more to come) bakery, rug and jewelry stores and more. Also, it has a big, beautiful commercial kitchen businesses can rent for $25 an hour. Caterers, bakers and other small business people can move up from their home kitchens to a professional space and cook with greater volume and consistency. It's a boon to small businesses and a great stepping stone for entrepreneurs just getting started. (Sorry, I forgot to get a shot of the kitchen.)

Near the Mercado is a housing community — beautiful homes on streets that resonate with the look and feel of an earlier Tucson, a stones' throw away from "A" Mountain. According to one homeowner I talked to, they're 100% occupied.

This is part of the Rio Nuevo success story. No one knows for sure how the whole venture will pan out — any urban development is a gamble by definition — but Tucson has a better chance of success if the city knows about what's happening and hears the good stories along with the problems.