Community Resource Center

Tucson, Arizona

SAGE collaborated with the architect, civil engineer and artist to jointly create a unique outdoor public gathering space in the central plaza area between three buildings. This site is located in Rio Nuevo North in the City of Tucson 's Brownfield Pilot Project area. Agency coordination included City of Tucson ordinance requirements, native plant preservation, Tucson Commerce Park Specific Plan, Pima County Solid Waste and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

The Tucson Community Resource Center demonstrates conversation of resources through the reuse of an inner city abandoned landfill site. The benefit to the community is that when the community looks inward and develops inner city properties, the result is that the pristine native lands are conserved. These inner city properties have either been skipped over in the rush to develop the desert, have been abandoned, or have been left with environmental conditions that are difficult to mitigate. In most cases, developers find these sites difficult to develop, with complex regulations, challenging permitting and strict development codes. The Community Resource Center demonstrates that infill works on many levels, and leads a trend of redevelopment in this Rio Nuevo District.