50 Years of Commercial Real Estate Development in Tucson

April 10, 2022

Social Equity, Environmental Resilience and Identity + Community

Overview
MRED students provided research for the Arizona Daily Star special on 50 years of commercial development in Tucson. $5,000 Funded by CCIM.
Who
James Marian, Lecturer in Real Estate Development, and Class of 2021 and 2022 Master of Real Estate Development Students
Where
Metropolitan Tucson, Arizona
When
January - June 2022
Image
Sheraton El Conquistador Hotel, 1982

The Sheraton El Conquistador Hotel and Resort in Oro Valley under construction in 1982. Photo courtesy Tucson Citizen.

Project Overview

As local broker George Larsen celebrated 50 years on the Tucson commercial real estate scene, Arizona Daily Star asked: What are some of the biggest developments of the past five decades? From new shopping malls to resorts, manufacturing plants and midtown high-rises, the landscape of Tucson has changed dramatically since 1970. This visual trip down memory lane published in the Tucson newspaper was made possible with research done by the graduating classes of 2021 and 2022 from the University of Arizona Master of Real Estate Development Program and College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, along with appraisers Baker & Associates Inc.


Community Partners and Consultants

  • CCIM, Southern Arizona Chapter
  • Arizona Daily Star
  • Baker & Associates, Inc.

Gallery

Images courtesy Arizona Daily Star.

Latest CAPLA News, Projects and Profiles

Image
View of the Colorado river from the bottom of the Grand Canyon: two small rafts can be seen on the water in the distance and high cliffs rise in the background

Reimagining the Colorado River in the context of Water Management in Arizona | Lecture by Kathy Jacobs

The Colorado River is the backbone of water management in the southwest, serving seven states and Mexico. Ongoing drought conditions that are linked to climate change threaten Colorado River water deliveries to Arizona, but also provide an opportunity to rethink the allocation of water rights and to focus on a more sustainable approach to management.

Image
Teresa Rosano AIA awards

Teresa Rosano Receives Dual Honors at the 2025 AIA Arizona Design Awards

In November, Associate Professor Teresa Rosano received two top honors at the 2025 AIA Arizona Design Awards: the Architects Medal and a Community Design Award for a student-led capstone project. The recognized project—the Tucson Hope Factory Micro Shelter Village—aims to support unhoused communities in Southern Arizona through a collaborative, student-designed micro-shelter prototype.

Image
Tucson, Arizona

Balancing Buyer Protections with Development Costs: A Panel Discussion on Arizona’s Construction Defect Liability Law

In this panel discussion, we will explore the impact of Arizona’s construction defect liability laws on multifamily development, with a particular focus on possible legislative reforms to better balance buyer protections with development costs. While construction defect liability laws provide important protections for buyers, there is a growing concern among researchers and housing advocates that, if overly restrictive, these laws can increase development costs and lower production.