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Rio Nothing Nuevo — Corruption Charges Continue to Plague Progress Downtown

by on Jun. 06, 2012, under Check Out My Briefs, My Two Cents

Back in the olden days, when I was a mere journalism student at the UA, then-mayor Bob Walkup spoke to our group about the fledgling Rio Nuevo project. After I pelted him with a series of hard questions about exactly how our TIF money would be spent, Walkup told my classmates to take note of my ability to smell bureaucratic bull hockey.

Well, sir, I hate to have to do it, but here I go again:

Rio Nuevo is — and always has been — a big, stinking pile of cattle manure.

I can’t even think about what has become of the initial 1999 voter initiative without looking for dung on my shoe. Because we, fellow Tucsonans, have absolutely stepped in it.

Remember 1999? Back when downtown was about as attractive to outside investors as a kissing booth full of cold sores? When hopes for downtown included cultural museums, riparian areas, and mix-use housing?

Back when Tucson knew what Tucson wanted: namely to be Tucson?

Back when we voted to rejuvenate our languishing downtown business district by making downtown attractive to Tucsonans? Rather than to real estate moguls and Phoenix legislators?

Yeah, me too… barely. Those were the days.

In the THIRTEEN years since we approved a 10-YEAR tax increment funding program aimed at making modest improvements and preservation, Rio Nuevo has morphed into an politico-ethical monster of Frankensteinian proportions, prompting investigation and an audit. Even the FBI is watching.

Yet, we have virtually nothing to show for it.

All the king’s men (ie: state legislators) haven’t helped to reign in the misspending; discarded plans litter the streets like castoff cadaver bits; mad ranting can be heard from behind heavy doors; and the villagers are sharpening their pitchforks.

Sure, HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS (and counting, btw) are missing from our pockets, and Rio Nuevo can’t — or won’t — tell us where the money went.

Because we know it didn’t go to:

The forgotten Tucson Origins Heritage Park…

The nearly-foreclosed Mercado District…

The museum district that never was…

The missing mix-use housing…

The phoned-in Presidio Wall…

The sports arena that didn’t happen…

The non-existent hotel…

The missing science center…

The invisible rainbow bridge…

The crumbling convention center…

The barely-touched Rialto…

The displaced artists…

 

or

Practically anything else we voted for.

Let the torch wielding begin.

 

Check it out for yourself: Rio Nuevo spending report

* Read what I wrote about Rio Nuevo back in the day — see my “Feeling of Jeopardy” and “Hookin’ and Duckin’” pieces here ; and my personal fave “Ate & the Fox” here

 

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  • Fraser007

    Good article! Well done.

    Those projects were sucked dry by the contractors. Designers et al. Including the public who wanted aquariums and the University (big sucking sound) who wanted the Rainbow Bridge), the Flandrau who suckd off the science centers, the Arizona Historical Society who wasted $1,400,000 for designs of a non existant museum as well as the U of A’s blunders.
    The only thing that was done was the Presidio reconstruction. Good people involved there and good concept. But run by City Parks pool employees who know nothing about history. And we got the Fox Theater, (so when does that turn a profit if ever).

    You need to blame the City Council. Liberal Democrats all of them who supported this sink hole. Circling the Drain should be our town mottoo…not the Old Pueblo. We got NOTHING for the $230,000,000. I hope and pray that somebody goes to jail for this.

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