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TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Armory Park officially reopened Thursday night after nearly a year of renovations, drawing a crowd that residents said they had not seen at the downtown park in years.
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The $1.7 million makeover includes a new pavilion, additional benches and picnic tables, and a dog park.
“It’s why we put the work in and the funding in — because we want to bring the community together, so this validates the investment,” Tucson Parks and Recreation Director Lara Hamwey said.
Dog park among most-requested additions
Hamwey said a dedicated off-leash dog area was among the most requested improvements from downtown residents.
“So many residents downtown had nowhere to go and let their dogs off the leash,” she said.
Safety concerns drove renovation push
Tucson Police data shows nearly 1,600 calls for assault, drugs, criminal damage and disorderly conduct at the park over the last eight years.
Officials said the strategy for addressing those concerns is to bring more consistent activity to the park. To that end, the city has waived permit fees for groups looking to host events or classes.
“We’ve waived the fees to host an event or do a class — normally you’d have to pay for a permit, so that’s our way to kind of meet a group halfway,” Hamwey said.
Neighbors and nearby businesses welcome the changes
Downtown resident Lauri Starr said the renovation could shift how people think about the space.
“We start thinking about this park as a park we want to spend time in,” Starr said. “We often don’t think about ‘oh, I want to spend time at Armory Park for a picnic’ — but why not?”
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The Aveda Institute, located adjacent to the park, said a safer environment could also benefit nearby businesses.
“If there’s more activity, more engagement, and hopefully deterring any of that unwelcome behavior that we’ve experienced in the past,” said Anne Skubis, Aveda Institute campus director.
Homeless population, resources part of the conversation
Some residents said they hope the changes will also benefit the homeless population that has frequented the park.
“We have a space where people can cool down and communicate with each other and not be stuck in any alley or stuck in any street corner,” said downtown resident Zoe Campbell.
Ward 6 Councilmember Miranda Schubert said addressing homelessness at the park must be paired with connecting people to resources.
“It’s not going to happen if we just throw up our hands and say the problem is too big,” Schubert said. “We can keep the park safe and make sure people are getting connected to the resources that they need and make sure they have a place to go and know where they can go.”
Schubert said her team has pledged to monthly trash cleanups at the park and has already collected ideas for programming, including farmers markets and concerts at the new pavilion.
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