Over the last 5 years, Pima Community College purchased three historic properties adjacent to the Downtown Campus with the express purpose of adaptively reusing them for college programs.  

These three historic properties, the Tucson Inn, El Rancho Motor Hotel, and Frontier Motel, are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Miracle Mile District and hold significant cultural and architectural value. They represent different eras in Tucson’s history and contribute to the city’s identity. They are regularly featured nationally and internationally in articles on Tucson. In 2022 Pima Community College committed 10 million to complete the project a year later in April 2023 the cost estimates presented by the college had ballooned to 35.7 million. This makes the cost per square foot more than twice the most expensive hospital buildings in the country. 

In Fall 2023,  after a wave of public outcry when Pima Community College revealed plans to demolish these landmarks for parking lots, the Drachman Properties Advisory Committee, consisting of over a dozen members, was formed but included only one preservation advocate to make recommendations regarding the fate of these buildings. You can read concerns by the lone preservation committee member Kenneth Scoville in the Arizona Daily Star.

In 2022 the College identified a portfolio of student-success-focused programs that needed this revitalized space.  To preserve our heritage and embrace the revitalization of the Miracle Mile area, it is crucial to save these buildings from demolition by Pima Community College. The college can play a significant role by integrating them into its educational programs, specifically focusing on hospitality, hotel management, and culinary arts. This innovative approach will not only benefit the college but also contribute to the improvement of the surrounding district and enhance the overall college experience. It is a unique opportunity to protect our cultural legacy while promoting education and community development.

Two powerful ways to help:

1. Email the Pima Community College Board: board@pima.edu to express your support for preserving and repurposing the Tucson Inn and motor courts.
2. Call the College: (520) 206-4747 to voice your concerns directly to the decision-makers.
3. Attend the April 3rd PCC Board Meeting at 4905 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85709, at 5:30 PM, and speak during the call for public comment. You can also register to speak via Zoom here: Zoom Registration Link (Registration closes at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2, 2023).

Tell the Pima Community College board:

• PCC needs to keep its promise to preserve the Drachman Properties.
• The Request for Qualifications needs to explicitly include historic preservation and adaptive reuse of the Drachman Properties.
• Demolition will never be an acceptable outcome.

Tucson Inn

The Tucson Inn, constructed in the 1950s, is an exemplary Mid-Century Modern highway motel located on Tucson’s historic Miracle Mile. Designed by architect Anne Jackson Rysdale, it showcased modernist architecture with a touch of midcentury industrial design. The property hosted Hollywood celebrities like Rita Hayworth and literally luminaries like Earnest Hemingway. The inn had 65 guest rooms, including a heated swimming pool, formal restaurant, and diner/coffee shop. Although the corridor’s decline affected its relevance, the Tucson Inn remained an outstanding example of Tucson’s glamorous 1950s.

El Rancho Motor Hotel

The El Rancho Motor Hotel was built in 1941 by Mrs. M.R. McCarthy in Tucson, Arizona. It featured Spanish Eclectic Twentieth Century Revival Style architecture and initially had six units. In 1941, an eight-unit building was added, creating a row-on-row motel arrangement. The motel had air-conditioned rooms, some with kitchenettes, and was known for its attractive landscaping. The property changed ownership a few times over the years. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017 as part of the Miracle Mile Historic District.

Frontier Motel

Originally named the Pioneer, the property was opened in 1941 by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Paul in Tucson. Designed by architect George J. Wolf, it featured Spanish eclectic twentieth-century revival architecture. The motel had 14 units divided between two buildings, with kitchenettes in some rooms. The property changed hands and was later renamed the Frontier Motel. Additions were made in 1959 and 1965. The original neon sign of the motel is well-maintained and functional, representing its historic character.