Pima County unveils downtown space plan to downsize footprint and refurbish offices; several properties targeted for future sale

Pima County staff on Tuesday presented a downtown space plan that would reduce the county’s footprint in older buildings, renovate occupied floors for efficiency and daylighting, and eventually market selected properties for sale.

Project design and construction staff member Mr. DeBonas told the Board that the county occupies 14 downtown buildings and that older structures have deferred maintenance and higher operating costs. "So budget was made mention of. And so there's an operating cost to the buildings that we occupy. Many of them are aged buildings in the downtown area," Mr. DeBonas said.

The plan’s three-part strategy — rightsizing, refreshing and revitalizing — calls for consolidating staff into renovated floors and, over time, making up to two or three buildings available for private use and tax revenue. Mr. DeBonas said the team’s preliminary estimate for renovating a floor is about $2,000,000 to $3,000,000, with roughly a year for design and a year for construction per floor. "Our estimate is about $2,000,000 to $3,000,000 per floor to go ahead and do those renovations with a timeframe of usually a year for design and a year for construction," he said.

Specific sites and near-term steps

- 130 West Congress: Staff noted the county has programmed capital funds to build out the 10th and 11th floors; chiefs of staff have discussed placing the Board on the 11th floor and county administration on the 10th.

- 97 East Congress: Staff said 97 East Congress (previously occupied by Grant Management and Finance) would be used as temporary swing space during a phased renovation program and then could be made available for sale when appropriate.

- 32 North Stone / 33 North Stone: The presenter corrected an earlier reference and confirmed the planned conference center is on the first floor of 33 North Stone; 32 North Stone was identified as among the oldest county buildings and a candidate for divestment.

- 75 East Broadway (vacant lot): That parcel is under a lease option with Rio Nuevo; OB Companies has been selected as a proposer for a mixed-use development and will present further information to Rio Nuevo in coming months. Any county leasing or sale that affects the site will be brought to the Board.

Why it matters: County supervisors said reducing long-term operating costs and improving building efficiency would lower energy and maintenance expenses, make better use of natural light and improve workplace conditions. Supervisor Allen asked whether renovations would aim for LEED standards; Mr. DeBonas said projects are designed toward LEED standards even if the county does not always pursue formal certification.

Board questions and next steps

Supervisors asked staff to be strategic about potential buyers and community uses if properties are sold, including housing or cultural uses. Supervisor Connolly urged care in selecting buyers and noted early conversations about retail and mixed use around a new library site. Chair Scott asked when staff would return with more details; Mr. DeBonas said the team would provide additional information within the next couple of months and begin architect selection and design work for floors already funded in the current capital-improvement budget.

Staff emphasized that any sale or lease of county property would come back to the Board as a purchase-and-sale or lease agreement for formal approval. Administrator Lesher said the county’s finance team needs to know which properties will be removed from collateral pools when planning financing instruments.

Ending: No binding decisions or sales were approved during the discussion. The Board expressed general support for the rightsizing and revamp strategy and asked staff to return with refined costs, schedules and proposed public-engagement steps before any sale or lease agreements are advanced.