Residents urge focus on outdoor recreation, performing arts and winter visitors in Oro Valley plan

The working group’s tourism discussion covered outdoor recreation, events, targeted marketing and a potential performing arts or arts-and-culture center.

Bill, a participant who has worked on the arts effort, urged the town to include the performing arts center in the 10-year plan and said a feasibility study by a Dallas-based firm is near completion. "This is not in the survey… This is real," he said, describing work by a local nonprofit exploring feasibility and revenue potential.

Participants recommended using parks and recreation investments strategically so facilities can host tournaments (soccer, lacrosse) and create tourism returns on investment; Kristen urged tying parks capital planning to economic-development objectives. Joe and Rosa urged the plan to promote the town's broad outdoor assets (trails, birding, the Nature Conservancy lands) and to target winter visitors and seasonal residents who contribute significant spending.

Paul Melcher noted a leisure-travel study is underway and suggested the town should coordinate that research with the 10‑year plan rather than pre-empting it. Participants also recommended working regionally (North Pima County partners) on a shared tourism strategy.

Sims said staff would refine the tourism actions and that more-specific marketing and partnership language would be added during subsequent drafting.