Residents Fight To Keep Tucson 'Weird And Wonderful'

By Lauren Gilger
Published: Thursday, August 9, 2018 - 2:01pm
Updated: Tuesday, October 1, 2019 - 11:16am

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mural in downtown Tucson
Mariana Dale/KJZZ
A mural in downtown Tucson by artist Rock Martinez.

Tucson’s 4th Avenue sits right in the heart of the city, full of locally-owned businesses in 100-year-old buildings.

But right now, this uniquely Tucson district is facing change. The strip’s first high-rise is being planned right now, and as we’ve seen happen recently along downtown Phoenix’s Roosevelt Row, where developers see dollar signs, many local business owners and residents see loss.

The recent loss of a few longtime favorites along 4th Avenue like a nightclub called The Flycatcher have some calling to keep Tucson “weird and wonderful.”

The Show spoke with Fred Ronstadt, executive director of the 4th Avenue Merchants’ Association, about this precarious time for the area.

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