The city of Tucson is moving forward on development of Rio Nuevo, a wide-ranging development centered on waterways, open space and cultural attractions that would run from one side of Tucson's downtown to the other. As envisioned, the project will include a 20-acre cultural park, two hotels, up to 3,000 parking spaces, a 125,000-sf amphitheater, a 60,000-sf aquarium, 1,750 residential units, up to 500,000 sf of office space and 750,000 sf of retail space.

The project, which was approved by voters in 1999, has more than doubled in cost from an original estimate of $320 million. Design plans and studies have been conducted since then, and now the city is on the verge of approving a final plan. The city council said earlier this week that it would vote only after it heard from a citizens advisory committee and the project's governing board.

"This is a vision to restore downtown as a public center for the entire community and at the same time put Tucson on the par as one of America's great cities," says John Jones, Rio Nuevo project director for the city.

Rio Nuevo is focused on three parts of the downtown area, at the base of a mountain, north along the Santa Cruz River Walkway and then onto the downtown. West of Interstate 10 would include a 20-acre cultural park, a 75,000-sf visitor's center, the 100,000-sf amphitheater, an open-air market area up to 700,000 sf of residential space and 100,000 sf of commercial and retail space.

A 400-room hotel that could be expanded to twice that sized is planned just east of I-10, as well as 60,000 sf of meeting space, the Sonoran Sea Aquarium, a 110,000-sf science center, an IMAX Theater, a 50,000-sf Arizona State Museum, a 40,000-sf children's museum, another 200,000 sf of yet unspecified expansions, and up to 150,000 sf of retail and restaurant space.

Plans for the downtown area, near the convention center, include adding up to 1,500 residential units, up to 500,000 sf of office space, up to 500,000 sf of retail space, 150,000 sf of restaurants and entertainment venues, another 200-room hotel and a 100,000-sf expansion of the art museum.

The city hopes to use more than $120 million in public funds to attract additional private dollars. Project designers say that the project, when fully completed in 2020, will attract an estimated 4.6 million visitors annually and have a $6 billion annual economic impact.

An increase in the scope of the project will not require additional public funding, Jones says. The private investment portion is the only part that has expanded.

The Rio Nuevo Citizens Advisory Committee will meet March 7 to review the plan, and the Rio Nuevo Multipurpose Facilities District Board will review it March 14. Both groups are expected to approve the plan. The city will meet later in March and is expected to also approve the plan.