A citizens group has reached an agreement with Valeo Cos. for a new dorm in the West University neighborhood.
Tucson, Ariz. — It is being reported that the West University Neighborhood Association has reached an agreement with Valeo Cos. for the redevelopment of the former YMCA site on Fifth Avenue in Tucson’s West University neighborhood.
The citizen group objected to constructing a five-story student housing project in a residential neighborhood. Valeo agreed that two houses will be preserved to act as a buffer between the neighborhood and the project. Known as The District, the project was set to contain 756 rooms and be rented by the bed for approximately $500 per month.
Friction between student housing developers and local residents is not a new thing. The University of Arizona faces a chronic shortage of on-campus housing and enrollment numbers continue to grow — causing developers to construct what are called mini-dorms in the surrounding neighborhoods. In an editorial, The Arizona Daily Star mentions that the University is close to a reaching an agreement to form public-private partnerships for new student housing projects downtown. The communities would be constructed along a planned streetcar route.
— Coleman Wood