THRIVE IN THE 05 ACTION ACTIVITIES KICK OFF SATURDAY WITH A BLOCK PARTY AND INTERSECTION PAINTING IN BARRIO BLUE MOON

The first of nine Thrive in the 05 Action Activities will launch this Saturday, Oct. 1 in Barrio Blue Moon. Neighborhood residents will gather from 9 am to 4 pm for an all-ages block party led by Living Streets Alliance to paint a new traffic calming mural designed by local artist Armando Sotelo at West Helen Street and North 15^th Avenue. Similar volunteer events and celebrations will mark the installation of neighborhood improvement projects called “Action Activities” throughout the Thrive in the 05 area this fall.

The Thrive in the 05 area encompasses the Miracle Mile / Oracle Road portion of the 85705 zip code, bounded by Speedway, Miracle Mile, Stone Avenue, and Interstate 10, and has been the subject of a four-year collaborative effort to build community and invest resources in Tucson’s historic northern gateway. Thrive in the 05 is a place-based, community-centered collaboration between residents, businesses, community organizations, and institutions that integrates three concurrent initiatives: a Choice Neighborhoods Planning and Action Grant, an Innovations in Community-Based Crime Reduction grant, and a focus on Workforce and Economic Development.

Action Activities are neighborhood projects selected by community leadership during the Thrive in the 05 planning phase. The projects represent an early implementation phase of the Thrive in the 05 Transformation Plan, a shared vision for the future of the area that includes investments in affordable housing, community safety programs, and workforce development training. The combined public investment of $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Choice Neighborhoods Program, Community Development Block Grant, and City of Tucson General Funds is coordinated by the City’s Department of Housing and Community Development.

The Action Activities are led by community partners that are investing additional funds and resources into each project. Partners have spent the past several months working with Thrive in the 05 residents to finalize designs and plan upcoming installation events. The nine projects are:

- Visual Improvement Program (“VIP”) business façade improvements, led by City of Tucson Economic Initiatives

- Miracle Mile Branding Signage, led by the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation

- Restoration of the Tucson Inn sign, led by Pima Community College

- Corridor Tree Planting, led by Tucson Clean and Beautiful

- Asphalt Art and Traffic Calming, led by Living Streets Alliance

- Storytelling Public Art, led by the Arts Foundation of Southern Arizona

- Esquer Park Improvements, led by Tucson Parks and Recreation and Watershed Management Group

- Richey Ball Field Improvements, led by Tucson Parks and Recreation

- Blue Moon Community Garden Improvements, led by Community Gardens of Tucson

Full descriptions of each Action Activity, timelines, and upcoming events are available on the Thrive in the 05 Action Activities website: thriveinthe05.tucsonaz.gov/pages/action-activities. Currently scheduled events include:

October 1st - Block Painting Party, 14th and Helen, 9:00am to 4:00pm

October 8th - Tree Planting, Richey Resource Center, 2209 N. 15 Ave., 9:00am to 11:00am

October 22nd - Tree Planting, Marty Birdman Center, 2536 N. Castro Ave., 9:00am to 11:00am

November 19th - Miracle Manor Block Painting Party, 15th and Kelso, 9:00am - 4:00pm

December 3rd - Block Painting Party, 15th and Jacinto, 9:00am - 4:00pm

The Action Activities will also be complimented this fall by a cultural heritage project led by the Southwest Folklife Alliance to document residents’ voices and stories through pop-up community engagement events. Also, the Cyclovia Tucson event sponsored by Living Streets Alliance will bring tens of thousands of people to the area to walk, bike, connect and play in car-free, care-free streets on Oct. 30, 9 am to 3 pm.