Tucson NewsNet Daily Digest - A Service of the City of Tucson

THRIVE IN THE 05 EXTENDED - Tucson's Mayor and Council recently gave its approval for the expansion of the successful Thrive in the 05 program, which has focused on a community-centered collaboration between residents, businesses, community organizations, and institutions in the Oracle Road/Miracle Mile area of the 85705 ZIP code. The new Thrive initiative, managed by the City of Tucson Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), will bolster the East 29th Street corridor, bordered by Alvernon Way, Craycroft Road, 22nd Street, and the Tucson Diversion Channel (just north of Golf Links Road). The expansion will stretch over four years, funded by an allocation of the American Rescue Plan and state and local fiscal recovery funds.
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REID PARK ZOO UPDATE - Progress continues on Reid Park Zoo's improvement projects. Construction will be underway soon on the World of Play. The construction fence will go up shortly and permits are pending approval. This new exhibit will be located at the site of the former flamingo habitat. Meanwhile, the first phase of Pathway to Asia will be parking. The Zoo is in an intense review process as it heads toward finalizing design development at the end of June. Initial plans for the exhibit include a replica of a tiger research station. Children will be able to see some of the tools researchers in the wild use to identify and locate tigers to study their populations. In addition to the science lessons, there will be information about how to protect tigers in the wild. The exhibit also will have a pool for the Asian small-clawed otters. These playful otters live in family groups in small streams, rivers, and marshes.
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LEARN ABOUT THE STONE AVENUE UNDERPASS PUMP HOUSE AND THE LEGEND OF 'LAKE ELMIRA' - Built in 1936, the historic Stone Avenue Underpass Pump House, part of the National Register of Historic Places with the underpass, recently was relocated to make room for the new bicycle/pedestrian bridge as part of the Downtown Links project. It currently sits about 200 feet northwest of the old location, at the Stone Avenue Underpass, on the west side of the Citizens Warehouse. The underpass will not be delisted as a result of the structure’s removal. Meanwhile, the pump house is also part of the legend of "Lake Elmira," which started as a late-1930's local newspaper report of a young girl named Elmira Doakes. Legend has it that Elmira swam through a lake formed when the pump failed. She reportedly swam from the Toole Avenue side to Sixth Street side of the underpass. While that makes for a nice story that is often retold, it's not a true story at all. Learn more about the Pump House and the legend of Lake Elmira, told by local historian Ken Scoville, in the video linked below.
Watch the video

FREE SUMMER POOL PARTIES CONTINUE AT CITY POOLS - This summer, Tucson Parks and Recreation is hosting "Summer Poolooza," free pool parties across the city. Events include Ready, Set, Rec! vans with games and activities, food, music, inflatables, pool fun, and more. Come and enjoy some fun in the sun. Pool parties are every Wednesday in June and July, from 5-7 p.m. (unless otherwise noted). To see a list of dates and locations, follow the website link below. The next pool party is tonight, June 22, at Fort Lowell Pool, 2900 N. Craycroft Road.
Summer Poolooza
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PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES HIRING LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT - The City of Tucson's Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD) is seeking a landscape architect to join its customer-centric culture, providing strategic, timely, and quality services to an engaged public. The immediate opening is in PDSD's Site Review section, which includes zoning, landscape, civil engineering, and inspection professionals. The landscape architect will work with other staff to review and advise on all new site development in the City of Tucson. The holder of the position also will assist the public, development community, and City staff in devising workable solutions for plans related to landscape, native plants, grading/drainage, and water harvesting on all development projects to ensure environmental protection, community health, sustainability, and good design practices. The application deadline is July 3.
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