VOLUME 9 ISSUE 6
$5.99 Nov-Dec 2020 Serving Contracting Firms and the Arizona Community. . . Then & Now
Tucson’s Colorful Street: How Speedway Became Paint Row Modern Masterpiece for Lease: Tucson’s Ball-Paylore House “Transforming” Tucson’s History: Ignite Sign Art Museum Tucson’s May Day Mystery: 50 Years of Enigmatic Clues
Arizona’s Timeless Magazine
New Pueblo Constructors Adventures Building I-19
San Xavier rock & sand company:
The Firm That Helped Fuel Tucson’s Mid-Century Boom
Tucson’s Sunshine Mile Honored
KE&G’s Valencia Road Extension
Borderland Helps Gladden Farms Blossom
Ashton Broadens Broadway Blvd
Success in B2b Relationships
ABOVE EVERYTHING, QUALITY!
Favorite Holiday movie?
Publisher William Horner billy@arizcc.com
The Ref
Editor Douglas Towne douglas@arizcc.com A Christmas Vacation
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It’s A Wonderful Life
DBE & SBE Certified White Christmas “Vermont must be beautiful this time of year... All that snow”
Contributors Cassy Anderson Carlos Lozano Luke Snell Doug Sydnor Jesse Wood
White Christmas It’s A Wonderful Life 1776 “I watch it every July 4th!”
Production Manager Laura Horner laura@arizcc.com
Publisher’s Representative “Home Alone” though his wife Barry Warner says “Scrooge” because he doesn’t barry@arizcc.com In Memoriam Charles “Chuck” Runbeck 1928 - 2020
watch Christmas movies with the family.
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Arizona Contractor & Community (ACC) magazine is published bi-monthly (Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/June, July/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec). ACC is a professional publication designed for the contracting industry, engineers, architects, equipment rentals, suppliers, and others interested in Arizona and its history. Content including text, photographs or illustrations may not be reproduced without the written permission from the publisher. The publisher does not assume responsibility for unsolicited submissions. ACC reserves the right to reject any editorial and advertising material and reserves the right to edit all submitted content material. Arizona Contractor & Community Copyright © 2020 All rights reserved.
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Construction Around Arizona: Projects • People • Practices
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Back When - Tucson’s Missing Marilyn Douglas Towne San Xavier: The Firm That Helped Fuel Tucson’s Mid- Century Boom - Douglas Towne Tucson’s Colorful Street: How Speedway Boulevard Became Paint Row - Carlos Lozano Sustainable and Modern: Tucson’s Historic Ball- Paylore House - Douglas Towne “Transforming” Tucson’s History: Ignite Sign Art Museum - Douglas Towne
BELLY DUMP-SUPER 16-END DUMP-LOW BOY
Contributors - Cassy Anderson & Carlos Lozano From The Editor - Reflections of a Tucson-phile Douglas Towne
“TELL US WHAT YOU NEED AND WE WILL WORK WITH YOU TO MAKE IT HAPPEN”
Contents
Arizona’s da Vinci Code: Tucson’s May Day Mystery Douglas Towne
66
Building on the Past - 1966: Taking Tucson’s Pulse
68
72
Architect’s Perspective - Bernard J. Friedman, AIA: Recognized Talent - Doug Sydnor, FAIA
Digging Through the Archives - New Pueblo’s I-19 Construction - William Horner
76
Bid Results
76
Advertising Index
Front Cover - San Xavier Rock & Sand Co. paving on 22nd Street between Craycroft and Wilmot roads, 1965. Article on page 40. Inset -Billboard promoting Tucson, 1960.
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Contributors P R I N T | PA C K A G I N G | M A I L I N G | F U L F I L L M E N T E C O - F R I E N D LY S O L U T I O N S
Cassy Anderson Article on page 27
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assy Anderson is the assistant executive director for the Southern Arizona National Electrical Contractors Association (SAZNECA) Chapter in Tucson. This Chapter is in the 5th NECA District and the 7th International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) District and works closely with IBEW Locals 570 and 518. Previously, Cassy was a staff associate with the NECA National Office, working in the New York NECA (NYECA) office in Manhattan, with IBEW Local 3, and later with NECA National’s Southern Region Field Staff. She graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor’s degree in applied design. Cassy recently relocated to Tucson, where she is enjoying learning about the landscape, culture, and history of Arizona. Cassy is pleased to be a part of an engaged NECA association. She enjoys working closely with Cindy Flowers, the SAZNECA executive director, who has built strong relationships within the electrical industry. They coordinate with Chuck Grube, business manager for IBEW Local 570, Domenic Marcanti, business manager for IBEW Local 518, Karen King, training director for the Tucson Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Program (TEJATP), and Daniel Ostero, training director for the Globe-Miami Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Program. SAZNECA had doubled their membership over the past two years while advocating for the industry’s government affairs, business development, safety standards, education, and labor relations.
Carlos Lozano Article on Page 48
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hicago native Carlos Lozano was taught at a young age to appreciate the built environment by his father, architect Adrian Lozano. They watched urban renewal and market forces replace vibrant ethnic neighborhoods and much of the Windy City’s grand, dignified architecture. The Lozano family was also influenced by the “back to nature” philosophy in the 1970s and often camped in Wisconsin. The beauty of the desert, not architecture, eventually lured Carlos to Tucson in 1985. Lozano founded an engineering search firm, and the flexible recruiting hours allowed exploration of other interests. Appalled by the “newer is better” development philosophy common in the West, he began working with local historic preservation efforts, including wonderful “lost causes,” like plans to save Tucson’s last drive-in movie theater and its only remaining independent, hand-built, mini-golf course. Lozano served a full 8-year term on the Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission and continues as Citizen Advisor on transportation issues. He chaired the Historic Landmark Sign committee that successfully amended Tucson’s onerous sign code, allowing and encouraging vintage neon preservation. He is a longtime Arizona Historical Society Library & Archives volunteer who teaches workshops on historic property research, and does presentations, consults, and writes on various local history topics. His website, VanishingTucson.com, is currently transitioning to host his collection of oral history recordings. Nov-Dec 2020
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From the editor: Reflections of a Tucson-phile Douglas Towne
S
a late lunch in a bar seemed like the safest option in this downpour. Within its dark interior, I pondered whether my rash decision would prove foolhardy. But the charms of the Old Pueblo soon won me over. The tipping point was the Chicago Music Store’s sign featuring an Indian hoop dancer. Any place capable of producing this neon display must have a lot going for it, I figured. And Tucson did. My friends and I had great fun exploring this basin rimmed by four mountain ranges. My “version” is forever tied to a mid-1980s snapshot in time: sports memorabilia and burgers at the Big A restaurant, the 49-cent record bin at Albums, dancing to “Revolver” tracks at the Club Congress, spying bighorn sheep on Pusch Ridge, finding sanctuary at The Shelter Cocktail Lounge, idyllic picnics in Sabino Canyon, congregating at Louie’s Lower Level, discovering author Chuck Bowden at the Haunted Bookstore, 1:30 a.m. “Los Muertos: the Dead” performances at the Café Olé, sushi runs to Tokyo Restaurant, skiing on Mt. Lemmon, and bottling parties at the Webb Winery. Tucson’s counter-culture hangout, Fourth Avenue, was a frequent destination,
whether to Value Village to outfit an apartment or sample beers at The Shanty. The funky strip attracted characters such as Toby, a pipe-smoking vendor who sold produce from his disheveled green 1951 Chevy truck. I was clearly smitten with this Sonoran Desert city. My 10-month degree program ballooned into a 3-year residence. But circumstances changed, and my time in Tucson came to an end. In the 30-plus years since then, I still get a buzz visiting the city. Many places have evanesced, but fresh entities have sprouted, including my new favorite place in Arizona, the Ignite Sign Art Museum. I hope our special issue captures some of the Old Pueblo’s considerable charms for you to enjoy. Top right: Café Olé cabaret ticket, and a Tucson promotional button. Left: Chicago Music Store Indian hoop dancer. Below left: Hotel Congress rooftop sign. Below right: The Shelter Cocktail Lounge. Bottom right: Toby, the Fourth Avenue produce vendor.
Image courtesy of Arizona Daily Star
Images courtesy of Author
ometimes you get lucky in life. You select your path after careful research, and then change it on a whim to the winning ticket. For me, it was switching from attending graduate school at the University of Texas to the University of Arizona, all because of incessant recruiting by a department head. “If I agree to come to Tucson, will these phone calls end?” I said, exasperated. And with that sentence, my journey from Denver shifted from Austin to a more southwestern path the following month. But it didn’t seem as if the weather gods agreed with my decision. A savage monsoon storm unleashed more rain than my windshield wipers could handle as I drove into Tucson for the first time. Undeterred, I crept along, but dips on Oracle Road had become raging torrents. The wet brakes on my 1976 AMC Hornet made stopping an iffy proposition. “Doesn’t this place have storm drains?” I thought. Waylaid before arriving at my UA destination, I pulled over at Mike Dawson’s Sports Page Lounge. The business was owned by a local athlete who had found success as a defensive tackle with the Cardinals when they played in St. Louis. Having
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Projects . PEOPLE . PRACTICES
my office will work to ensure these architecturally significant buildings and their facades are protected and adaptively reused.” A grassroots effort led by the Tucson Historical Preservation Foundation
Spotlight Shines on Tucson’s Sunshine Mile Douglas Towne n Tucson these days, all eyes are on Broadway Boulevard. The street is undergoing a major transportation improvement project, and the historic structures that line the road have been recognized as one of the nation’s most unique commercial strips. In May 2020, the impressive collection of mid-century buildings along the street were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The inventory includes everything from a shoe store to a synagogue. “Tucson is proud to celebrate this important historic designation,” says Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. “Our city and Above: Kelly Building, designed by Nicholas Sakellar in 1964, 2020. Right: The Sunshine Mile near Country Club Drive, 2020. arizcc.com
(THPF) took eight years and thousands of volunteers to protect the corridor, even though it was one of the city’s highpoints of mid-century development. Much of the city’s mid-century
Images courtesy of Jude Ignacio and Gerardine Vargas
I
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CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA
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CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA Projects
Image courtesy of Ray Manley
Top left: Hirsh’s Shoes, designed by Bernard J. Friedman, 1954. Top right: Valley National Bank Building, 1973.
expansion followed Broadway east. The boulevard was “born modern,” according to THPF. “The avenue expressed the new American optimism and post-World War II economic boom that was changing the nation, and became an important corridor with modern structures built along its edge to support new suburban neighborhoods.” Broadway blossomed into a high-end shopping district, with businesses selling furniture, lighting, photographic equipment, shoes, clothes, and cars. “Glass storefronts, geometric designs, new materials, and evocative signage combined to create a vision of Tucson as a modern metropolis,” notes THPF. The district picked up a nickname when “The Sunshine Mile”
was selected from more than 5,000 entries in a contest sponsored by the East Broadway Merchants in 1953. But more than a half-century later, The Sunshine Mile was threatened by neglect and redevelopment. In 2011, THPF began researching the surviving buildings for a potential National Register listing, which occurred in 2019. “This project to document these incredible buildings and designate The Sunshine Mile on the National Register represents the commitment of our community to preserve and celebrate Tucson’s mid-century modern heritage,” Demion Clinco, THPF CEO, says. Buildings in the two-mile-long district include Hirsh’s Shoes, 1954; Valley National Bank (Chase Bank), 1971, Kelly Building, 1964; and Temple Emanu-El Synagogue,1949-1960; Solot Plaza, 1954-1958; and the Friedman Block, 1955-1961.
Among the Tucson architects who designed buildings along The Sunshine Mile are Terrence “Terry” Cloney Atkinson, Charles Cox, Bernard J. Friedman, Josias Joesler, Gordon Maas Luepke, Cecil H. Moore, Frank J. Nelson, Lew Place, Roy Place, Anne Rysdale, Nicholas Gust Sakellar, William Wilde, and Sylvia Wilde. Tucson firms included Blanton and Cole, Cain, Nelson, Jaastad & Knipe, Juan Wørner y Bas, and Wares & Cook. Other architects included Phoenix’s Ralph Haver and California’s Ronald Bergquist. One of the benefits of the National Register designation is that the contributing buildings are eligible for tax incentives for restoration. “This entire project was undertaken to support the revitalization of this shopping district and will be a powerful economic driver for the community,” Clinco says.
Images courtesy of Jude Ignacio and Gerardine Vargas
Left: Haas Building, designed by Anne Rysdale in 1957, 2020. Below: American Evangelical Lutheran Church designed by Jaastad and Knipe, 1954. Bottom right: Welcome Diner, designed by Ronald Bergquist in 1964, 2020.
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Tucson Buzzes about Valencia Road Extension
I
t was almost as if KE&G Construction had to have a conversation about “the birds and the bees” during their recent work on the Valencia Road Extension from Houghton Road east to Old Spanish Trail. “Before the start of the project, we discovered a large presence of bees in the new roadway corridor,” says Jim Olson, KE&G transportation division manager. “Further investigation revealed that the bees were privately owned and bred for experimentation and observation. They were a particular sub-species that was rare and extremely docile compared to typical bees indigenous to the area. As a result, our construction
Employee Spotlight: Grey Major, Project Manager Favorite job task: I enjoy solving the daily challenges that come up. Toughest job task: Guiding the team’s efforts and helping them maintain focus on project goals. Most memorable day at work: The ribbon-cutting ceremony on our award-winning Valencia & Kolb project immediately preceding our current work. It was an exciting day of recognition for a fasttracked project that helped set the tone and momentum for this one. Favorite off-job task: Spending time with my family, hunting, and off-roading. arizcc.com
activities could not begin prior to the safe removal of the hive.” There were no bird issues, but Olson’s construction team kept in close communication with a local rancher concerning his cattle. “No animal fence existed in the area before the start of construction since it was open-range State land,” he says. “This issue also affected construction activities as the county couldn’t open the new roadway before completion of the fence.” KE&G’s work consisted of the construction of two new lanes of Valencia Road, including a new roadway, drainage facilities, soil cement bank protection, and a new bridge over Pantano Wash. “The project increased access for emergency vehicles and other metropolitan services to an area previously only accessible by a twolane winding road,” Olson says. The Valencia Road project coincided with the construction of the new Mica Mountain High School on the west end, which required numerous interactions between KE&G, Vail School District, and the public.
Despite working around bees, cattle, and a new high school, Olson says the project’s biggest challenge came from Pantano Wash, which taught his team about water diversion and contingency planning. The Valencia Road Extension has been a long time coming. “This project was designed in the 1990s and has been in the public works queue for 20 years,” Olson says. “Ultimately, the construction funding came from a private developer, Rocking K Development, with Pima County oversite and reimbursement, as well as additional funding coming from Vail School District to facilitate project expansion associated with the building of Mica Mountain High School.” A third party, PSOMAS, provided quality assurance, inspection, and engineering management. Subcontractors on the project were Keller for the bridge drilled shafts; Olson Concrete Structures for drainage structures; Sentry Fence, Brown & White, and Dynamic Fence for fencing, handrail, vcvguardrail, and bridge railing; and Brightview Landscaping. Arizona Contractor & Community