GROUNDBREAKING SET FOR $4.6M REHABILITATION OF HISTORIC FORT LOWELL COMMISSARY
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, Ward 2 Council Member Paul Cunningham, and the Parks and Recreation department will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, May 28, at 9 a.m. at the Commissary at Fort Lowell Park, 5477 E. Fort Lowell Road., to mark the beginning of a $4.62 million rehabilitation and preservation project. Parking is available on the street, at the parking lot across from the Commissary at 5444 E. Fort Lowell Road and across Craycroft Road at Fort Lowell Park.
“Fort Lowell Park is a living park that connects us to our history and is a site of cultural significance where evidence of human settlement dates back 13,000 years,” said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. "Located in the Fort Lowell Historic Preservation Zone, this Park provides space for gatherings, recreation to families, and is a source of pride for residents of the Old Fort Lowell Neighborhood and all Tucsonans. As a City, we have delivered on the renovation of the park’s pool and new amenities like a splash pad and pickleball courts, and now we are investing in preserving the history of this park so that future generations know our past."
The project will focus on restoring the historic Commissary and Donaldson House at Fort Lowell Park, an area that holds deep cultural significance dating back 13,000 years and includes the site of a U.S. Army post established in 1873.
"Reactivating and preserving this site has been a long time coming, and it's been a priority to both me and Fort Lowell residents,” said Council Member Cunningham. “I'm proud to see us begin the restoration of this amazing part of Tucson's history after so much hard work by people from so many different parts of our community: local government, architects, preservationists and, most importantly, neighbors. I hope this becomes a model for how to preserve our heritage."
Funding includes a $300,000 grant from Arizona State Parks and Trails, awarded under the Historic Preservation category. The City has committed $1.24 million in matching funds, and an additional $3.08 million is allocated from the voter-approved 2018 Tucson Delivers: Parks + Connections bond (Proposition 407). Bond funding has already supported the rehabilitation of the Fort Lowell Museum.
The Fort Lowell area is uniquely situated at the confluence of the Pantano Wash and Rillito River and has served as a place of settlement for Indigenous peoples, military forces, and local communities across centuries. After being decommissioned by the U.S. Army in 1891, the site was used for various purposes, until Pima County acquired part of it in 1957, beginning its transformation into a public park.
The design team for the rehabilitation includes Corky Poster and Drew Cook of Poster Mirto McDonald. MW Morrissey Construction will serve as the project contractor.
The public is invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony and celebrate this significant investment in Tucson’s cultural and historic landscape. For more information on the projects at Fort Lowell Park, visit the project website (tucsondelivers.tucsonaz.gov/pages/fortlowell).
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