City of Tucson Celebrates Completion of Historic Fort Lowell Rehabilitation and Preservation Project

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, Ward 2 Council Member Paul Cunningham, and the City of Tucson Parks and Recreation department will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, June 12, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. at the Commissary at Fort Lowell Park, 5477 E. Fort Lowell Road, marking the completion of the Historic Fort Lowell improvements 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. 

The Fort Lowell Commissary rehabilitation is a proud recipient of a 2026 Governor’s Heritage Preservation Honor Award. 

The City of Tucson Parks and Recreation department applied for and received an Arizona State Parks grant of $300,000 in the Historic Preservation category, with matching funds of $1,236,000. Additional funding of $3,084,000 is allocated through the 2018 voter-approved Tucson Delivers: Parks + Connections bond program, bringing the total project investment to $4,620,000. Bond funding has already been applied to rehabilitate the Fort Lowell Museum. Pima County is providing project management and historical preservation expertise. 

This combined investment will fund the rehabilitation and preservation of the Commissary and the Donaldson House, transforming Historic Fort Lowell into a premier local attraction integrated with other historic sites across Tucson for education, entertainment, and the enjoyment of all visitors. 

"Reactivating and preserving this site has been a long time coming, and it's been a priority to both Fort Lowell residents and me,” said Council Member Paul Cunningham last year at the groundbreaking. “Having this project come to fruition and allowing the lease to go through to activate the space is an incredible nod to the efforts the community makes and preserving Tucson Heritage, history, and culture.” 

Evidence of human settlement in the Fort Lowell area dates back 13,000 years. Uniquely situated at the confluence of the Pantano Wash and the Rillito River, this land carries deep cultural and historical significance for many peoples across millennia. The Historic Fort was established in 1873 by the U.S. Army to station soldiers engaged during the Apache conflicts and remained in military use until 1891. Continuing in the long tradition of human use in this area, the structures and lands saw a variety of uses until 1957, when part of the Historic Fort was acquired by Pima County, beginning its journey to the cherished public park that exists today. 

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 ribbon-cutting 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).