CITY OF TUCSON'S MILAGRO ON ORACLE RECEIVES SECOND STATE-WIDE AWARD FOR DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
The City of Tucson’s El Pueblo Housing Development and Gorman & Company were recognized for the outstanding design and development of Milagro on Oracle, a 63-unit affordable housing complex which adaptively reused two historic mid-century motor courts on North Oracle Road.
The Arizona Multihousing Association presented its Developers Award for Best Community Design Affordable Community at a ceremony Aug. 7 in Phoenix. The awards recognize the best people and companies in the state’s apartment and rental housing industry.
"Milagro on Oracle demonstrates that affordable housing can—and should—combine thoughtful design, quality construction, and a strong sense of community," said Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) Director Ann Chanecka.
"The City of Tucson and El Pueblo Housing Development are honored by this recognition and grateful to every partner who helped bring the vision to life. The project reflects a shared commitment to expanding access to high-quality homes while strengthening the Oracle Road corridor. We are proud to see Milagro on Oracle recognized as an example of how thoughtful development can create lasting value for residents and the surrounding neighborhood," Chanecka added.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, then director of Arizona Department of Housing Joan Serviss and HCD Director Chanecka celebrated the completion of Milagro on Oracle in January 2025.
“Milagro on Oracle is a beautiful example of historic preservation blended with new construction – honoring the past and celebrating the future with new, modern, and sustainable affordable housing for generations to come,” said Sally Schwenn, Arizona Market President for Gorman & Company.
In August 2025 the Arizona Department of Housing awarded El Pueblo Housing Development (EPHD), the City’s non-profit development entity, the Urban Development of the Year Housing Hero Award for Milagro on Oracle. The $21 million complex is home for low-income residents over the age of 55 and for formerly unhoused seniors through the Continuum of Care.
Milagro on Oracle is in the Thrive in the 05 and the Miracle Mile National Historic District. It was EPHD’s first development and the City’s first Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) project in over a decade. Artist Jessica Gonzales created a vibrant two-piece public art mural for Milagro on Oracle, inspired by the area’s legacy as a mid-century vehicular gateway into Tucson
The project’s most distinctive achievement lies in its preservation of two pre-World War 2 historic motor courts, the DeAnza Motel (later the No-Tel Motel), built in 1940, and the Don Motel, built in 1941. A new four-story structure with an elevator was added. Overcoming structural and environmental challenges posed by the aged structures, EPHD and Gorman & Company successfully revitalized historically significant properties and wove them into the fabric of the development while delivering high-quality, modern housing.
Poster Mirto McDonald, a Tucson architectural firm, designed the development.
Milagro on Oracle is part of the City’s 10-point Housing Affordable Strategy for Tucson (HAST), which calls for the creation of more affordable housing. The development aligns with City efforts to foster equitable reinvestment and prevent displacement.
The Thrive in the 05 Transformation Plan describes an ambitious vision to cultivate sustainable, community-driven, equitable change in the city’s historic northern gateway.
El Pueblo Housing Development was formed for the purpose of developing stable, healthy, affordable housing and supportive services to serve residents of Tucson and Pima County. EPHD focuses on development activities related to the creation of and/or rehabilitation of existing properties for the purpose of providing affordable rental housing and affordable homeownership units.
Additional EPHD affordable housing developments currently in progress includes Tucson House, Sugar Hill on Stone, Amazon Flats, Stone and Speedway, and El Rincón (Main and Davis).
AMA Tribute Award Winners
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