This article about the Stockton Arena is from yesterday’s AZ Daily Star. I have been thinking about it since then and hadn’t posted because I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.  Tucson has been through this downtown arena talk twice before already and it’s become a running joke among Tucsonans, along with Rio Nuevo. Check out the following timeline:

DOWNTOWN ARENA TIMELINE

• OCTOBER 2003: Although not part of the Rio Nuevo ballot measure approved by voters, talk begins about building a new arena Downtown.
• JANUARY 2004: The City Council votes 4-3 to solicit proposals from developers for a new arena.
• AUGUST 2004: The city selects an arena development team led by Texas-based Garfield Traub.
• MARCH 2007: Downtown landowner Allan Norville unveils plans to build a Downtown arena and gem-show exhibit hall. Two days later, the city releases plans for a new arena shaped like a desert tortoise shell.
• APRIL 2007: The City Council unexpectedly approves the $130 million tortoise-shell arena with no public notice or input.
• APRIL 2008: A public-records request by the Arizona Daily Star showed costs for the tortoise arena had ballooned to $196 million.
• MAY 2008: The City Council kills the tortoise-shell arena because of the cost. It voted to negotiate with Norville to build a smaller arena on his land, but the deal is never finalized.
• FEBRUARY 2009: With no money to buy Norville’s land, the city moves the arena to a third site and is set to choose the arena’s architect and operator.

Here are the latest glamour shots courtesy of the Daily Star:

So while I love the pictures, I’ll hold my sincere excitement until we see a little more progress (actually breaking ground would satisfy me).

Here are your stats for today:

New Listings	134
Back on Market	18
Price Increases	10
Price Reductions	147
Contingents	52
Pendings	25
Solds	48
Expireds	24
Inactives	40

Tagged as: rio nuevo, stockton arena, tucson mls, Tucson MLS Statistics