Return to accessibility navigation at the top of the page.

PCC to Host Neighborhood Open House at 29th Street Coalition Center

October 22, 2012

 Makeover Gives Former Elementary School a New Purpose

Tucson, AZ – Pima Community College is hosting a neighborhood open house and BBQ this week to mark the opening of its new 29th Street Coalition Center in the former Roberts Elementary School.

The newly transformed school, at 4355 E. Calle Aurora, is now home to PCC’s Public Safety and Emergency Services Institute and one of its three Adult Education divisions.

“The 29th Street Coalition welcomed Pima with open arms into their neighborhood,” said Bill Ward, the College’s assistant vice chancellor for facilities. “This little get-together is our way of thanking them and showing how honored we are to be part of the fabric of their lives.”

The two-hour open house, which begins at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 25, will include escorted tours of center’s remodeled classrooms.

The College is leasing the former elementary school for five years, at $70,000 per year from the Tucson Unified School District. As part of the lease, the College agreed to spend at least $300,000 to renovate the 43,000-square-foot building and improve parking.

With the moves of the Adult Education division and PSESI to the new location, PCC ends leases it has for two other facilities at a combined annual savings of $240,000.

“This arrangement is not just a win for the neighborhood, which no longer has to worry about a vacant school attracting crime or vandalism,” said Ward. “It’s a win for county taxpayers and our students. The makeover of the school might not have been extreme but it certainly was beneficial.”

PCC’s Public Safety and Emergency Services Institute began classes at the center on Oct. 1, while the College’s Eastside Learning Center is in the process of transitioning its Adult Education classes to the new location.

Roberts Elementary opened in 1961 and was named after Clara Fish Roberts, a teacher and the first woman trustee in TUSD. Last year, the district merged the school with nearby Naylor Middle School. More information on Roberts Center and the lease is available by viewing the fact sheet.

PCC’s 29th Street Coalition Center also is serving as a temporary home of the Eckstrom-Columbus Branch of the Pima County Public Library while the library’s 22nd Street home undergoes renovation.

  • What: 29th Street Coalition Center Open House and Courtyard BBQ
  • When: 4:30-6:30 p.m., Oct. 25
  • Where: 29th Street Coalition Center, 4355 E. Calle Aurora
  • Details: BBQ, guest speakers, escorted tours of Adult Education and Public Safety and Emergency Services Institute classrooms
  • Additional information: 206-4888 or cyebra@pima.edu

CONTACT:
C.J. Karamargin
Vice Chancellor for Public Information and Government Relations
(520) 206-4850
ckaramargin@pima.edu