Buildings give way for temporary parking

Ryan A. Mihalyi Arizona Daily Wildcat Buildings in the process of demolition barely stand up near the intersection of East Sixth Street and Cherry Avenue, just east of the Speed Clean and Jersey Joe's. The UA plans to make the area into a surface parking lot after demolition is complete.

About 200 parking spaces will be generated by removing the buildings, said Marlis Davis, director of parking and transportation.

Rita Rounds, space planning manager for facilities design and construction, said many of the properties were "old and bad news and cost too much money to renovate."

"It (the space) will just be surface parking. Long term - I don't know," she said.

While the University of Arizona does have extensive plans for the Sixth Street corridor, construction won't begin for about three to five years, Davis said.

"It is quite common for us to develop parking in the interim," she said, adding the UA need the additional spaces. The surface lots along East Sixth Street will probably all be Zone 1, she said.

The following properties along East Sixth Street will be demolished: 1835, 1837, 1841 through 1843, 1101, 1105, 1107, 1113, 1115 and three properties in the 1600 block.

Those include the old Loft Cinema, at the northeast corner of East Sixth Street and North Fremont Avenue, The Art Department Annex at the northwest corner of Campbell Avenue and Sixth Street, and two old houses used by the English department just west of North Campbell Avenue and Sixth Street.

Blue books, exams and English papers littered the partially demolished structures. Floors are caved in, walls partially destroyed and piles of brick and debris are scattered throughout the fenced-in lot.

Jim Vogel, owner of Campus Tutoring, 1620 E. Sixth St., said his business has been located next to the lot for three years.

Vogel said his building, which includes Jersey Joe's and the Speed Clean Laundromat, is UA owned.

The owners of Jersey Joe's and Speed Clean were unwilling to comment.

"We all rent from the UA; they have been wonderful landlords," Vogel said.

Eventually the UA has plans for the entire area surrounding Campus Tutoring, but Vogel said his spot is secure until the end of his lease.

"They (the UA) keep us pretty well posted," he said.