Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies

Homeless Veterans’ Transitional Housing – Esperanza en Escalante, 3700 S. Calle Polar, Tucson, AZ 85730 – $230,000, HUD-EDI:  Expanding housing at Esperanza en Escalante is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the organization serves 50+ veterans – some alone and some with families – at any one time.  This funding will help the organization reach its goal of serving 200 veterans at a time.  This funding will be used by Esperanza en Escalante, a non-profit organization, to expand transitional housing for homeless veterans by constructing a five-bedroom housing unit.  The organization currently provides transitional housing for homeless veterans receiving assistance for substance abuse and mental health issues from the Veterans Administration.  The housing is located on land that was formerly part of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, but was released by the federal government to be used by Esperanza en Escalante for this purpose over a decade ago.  Click here for a letter of support from Tucson Council Member Shirley Scott.

Houghton Road Corridor Bridge Replacement – City of Tucson, 255 W. Alameda Street, Tucson, AZ 85701 - $1,500,000, TCSP:  Houghton Road from Tanque Verde Road to Interstate-10 is the primary route for distributing traffic in one of the fastest growing areas of Tucson.  The existing bridge is a narrow two-lane structure that has aged and suffered damage.  Additionally, the current two-land roadway is operating over its design capacity along many segments of the corridor, resulting in the degradation of safety in the corridor.  Building a replacement bridge over the Houghton Road corridor is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will improve commuter and industrial traffic, including bus routing for the Vail School District, as well as provide a safer route for drivers.  Funding will be used to design a replacement bridge over the Houghton Road corridor and existing Union Pacific Railroad tracks.  Click here for a letter of support from Tucson Mayor Robert Walkup.

Palo Parado Road and Bridge – Santa Cruz County, 2150 N Congress Drive, Nogales, AZ 85621 - $1,000,000, TCSP:  The Palo Parado road and bridge project is an important use of taxpayer funds because of the critical need for a safe connection to the I-19 for the 13,000 residents who live east of Pendleton Drive.  Over 1,400 vehicles travel on this difficult roadway every day.  Funding will be used to construct an improved railroad crossing and 700 linear feet of roadway and related drainage improvements across the Santa Cruz River from the Palo Parado Interchange across the Union Pacific Railroad to Pendleton Drive.  Click here for a letter of support from Santa Cruz County Supervisor John Maynard.

Phoenix-Tucson Passenger Rail Study – Arizona Department of Transportation, 206 S. 17th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007 - $4,000,000, Grade Crossings on Designated High Speed Rail Corridors:  Funding will be used to conduct a critical environmental review of the Phoenix-Tucson corridor and complete a National Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Impact Statement.  This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funding because it will reduce congestion, enhance air quality and increase traffic safety on this major passageway.  Passenger rail as an additional option will provide benefits to both passenger traffic and truck traffic in the I-10 transportation corridor between Phoenix and Tucson.  Click here for a letter of support from Arizona Department of Transportation Director John Halikowski. 

Reconstruction of Besserman Manor – Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging, 2221 N. Rosemont Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85712 - $200,000, HUD-EDI:  Renovations of the Besserman Manor at Handmarker Jewish Services for the Aging is an important use of taxpayer funds because it will ensure this critical organization is able to continue to serve and care for the elderly in the Tucson community.  Handmaker has assisted thousands of senior citizens of all faiths and backgrounds for 47 years.  The apartments at Handmaker benefit the entire operation of this organization by enabling residents to be at the same location as a loved one who is in declining health.  Funding will be used to modernize and renovate apartments for Handmaker’s residents.  The 14 Besserman apartments, located on the Handmaker campus, were built in the 1960’s.  Without substantial renovations these apartments will no longer be inhabitable.  Click here for a letter of support from Bishop of Tucson Most Rev. Gerald Kicanas.

Research Wing at Huachuca City Public Library – Huachuca City, 500 N Gonzales Boulevard, Huachuca, AZ 85616 - $165,000, HUD-EDI:  Expanding the Huachuca City Public Library is an important use of taxpayer funds because it will provide a safe and encouraging environment for local students to study, receive tutoring and have access to other educational resources.  Funding will be used for constructing a 1,200 square-foot addition to the existing Huachuca City Public Library as a research area for teens.  The Huachuca City Public Library serves 3,500 people, and has increasingly become a center for local students, providing computers and other resources as well as an after-school program with tutors to assist with homework.  Click here for a letter of support from Huachuca City Mayor Byron Robertson.

Sahuarita Road Improvements - Town of Sahuarita, 375 W. Sahuarita Center Way, Sahuarita, AZ 85629 - $1,000,000, TCSP:  This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because improving the Sahuarita Road/Nogales Highway intersection promotes economic development through increased access to jobs, services and businesses in the surrounding community.  Improvement of this intersection will also provide safer access for first responders in the event of an emergency.  Funding will be used to improve the Sahuarita Road/Nogales Highway intersection by constructing a grade separated bridge structure over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.  Sahuarita Road serves as the main arterial roadway for the community, providing direct access to major educational, retail and government service centers.  Click here for letters of support from Green Valley Fire Chief Simon Davis and Rural/Metro Fire Chief Tom Brandhuber.

Solar Array Construction – Community Food Bank, Inc., 3003 South Country Club Road, Tucson, AZ 85726 - $200,000, HUD-EDI:  The Committee appropriated $200,000 in fiscal year 2010 for Phase I of solar power installment at the Community Food Bank.  Phase II funding will be used to install 35 additional solar covered parking structures at the Community Food Bank main site. Power from the array will allow CFB to reduce its electricity bill by approximately $750/month at current prices.  This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the savings from the solar panels will help this organization to meet the 50% increase in demand for food that they have seen in the past two years since the recession.  Click here for a letter of support from Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson.

Tangerine Traffic Interchange – Town of Marana, 11555 W. Civic Center Drive, Marana, AZ 85653 - $1,000,000, TCSP:  The expansion of the Tangerine Interchange Corridor is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will increase safety for roadway users crossing the I-10 interstate system and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.  It will also promote current economic development in the area by providing a transportation network that connects developable commercial properties in and around the northern Pima County region.  The Tangerine Interchange Corridor Project, which consists of a northwest regional access network, will directly impact the rapid growth in the northwest Marana region.  Funding will be used to construct a new traffic interchange with I-10, consisting of a bridge over I-10 and widening of the existing Tangerine Road overpass.  Click here for a letter of support from Arizona Department of Transportation Director John Halikowski.

Valencia Corridor – Pima County, 130 West Congress, 10th Floor, Tucson, AZ 85701 - $2,500,000, TCSP:  This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it provides a critical connection across the Pantano Wash, greatly improving access to the growing Rincon Valley community.  Funding will be used to construct a new two-lane Valencia Road - Old Spanish Trail intersection and reconstruct Old Spanish Trail with improved drainage crossings within the Rincon Valley.  This phase one funding request will construct two miles of the Valencia Road - Old Spanish Trail connection east of Pantano Wash, including all weather access along the improved portion of Old Spanish Trail. The Valencia Corridor extension will be completed in a subsequent phase which will include the Pantano Wash Bridge and the extension to Houghton Road.  Click here for a letter of support from Pima County Administrator C.H. Huckelberry.