A landmark 17-storey building in Tucson, Arizona, is entering a new era, with residents beginning to move into renovated units as part of a major project to provide affordable housing for older adults.Tucson House, located at 1501 N. Oracle Road, welcomed 25 households into 24 newly renovated apartments on its 15th floor, just 10 months after officials launched a comprehensive rehabilitation project. The renovations will modernise the ageing building, improve accessibility and ensure it continues to provide affordable homes for decades to come. The project will provide 358 affordable apartments for people aged 55 and older and is expected to be completed by summer 2028.The move marks the first major step in renovating Tucson House. The City of Tucson’s Housing and Community Development Department, El Pueblo Housing Development and Gorman & Company are leading the project to preserve affordable homes for older adults for years to come.“This project is not just about preserving housing; it’s about transforming public housing into something sustainable, dignified, and built for the future. We are grateful to the residents who have been patient with construction and who can now live in and enjoy a safe, beautiful home,” Mayor Regina Romero said in a release.
From luxury high-rise to public housing
Pic credit: Servellon / Tucson Spotlight
Built in 1963, the 17-storey tower opened as private luxury apartments. Over the decades, it became public housing managed by the City of Tucson. The tower became home to many older adults and residents with mobility challenges. The building aged along with them.A 2019 physical assessment concluded that conditions had continued to deteriorate. The building needed major reinvestment to remain part of the city’s housing portfolio. In July 2023, federal assistance arrived when the US Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded Tucson a $50 million Choice Neighbourhoods Implementation Grant. The funding provided the foundation for the rehabilitation and a wider neighbourhood plan.Ten months after work began, 25 households are moving into the renovated apartments on the 15th floor. This is, of course, a small beginning to a project that will take years. However, it is the first time the work has produced apartments that residents can move into.Three more floors are due to be handed over by the end of 2026: the 13th, 14th and 16th. Overall completion is scheduled for summer 2028, and the city says more than a quarter of the work has already been completed.
Inside the new apartments
The finished building will contain 358 apartments for residents aged 55 and older. The units range from studios to two-bedroom homes, measuring between 464 and 975 sq ft. Each apartment will have new flooring, countertops, cabinets, appliances, bathrooms, lighting and its own heating and cooling unit. The crew is also replacing the building’s mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems.The shared spaces are also being updated. Planned amenities include a laundry room, a lounge, a mailroom, a fitness room, a landscaped courtyard, an updated pool and multipurpose rooms for resident services. The original architectural elements of the 1963 building will be preserved in the entrance lobby. The 17th-floor gathering space will have a kitchenette, a television and panoramic views of the city. Some common areas are expected to open in late 2026 and early 2027.Tucson House residents are thrilled about their fresh start in a modernised home.“I’ve lived here for four and a half years, and the building really needed this remodel,” said Donald Burrow, 62, who currently works with the construction team. “The old units are still good homes, but they needed the work. The apartments upstairs are beautiful, and Gorman is doing a really good job on the renovation. I just bought a couch, and I’m so excited to move from my studio into a one-bedroom apartment. I go upstairs every day to check out the renovations, and I can’t wait to move in.”HCD Director Ann Chanecka also reflected on the progress. “Rehabilitating Tucson House has been a complex undertaking, with significant challenges along the way. Seeing 25 households move into their newly renovated apartments is an important milestone and a testament to the collaboration between HCD and our partners. This work is about more than improving a building; it’s about ensuring Tucson House residents have a safe, dignified place to call home.”“Gorman & Company is thrilled to celebrate the rehabilitation of the 15th floor, the first of 17 floors within the historic Tucson House revitalisation project,” said Sally Schwenn, Arizona Market President for Gorman & Company. “The success of this important milestone will be evidenced by smiles of the first residents moving into their beautiful new homes!”