Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc. cut the ribbon to a 9,500-square-foot commercial development at the beginning of June, but doors are not yet open for business.
Liberty Plaza, 315 W. Irvington Road, is Chicanos Por La Causa’s first commercial development in Tucson. The building is intended to make a difference in the community and set an example for surrounding neighborhoods, said Jim Brooks, superintendent for La Causa Construction.
The organization primarily builds residential housing for low-income families.
“We want mostly things that will be useful for the neighborhood, as opposed to liquor stores, jewelry stores or dollar stores,” Brooks said. “We are trying to make communities stronger.”
The plaza, which is built on half a block, is a shell of a building. Inside it looks like a giant warehouse. Until the spaces are rented and a floor plan is designed to accommodate each business, the building will stay that way.
Completion of the project took longer than expected, but according to Brooks, most construction projects do. Even though he said the economic recession has not influenced the construction of the building, he said it has been hard to find tenants to rent the available spaces.
“Small businesses don’t have the funds to start up or relocate at this time,” he said.
Liberty Plaza does have a solid list of interested business, but until contracts are drawn up and plans set, Brooks said they will not disclose the potential tenants.
Regardless of the delay, Brooks said he is happy with the state of the plaza and confident that the final project will be complete in the next three to four months.
