Story by Kim Craft

Historians consider the Renaissance to be the beginning of modern history, and in many ways that could apply to downtown Tucson. For decades the city has plotted and carried out various plans, some more successful than others.

On Congress Street, the heart of downtown, recent changes bring us a new marquee at the Screening Room, a new steakhouse, and nightclub and rehabilitated space for retail and residential units. The rails are installed to bring the streetcar from the University of Arizona and link to the west of interstate 10. More changes will come in March of 2010 when Kwang.C. An begins a renovation of the 200 block. A long time restauranteur, he plans to open a 15,000 square foot restaurant and bar that will include indoor, outdoor and rooftop dining.

"I've been in the restaurant business a long time," says An. "I got a decent reputation and I feel comfortable to go to and be part of Tucson downtown development. I feel strongly that the city's helping and I really think it's going to be happen."

By September the enterprise, named An Congress, will offer American and Asian food from 11 am until midnight, a late night service An claims doesn't exist downtown at present. He discounts grumbling from current tenants who will be displaced, and refuses to be demonized by those evicted renters.

"The way I'm going is private property and private money." says An.

Dinnerware Gallery director David Aguirre received his eviction notice in November of 2009, and moved out of the building shortly after. In his 22 years active in Tucson's art scene, his gallery has held numerous addresses along Congress. And while not bitter about the move, he laments the fact that the arts have disappeared from the city center.

"We made a nice thing for a number of years, a café, clothing, beauticians. It was a very nice scene there, kind of the last of the arts district on Congress Street," Aguirre says. "Now me being a person who lands on his feet, I'm going to focus my energies somewhere else then. If I'm not wanted on Congress Street, that's fine."

Aguirre has set up temporary headquarters at the Citizens Warehouse, a solid cast-in-place concrete structure on 6th Street that will eventually house galleries and artists' studios. By summer Aguirre will move his operation to 1 Toole Avenue, and envisions the warehouse district as a hub for Tucson culture, hosting galleries, cafe's and a vibrant pedestrian streetscape.

"There's several other warehouses that will change hands over the next 6 months and we're looking. This is one of my tasks, I feel, is to look for the right partnerships to own those warehouses so that we have permanent arts and mixed uses in those warehouses," Aguirre says.

Aguirre says artists aren't looking for handouts. His resiliency comes from an ability to make sure the collaborations pencil out.

"Which is a great phrase that I've learned that they didn't teach me in art school. But the thing's got to pencil out because making art and doing creative things, we're operating on the canvas. Well, things have to get paid for," says Aguirre.

Meanwhile, Patrick Forsythe contemplates his future on Congress. As the owner of the Grill for the last ten years, his fortunes have been up and down. He's waiting for the numbers to tell him if he should renew his lease on the building, or pack it in.

Forsythe says "if the numbers continue to improve we'll stick it out. This last 6 months, we had to make a decision, and if the numbers didn't improve over last year then we were either going to close it , sell it , we weren't sure. There was no reason to invest any more money in it , which is what we've done basically since 2003."

Forsythe says that when he set up operations he found mostly empty storefronts along Congress. And while he welcomes more business and options for customers, he also worries that the climate will shift to become more like the city up the road.

"What I saw happening in Phoenix is what I definitely don't want to happen here, which is everything became a Hooters or , they were all big names. They got rid of every local, it wasn't even that it was just bars. They got rid of all the local bars, the places that were kind of neat, and the local restaurants. It's an outdoor mall. What's the flipping point?" says Forsythe.

Likewise Aguirre sees the downtown at a crossroads. With the last of the galleries moving out he questions what the downtown will become in the future. He envisions a Pottersville, somewhat like in It's a wonderful life, where without the guidance of Jimmy Stewart the downtown succumbs to an avenue of bars and strip clubs.

He says "so my question for the community would be is this what we want? And do we really need and want so many choices in bars and the bar scene? I know the city certainly needs the tax revenue, but is it where we want to go?"

Renaissance means rebirth, and historically triggered a resurgence of learning. As Tucson's city center evolves we will see how our modern history unfolds.