By Cathalena E. Burch | Tucson.com
The Arizona Supreme Court has given the Marana Downtown entertainment district the green light to proceed after months of legal wrangling, including a failed effort by a political action committee to get a referendum on Tuesday’s ballot.
On Monday, the court rejected a petition to review the town’s decision earlier this year to throw out referendum petitions challenging its plan to lease land for the project.
Town Manager Terry Rozema said Marana’s decision to lease 19 acres of town property to developers Scott Stiteler and Rudy Dabdoub to create a walkable entertainment and retail district was an administrative act, not legislative; only legislative issues can be referable to the ballot, he said.
Stiteler and Dabdoub’s Marana Downtown on North Marana Main Street and West Civic Center Drive will include restaurants, retail shops, a brewery, coffee shop, dance hall and rodeo arena.
