By Darren DaRonco
Arizona Daily Star
The Rio Nuevo board agreed Monday to make up to $6 million in improvements to the crumbling Tucson Convention Center in a bid to resolve two lawsuits over who owns and owes what in connection with the downtown redevelopment project.
In return, the board wants the city to hand over $16 million in future profits from the Depot Plaza Parking Garage and a prime piece of real estate at Interstate 10 and West Congress Street where an arena was once planned.
Although Rio Nuevo board Chairman Fletcher McCusker was enthusiastic about prospects for the agreement, unofficial city responses were lukewarm. The City Council will discuss the offer in closed session today.
The Rio Nuevo board voted unanimously to submit the offer to the city.
“This has been a long-fought battle,” McCusker said. “We worked very hard to find something we thought was fair, but at the same time represented our interests going forward.”
