Housing 30 artist studios, the Citizens Warehouse, at 44 W. 6th St., has long been a hub of the Tucson art scene. But with several Congress Street galleries being forced out in favor of a large restaurant/bar, its role appears set to grow even bigger.
“We’re planning to do a lot of community events,” said David Aguirre, who manages the property as well as Dinnerware ArtSpace and Central Arts Gallery, both housed in the Citizens.
“It was getting pretty glum over there (on Congress),” he said. The two galleries cleared out in late November, about two months before the landlord-imposed deadline. Scott Stiteler and Don Martin are replacing the former arts district with a planned restaurant, bar and cooking school.
The Parasol Project is moving into Citizens, too, from its former location at 299 S. Park Ave. in the Lost Barrio, to the annex of the main building. “They’re also reorganizing,” Aguirre said, though Parasol Project coordinators were mum on the details.
Some groups may be moving out, not in. Aguirre said Bicycle Inter-Community Art and Salvage, aka BICAS, will be leaving its longtime home at Citizens.
But shop coordinator Troy Nieman said, “For now, we’re not.” Nieman said BICAS had been looking at other possible locations but hadn’t found one that was affordable.
The addition of the galleries to Citizens is incompatible with BICAS, which presents security problems, Aguirre said. He and BICAS recently resolved a rent dispute.
The uncertainty about what will or will not happen is based, at least in part, on the status of the building’s ownership.
The warehouse is set to be transferred from the Arizona Department of Transportation to the city government in February. The city will then contract out the management. Aguirre, who has been the manager and has overseen the effort to bring the building up to city code, expects city officials will see the logic in continuing to work with him. He also expects the city to agree to put the rent toward building improvements such as a new roof.
“I’ve been working for this change for about 20 years,” Aguirre said. “I’m working for permanent, affordable spaces for artists. I think it’s what the city wants, and I think it’s what artists want.”
