City may stabilize Marist

The Tucson City Council decided by a 5-2 vote last month to tentatively spend $1.1 million to stabilize the crumbling Marist College building, a downtown landmark owned by the Catholic Diocese of Tucson.
A one-time Catholic school, the structure – designed by Bishop Henry Granjon and built in 1915 – is the tallest adobe structure in the state and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Diocese has said it would give the building away to a developer who would transform it into an economically viable property.  The council’s action allocates federal Community Development Block Grant funds to repair the damaged support structure and veneer.
Mayor Jonathan Rothschild said the arrangement gives the city the right to refuse any future deal between the diocese and a potential buyer, designate a portion of the building as public space, and provide Tucson with an option to assume the property’s title, if necessary.
City officials will confer with the Diocese and once final terms are decided, the council will take a final vote.