Tucson Home Builder or Tucson Developer or Tucson Activist

  

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So I came to work and found out that my name was in the newspaper today.  Not surprising but not something I expected either.  You see we are in the process of planning a 700 bed student housing project in downtown Tucson called Plaza Centro.  We should find out in the next week or so if the University of Arizona will partner with us on the project.   Upon reading the article I found that the paper had given me my traditional Tucson title, “Developer Jim Campbell”. 

So what is it about Tucson that if you foment the city’s development we find it necessary to brand these individuals with the Developer title?  Personally I think it says much more about Tucson than it does me.  After all I am a homebuilder in Tucson.  So why not call me Homebuilder Jim Campbell?   I believe I am a good guy so why not Good Guy Jim Campbell.  I am also a father, son, brother, husband and friend.    So the titles are really endless when it comes to Jim Campbell. 

In regards to Tucson I believe we as a community are very aware of our own poor job at planning and fostering the proper growth of our community.   Ask anyone about the special aspects of Tucson and what do you hear?  The mountains, the canyons, the desert, the weather, the natural beauty…none of these have we created.  Our accomplishments fall far short of what Tucson deserves.  Simply, we have lacked flexibility from our government, creativity from our developers and acceptance from our neighborhood groups.   The end result is beige houses in a sea of strip malls propagating urban sprawl.   It is in this scenario where we blame the evil Developer for all our failings (and give them titles).  But I am here to say we all own it.  With more flexibility, creativity and acceptance we would be able to build a special Tucson.  The City of Tucson needs to outline where growth should occur not just where it should not.  Developers and Home Builders in Tucson need to build and develop properties that themselves would want to frequent or live in.  And neighborhoods need to accept that we are a growing city and to have density along Speedway is better than empty storefronts. 

As a community our mutual path forward should be one that questions the old way of doing business which would allow us to add to the beauty of the Sonoran Desert rather than subtract from it.  After all we are all Developers of Tucson.  And then, just maybe, I may get a new title. 

Community Activist Jim Campbell