[Source: Danielle Sottosanti, Arizona Daily Star] -- The Northern Pima County Chamber of Commerce is looking for corporate and consumer support to build a 5,000-square-foot economic and cultural center on the Northwest Side. The proposed building would house all chamber staff and operations in a 1,500-square-foot Chamber Operations Center, but also act as a "central hub for commerce, tourism and community information in the region," said Jerry Bustamante, the chamber's president.
The chamber hopes to "partner with other agencies that would encompass tourism, commerce, economic development, the arts and historic preservation," he said. The organization conducted a readiness study and found a strong need for such a building. Right now, there is no location in northern Pima County that serves newcomers, seasonal visitors and tourists, Bustamante said.
Though brochures are available at the chamber's offices, there simply isn't enough room in the 1,200-square-foot space for a full tourist-information center. The proposed building would include a 700-square-foot visitor center for tourists to get the lowdown on local attractions, and a 500-square-foot gift shop filled with postcards, books about Arizona, souvenirs and work by local artists and authors. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]
