Building Community in 85705
THRIVE in the 05
A collaboration of Innovations in Community-Based Crime Reduction, Choice Neighborhoods, and Workforce & Economic Development in the 85705 zip code.
The Place
The Oracle/Miracle Mile area, in the 85705 zip code, was once a vital automobile gateway into Tucson. Filled with historic structures, it was the site of booming tourism, and dubbed “Miracle Mile” by Arizona Highways magazine. The area remained vital through the 1960s, even after the construction of Interstate 10 in 1958, which replaced Miracle Mile as the main thoroughfare in Tucson. In 1963, Tucson House was built as a 17-story luxury apartment complex. By the 1970s, the area began a steady decline as travelers started using alternative routes, and numerous motels in the area became a magnet for prostitution, drugs, and crime. The abandoned Tucson House became Section 8 Public Housing in the 1980s. Despite its unique historical character, the Oracle area currently faces many challenges that limit opportunities for community and economic development.
In 2018, based on input from residents and community partners through a series of community meetings, the Leadership Alliance (the decision-making body comprised of a core group of residents and other key community partners) formally adopted “THRIVE in the 05” as the initiative name. The community felt this name reflected the primary goal of the initiative – to promote safety and well-being, in order to ensure all community members have access to opportunities that would empower them to achieve their full potential, to *thrive* - and represented its place-based focus, located within the 85705 zip code.
The Projects
Building on over a decade of work on projects like the Oracle Area Revitalization Plan (OARP), The Oracle Project (TOP), and the Oracle Area Task Force, these current initiatives are teaming up to build community and invest resources in this area. Together, these projects are called
THRIVE in the 05!
Community-Based Crime Reduction
An initiative which seeks to work with the community to identify and address root causes of crime to help build sustainable communities of opportunity through the implementation of communities strategies.
Grant funded from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) through the ASU School of Social Work.
Choice Neighborhoods
Leverages significant public and private dollars to support locally driven strategies that address struggling neighborhoods with distressed public housing through a comprehensive approach to neighborhood transformation.
Grant funded from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the City of Tucson's Housing and Community Development Department (HCD).
WORKFORCE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Pima Community College, in partnership with the City of Tucson Economic Initiatives, is a key partner for Thrive in the 05 efforts. Pima Community College brings innovative Workforce & Economic Development solutions and opportunities to the Thrive in the 05 area through outreach, education and training opportunities for local businesses and residents in the area.
TUCSON C.A.R.E.S
Tucson C.A.R.E.S. (Community Access, Referral, Education, and Service) is a comprehensive and strategic approach to address health and wellness inequities at Tucson House, Tucson’s largest public housing community.