The Oracle/Miracle Mile area targeted for Tucson Innovations in Community Based Crime Reduction (CBCR) is a 1.45 square mile area in the 85705 zip code and is bounded by Miracle Mile to the north, Fairview Avenue and Interstate 10 to the west, Speedway Boulevard to the south, and Stone Avenue to the east.
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.
Read on to learn about the Thrive in the 05 Projects.
