From a former hospital to art hub and nightclub, Tucson’s Rio Nuevo District is working with a Phoenix concert connoisseur to transform a historic building into a new hot spot along South Stone Avenue.

Charlie Levy, a concert promoter and owner of Phoenix’s Crescent Ballroom and Valley Bar, has risen to prominence over the past two decades, booking thousands of shows across the state through his company Stateside Presents.

Crescent Ballroom is a mid-size music venue that opened in 2011 and includes an in-house Mexican restaurant with a menu created by Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco fame.

Levy’s eyeing downtown Tucson as the site of his newest venture, to be located at 123 South Stone Avenue, across the street from Hilton Tucson Downtown’s Home2 Suites.

“The thing I love about Tucson the most is its art scene, its art culture,” Levy said during last month’s Rio Nuevo board meeting. 

Rio Nuevo is a tax increment finance district that invests in projects that expands the tax base, bringing people and new businesses downtown. The group’s district runs from  Congress Street to Park Place Mall on Broadway Boulevard.

It’s overseen by a board appointed by the governor, Senate President and House Speaker, which decides how to allocate the sales taxes collected in the district  towards redevelopment projects within the district.

During the board’s December 17 meeting, Levy pitched the new venue as a unique art hub that links Congress Street and the Tucson Convention Center with the community, visitors and artists. 

“A place where people can commune and get together and really celebrate the Tucson art scene,” Levy said.

Levy first moved to Tucson in 2007 before returning to Phoenix for work. Now, he’s back in the Old Pueblo and looking to create more art spaces. 

He found the property at 123 South Stone through real estate developer Marcel Dabdoub, who said they’ve been looking for a tenant that can transform the space into its highest and best use. 

“The great thing about Charlie’s vision is that this is a concept that’s activated throughout the day,” Dabdoub said during the meeting. 

Taking inspiration from Greenwich Village in the 1950s, the venue would be called “The Rodgers,” which pays homage to the building’s past as a hospital in the early 1900s. Levy plans to transform the space into a multi-floor restaurant, club and residencies for artists. 

“This is the place where we’re really going to try to push to get those people that are coming in and out of town and want to be a part of that art scene“, Levy said. 

On The Rodgers’ first floor, Levy is planning a restaurant offering breakfast, lunch and dinner items at a lower price point, along with a laundromat and lounge.

The second floor will have studio spaces and rooms for artists to stay and cultivate their art, and the basement will be an event space and bar for performances. 

“By creating a design that works as well as a cafe during the day…as well as a bar when it’s late night…that’s activity we like to see because you’re taking an asset and you’re generating sales dollars over longer periods of time,” Dabdoub said. 

Aside from housing a hospital and dental office, the building has not been adapted for retail use

The total projected investment will be around $4 million, with Levy and Dabdoub requesting $1.5 million from the Rio Nuevo board to help fund the renovation costs.

After a short discussion, the board unanimously approved up to $1.4 million in funding towards the project, with $750,000 guaranteed up- front and the rest to come from rebates as negotiated with the bank. The proposal has been sent to the district’s lender, National Bank of Arizona, for approval.

Arilynn Hyatt is a journalism major at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at arilynndhyatt@arizona.edu.

Tucson Spotlight is a community-based newsroom that provides paid opportunities for students and rising journalists in Southern Arizona. Please support our work with a paid subscription.