There will always be a downtown library

There is no plan to leave downtown Tucson. The Library is committed to services for our Downtown community.

However, there are some issues with the current building that can’t be ignored. 101 N Stone, the Joel D. Valdez Main Library building, has extensive renovation needs. The estimated cost to renovate the building is around $90 million. The building requires new elevators for both staff and public use, a new roof, a new HVAC system, and new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems. The HVAC and MEP systems are all beyond their useful life, and repairs are becoming increasingly challenging as parts are difficult to procure for these older systems. Additionally, the facade is falling off and needs significant repair. These necessary improvements make staying in the current building impractical and financially unfeasible. The complexity is compounded by it being a facility owned by the City of Tucson.

The cost difference are large, with a renovation estimated at $90M, but a possible new building and renovation closer to $20M.
On top of the buildings challenges, there have been a fundamental shift in the way that patrons use the downtown branch. The foot traffic of many libraries was affected, but none more so than the Joel D. Valdez Main Library in downtown Tucson. The number of monthly visitors remains less than half of what it was pre-pandemic.

In February of 2020, 39,211 visits were tracked at Main Library, but in February of 2024, the total visits were only 18,486. While we see this downward trend in visits, our repeated ask from library users is extended hours.

The reality is that the Main Library will not recalibrate back to pre-pandemic traffic. Potentially downsizing the Joel D. Valdez Main Library into a building with a smaller footprint will be a boon to the entire system as it will allow for more support at other branches, without sacrificing the services we can provide downtown in the long term.

We are currently looking for options for potential alternative site for a smaller Downtown that will keep the name of Joel D. Valdez Library and the unique spirit of the current location.