A lift for Oro Valley Community and Recreation Center | News

For $2.11 million, the town of Oro Valley has improved accessibility at the popular Oro Valley Community and Recreation Center.

“This is an important occasion for our community,” Mayor Joe Winfield said at a March 4 ribbon cutting celebrating the installation of a three-floor elevator and a reconfigured entranceway at 10555 N. La Canada.

Users now have “universal accessibility, which is important to our community,” Winfield said. Ten handicap parking spaces at the front door, ramps, a push-button door and elevator access to every floor “can enrich the experience of our residents and others who will use this facility,” he continued.                  “We’re really proud of this.”

The project was 4.5 years in the making. And, when Oro Valley peeled the layers off a 41-year-old building to install its first public elevator, workers encountered numerous unexpected challenges requiring costly solutions.

The El Conquistador Country Club dates back to 1983. In 2015, the town purchased the structure and related properties, and reopened it as the community and recreation center.

For years, people with mobility challenges used a side ramp, walking or rolling past garbage dumpsters, to access the main building. Once inside, those guests encountered stairs to and from the bar, The Overlook restaurant, the golf pro shop, meeting space and other facilities.

In 2020, Oro Valley received $5.3 million in federal money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Bill Rodman, then a town council member, urged the commitment of $750,000 as seed money for the elevator and accessibility project.

“We have had the challenge of an elevator plus some other ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements at our community center since we obtained ownership,” Rodman said at that time. “To me, the ADA requirements, and more specifically the elevator, are something that we simply need to do. This is the opportunity for it.” CARES Act money freed cash within Oro Valley’s general and capital funds for the elevator and entryway.

“With a building of this age, you don’t always know what you’ll find until you start digging into the systems,” said town engineer Paul Keesler. Crews uncovered aging infrastructure behind the walls. “Significant structural modifications” were needed to remove some walls, relocate offices and reconfigure the second floor to accommodate the elevator, he said.

“Any time you open up an old building, there are a number of challenges encountered,” Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett reiterated at the Planning and Zoning Commission on March 4. Barrett, council’s liaison to P&Z, referred to “a number of snafus along the way.”

On March 1, 2023, the town council added $750,000 from its reserves to double the budget to $1.5 million. As more needs were revealed and expenses identified, the town used money from its general and capital funds to complete the work.

Barker Contracting, which began work in January, is being paid $1.84 million, according to town records. Breckenridge Group Architects / Planners has been paid $195,820 for initial elevator design, final project design, documents, and its help with unforeseen issues discovered during demolition. Ninyo & Moore was paid $52,789 to assess soil conditions for new asphalt, to evaluate interior structural conditions when moisture was discovered near building foundations, and the new elevator pit. Other contractors were paid $23,624 for tree trimming, painting, plan review, locksmith services, leak detection, signage, and other miscellaneous expenses.

The new ADA parking spaces form an arc leading to ramps outside the push-button front door. Inside, stairs have been realigned, and they’re no longer the only way up and down. Guests can ride the 3-story elevator to the golf shop and offices on the second floor, and to the third-floor bar and The Overlook. From there, everyone can enjoy some of Oro Valley’s most expansive city and mountain views.

“Now, we will have a front door everyone can enter,” said El Conquistador Golf general manager Darryl Janisse, who oversees The Overlook. 

“The completion of this project is a major achievement,” Keesler said. “This is about more than just an elevator — it’s about making public spaces truly accessible and welcoming to all.”

Barrett concurred. “People will find that building even more welcoming and accessible to them,” she told P&Z members. Barrett had a “very smooth” ride on the elevator Tuesday morning, and lauded the council’s decision to install a high-quality, and more expensive, lift in the building.

“At its core, Parks and Recreation is about fostering connections and creating opportunities for all ages and abilities,” said Parks and Recreation Director Roz Epting. “This project strengthens that mission by making the Community Center an even better gathering space for our residents and guests.”

As he spoke, Winfield looked out on a very full parking lot.

“The Community Center is a very popular hub of activity, and I share our community’s excitement and gratitude that guests of all abilities will now have an even better experience when visiting this facility,” he said.

“We hope the improvements were worth the wait,” Keesler said.