Tucson's City Council Rejects Water Plan, New Vegan Cafe Debuts, Bookstore Closing, and More Local News

Good morning, this is Tucson Local Pulse for Thursday, September eighteenth. We wake up today to partly cloudy skies over downtown with temperatures near seventy now, heading into the upper eighties by the afternoon. Expect gentle breezes and a slim chance of a stray shower in the foothills, but for most of us, it’s another classic Tucson September day—warm, bright, and a little humid from the last remnants of monsoon. Looking ahead, we can expect similar weather to carry us into the weekend, with daytime highs sticking just below ninety. We begin with major developments at City Hall. The Tucson City Council has rejected a water use plan for the Project Blue data center near South Rita Road, pushing project leaders to redesign their cooling system to a closed-loop model, which officials say will greatly reduce its water footprint. This move comes as Tucson continues to prioritize conservation amid long-term drought concerns, and brings some relief for neighborhoods near Kolb and Valencia worried about future water supplies. In business headlines, midtown sees movement as a new locally-owned vegan cafe opens its doors today on Speedway near Country Club, drawing a lunchtime crowd eager to try their signature Sonoran jackfruit tacos. Meanwhile, a much-loved bookstore on Fourth Avenue is closing at the end of the month, a bittersweet moment for regulars who’ve made it a second home for decades. Turning to jobs and real estate, our job market has held steady. Local recruiters say there are about one thousand more openings posted this week compared to last September, especially in hospitality and healthcare. On the real estate front, the median home price for Tucson ticked up to near three hundred ninety thousand dollars, as demand continues to outpace supply, particularly on the west side and in the east valley. Some important citywide conversations are happening right now. The city is inviting residents to weigh in on Plan Tucson 2025, a blueprint for neighborhoods and parks as well as traffic, safety, and sustainability. There’s a public session at the Ward Three office on Grant Road this evening at six if anyone wants their voice heard. Let’s take a quick look at our schools. Marana Unified celebrates every campus earning a Level Two High Reliability Schools certification this week, marking progress in classroom quality and student success. And at Dunham Elementary, students and staff are still smiling after being recognized as an A-rated campus for academics and a designated Ben’s Bells Kind Campus. In sports, the achievements keep rolling in for Tucson athletes. Leo Gutierrez, a Salpointe grad, was just named ACCAC Division Two Soccer Player of the Week after posting a hat trick in Pima’s win over Chandler-Gilbert. Brooke Valencia and Anissa El-Ali also brought home big honors in soccer and volleyball, continuing a strong fall for our collegiate athletes. A few events are drawing community members together this weekend. There’s the annual This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.