225 W DRACHMAN STREET, NOTHING BUT DIRT, A HISTORY LESSON

historical site imagery

The site as it currently exists is little more than a patch of dirt, however it wasn't always this way. Before the construction of the I-10 when Oracle Rd was the only way into Tucson from the North, the Drachman area was the premier area for hotels to be built and visitors to stay. On the site in particular were the Tucson Inn and El Rancho Motor Hotel.

After the construction of the I-10, the area became destitute, deprived of its source of economic purpose. Slowly hotels closed down and resituated themselves around the I-17 and University. The Tucson Inn closed in May 2017 due to building code violations. Both locations were bought out by Pima County Community College.