Work may begin later this year on transforming a former bank building into a library facility in downtown Tucson.
The structure is located at 150 N. Stone Avenue and was for years a Wells Fargo bank location. After Wells Fargo moved out of the 50,000-square-foot structure in early 2023, Pima County officials began to explore the possibility of retrofitting it as a library.
That exploration has been animated by concerns over the condition of the current Joel D. Valdez Main Library at 101 N. Stone Avenue, which was built in 1990 and is affected by several structural issues.
According to county documents, it could cost as much as $90 million to take on the needed renovations and repairs for the 101 N. Stone Avenue property.
Members of the county’s Library Advisory Board have now voted instead to spend upwards of $6.2 million as part of a purchase agreement for the former bank building and two ancillary buildings.
For the duration of the summer the County will conduct an environmental assessment of the Wells Fargo building, which is designated as a Class B structure, while also evaluating the general condition of the structure.
In a memorandum authored by Martyn Klell, deputy director of the county’s project design and construction department, it was noted that acquiring the bank building “represents a forward-thinking, fiscally responsible, and community-centered solution to address the longstanding challenges of the current Joel D. Valdez Main Library facility.”
The 150 N. Stone Avenue structure, which has undergone several renovations through the years, was built by the former Southern Arizona Bank and Trust company in 1957.
June 9, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
