When Ross Rulney first floated this redevelopment to the people of Tucson it had the makings of a project that could quickly devolve into a battle royale: A beloved, historic property, a skeptical city council and a bold vision that could involve tall buildings.
Nevertheless, with much time and persistence, Rulney was successful in his bid to re-purpose the Tucson Benedictine Convent and Chapel of Perpetual Adoration, which is now a new apartment and retail development at 800 N. Country Club Drive called The Benedictine. The successful conversion has been selected by a panel of local industry professionals as the winner of the 2023 CoStar Impact Awards Redevelopment of the year for Tucson.
It was not easy, and when the project made its initial debut in 2018 it met with fierce resistance.
The pink, Spanish Renaissance-style convent and chapel was designed by prolific Tucson architect Roy Place for an order of Catholic nuns, and feelings about the property ran strong even before construction wrapped up in 1940. Prior to its opening, local newspapers predicted that it would be "one of the most beautiful structures ever erected in Tucson,” according to a 2019 application to make the property a historic landmark. The building was nestled between citrus, date and avocado trees, which the sisters sold to help support their monastery, along with handicrafts and communion bread for churches in the area.
The order lived, worked and prayed at the site for seven decades, but by the 2010s it was no longer a self-sustaining enterprise. In 2017, the order sold the building to Rulney and the last of the sisters had moved back to the mother house in Missouri by 2018.
That spring Rulney put forward a tentative plan at a neighborhood gathering, which city council member Steve Kozachik described in his weekly newsletter as "very spirited meeting last week – spirited, not spiritual." The exact use was still to-be-determined, and quite a few possibilities were on the table, including offices, a boutique hotel, a spa, restaurant or music venue. One proposed use, however, drew instant fire: High-density housing, possibly for students at the University of Arizona just one mile west. The site could accommodate up to 880 beds, as per the existing zoning. Renderings of such a scenario met with "audible gasps," according to Tucson Weekly.
Many tense moments followed, but eventually the developer landed on a plan that was both economically feasible and palatable to city officials and residents, which involved building a low-rise apartment complex around the existing building.
"Things have evolved, in several ways. One is that a year ago when the Planning Commission held its public meetings, the room was full, and there was a lot of resistance," wrote Council Member Kozachik in a later newsletter. "On Thursday, the Miramonte Board submitted a letter in opposition to the proposed height of the east side of the project, but otherwise there were not any speakers who now openly oppose the plans."
The project was a coup for Rulney and a rare instance of an infill redevelopment project coming to fruition in Tucson, judges said.
"Many developers in town shy away from infill redevelopment projects. A handful of them plan beautiful mixed used developments, yet never actually bring them to life," said Sam Sufi, a judge and real estate development manager at Diamond Ventures. "Ross Rulney is one of the very few that has tackled [it]."
About the project: The Benedictine includes 292 units of multifamily housing, 37 of which are in the original convent property, which was built in 1940. The others are housed in new, low-rise buildings that encircle the convent and chapel. The Benedictine has a retail component and extensive amenities for residents that include a pool, rooftop deck and fitness center, among others.
What the judges said: "Knowing the scrutiny this project endured and the fact that current city leadership is less favorable toward infill projects that upset existing neighborhoods, this project is very deserving of this award," said Michael Guymon, president and CEO of the Tucson Metro Chamber. "It was a true balance of supplying a community need while saving a Tucson historic asset that can also be repurposed for greater use."
They made it happen: Ross Rulney was the developer. The architecture firm was Poster Mirto McDonald of Tucson. Sundt Construction of Tempe served as the general contractor.
