The National Trust for Historic Preservation has named the Sunshine Mile corridor in Tucson, Ariz., to its 2016 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. This annual list spotlights important examples of the nation’s architectural and cultural heritage that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage. More than 270 sites have been on the list over its 29-year history, and in that time, fewer than five percent of listed sites have been lost.

Located on Tucson’s Broadway Boulevard, the two-mile long Sunshine Mile, with its glass storefronts, geometric building designs and quirky signage, is one of Arizona’s most significant concentrations of historic mid-century modern architecture. Constructed primarily between 1939 and 1972, the Sunshine Mile developed as a commercial corridor after World War II era as a new American optimism and economic boom was transforming the nation.

The collection of mid-century commercial buildings along the Sunshine Mile were designed by influential architects, including Sylvia and William Wilde, Anne Rysdale and Nicholas Sakellar. The Sunshine Mile remains an important and irreplaceable part of Tucson’s history and underscores recent research by the National Trust’s Preservation Green Lab, which indicates that the Sunshine Mile has a powerful role in supporting a hub of distinctive small businesses, women-and-minority-owned businesses, and creative enterprises. This older commercial corridor and other areas with historic, smaller buildings and mixed-vintage blocks contribute significantly to the city’s economic vitality, neighborhood livability, and residential density. At a time when cities across the country are reusing their older buildings to attract residents and grow their local economies, the Sunshine Mile deserves to be an integral part of the city’s future.

“The Sunshine Mile is a significant commercial corridor and a beloved historic resource for Tucson residents,” said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Preserving this two-mile stretch will not only add to this city’s strong sense of place, it can also be a powerful tool for urban revitalization. The National Trust has found that the reuse of older and historic buildings is a key element in the resurgence of cities across the nation. Through careful planning and collaboration between Tucson’s city leaders and the community, these buildings can continue to contribute to the economic vitality—and quality of life—for people in Tucson.”

The Sunshine Mile is threatened by a proposed transportation project calling for the widening of Broadway Boulevard from four to six lanes and in some sections, all the way up to nine lanes—a plan that would require the demolition of the entire north side of Broadway. However, a committee comprised of Tucson’s architects, planners, citizens, property owners and community advocates is seeking a compromise solution. Working with city officials, this committee sees an opportunity to develop policies that would preserve Broadway Boulevard’s iconic modernist buildings.

Members of the public are invited to learn more about what they can do to support these 11 historic places and hundreds of other endangered sites at SavingPlaces.org/11Most.

The 2016 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places (in alphabetical order):

• Austin’s Lions Municipal Golf Course – Austin, Texas. Widely regarded as the first municipal golf course in the South to desegregate, “Muny” is an unheralded civil rights landmark facing development pressure.
• Azikiwe-Nkrumah Hall at Lincoln University – Lincoln, Pa. The oldest building on the campus of the first degree-granting institution in the nation for African Americans, this hallowed building currently stands empty and faces an uncertain future.
• Bears Ears – Southeastern Utah. The 1.9 million-acre Bears Ears cultural landscape features a world-class collection of archaeological sites, cliff dwellings, petroglyphs, and ancient roads that illuminate 12,000 years of human history yet is now threatened by looting, mismanaged recreational use, and energy development.
• Charleston Naval Hospital District – North Charleston, S.C. The historic district played a prominent role during WWII as a primary re-entry point for American servicemen injured in Europe and Africa. Now threatened by a proposed rail line, this important historic resource is at risk of being largely destroyed.
• Delta Queen – Houma, La. This steamboat was built in 1926 and today is among the last of her kind. Federal legislation that would enable this prestigious ship to return to overnight passenger cruising remains a key piece to securing the Delta Queen’s sustainability and future.
• El Paso’s Chihuahuita and El Segundo Barrio Neighborhoods – El Paso, Texas. These historic neighborhoods form the core of El Paso’s cultural identity, but their homes and small businesses are threatened by demolition.
• Historic Downtown Flemington – Flemington, N.J. Historic buildings at the core of the town that hosted the ‘Trial of the Century,’ the Charles Lindbergh baby kidnapping trial, are threatened by a development proposal that would demolish the iconic Union Hotel along with three other adjacent historic buildings.
• James River - James City County, Va.Jamestown, America’s first permanent English settlement, was founded along the banks of the James River in 1607. The river and landscape, also named to this list by the Trust in 2013, remain threatened by a proposed transmission line project that would compromise the scenic integrity of this historic area.
• Milwaukee’s Mitchell Park Domes - Milwaukee, Wis. A beloved Milwaukee institution for generations, a unique engineering marvel and a highly significant example of midcentury modern architecture, the Milwaukee Domes are facing calls for their demolition.
• San Francisco Embarcadero – San Francisco, Calif. The City by the Bay's iconic waterfront is beloved by residents and visitors alike, but needs long-term planning to address the dual natural threats of sea level rise and seismic vulnerability.
• Sunshine Mile – Tucson, Ariz. This two-mile corridor on Tucson’s Broadway Boulevard features one of the most significant concentrations of historic mid-century modern architecture in the Southwest. This unique collection of properties face threats from a transportation project that would require demolition.

Follow us on Twitter at @savingplaces and join the conversation using the hashtag #11Most.

America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places has identified more than 270 threatened one-of-a-kind historic treasures since 1988. Whether these sites are urban districts or rural landscapes, Native American landmarks or 20th-century sports arenas, entire communities or single buildings, the list spotlights historic places across America that are threatened by neglect, insufficient funds, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy. The designation has been a powerful tool for raising awareness and rallying resources to save endangered sites from every region of the country. At times, that attention has garnered public support to quickly rescue a treasured landmark; while in other instances, it has been the impetus of a long battle to save an important piece of our history.