The Fox Theatre and Hughes Federal Credit Union have entered a 10-year $5 million naming rights agreement as part of the theater's $26.6 million expansion project.
The partnership includes construction of a new theater adjacent to the historic Fox at the corner of Stone Avenue and Congress Boulevard. The new venue will be called the Hughes Federal Credit Union Event Center at the Fox, or Hughes Center at the Fox for short.
Fox Theatre CEO Bonnie Schock said the location sits at the center of Tucson's cultural and historical landscape.
“It creates a performing arts destination in our downtown literally at the zero-zero corner of Tucson,” Schock said.
The partnership also brings together two longtime Tucson businesses. Hughes Federal Credit Union was founded 74 years ago, while the Fox Theatre opened 96 years ago.
Schock said this is the first corporate naming partnership for a performing arts venue in Tucson history.
Construction work will take place during daytime hours, allowing the Fox to continue its regular evening programming.
“None of the very modest alterations will affect our status. And that's extremely important to the Fox's board,” Schock said. “It's a make or break kind of thing.”
The Fox purchased the adjacent property in late 2021. Schock said no businesses were displaced by the project because leases at the site were already ending during the pandemic.
Speaking from the Fox stage this week, Hughes Chief Experience Officer Elisa Ross said the partnership represents a long-term investment in Tucson rather than a traditional sponsorship.
Ross said it’s “not a marketing buy and a billboard, it is an investment in Tucson that we believe in and that our members value and call home.”
The naming agreement, combined with member donations totaling $7.8 million, bring the campaign close to its fundraising halfway point, according to Schock.
“Oftentimes that halfway mark is really a significant milestone,” she said. “And this is a significant milestone.”
Construction is expected to begin in 2028. The new venue is scheduled to open in 2030, coinciding with the Fox Theatre's 100th anniversary.
