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It hasn't taken long for Tucson's politicians, developers and museums to turn the recent influx of Rio Nuevo cash into monopoly money.

Just six months after the Legislature approved more money for the city's Downtown redevelopment district — estimated at about $550 million — there is a growing fight over how and where to spend it.

The dispute is over whether to spend the money for a new Downtown arena or to build museums and cultural attractions on the West Side.

Museum backers and some City Council members are objecting to City Manager Mike Hein's plan to allocate $200 million to West Side cultural projects and $200 million to Downtown and an arena.

Business and Downtown interests are arguing for less than $200 million for West Side cultural museums, Hein said, because the museums won't generate much sales tax money.

Plans for the West Side call for a re-created San Agustín Mission, including the convento and Mission Gardens, a University of Arizona Science Center and new museums for the Arizona Historical Society and the Arizona State Museum.

Hein said "others argue that's where all the money should go," to pay the entire bill to construct the West Side museums.

"Everybody is jockeying in somewhat of a greedy fashion," Hein said.

The museums aren't the only ones, he said, noting Bourn Partners recently pitched two unsolicited plans to the city — a redesign of La Placita Village and a proposal to move a bookstore into a renovated Ronstadt Transit Center — which could involve Rio Nuevo cash.

"There's a mad rush for the commitments to the money," Hein said. "The projects aren't real; they're not designed; the money is not there; there's no need for the rush."

Everyone is squabbling about whether $200 million is enough money for the West Side, despite the fact that only six months ago there was only $120 million for Rio Nuevo in its entirety, Hein said.

The scramble for the money is unsettling, but not at all surprising, said Mary Schuh, a board member for the Pima Association of Taxpayers. She said the push for Rio Nuevo largess is to the point where people "put their hand up in a meeting and say 'I could use $10 million.' "

"Now it's like a grab bag," Schuh said. "Everybody that's lining up wants to put their hand in the honey pot."

The University of Arizona laid out its formal request late Friday for Rio Nuevo money for its more than $176 million Science Center and its $62 million new Arizona State Museum.

The UA's request includes only $5 million of its own money for constructing the Science Center and none of its own money to build the new state museum — instead requesting that Rio Nuevo foot the bill.

Its request of $166 million for the Science Center and $62 million for the new state museum total $228 million in Rio Nuevo money — more than the city had suggested it intended to spend on the entire West Side.

Alexis Faust, executive director of the UA's Flandrau Science Center, said the funding request demonstrates the UA's commitment to Rio Nuevo because the university would pay $10.6 million in operating costs per year on both structures. On a per-year basis, Faust added, the operating costs are more than the city's cost to build the structures.

The request also said that if the UA pulled out, the attendance at West Side museums would fall about 30 percent to 40 percent.

"We need to fully fund the West Side campus and museums," Faust said. "The Science Center is like an anchor, like a Nordstrom is at a mall. You really need the anchor tenant in a redevelopment."

Hein called the UA's Friday request "poor political brinkmanship." He said he was "stunned they would take such an aggressive approach so early in the process" and suggested Faust is trying to "either stir the pot or corner the market."

"The biggest impediment to the UA Science Center succeeding seems to be the UA Science Center staff," Hein said.

The costs of the West Side museums have been escalating rapidly as the city gears up to approve $54 million for the Carrillo House and features of the San Agustín Mission, including the convento and Mission Gardens.

When that $54 million is coupled with $166 million requested for the Science Center, $62 million requested for the state museum and $60 million to $70 million for a new Arizona Historical Society Museum, the costs approach $350 million. That doesn't include any price inflation or the costs for a potential new Children's Museum or library on the site.

Of the major museums, only the Arizona Historical Society has stated its commitment to substantially fundraise for some of its museum's construction price. Bill Ponder, the historical society's chief administrative officer, said he has a program to combine some Rio Nuevo money, some historical society money and fundraising to pay for construction.

So is $200 million in West Side Rio Nuevo money going to be enough?

"I hope so," said City Councilwoman Nina Trasoff. "We have a limited pot. We have to be as responsible as we can."

Councilman José Ibarra contends that the Science Center would be Rio Nuevo's most important feature, adding the city would be shortchanging Rio Nuevo if it didn't grant the funding requests for the West Side.

"The West Side needs to get more than the $200 million proposed; it will have to be at least $275 million," he said. "I believe the priority has to be the West Side."

The West Side should even take priority over a new arena, Ibarra said. "If that means the arena is in phase two (of Rio Nuevo), that has to be the reality," Ibarra added.

Donovan Durband, the Tucson Downtown Alliance's executive director, said that while it's good to honor the commitments to the West Side, a healthy portion of the money needs to be directed Downtown because after all, Rio Nuevo is about revitalizing Downtown.

Councilman Steve Leal said he wants a list created of all potential Rio Nuevo projects and their costs to get a better idea of what should be spent where.

"The larger issue is what are the lists of things needed and desired Downtown … both east and west," he said.