The 1st Lt. Paul K. Allen Army Reserve Center on Silverlake Road is a casualty of the federal government's 2005 round of military base closings.

Ron Medvescek / arizona daily star

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Little more than a month ago the U.S. Army Reserve Center on the South Side was the jumping-off point for more than 200 of Tucson's finest who were deployed to the Middle East.

But in the very near future the 3.5-acre site could be that of a schoolhouse. Or a neighborhood center. Or an emergency management and training complex.

For decades the 55-year-old 1st Lt. Paul K. Allen Army Reserve Center at 1750 E. Silverlake Road has been a training facility and mustering point for Southern Arizona's citizen soldiers.

The facility was Arizona's only significant casualty in the federal government's 2005 round of base closings. The nine reserve units, and 1,200 reservists, who once made their military home there are being relocated to other facilities, making the property available for possible civilian use.

The city is considering five proposals to reuse the property, sandwiched between a new subdivision of single-family homes and a National Guard facility, after the military moves out, said Ann Vargas, project supervisor with the city's Community Services Department.

The two-story Allen Hall and a second vehicle-storage structure will likely be part of any future use, Vargas said.

One proposal is from Pima Community College, which wants to put educational and training programs there, including truck driving, food services, law enforcement, fire science and health occupations.

Two of the proposals are from the city itself.

The Public Safety, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Section wants to create a regional emergency management and training complex. Other local law enforcement agencies would be invited to share the facility to coordinate emergency-related activities and for storage and training.

The Parks and Recreation Department proposes converting the military buildings into a neighborhood center for recreation and social services.

Two non-profit agencies, the Tucson Planning Council for the Homeless and COPE Community Services, and its wholly owned subsidiary, Rise Inc., have also submitted proposals.

COPE wants to relocate its Downtown training services for homeless adults, stage its recycling operations and store equipment there.

However, COPE wants to use only the southern section of the property and wants the city to decide how to use the northern portion.

The Tucson Planning Council for the Homeless, a collaborative of non-profit agencies and organizations, wants to create a community health and resource center for neighborhood residents and the homeless.

The Department of Defense gave the city the green light to begin the planning for the facility's conversion last April.

Vargas said there are several key considerations in deciding Allen Hall's future use.

The building will require retrofitting to meet city codes and the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In addition, federal regulations make homeless services a priority for future public use of surplus military property, Vargas said.

Right now a local architect is working on redevelopment plans, and an advisory group of neighborhood associations and community groups is reviewing the proposals.

Cindy Ayala, president of the Pueblo Gardens Neighborhood Association, one of four neighborhoods surrounding the site, said her group supports an educational facility that would benefit all the neighborhoods.

The process has been under way for nearly a year, and a recommendation is expected to go to the City Council by June, Vargas said.

The council's choice will be sent to the departments of Defense and Housing and Urban Development for approval, Vargas said. The military retains final say on use of the property, she said.