A South Tucson community garden that once sat as an awkward leftover lot is now back open to the public, ringed by tile murals, shaded by trees and stocked with garden plots the Primavera Foundation says anyone is welcome to use.

The Primavera Foundation celebrated the opening of La Capilla community garden earlier this month as part of NeighborWorks Week, a national celebration spanning from May 23 to June 7. NeighborWorks America is a nonprofit corporation established by Congress as part of the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation Act of 1978, providing direct subsidies to organizations across the U.S.

"We're one of 250 organizations nationwide that are a part of NeighborWorks America. Today we celebrate everything that they do around the community," said Primavera Foundation CEO Tisha Tallman.

La Capilla, or "The Chapel," takes its name from a St. Anthony chapel that once stood on the grounds near South 9th Avenue and West 34th Street. Over the years, the chapel fell into disrepair and Primavera bought the land for development.

"We made four affordable homes that went through our home ownership program at the time, and there was this quirky little piece of property right here that we didn't know what to do with, so we made a community garden," said Community Engagement Liaison Lupita Rodriguez.

Primavera began a community revitalization initiative in South Tucson more than a decade ago, with support from the city and Pima County, building homes, opening the Las Abuelitas Family Housing and Community Center and launching green initiatives and community events.

The garden is also framed by public art.

Tile murals from Las Artes, an arts and education program, line the brick walls of the garden, honoring Tohono O'odham and Hispanic culture. A mural of St. Anthony overlooks the garden and its ramada.

Arlene Lopez has lived in South Tucson the majority of her life and has worked with Primavera to improve the garden. She said the community asked for a garden as a way to mitigate crime.

"I'm just appreciative that Primavera did this for the community. I'm just happy that we have this garden, and hopefully people will take advantage," Lopez said.

A seven-year Primavera volunteer helped revitalize the garden ahead of its reopening, saying they see it as a place where people can gain a deeper understanding of the human spirit.

Community gardening increases mental and social well-being by helping community members build social networks, encourage physical activity and lower stress and anxiety through feelings of accomplishment, according to a study conducted by Michigan State University and the Denver Urban Gardens.

La Capilla is designed with that in mind.

"Primavera provides the plots, the dirt, and the water. People just need to come," Rodriguez said.

At the celebration, Primavera polled attendees as part of its community investment survey, which the foundation conducts every three years to gather resident feedback on neighborhood safety, development priorities and overall quality of life. It was the fifth such survey in 13 years.

"What's amazing about South Tucson, and says a whole lot about South Tucson and its rich heritage and culture, is that people have consistently (reported being) happy with their community," Tallman said. "It's just such a great pleasure to be able to work in a community, in a place like the City of South Tucson that is just so culturally rich and has this great history of taking care of each other and being in community."

Topacio “Topaz” Servellon is a reporter with Tucson Spotlight. Contact them at topacioserve@gmail.com.

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