PinDrop® Founders Join the Arizona Sustainable Economic Development Learning Lab
- Ruth Ellen Elinski
- Oct 11
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 11
PinDrop® Travel Trailers founders Tim and Ruth Ellen Elinski have been selected to participate in the Arizona Sustainable Economic Development Learning Lab, a statewide initiative designed to help community leaders and innovators build more resilient, sustainable, and equitable local economies.
The program, hosted by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), brings together thought leaders, economic developers, and changemakers to explore practical ways to strengthen Arizona’s rural and urban communities through sustainability, innovation, and collaboration.
Rooted in Rural Revitalization
Tim and Ruth Ellen were invited to participate based on their ongoing efforts to help restore and revitalize historic Miami, Arizona, where PinDrop® Travel Trailers is headquartered. Their current redevelopment project is an adaptive reuse initiative that will transform the second floor of a 120-year-old historic building into modern, energy-efficient workforce housing.
This 2,800-square-foot project will feature:
Four fully furnished workforce apartments
One short-term rental for visiting professionals or travelers
Sustainable design elements such as solar energy, energy-efficient appliances, EV charging readiness, and low-water fixtures
The goal is to create affordable, eco-friendly housing within walking distance of downtown Miami’s amenities and closer to the region's major employers—keeping essential workers local. The project will also support the town of Miami keeping more tax dollars circulating locally and setting an example of how small town economies can thrive.
Proven Economic Development Success: The Cactus Alley
The Elinski's completed a successful adaptive reuse project just down the street — The Cactus Alley, a restored historic home turned short-term rental property in downtown Miami. Thoughtfully renovated with modern comforts while preserving its century-old charm, The Cactus Alley has quickly become a favorite stay for visitors and traveling professionals. It also acts as a landing place for PinDrop® buyers who are picking up their new microcamper. The Cactus Alley project serves as a proof of concept for how investing in Miami’s historic properties can generate local economic activity, boost tourism, and demonstrate the value of small-scale, sustainable redevelopment in rural Arizona.
Why It Matters
Like many rural towns, Miami, Arizona faces a severe workforce housing shortage. Essential employees—teachers, healthcare workers, miners, and contractors—often commute long distances, taking their spending power with them. By reinvesting in vacant historic properties and turning them into functional living spaces, projects like the Elinski's redevelopment project keep dollars circulating locally, improve quality of life, and set an example for sustainable rural redevelopment.
This redevelopment project demonstrates that revitalizing old spaces can do more than preserve history—it can spark lasting economic and community impact across rural Arizona.
Community Collaboration and Local Support
The Town of Miami has been an invaluable partner in this effort, offering enthusiastic support for the project and for broader revitalization throughout the historic downtown corridor. Their commitment to adaptive reuse, infrastructure improvements, and local business growth has created a welcoming environment for innovative projects like this one. Together, these collaborations show what’s possible when local leadership and small businesses align to breathe new life into rural main streets.
Discovering Miami, Arizona
Set against the backdrop of the rugged Pinal Mountains, Miami, Arizona is a town with deep mining roots, historic architecture, and a growing creative spirit. Its compact downtown is lined with early 1900s brick buildings now home to vintage shops, antique stores, art galleries, and local cafés, making it an inviting stop for travelers exploring the Copper Corridor or the Globe–Miami area. Visitors can experience the town’s history at the Bullion Plaza Cultural Center & Museum, stroll along the scenic Bloody Tanks Wash Trail, or enjoy nearby outdoor destinations like the Pinal Mountains Recreation Area, Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Besh-Ba-Gowah Museum and Historical Site, and Roosevelt Lake Recreation Area.
With new businesses opening, restoration projects underway, and a community dedicated to preserving its character, Miami is steadily transforming into a vibrant hub for heritage tourism, small business, and local culture—a perfect example of how rural Arizona is redefining its future.
A Thank You to Our Supporters
The PinDrop® team is grateful to Freeport-McMoRan for sponsoring their participation in the Arizona Sustainable Economic Development Learning Lab. Their support helps rural innovators like Tim and Ruth Ellen bring forward-thinking, community-based solutions to life.
Through this program, the team will collaborate, learn, and continue shaping a more sustainable and vibrant future for rural Arizona.
Other Program Supporters
Arizona Community Foundation, APS, Arizona Governor's Office of Resiliency, City of Flagstaff, City of Phoenix, City of Tucson, Community Foundation of Southern Arizona, Flinn Foundation, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Local First Arizona Foundation, Freeport McMoran Foundation, the Nature Conservancy, Prescott College, SRP, Virgina Piper Charitable Trust, and Vitalyst Health Foundation.
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