Oro Valley/Marana Magazine, February 2008

Boomtown Reshaping the Northwest Tucson

by Donn Green

At the Northwest corner of I-10 and Tangerine Road in Marana there exists a lot of dirt. Of course, it won’t always be that way. In a few years, the site will be home to The Shops at Tangerine, an exciting new 275 acre Marana destination designed by Phoenix-based developer Westcor. The shops, along with the new Ritz-Carlton resort at Dove Mountain, two new Jack Nicklaus designed golf courses and the already prominent Accenture Match-Play Championship, will not only bring a higher profile to the city of Marana, but should also provide a significant financial boost.

The shops at Tangerine is expected to have a long-term financial impact on the Marana community. "It is the first major I-10 shopping, lifestyle location in the (Tucson) vicinity" says Marana Town manager Michael A. Reuwsaat. "And it’s important in brining an autoplex to Marana, which is something we currently do not have."

According to Mitch Stallard, Westcor’s vice president of development, "this is envisioned as a mixed-use development. The shops at Tangerine will blend regional and power-center shopping with complementary uses such as an automotive development and hotel."

Just east of The Shops in Dove Mountain, will reside a new state-of-the-art Ritz-Carlton resort. The 250-room golf resort and spa is scheduled to open in late 2009 and should be a boost to businesses in Marana and the surrounding area. "We believe the Dove Mountain project, which includes Jack Nicklaus Signature golf courses and a 17,000 square-foot spa, will appeal to affluent leisure travelers as well as groups seeking a resort for meetings in a luxury environment," remarks Simon F. Cooper, president and chief operating officer of Ritz-Carlton. "Dove Mountain locations offers the serenity of an exclusive desert setting, plus the added convenience of the city of Tucson less than thirty minutes away."

The golf resort at the Ritz-Carlton will boast a 50,000 square-foot clubhouse complex and will play host to Tiger Woods and his fellow PGA competitors when the Accenture Match Play moves from its current home at The Gallery at Dove Mountain to one of the new Jack Nicklaus designed courses in February 2009. With a host of PGA stars playing in the new upscale location Marana is certain to gain attention from both our-of-town and local golf enthusiasts.

The Ritz-Carlton development will also boost the real estate market through the creation of approximately 300 highly personalized homes and 20 custom homes, many of which will be built adjacent to the new Nicklaus courses.
I-10 and Dove Mountain are all important steps in bringing outside income to not only Marana, but to whole region."