The Oro Valley Town Council will consider approving San Dorado at the Oro Valley Town Centre (First and Oracle) this week. It is item 7 on the council's regular agenda.
San Dorado is an ambitious project. When completed, it will include:
- 274 apartment units housed in 19 apartment buildings
- 9 commercial shops and pads
- 8 carriage unit buildings (Bank, restaurant, general retail, office space)
- Some civic space
The shops and pads are located directly across from Rooney Ranch Center; the apartments are located on the northeast sector of the plot, abutting to La Reserve Drive. Two shops identified in this month's Oro Valley economic development report (See Friday's "Bits and Pieces" posting) include Paradise Bakery and CVS.
The developer will construct the center in seven stages. First, they will construct the main road; then a commercial building across from First. Then, they will build the 19 apartment buildings.
This is an ambitious project, a project that is going to be undertaken in an unfavorable economic climate. During the past few years, Oro Valley has seen stores going "dark" and homes going unsold. We have also seen developers run out of money, stopping the construction of projects somewhere between the blading stage and the partial construction of a building. This leaves us all with a "eyesore" to look at as we travel Oracle Road.
It is unfortunate that projects of this type can be started when sufficient capital is not in place to complete them. We know that at present it is not within the town's purview to question the financing of a project. Wouldn't it be nice, however, for developers to be required to demonstrate to the town that the developer possessed adequate capital resources to complete each phase of a project. Then, if they could not demonstrate this, they would not be allowed to build the project.
Some might say that doing this be a restriction on the "free market." We agree. It is. However, this is our town. How it looks matters to us. Living with bladed land and forever incomplete construction diminishes our quality of life. It adds "ugly" to our landscape. It is not what we want for Oro Valley.
So we wonder: Is there any way for the town to insure that once the San Dorado project gets started, each phase is actually completed?
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3 comments:
Oh boy a CVS just what we need! Another crummy variety store.
Here is the new OV motto:
Oro Valley - Home of Downscale Retail.
This article states my sentiments exactly...
Developers running out of money and stopping projects AFTER they've bulldozed every living thing in sight, destroying all the natural beauty and the shade that those trees provided (which also keeps the temperatures down) and displacing all the wildlife that once lived there.
All in the name of the free-market. That makes as much sense as people killing each other all in the name of religion.
It is unconscionable to me that developers should be given approval for ANY project that involves removing the desert landscape (and all it provides) if they cannot prove that they have the financing available to complete the project AND complete it in a timely fashion.
Has anyone seen the "eyesore" across the street from The White Stallion Ranch? Acres upon acres of beautiful desert cleared for home building and then the developer ran out of money. Now it's just acres and acres of dirt. How lovely!
Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. However, because our laws are designed to protect business and the free-market over the protection of citizens and the environment, we leave ourselves "doomed to repeat history" even though we ARE aware of it!
I agree that developers should be required to demonstrate that they possess adequate capital resources to complete each phase of a project. No money...no deal.
So what is the total of new apartments that will be in OV w/ Steam Pump, San Dorado, Town Centre & the Ross Rulney property? We must be getting close to 1000. How many jobs are anticipated in Innovation Park that we need this much housing for the employees?
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