Oro Valley Village Center Is A Mini City

The Oro Valley Village Center is a mini city

One 75 foot high apartment building will sit on the site. Another apartment 59 foot high. These apartments will house approximately 1,300 people. Add to this three hotels and commercial/retail buildings. 

All this on 112 acres of land. 

It is a mini city.

The mini city will have its own entertainment center, one that will be maintained in part by the town; its own movie theater; its own supermarket; its own restaurants.

Oro Valley Village Center is a bold vision... bolder than envisioned in the General Plan

The Oro Valley Village Center is more than just a plan to revitalize the Oro Valley Marketplace, a revitalization that is sorely needed. No. It is vision of Oro Valley that is not included in the town's "Your Voice, Our Future 2016 General Plan." It is  a concept so bold in design, so unique in concept, and so complex that it will likely take years to build and may never become a reality as proposed given what has become an ever changing world.

Council has been told: "This is all or nothing deal." There is no "wiggle room."

The developer, Town West LLC, has made it abundantly clear that this is all or nothing project. They are willing to invest $335 million in Oro Valley only if the project is economically viable. The only economically viable project they have proposed is this project, a project that increases the population density on the land far beyond what was envisioned in the town's zoning codes, or in the town's general plans.

Project requires a zoning code that the town does not have

The apartment buildings have to be 75 feet and 59 feet in height to accommodate the underneath parking. Above ground, underneath parking is required because the land on which the apartment is going to be built is not big enough to accommodate code required outside parking. Less setback is needed from the roads because there simply is not enough land to accommodate the apartment building if the setback is enforced per code.

What this project needs is city like zoning: High population density. High rise buildings. 

Oro Valley simply does not have a zoning code to accommodate the project. Thus, the applicant's request for fifteen zoning variance requests.

The task before council is daunting

Tonight, the Oro Valley town Council will hold a public hearing on the requested changes. The council may or they may not decide tonight to approve or deny some or all of the zoning variance requests that are sought.

Tonight, town council will have to answer the fundamental question on behalf of all of us who live and love Oro Valley: Do we want our town to have a mini city at the intersection of Oracle Road and Tangerine? Is this what we want for our town? If so, then is granting the fifteen zoning variance requests the right way to do it? Or is there a better way? For example, should town staff create a new pad designation for such a mini city? Should council then approve this project based on that new pad designation? A designation that would allow minimum setbacks, tall buildings, and shared recreational space. A designation that would allow for less protection of sensitive lands and view sheds.

Tonight: Tell the Town Council if you do or do not support this project

You don’t need to be real specific in terms of why you do or do not. You just need to let them know how you feel about it. It is important for the Council to hear your voice because this will be the first time and may be the only time this will happen. 

The meeting starts at 6 o’clock at Town Council Chambers. 

See you there.

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"Visit Tucson" Reports: Oro Valley Hotel Occupancy At 55%...And Revenues Up About 16%

Visit Tucson delivered 26,500 room nights to Oro Valley hotels in 2021
In 2021, the regional marketing organization, Visit Tucson, brought “47 booking some 25,000 room nights” to Oro Valley’s hotels for groups. This according to Felipe Garcia, the organization’s new President/CEO. Garcia addressed his remarks to the Oro Valley Town Council at the February 2 Council meeting. It was the annual update to the Council on what Visit Tucson has done for the community. According to Garcia, sports tourism brought in an additional 13 bookings and almost 3,500 room nights.

Oro Valley hotel occupancy at 55%...and revenues up about 16%
Garcia compared 2019 and 2021 hotel occupancy rates for the last quarter of each year. Hotels in Oro Valley were just a bit over half filled in both quarters but the average hotel rate skyrocket from $118 to $146 per room. “That it's more money coming to the community.” By our calculations, total revenue would be up about 16%.  Garcia concluded that “Consumers are coming back to the community and realizing that it's a great place.”

Garcia believes that Oro Valley is a very attractive community because of its open space. People coming here from lockdown location simply enjoy all we have to offer: Hiking, bicycling, or simply walking in the great outdoors.

Visit Tucson has been actively marketing Oro Valley
The organization brought 28 event planners to town last fall. They met with Mayor Winfield. “When we bring them to the community, they see what is here.. and look at the mountains … it's very very easy sale for us,” according to Garcia. “In April, we will bring a group of journalists and clients from Canada to Oro Valley … will be going around the community eating in restaurants. I will be selling to them while they're here in our community.”  The Visit Tucson web site has an Oro Valley page.

$410,000 Funding from bed tax revenues
According to Town Manager Mary Jacobs: “We currently utilize Visit Tucson as our primary marketing group.” The 2021-22 budget includes $250,000 for Visit Tucson. That cost increased when the town annexed the Westward Look Resort. Visit Tucson has been receiving 50% of Westward Look’s bed taxes through an agreement with Pima County. So, the total in the budget, post Westward Look Annexation, for Visit Tucson is $410,000. (Source)

All funds come from the town’s bed tax revenues of 6%.

Lack of hotel responsiveness is a big challenge
It seems odd that the hotels that benefit from the efforts of the Town and Visit Tucson to increase hotel occupancy are unresponsive to opportunities that are presented to them. According to Garcia, hotel responsiveness to opportunities is a problem. “One of the biggest challenges we have is a lack of staffing in hotels. Many hotels are relying on a regional salesperson so we have to go and tell them they have pay attention to us here in Southern Arizona.”

Garcia is enthusiastic about 2022
Garcia noted that organizations are just now returning to offsite events. Much of the travel to date has been by individuals. He wants Oro Valley to “keep doing what you're doing. Keep building a very strong community that is unique.” While Oro Valley is doing that, Visit Tucson plans to complete updating its website; and to focus on social media as a way to get the word out about our community and about Southern Arizona in general. With that in mind, he requested that anyone who has decent pictures of the town please send it to him so that he can include them in presentations and on the website.
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About Visit Tucson

Visit Tucson is a regional marketing organization, with a goal of promoting tourism in Southern Arizona. It is a non profit organization. It is funded by three jurisdictions: The City of Tucson ($5million), Pima County ($2.2 million) and Oro Valley ($410,000). Marana and Sahuarita are not participants and provide no funding. (Source)  Private-sector revenue adds $277,450 in Visit Tucson’s 2021-22 [$7.9 million] fiscal year budget. "While the Town of Oro Valley contributes a set amount each year, Pima County and City of Tucson contribute a percentage of bed tax collections."  Council Member Josh Nicolson is the Oro Valley Town Council liaison to Visit Tucson.

Big Changes At Oro Valley Marketplace On Display Tonight

Big changes are planned…

…for the Oro Valley Marketplace. Many of these will require town council approval of general plan amendments and zoning code changes. Tonight, the town will host a discussion of these changes at a neighborhood meeting via Zoom. You can join the meeting using this link. 

Apartments… Hotels… Entertainment Center 

Town West Realty, the project owner and developer, is proposing five separate changes (see panel) to the property. According to project representative Kerry Sylvan, “Town West is committed to repositioning and reimagining the property” for the benefit of existing residents and newcomers.

If approved, the project will result in:

• Three hotels with a total of 362 rooms and proposed heights of 49 feet;
• A five story, 500 unit luxury complex near Tangerine Road; 
• A four and five story, 229 unit luxury apartment complex near Oracle Road
• An entertainment and water park area built in a wash inside the Marketplace

Council approvals required

Much of what the applicant wants to build will require council approval because the land is planned for or zoned for only some of what they want to do. These include:

• Allowing apartments
• Reducing building setbacks and landscape buffer yard requirements along Tangerine and Oracle Road
• Increasing building heights up to 49 feet
• Building an entertainment center in a designated wash

You can watch an introductory video on the project here.

The town has yet to determine when the project will be heard by the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission and then by the Town Council.

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Note: The panel is the original submission by Town West.  The numbers in the text reflect the plans as shown in the project video.