Work is expected to begin at the end of 2023 on an extensive combined retail, residential, and entertainment district project in the Arizona town of Oro Valley, some 6 miles to the north of Tucson.
The Oro Valley Village Center, which is expected to cost at least $300 million to build, will replace the existing Oro Valley Marketplace at 12155 N Oracle Road, on the northeast side of town, which was built a little over a decade ago.
According to town documents, the project, to be built on a more than 100-acre site, may include up to three hotels with a combined 300 rooms, at least two apartment complexes with more than 700 units, and a splash pad, playground, shade structures, and public park in the development’s central recreation area.
Plans for the ambitious project have been in the works for more than 2 years, a process that has seen a series of public input meetings. Last month, members of the Oro Valley Town Council gave their approval to zoning amendments for the project.
The project belongs to the Tucson-based Town West Realty, which has specialized in office and retail development projects primarily in southern Arizona.
The project is expected to serve a growing Oro Valley population that has jumped in the last 25 years from around 8,000 to nearly 49,000. Forecasts call for the town to surpass the 52,000 mark by the end of this decade.
By Garry Boulard
