Let us give you the short version of all the changes that are taking place out here so that you are well armed with information if/when your clients have questions about the area!
· This big, unincorporated area that sits between the town limits of Queen Creek & Florence is now, legally called “San Tan Valley”.
· San Tan Valley is almost solely responsible for making Pinal County the second fastest growing county in the U.S.
· The current population estimates of San Tan Valley are somewhere between 80,000 – 90,000 which makes it Pinal County’s most populated area.
· Zip code additions have been implemented across the board to accommodate the growth.
· The name establishment of this area was largely in demand to give the area some identity and name recognition to make it more marketable to businesses and help drive in higher wage employment opportunities.
· San Tan Valley is NOT incorporated . . . we are still considered unincorporated Pinal County.
· San Tan Valley neighborhoods (such as Circle Cross Ranch) have the same school districts & post offices they had before.
· To view the map that outlines San Tan Valley, copy & paste this link http://pinalcountyaz.gov/Residents/Documents/SanTanValley.pdf
…so, what else is new out here? As a person who both lives and works here in San Tan Valley, let me share with you some of the latest and greatest developments for the San Tan Valley / Queen Creek area!
San Tan Valley / Queen Creek Developments
San Tan Village (202 Loop & Greenfield Rd) – San Tan Village is a new outdoor mall that offers its guests a great place to shop, dine, take in a movie, and relax in its gracious, well-decorated setting. Shopping and dining options scale all the way from the budget-conscious to the high end shops and eateries.
Queen Creek Marketplace (Ellsworth & Ocotillo Rd) – A Vestar development with 1.1 million sq ft (at build out) of retail development in down town Queen Creek, only 5 miles NW of Circle Cross Ranch. Developments include a Super Target, Lowes (coming soon), Sport Chalet, Stein Mart, Bed Bath & Beyond, BevMo, Kohls, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Paradise Bakery, Peter Piper Pizza (coming soon), Pacific Dental, Verizon Wireless, Great Clips, Shoe Pavilion, Cost Plus World Market and Famous Footwear. Phase two is expected to open in 2011 and is said to include a Harkins Movie Theatre among other things!
Cornerstone at Queen Creek (Rittenhouse & Ocotillo Rd) – Located approx. 5 miles NW of Circle Cross Ranch. A Westcor development; a 74 acre, mixed use project that includes Super Wal-Mart, Staples, Quiz no’s, Petco, Danny’s car wash (coming soon), Bank of America, Walgreens, Jack In The Box, Big Dog Bar & Grill and Panda Express.
Fry’s Marketplace shopping center (Ironwood and Combs Rd) – Approx. 2 miles directly North of Circle Cross Ranch. Includes a Fry’s Marketplace & Fry’s Fuel, Chase Bank, Dance Matrix dance studio, UPS store, Subway, Great Clips, KFC, Burger King, Dentist, & a Chinese food restaurant.
Banner Ironwood Medical Center (Ironwood & Combs Rd) – Approx 1 ½ miles north of Circle Cross Ranch, one of Arizona’s largest hospital chains is planning a new 80 acre medical campus! Phase One plans include a Full-service emergency department, Medical imaging services, Basic laboratory services, and Medical office building. Phase Two will be built when area population is able to support it . . . phase two will include an Acute care hospital, Additional medical office buildings, Outpatient health and wellness services, and retail offerings. Construction began in 2nd quarter of 2008, although no opening date has been set.
Barney Family Sports Complex (Signal Butte & Queen Creek Rd.) – Approx. 3 miles NW of Circle Cross Ranch. This 65,000 sf sports complex is designed for family fun and sports activities . . . it is a venue for team sports including soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, basketball, flag football and roller hockey. The facility features two indoor fields: one made of turf and the other a hard floor. The center includes a weight room, locker rooms, a fitness room and a pro shop.
Schnepf Farms and other local landmarks: – The most well-known landmark in the Queen Creek area is, without a doubt, Schnepf Farms which sits about a mile directly north of Circle Cross Ranch. Schnepf Farms has been operating for almost 70 years now and plays a significant role in the history of the town of Queen Creek. Mark Schnepf, the town of Queen Creek’s first mayor, has helped put this entire area on the map. What was once strictly a rural family farming business has now blossomed into a major concert and entertainment venue. Schnepf Farms hosts one of the largest annual 4th of July fireworks shows in the state and their Fall Harvest Festival attracts hundreds of thousands of people to the farm every year for music, food and fun. Another well-known landmark in the Queen Creek area is “The Pork Shop”, located at Combs Rd, East of Ironwood. “The Pork Shop” offers some of the finest pork in Arizona . . . so much so that people literally will travel an hour or more to stock up. The “Queen Creek Olive Mill” (www.queencreekolivemill.com) which sits across the road from Schnepf Farms, is another growing local attraction. The Olive Mill was recently featured on the Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs” with Mike Rowe. The Olive Mill produces some of the finest Olive Oils in the country including a number of signature blends. They also have a restaurant onsite where you can dine on some of the finest sandwiches in the SE valley.
“Mega-Resort & Conference Center coming soon…” – Approx 8 miles NW of Circle Cross Ranch on the border of Mesa and Queen Creek, sits the site of what will be Arizona’s largest resort and conference center! Currently the site of the General Motors proving grounds, the land was recently sold to an entertainment group out of Tennessee who has preliminary plans for a 10 story resort, 1200 – 1500 rooms, 200,000 – 300,000 sq ft of indoor meeting/convention space, a 200 acre Tom Fazio designed desert golf course and a Westcor retail development onsite as well. The project is expected to create an additional 2000 jobs for the area. Anticipated construction is expected to begin the 3rd quarter of 2010.
Ocotillo Crossing (SEC Ironwood & Ocotillo Rd.) – Located approx 3 miles directly north of Circle Cross Ranch. Current tenants include a Walgreens, Fresh-n-Easy grocery store and a Dunking Donuts. …Other future tenants to come as well!
Hunt Hwy Corridor Shopping/Dining (Hunt Hwy & Bella Vista Rd.) – A lot of this area’s existing shopping, retail, services etc. are scattered along Hunt Hwy approx. 3 miles SW of Circle Cross Ranch. This area includes a Super Wal-Mart, Fry’s grocery store, Walgreens, McDonalds, Jack-in-the-box, Subway, Quizno’s, Chen’s Chinese food, Sonic Drive-thru, R&R pizza, Pizza Hut, Rosati’s Pizza, Wells Fargo Bank, Chase Bank, Bank of America, Misc. medical & dental offices, Anytime Fitness gym, Fletcher’s auto, Checker Auto Parts, Blockbuster video, Great Clips, UPS store, a dry cleaner, nail salon, pet store, ice cream shop, and a few other family owned restaurants.
Skyline Ranch Marketplace (Hunt Hwy & Gary Rd.) – A 64 acre Power Center approx. 1 mile SW of Circle Cross Ranch. No opening date has been set thus far. Anchored by a new Home Depot & Target. Confirmed tenants include Target, Home Depot, Ross, Famous Footwear, Staples, Sports Authority, Pets mart, Mattress Firm, Arby’s, Taco Bell, Panda Express, Chick-fil-a, Red Robin, Chili’s Restaurant, Bath & Body Works, GNC, Payless Shoes, Great Clips, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile. This power center will be directly across the street from the already existing Hunt Hwy Super Wal-Mart shopping center.
Nearby Golf Courses:
· Johnson Ranch Golf Course (Bella Vista & Hunt Hwy) – www.golfjohnsonranch.com
· Las Colinas Golf Club (Ellsworth & Ocotillo) – www.lascolinasgolfclub.com
· Apache Sun Golf Course (Ironwood & Pima) – www.apachesungolfclub.com
· Links at Queen Creek (Ironwood & Ocotillo) – www.linksqueencreekgolfclub.com
· Poston Butte Golf Club (Hunt Hwy & Merrill Ranch Pkwy) –http://www.postonbutte.com
· Oasis Golf Course (Hunt Hwy & Az Farms Rd.) – 480-888-8890
· Superstition Springs Golf Club (Baseline & Power Rd.) – www.superstitionspringsgc.com
· Western Skies Golf Club (Val Vista & Warner Rd.) – www.westernskiesgolf.com
Future Pinal County Freeways – There are a number of freeway projects designed to serve Pinal County residents. State Route 802 (Williams Gateway Freeway) is currently in the planning stages with various routes being discussed. This freeway will run from the 202 loop in Gilbert southeast toward Queen Creek / San Tan Valley. There is also a proposed N/S freeway that would run from the US 60 freeway in Mesa all the way down to Florence/Coolidge. Ask your sales associate for a proposed freeway map from the Arizona Department of Transportation.
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