A 17 Year Perspective of a Resident/Property Manager
By Jim Davis
In April 1997 my wife Barbara and I moved to the Bear Creek neighborhood within the Desert Ridge community. As a previous condominium association president, it did not take long before I found myself volunteering for the residential Design Review Committee. I was still working with the Department of Housing and Urban Development as a Community Development Representative. However I was nearing retirement and interested in “part time” work after retirement. The rest is history!
Getting Involved
In March 1999 I was hired as the Desert Ridge Community Manager. I also worked with four other sub-associations that existed back then. At the time, the closest gas and groceries were available on Bell Road. The original Master plan called for 5,700 acres and approximately 20,000 households. Development was pretty much at a standstill while the U.S. Army Core of Engineers completed their Section 404 Wash Corridor Plan for the balance of Desert Ridge. The plan reduced the buildable area by removing the wash areas and planned trails. Speaking of the washes, did you know that there are 13 washes in Desert Ridge, each named after a County in Arizona?
Developments That Grew
Shortly thereafter, Loop 101, the Marriott, a second Golf course, the Marketplace, American Express and many of the current developments took off. The Mayo Clinic and what is now SUMCO were in their infancy stages.
The Planning
As you may or may not know, the Master Developer for the Desert Ridge Community did not own the residential areas. These were auctioned off by the State Land Department in what are known as super blocks. The Master Developer did control the lease for the mixed use Core Development Area. In a tri-party agreement between the State Land Department, the City of Phoenix and the Master Developer, the Desert Ridge Specific Plan was adopted. This plan is for all of Desert Ridge and is in addition to City requirements.
From 1999 through 2009 management worked with each of the 12 builders as they purchased land from the State Land Department at auction. During that 10 year period there were approximately 13,600 planned units in various stages of development. I did say this was my planned “Part time” retirement job. At its peak, the highest price at auction was approximately $1,040,000 per acre for a multi family site. However, this was before the real estate markets hit the wall and several builders gave their land back to the state without building a single unit. A total of eight builders and about 9,200 planned units suffered this fate. NOTE: The good news is that the December 3, 2013 state land auction of the southwest corner of Pinnacle Peak Road and Tatum Blvd. shows new signs of interest in the Desert Ridge Community. This is the first auction since mid 2007. There is also renewed development at Toscana and the new Elan at Desert Ridge Apartments project. Bella Monte and Fireside are both nearing their final build-out numbers. Based on current numbers, there are approximately 6,500 residential households in Desert Ridge. From 2009 to 2014 I worked with the Desert Ridge Core Association and the Master Developer/Declarant. This Association is all on land leased from the State of Arizona. The association has grown from the original Declarant controlled lease to 11 sub-assigned leases. The most active area has been the Ryan Companies Desert Ridge Corporate area with medical buildings, offices, banking, etc. None of these existed when I became the Manager for Desert Ridge. Like the J.W. Marriott Resort, the Desert Ridge Marketplace and Core area could not be started before the completion of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Plan mentioned above. With new ownership for the High Street area and new development west of Tatum Blvd. interest in the Core area continues with the recently opened Holiday Inn Express, the planned Cambria Suites and Mountainside Fitness.
In Summary
We have come a long way…and still have a very long way to go to fulfill the mission and goals for the Desert Ridge Community. However there is every indication of renewed interest and energy for our community. The current Community Manager, Terrance Smith and the Board of Directors have made great strides to enhance the community and keep it as the desirable place to Live, Shop and Play. The recent Cashman Park Agreement with the City of Phoenix is but one example of thinking outside the box to enhance the Association. This is a win-win situation for the City and the Association. I would also be remiss if I failed to mention those areas south of Loop 101. The Mayo Clinic, American Express and Sumco provide major jobs for our residents while the Musical Instrument Museum provides a major city wide attraction in our community. On March 31, 2014, I retired from FirstService Residential after turning 70 in January.
Conclusion
The Desert Ridge Community is only as good as the residents, boards, sub- associations, etc. that are interested in the betterment of the community. THANK YOU!
