Marana Arizona Real Estate

Marana Grows Up!

Ever heard of Marana, Arizona? If you haven't... you will soon. The Town of Marana is one of Southern Arizona's best kept secrets, but all of that is about to change.

Once a small, sleepy farming community Northwest of Tucson, Marana is now one of the most up-and-coming new communities in Pima County. And… the Marana real estate market is sizzling hot!

Marana has a lot to be proud of. Through future vision, progressive planning, and steps town officials have taken to ensure development leads to a sustainable community 20 years from now, Marana is a diverse community on some of Arizona's most desirable land.

Communities such as Continental Ranch, Dove Mountain and Old Marana once made up the majority of the community, and the town's current population is somewhere around 30,000. That is expected to grow to approximately a quarter-million within the next 10 years.

To complete the picture, Marana's development will also include a number of large-scale developments including a shopping mall, an auto mall and two new upscale resorts. One of those resorts is the world-famous Ritz-Carlton, which town officials said is locating in Dove Mountain.

Cottonwood Properties is working with Marana to develop a trailhead for a new trail system near the proposed hotel. In addition to 200-plus hotel rooms, the development will feature several hundred "signature homes" and will be one of the largest hotel projects in the world.

The Foothills of Northwest Tucson

Marana is quickly becoming the second Foothills of Northwest Tucson. In Dove Mountain about 2,200 homes are already completed, and an additional 4,300 to 4,800 home are expected.

In spite of the growth, the delicate, natural desert environment has not been forgotten. Saguaro Springs and nearby Saguaro Ranch are being developed with sensitivity to the environment. Saguaro Ranch, which will be comprised of multimillion-dollar custom homes, promises to disturb no more than 20% of the land.

Butterfly Mountain is another gated community east of Dove Mountain to develop under careful environmental guidelines. Only 17% of the land will be disturbed and there are only 28 buildable lots available.

Nearby Tortolita Vistas, Sky Ranch and Tangerine Crossing are also being carefully developed with the environment in mind.

The Sonoran Desert Musuem is expected to participate in the building of a desert education center sometime this year, as well.

Regional recreational amenities have not be overlooked for the new Marana, either. Town officials anticipate a 254-acre site east of the Marana Regional Airport as the new location for the largest sports facility in Arizona. The complex will be the site of up to 16 soccer fields and a large special events center.

Another site in northern Marana, two miles west of the Marana interchange, could be home to the region's largest Western events center for rodeos and horse shows.

Marana's Future

About half of Marana is on state-owned land, which means Arizona will be the largest developer in Marana over time. It is planning land uses for tens of thousands of acres it owns — and could be auctioning off some of that land the near future. That includes the state land in Marana, starts in the Twin Peaks area and other areas west of I-10 and then in the Tortolita Mountains.

Marana is becoming a responsible, diverse and highly desirable community. Everything seems to be moving toward the town. What about you?