A year after opening two successful multi-family developments in Maricopa County, the joint venture of Mark-Taylor and Kitchell has embarked on a unique mixed-use development that brings out the best of their combined experience and utilizes the gorgeous backdrop of the Santa Catalina Mountains.
The 24-acre development in Oro Valley, being called “San Dorado,” will combine an exclusive residential rental community with a unique shopping destination. The project recently broke ground at the SEC of First Avenue and Oracle Road, in the shadows of gorgeous Pusch Ridge.
Mark-Taylor is designing and overseeing construction of the 274-unit exclusive apartment community, the Villas at San Dorado, while Kitchell will spearhead the retail component.
The “main street” style is a multi-use center that will house a unique list of retailers and restaurants, in addition to incorporating a few acres of grassy open space, which could be utilized by the town for chili-cook offs, farmer’s markets, etc.
There will be a series of interconnected pathways and ramadas built between to two developments, as well as a grand entry monument built on Oracle Road to promote the “resort-style” sense of arrival.
“This location in and of itself is quite an attractive place to live and warrants an upscale apartment community, but by offering a unique place to shop and dine next door, this development becomes truly one-of-a-kind,” said Mark-Taylor Vice President Chris Brozina. “Walkability to this degree is a very rare feature in the Arizona market.”
The Villas at San Dorado will provide the most spacious apartments in Southern Arizona, offering one, two, and three-bedroom floor plans averaging nearly 1,100 SF. The Villas’ features include some you may only expect to see in a modern, custom home, such as kitchen islands, custom wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, distressed plank flooring, dual-vanity sinks, pendant lighting, and private garages.
“It’s difficult to compare apartments today versus those built even 10 years ago. The interior finishes have clearly been taken to another level, but the amenities offered within the community rival those of professional gyms and spas,” Brozinasaid.
The Villas will feature the largest fitness facility in the industry, a spinning studio, virtual personal trainers, a cyber café with Mac and PC options, the quintessential lagoon-style pool that has become a Mark-Taylor trademark, and a guard-housed porte-cochere main entry gate.
The rental community is expected to open for leasing in the Spring of 2014, along with many of the retailers.
