Bourn Companies today announced plans to develop and build a new 200,000 sf multi-level office building with indoor/outdoor amenities on 20 acres near 36th Street and MLK Jr. Way, within the master-planned site The Bridges. Bourn Companies is purchasing, rezoning and developing approximately 115 acres at The Bridges and GEICO will be the first corporate employer to locate in the development. GEICO is the second-largest private passenger automobile insurance company in the U.S.
This 115-acre Bourn development will comprise a new corporate employment center, a variety of multifamily residential units and a new community park. The development is integrated within the larger The Bridges project which also includes the UA Tech Park at The Bridges and Tucson Retail’s regional shopping center home to Costco, Walmart, Century Theatre, Tucson’s only Dave and Busters and a variety of retail & dining establishments.
The Bridges is a planned 350-acre mixed-use development accessible to 70 percent of the region’s population within a 25-minute drive. When complete, its amenities will benefit GEICO employees, surrounding neighborhoods and the entire Tucson and Southern Arizona community. Construction on GEICO’s new building is set to begin mid-2018 with expected move-in date mid-2019. A map of the site can be found here.
GEICO is a leading employer in Tucson with 2,100 employees and is celebrating its 15-year anniversary serving Arizona and states in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest. The company has long-standing corporate and philanthropic partnerships in the greater Tucson community and all of Arizona through professional development programs at the University of Arizona, United Way employee campaigns and the Arizona Leadership Foundation. With this move, GEICO plans to add 700 jobs in Tucson over time.
Project partners include Arizona Commerce Authority, Pima County, City of Tucson, Bourn Companies and Sun Corridor Inc.
“GEICO’s decision to expand its presence in Tucson is excellent news for our state, and the latest evidence that Arizona is the best place for business,” said Governor Doug Ducey. “This state-of-the-art facility will create hundreds of new Southern Arizona jobs and positively impact our economy.”
“GEICO’s relocation adjacent to UA Tech Park at the Bridges presents tremendous opportunities for the company, for the UA, and for our region,” said Robert C. Robbins, president, University of Arizona. “This move allows for more local hires and will be a boon to both the Tucson economy as well as the University of Arizona, which partnered with GEICO to develop a UA Online program through Eller College of Management. I am looking forward to the future collaborations this move makes possible.”
“This is great news. One of our larger private sector employers will be expanding in an area that’s poised to receive significant growth and investment,” said Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild. “Congratulations to GEICO. We’re pleased that they continue to show confidence in Tucson.”
“Tucson has clearly won with a new expanded presence by GEICO, a recognized leader in the national insurance industry. GEICO’s long-term presence is a cornerstone of our corporate community. With this announcement, Tucson is clearly showing it’s a region on the move,” said Joe Snell, president and CEO, Sun Corridor Inc.
“When an industry-leading company like GEICO chooses to significantly expand its workforce in Tucson, it demonstrates the quality of the talent, operating environment and lifestyle that Arizona offers,” said Sandra Watson, president and CEO, Arizona Commerce Authority. “We were proud to work collaboratively with our partners on this exciting project, and thank GEICO for their continued investment in our state.”
“We are extremely pleased to be working with GEICO on their workforce training needs here in Tucson. It’s critically important to support our existing employers,” said Sharon Bronson, chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors. “We look forward to GEICO’s continued success and thank them for their commitment to our region.”
“We’re thrilled to be working with a terrific company like GEICO again to build a great facility for their employees. It’s really a testament to Tucson and our great workforce that they are making such a significant commitment to Southern Arizona,” said Don Bourn, founder and CEO, Bourn Companies.
