By Joe Pangburn
Inside Tucson Business
Oct 19, 2007
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club features a 50,000-square-foot clubhouse complex, complete with a pool, tennis center, supervised Ritz Kids program, state-of-the-art fitness center, steward-serviced private locker rooms, a double-ended practice facility, and several dining venues.
No wonder Ritz-Carlton was waiting to make an official announcement it is building a resort at Dove Mountain in Marana. In a world of five-star luxurous, top-notch hotels, this is going to be no ordinary Ritz-Carlton. It is the company’s largest and most comprehensive project ever.
The 850 acre, half-billion-dollar Ritz-Carlton development includes a 250-room Ritz-Carlton resort hotel and spa, a Ritz-Carlton Golf Club featuring two Jack Nicklaus signature courses and a Ritz-Carlton branded residential community. This the first time the company has incorporated all three aspects into one project.
"We have long hoped to open a world-class resort in the Arizona desert," said Simon F. Cooper, president and chief operating officer of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. "We believe the Dove Mountain project, which includes Jack Nicklaus Signature golf courses and a 17,000 square foot spa, will appeal to affluent leisure travelers as well as groups seeking a resort for meetings in a luxury environment."
The golf club and the first 27 holes of the course are expected to open in late 2008, in time to host the February 2009 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, which this year and next year is being played on the south course at Dove Mountain. Another nine holes are due to open in 2010.
Some of the first residential properties in phase one should also be ready by the end of 2008.
The $160 million resort hotel is due to open in the fall of 2009. It is the second Ritz-Carlton in Arizona. The company has a hotel that opened in Phoenix in the late 1980s.
The Dove Mountain project is a combined effort of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, headquartered in Chevy Chase, Md.; Cottonwood Properties, 3567 E Sunrise Drive, and Greenbrier Southwest Corp., Scottsdale.
"Our commitment is to finding brighter, more thoughtful ways to accommodate metropolitan Tucson’s growth and create the highest standard for quality of life in the area," said David Mehl, president of Cottonwood Properties and owner of the 6,200-acre Dove Mountain community. "The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain project will bring a unique offering to the area and international attention to the state of Arizona and the Southwest."
Mehl bought the land that has become Dove Mountain in 1985.
"We are developers who enjoy the uncommon satisfaction of creating good things for a great many people and this Ritz-Carlton project takes our endeavors to a whole new level," said David Mehl
Marana Mayor Ed Honea agrees and said he sees the resort as a big boost for the community.
"The much-anticipated addition of The Ritz-Carlton Resort, Golf Club and Residences to Dove Mountain is just another positive step we’re taking in the overall growth of Marana," Honea said. "The next two years are going to be very exciting. Things are really starting to fall into place here."
Greenbrier Southwest is a real estate development company specializing in hospitality development and mixed-used, master-planned communities with hospitality components. It was started by husband and wife, Tim and Casey Bolinger.
"The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain will be the quintessential high Sonoran Desert resort," said Tim Bolinger.
"The hotel, golf club and residences are all designed with authentic Southwestern architecture and carefully sited into this dramatic Sonoran Desert landscape," said Casey Bolinger. "The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain will be like nothing else in the world."
The residential area will have about 300 homes and 20 custom home sites. The $220 million first phase, includes 91 single-family homes and 16 estate sites. The residences will all be built with high-end features such as wood and stone flooring, custom closet fixtures, special wall finishes and the finest appliances, all included in the base price.
Owners of the residences will have access to concierge service, personalized home management, landscaping, housekeeping, valet, catering, room service from the resort and a 50,000-square-foot clubhouse complex.
The five models for the first phase of residences were designed by Kevin B. Howard Architects, 4547 E. Fort Lowell Road, Suite 421. Interior architecture was done by Lori Carroll & Associates, 2496 E. River Road, Suite 100.
The resort, designed by HKS Hill Glazier Architects of Palo Alto, Calif., will be a low-rise, four story building. The main building of adobe block, straw-flecked stucco, clay tile and native stone will include 226 guest rooms and suites. Separate buildings nearby will feature 24 individual casita rooms and suites.
Group meetings and special events, including weddings, will have a variety of spaces to select from, including two ballrooms of 9,000 and 4,800 square feet. There will also be three restaurants from gourmet to casual poolside grill.