Tucson News

Tucson Downtown Arena Proposed Again – 3rd Time a Charm?

This article about the Stockton Arena is from yesterday’s AZ Daily Star. I have been thinking about it since then and hadn’t posted because I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.  Tucson has been through this downtown arena talk twice before already and it’s become a running joke among Tucsonans, along with Rio Nuevo. Check out the following timeline:

DOWNTOWN ARENA TIMELINE

• OCTOBER 2003: Although not part of the Rio Nuevo ballot measure approved by voters, talk begins about building a new arena Downtown.
• JANUARY 2004: The City Council votes 4-3 to solicit proposals from developers for a new arena.
• AUGUST 2004: The city selects an arena development team led by Texas-based Garfield Traub.
• MARCH 2007: Downtown landowner Allan Norville unveils plans to build a Downtown arena and gem-show exhibit hall. Two days later, the city releases plans for a new arena shaped like a desert tortoise shell.
• APRIL 2007: The City Council unexpectedly approves the $130 million tortoise-shell arena with no public notice or input.
• APRIL 2008: A public-records request by the Arizona Daily Star showed costs for the tortoise arena had ballooned to $196 million.
• MAY 2008: The City Council kills the tortoise-shell arena because of the cost. It voted to negotiate with Norville to build a smaller arena on his land, but the deal is never finalized.
• FEBRUARY 2009: With no money to buy Norville’s land, the city moves the arena to a third site and is set to choose the arena’s architect and operator.

Here are the latest glamour shots courtesy of the Daily Star:

So while I love the pictures, I’ll hold my sincere excitement until we see a little more progress (actually breaking ground would satisfy me).

Here are your stats for today:

New Listings	134
Back on Market	18
Price Increases	10
Price Reductions	147
Contingents	52
Pendings	25
Solds	48
Expireds	24
Inactives	40

PGA Accenture Match Play Championship Right Around the Corner

The PGA’s Accenture Match Play Championship is right around the corner and will be held at the brand new Ritz-Carlton Golf Club located within the master-planned Dove Mountain community. For those of you who haven’t stopped by yet I recommend that you take a few hours and make a field trip, it truly is a spectacular course/resort (what you would expect from a Jack Nicklaus designed course).

The Accenture Match Play Championship, which brings together the world’s top 64 golfers in a unique head-to-head match-play competition, was founded in 1999 and was held in Arizona for the first time in February 2007 at The Gallery Golf Club in Dove Mountain.  It was announced during that after another year at The Gallery the tournament would move to The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain for the February 2009 tournament.

The practice rounds being Monday, February 23rd, and the actual tournament begins on Wednesday the 25th, continuing through Sunday the 1st of March. At the end of this post is a more detailed schedule of play.

The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain also features a 50,000-square-foot Clubhouse complex, complete with all of the services one would expect from a top-level private club, including 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 with spectacular views.

The resort includes the  just opened 250-room Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain resort hotel and spa, and the first phase of The Residences, a 300-home residential community which is currently open in Phase I.  If you would like pricing/floorplan contact me and I’ll pass that right along.

For those of you who missed out on last year’s victory by Tiger Woods here is a brief recap (1:51 long)

I’m hoping Tiger can make it out for this tournament after having season-ending surgery on his knee late last summer. The Tucson community can definitely use his presence to bolster the estimated $100 million+ economy boost the tournament brings to town. And that $100 million estimate was from 2007! I’m also looking forward to see how the new Nicklaus course treats the pros versus The Gallery course where the tournament was played last year.

Twenty seven holes are currently completed with nine more holes slated for completion in 2010. The first 18 holes, comprising the two tournament nines, are par 72 measuring 7,833 yards, while the third nine measures 3,974 yards at par 36. The routing of the final nine holes is complete but exact yardage has yet to be finalized.

The Arizona Daily Star has published an interactive course map that is pretty neat, check it out here.

If you do end up stopping by here are some helpful area links:

Shopping

Tucson Shopping Malls

Oro Valley MarketPlace

Dining

Dining in/around Dove Mountain (Not a whole lot, but there are a few places to eat in the Fry’s Shopping Center)

Other area restaurants and dining options

Hotels

Nearby hotel options

For those of you driving/flying in from out of town be aware of the ongoing I-10 construction.

Parking will also be another obstacle to overcome. There is a huge designated parking lot (I say designated because it’s just dirt) on the southside of Tangerine Road a mile or two east of I-10. Shuttles will be provided from there to the course and back free of charge, and the parking lot will be monitored by TPD.

If anyone has spare tickets let me know!

2009 Accenture Match Play Schedule of Events

Saturday, February 21

Volunteer Appreciation Party
(by invitation only)
Walter Hagen Club
3-5 p.m. MT

Sunday, February 22

Bracket Announcement
5 p.m. MT

U of A/ASU AM-AM
Presented by the Tucson Conquistadores
Location and Time TBD

Monday, February 23

Practice Round for Professionals
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Gates Open
7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. MT

Pro-AM
Presented by the Tucson Conquistadores
Location and Time TBD

Tuesday, February 24

2009 Practice Round for Professionals
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Gates Open
7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. MT

Accenture Match Play Championship Sponsor Appreciation Party
(by Invitation Only)
Westin La Paloma Ballroom
6:30 p.m.-10 p.m. MT

Wednesday, February 25

Play begins: 32 Matches
(approximate match times: 7:40 a.m.-12:34 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Gates Open
6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. MT

Television Times
GOLF CHANNEL: 2 -6 p.m. EST

Thursday, February 26

Sixteen Matches
(approximate match times: 9:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Gates Open
8 a.m.-6 p.m. MT

Television Times
GOLF CHANNEL: 2 -6 p.m. EST

Friday, February 27

Eight Matches
(approximate match times: 10:50 a.m.-12:14 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Gates Open
9 a.m.-6 p.m. MT

Television Times
GOLF CHANNEL: 2 -6 p.m. EST

Saturday, February 28

Four Quarterfinal Matches
(approximate match times: 7:38-8:14 a.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Gates Open
6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. MT

Two Semifinal Matches
(approximate match times: 12:05-12:20 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Television Times
GOLF CHANNEL: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. EST
NBC: 2-6 p.m. EST

Sunday, March 1

36-Hole Championship Match
(First eighteen holes -- Approximate match time: 7:40 a.m. MT)
(Resuming match -- Approximate match time: 12:20 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Gates Open
6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. MT

18-Hole Consolation Match
(Approximate match time: 12:05 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Television Times
GOLF CHANNEL: 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. EST
NBC: 2-6 p.m. EST

Monday, March 2

First Flight: Accenture All-Amateur Team Championship
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain
6:30 a.m. MT -- Registration & Breakfast
Location: Clubhouse
8:00 a.m. MT -- Shotgun Start
Location: Clubhouse
Immediately Following Play -- Lunch & Awards
Location: Clubhouse

Second Flight: Accenture All-Amateur Team Championship
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain
11:30 a.m. MT -- Registration & Lunch
Location: Clubhouse
1 p.m. MT -- Shotgun Start
Location: Clubhouse
Immediately Following Play -- Reception & Awards Location: Clubhouse

Please contact the Accenture Match Play Championship office for further details at: (520) 207-0595

Snow in Tucson!

Well the Old Pueblo had a winter front come through town last night and it left us with a nice blanket of snow on the mountains around town. Below is a picture from the University of Arizona webcam located in the Gould-Simpson building. The Santa Catalina Mountains look beautiful capped with that snow!

Crazy weather especially considering we were in the 80’s just last week! Looking at the projected forecast I don’t think we’ll be returning to the warm weather anytime soon so it’s time to break out the jackets and sweaters again!

Here are the 24-Hour Tucson MLS Change Statistics:

ABC’s Extreme Makeover Visits Tucson!

Just received an email from a co-worker regarding ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition show. They are visiting the Old Pueblo for a second time starting January 29th and finishup up on February 3rd. The lucky homeowners-to-be have no idea they will be selected yet but I’m sure they will be deserving of the home, which will be built by Tucson’s John Wesley Miller Company.

ABC is currently looking for volunteers at the Extreme Makeover Tucson website, and you are able to volunteer four-hour blocks of your time round-the-clock during the build process. Naturally the first few days and the last day of the taping are already booked up solid (everyone wants a little TV time!) and I’ve volunteered eight hours on Friday. It’s always nice to help out someone else in need and with an estimated 500 workers working around the clock there should be a ton of energy there.

If you don’t have any plans yet get out there and volunteer! If you see me feel free to say hello!

Tucson Market Beginning to Turn Around?

A few weeks ago a writer/reporter contacted me with some questions regarding the Tucson real estate market and I had no problem shooting back a lengthy email describing what I currently see happening. I like discussing the trends and developments I see in real estate as it forces me to keep abreast of market conditions and makes me that much more informed for my clients.

The article was just published yesterday by NuWire Investor, an investment website that has a plethora of articles and resources for investing opportunities. Note: I was not reimbursed in any way for my contribution.

Here is the article: Speculators Scatter, but Investors Welcome in Optimistic Tucson

I’m cited along with Dave Smith, another local Realtor who also runs an excellent Tucson real estate blog. Check out his site here.

In my opinion the re-emergence of investors in the Tucson market is a sign that Tucson market has either bottomed out or is close to it. With lending guidelines as tight as they are now and interest rates not ridiculously attractive (although in the past few weeks they have dropped significantly) an investor must have good reason to pounce on property, usually dictated by price. Let’s hope this trend continues and Tucson can bust out of the recent real estate funk we’ve been experiencing.

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