<< BARRIO IN THE PRESS

Tucson Business Connection 2003

“Where Arizona began”

Find out about the exceptional lifestyle
awaiting you at Barrio de Tubac.

By Jane Schreier Jones

People “in the know” will tell you that the three great communities of the American Southwest are Santa Fe, Sedona and Tubac. The first two, like Tubac, are also steeped in beauty and history, but unlike Tubac, they have been plagued by growth and overcrowding. According to Zachary Freeland, a partner in San Miguel Investors, “Tubac is geographically limited in development scope and will always remain a community you can get you arms around.”

Freeland should know. His firm, along with the Baca Float Development Company, is developing the area’s first master planned, mixed-use residential community. It is located adjacent to the old village and immediately west of the historic Barrio Archeological site. (The National Archeological Conservancy considers that particular site North American’s second most important location for early European archeological studies. St. Augustine, Florida, is preeminent.)

Founded in 1752, Tubac was the first Territorial Capital of Arizona, and the community certainly deserves to be called the “place where Arizona began.”

Barrio de Tubac is a 360-acre site of which only 150 acres will ever be developed. The remainder will be preserved as natural open space. “The community,” says Freeland, “is located adjacent to the Anza National Trail, amidst the world’s largest cottonwood forest. At the base of the 9,000 foot peaks of the Santa Rita Mountains, it is one of the most beautiful locations in the world.”

Coming Home

The Barrio features a balanced mix of sophisticated residential housing, including townhomes and single-family residences, plus casitas and patio homes. Prices range from $200,000 to more than $500,000.

New-home builders Dave and Ellen Grounds of Dorn Homes – developers of Santiago, a single-family detached community – say that Barrio de Tubac is the finest community the company has been involved with in its 32-year history.

Freeland points out that commercial and recreational areas are also part of the community. Plaza de Anza, a 20,000-square-foot shopping plaza, will begin construction this summer. “Golf, tennis, birding, hiking, horseback riding and camping are also part of the Tubac experience,” he adds.

Besides its superb location and incredible natural beauty, the community sets itself apart from all others through its meticulous planning, which began in 1986. All zoning entitlements are in place, major infrastructure has been constructed and all utilities – including sewer, water, natural gas, electricity and telephone – are run to each of the sites. The community has a 100-year assured water adequacy certificate from the State of Arizona.

The Village of Tubac

“Tubac looks much like Santa Fe de 30 years ago,” is the description given by writer Ellen Spragins in her article, Hidden Gems, in Fortune Small Business Magazine. The New York Times called Tubac the “Sedona of Southern Arizona” in a 1996 story in the Travel Section.

Tubac is the center of a six-mile-long strip referred to as “Tubac Valley.” To the north is the historic Rex Ranch. At its center is the Tubac Golf Resort founded by Bing Crosby. Just south of the resort is the Village itself, a haven for artist and craftspeople featuring more than 80 shops, studios and galleries. The southern boundary is the historic mile-long Barrio de Tubac.

Fine restaurants abound in the Tubac Valley. The Rex Ranch (world famous guest ranch) and Chef Michael offer continental dining in a superb old-world atmosphere. The Country Club features an eclectic menu with a French slant, where one dines with a view of a magnificent par three surrounded by water. (The Resort is where a portion of the film “Tin Cup” was filmed.) In the village itself there are numerous fine dining opportunities, from Toshe’s Mexican Restaurant to Melio’s Italian Restaurant. For those with an interest in light offerings, there are many choices.

Quick Stats

Surrounded by history

Residents of the Barrio de Tubac live in the midst of one of the Southwest’s most historic locations. The Anza National Trail, one of eight historic national trails operated by the National Park system, bounds the community on the east. The Trail memorializes the brave souls who left Tubac in 1775 on their way to discover and settle San Francisco, Calif. Following the trail, which runs parallel to the banks of the Santa Cruz River, the Old Tumacacori Mission (a national monument built in the 1600s) is 4.5 miles away.

Just to the north are the old Presidio (fort), the village and the Tubac State Park, with its Living History Museum. Tubac is a city of firsts: It is the state’s first European settlement, its first territorial capital and the site of its first newspaper.

Retail and Commercial phase set to begin

While the Village of Tubac is within easy walking distance for the residents of Barrio de Tubac, a new 20,000-square-foot shopping area (Plaza de Anza) featuring retail and commercial space is under planning and development. Scheduled to break ground this summer, the Plaza will have upscale shops, galleries and restaurants.