By Steve Christy
After more than 30 years, we are on the verge of witnessing the opening of the first phase of homes in the long-anticipated Rocking K master-planned community within Pima County’s “crown jewel,” the Vail, Corona de Tucson, and southeast region of District 4.
This is good news for our community as this phase of the Rocking K project will provide attractive, controlled, and stable growth to our area; open up new transportation links for convenience and safety; and generate jobs and economic growth for our region. Purchasing of completed homes could begin by late 2020 or in early 2021. Major homebuilders including Pulte Home, Lennar, and KB Home will be leading the first wave of 558-unit sales and construction efforts.
Included in this initial phase will be a new park catering to children, youth, and adults, which will offer additional recreation innovations. Other community amenities will include a Vail K-8 School site, extensively landscaped streets, and a network of connecting trails.
An added benefit to the opening of Rocking K community will be the extension of Valencia Road from Houghton to Old Spanish Trail, which is programmed to start construction later this year. This stretch of Valencia Road construction, featuring a bridge over the Pantano Wash, is something our community has been literally begging for, for years. Those supporting this new road include the Vail School District, the Tucson Metro Chamber, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Saguaro National Monument, U of A Science and Technology Park, Rincon Fire Department, Sun Corridor and Southern Arizona Homebuilders Association.
The Valencia Road extension will get children to and from school faster and more safely; will allow for quicker response times by EMTs and other first responders; as well as ease congestion and air pollution.
Financing this new road was creative, with Pima County agreeing to accelerate the road project by issuing Certificates of Participation. On May 15th, 2018, approving Resolution No. 2018-29, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously, 5-0, to begin the bond issuance process, with Pima County taxpayers fully re-paid by the Rocking K homebuilder development fees, and Diamond Ventures guaranteeing shortfalls, if any should occur. These bonds will be utilized exclusively for constructing Valencia Road from Houghton to Old Spanish Trail, a roadway project benefitting the entire southern region.
This road construction project is the first instance where the cost of developing an arterial highway has been exclusively paid for by developer impact fees and the agreement includes four additional conditions that the developer has agreed to as well in the repayment contract.
New homes, new schools, new roads, new communities and new opportunities are all being generated, created and revealed in our Vail/Corona de Tucson southeast region. These are more solid examples of why our District 4 is the fastest growing region in Pima County and why everyone loves it and wants to live, work, and recreate here.
