In 2001, the site that was to become The Village at Las Sendas was an awkward, triangular-shaped vacant parcel sandwiched between the intersection of Power and McDowell Roads and the Central Arizona Project Canal (which carries water from the Colorado River into Phoenix, Tucson, and Central Arizona).

When Aurbis gained control of the property, the conventional wisdom within the local development and brokerage community was that the site had too many challenges to become a quality retail development project. There was a 130’-deep non-buildable easement running along the property’s northeast boundary, which also happened to border the CAP. To make matters worse, the site also had a significant grade change that sloped upward from McDowell Road on the south to the property line on the north. The good news was that the 202 Red Mountain Freeway was under construction and making its way toward the project. The bad news was that the future freeway access planned for both McDowell and Power Roads was still four or five years away. Additionally, this portion of the freeway had been set aside as the last segment scheduled for completion due to the advanced engineering required to bridge the CAP canal, complications involving the roadbed due to regional drainage that impacted the alignment bordering the CAP, and issues involving Federal easements that were held by multiple agencies.

Due in part to these complications, previous development proposals by others were less than exciting and had included such uses as a mini-storage facility, various fast food restaurants, and a convenience store and gas station for the immediate corner. Residents of the adjacent Las Sendas Master Planned Community and other nearby neighborhoods had mobilized in opposition to the previous development proposals. As a result of community opposition, those previously proposed projects never moved forward.

The intersection of Power and McDowell Roads already included two grocery-anchored shopping centers, and another shopping center was proposed for the other vacant corner at the intersection. If the site was going to be developed successfully, and with neighborhood support, it would need to meet the demands of the residents while carving out a niche that side-stepped the competition from the existing and proposed projects located at the same intersection. Fortunately, Aurbis recognized that there was an unmet demand for better quality retail and dining establishments in the market, but no one had been willing to invest the effort necessary to make it a reality.

Over the course of one year and dozens of meetings with neighborhood stakeholders, a plan emerged that received the support of all the neighborhood groups. Now that there was an acceptable plan, the leasing and marketing efforts had to capture the tenants necessary to fulfill the project’s vision.

The project’s location in the Desert Uplands region of Mesa, Arizona, was not going to draw national tenants. As such, the best collection of local and regional tenants had to be convinced that the location and the quality of the project would meet their requirements. Progress was slow but steady. In 2003 the first phase of development began, resulting in the improvement of the site with all necessary infra structure along with the construction of an Eckerd Pharmacy (now CVS). By 2004, construction began on five office buildings and five retail buildings, creating a “village” environment, which opened in 2005. The retail component included four restaurants, one bakery, the region’s most prestigious salon and day spa, and multiple specialty retailers. Overnight, the area’s residents who routinely drove 10 – 20 miles to find quality dining now found that their needs were met without having to leave their own neighborhood. And because of the dining and retail options available at The Village at Las Sendas, residents from other areas now found their way to the project as well.

Today, The Village at Las Sendas still stands out as a project that surpasses its competition and has continued to thrive in spite of economic downturns. The quality of its plan, design, and unique tenant merchandising continues to serve its community and the larger trade area. As a final note, several of the national tenants who were initially elusive and uninterested subsequently joined The Village at Las Sendas as the project’s success became evident.