Two milestones at Vistancia are giving the Peoria community a reason to celebrate.
The first is the recent sale of the 4,000th home to Richard Jacoby of Beverly Hills, Calif. Jacoby, who purchased a home in Trilogy at Vistancia, one of three lifestyle villages in the community, learned about Vistancia from a co-worker. He plans to retire to his new home in about 18 months.
“I knew it when I saw it,” Jacoby said, adding that he visited other communities but chose Trilogy because of a number of factors—the layout, the design of the models, home prices, the fitness center and the location. “It’s 5-10 minutes away from great shopping.”
The milestone opening of the 14-mile stretch of Loop 303 from Happy Valley Road to I-17 brings Vistancia even closer to shopping, entertainment and other destinations across the entire Valley and could spur the next era of residential and economic growth within the master plan.
“The opening of the Loop 303 is a huge, positive step for Vistancia, said John Graham, president of Sunbelt Holdings, the developer of Vistancia. “Vistancia is now connected to all major transportation corridors in the Valley and with the increased visibility the freeway brings, we think visitor traffic and residential growth will increase as well.”
Construction began this month to extend Lone Mountain Road, a major thoroughfare within Vistancia, to directly access Loop 303, adding another way in and out of the community. The Lone Mountain Road entrance/exit is scheduled for completion in early 2012.
Along the 303 transportation corridor, located at El Mirage and Lone Mountain roads, lies a parcel of land within Vistancia that could stimulate commercial development and jobs in and near the 7,100-acre community for years to come.
The 550-acre parcel is “shovel-ready,” which Graham said may be as attractive to potential buyers as its location. “Approximately 95% of the land adjacent to the 303 from Happy Valley Road to I-17 is state land and it takes time to maneuver through the auction and sales process.”
The parcel is considered by city, regional and state economic development officials as a “blank canvas” that could potentially open up the northwest Valley to major employers, retail and other industries.
Graham pointed out that private education companies, healthcare providers and mixed-use developers are already expressing interest in the property. “The opportunities for long-term economic impact in the region are limitless.”
Vistancia, which opened in 2004, is one of the most successful master plans in the nation. It offers three distinct lifestyle villages, each with its own amenities: Vistancia Village; Trilogy at Vistancia and the private, gated country club community of Blackstone. Vistancia has a population of 8,500. At build-out, it will include more than 10,000 homes and additional villages.