ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Except this one, town officials hope, is not just another new development that stands out just because of its unusual name.

The Marana Town Council earlier this month approved the rezoning of 205 acres on the west side of Interstate 10 at Marana Road for Uptown at Marana.

Unlike most developments to have popped up in Marana during its growth boom, the Uptown project isn't planned as simply a row of rooftops or a pile of storefronts.

It's both, actually.

Zoning allows for up to 930 homes of varying densities, while more than 80 acres' worth of commercial area is also planned.

And, in a first for Marana, Uptown calls for an area of residential and commercial intertwined, possibly one on top of the other.

"This, from our perspective, is going to be Marana's first truly mixed-use community," said Jordan Rose of the Rose Law Group, the attorneys who represent developers The Cardon Group and JF Properties.

"This project is just set on smart growth."

Though only a specific plan is in place — Rose said there is no timetable for when construction would begin — the project is being praised by town officials for its distinctiveness, which planning director Kevin Kish says is a key ingredient in the approval process.

"The larger projects we have, they tend to have variety," Kish said. "When we're doing specific plans, we always look to see what makes this one special."

Uptown, he says, stands out because it offers a variety of housing options rather than just the standard cookie-cutter series of home models.

"I think it's important to have different options," says Ed Stolmaker, president of the Marana Chamber of Commerce. "Not everyone wants to own a home. It's important for the town to offer a balance."

The housing options, according to Rose, will include standard single-family detached units but also a mix of townhomes, row houses, duplexes and what she calls "stacked flats," which could include placing residential space on top of stores.

"You'd have the shopkeepers living above the shops," Rose said. "You won't have that big-city feel, but it would be more of a historic main-street feel."

The mixed-use concept is one that developers have been pitching to towns like Marana for the last few years, Town Manager Mike Reuwsaat said, though most don't end up being as diverse as Uptown plans to be. He said the project could serve as a good test.

"This will give us an opportunity to see if the kind of urban growth that everyone is looking at is even viable," Reuwsaat said. "It's probably the first comprehensive project that ties highway commercial, high-density (residential) and low density (residential). The location is one that's very appropriate for this."

Its close proximity to I-10 — the northeast corner of the property will back up against the eastbound frontage road north of Marana Road — also makes the commercial aspect of the project very appealing to retailers, Rose said — so much so that the commercial portion will likely be built before the residential areas.

"Because of the location, the retail community is very excited and was just waiting for us to receive our approval," Rose said. "You can't beat the location. The retailers know that."

Land use Type No. of acres

Regional commercial 80

Low-medium density residential 41

Mixed-use (residential and commercial) 29

Medium-high density residential 26

Open space/parks 21

Neighborhood commercial 8