A development in Arizona that bills itself as a “master-planned community” leaves its residents in a food desert and desperate to open something like a gas station.
Tartesso was originally announced as a development in Buckeye, Arizona in 2005 and currently has around 10,000 residents, many of whom agree that there are very few amenities.
The development is along the Sun Valley Parkway about 40 miles west of Phoenix, which was once known as the ‘Road to Nowhere’ and, for some who live there, may still seem that way.
One local said they need to drive 15 minutes just to get to a grocery store or gas station. Walmart is also 15 minutes from the community, while Costco is 20 minutes away.
One resident noted that things in the neighborhood have improved, but only because locals can now rely on the food trucks that come to the area every day.
A development in Arizona that bills itself as a “master-planned community” leaves its residents in a food desert and desperate to open something like a gas station.
Residents say they love how quiet the community is, far from the state’s largest city, Phoenix.
“One of the attractive features of that neighborhood is that it’s away from all the heavy industry that’s really popping up on every corner in Phoenix,” Terrell Hannah said. AZ Central.
However, Hannah also needs to take her children 25 minutes to school and 35-45 minutes to the air force base where she earns a living.
Martín Partida, a real estate agent who has lived in Tartesso since 2020, doesn’t understand why the neighborhood has not been served when the rest of Buckeye has moved on.
‘When we compare what we have with other communities that have developed like Verrado, it seems unbalanced. “We’re not sure why it’s taking so long to get things moving here,” Partida said.
Greatest wish for Partida? An institute, like the Tartesso schools currently, only reaches up to fifth grade.
He also hopes for some type of recreation center.
Cameron James, who has lived in the neighborhood for 15 years, says he accepted his fate long ago.
Tartesso was originally announced as a development in Buckeye, Arizona in 2005 and currently has around 10,000 residents, many of whom agree that there are very few amenities.
The development is located along the Sun Valley Parkway, about 40 miles west of Phoenix, which was once known as the ‘Road to Nowhere’ and for some who live there, it may still feel like it.
‘You get used to it after about a year. I mean, now we feel spoiled because we have food trucks,” James said.
Page Stein has no problem with people having to travel longer distances, believing it’s what young professionals “should have to do.”
What he wants is a cafe and more places for Tartesso’s younger residents to gather.
“Something where students coming out of school can hang out, so they don’t have to go straight home or hang out in the heat,” Stein said.
The city, on its website, boasts of “recreational amenities, neighborhood parks, green spaces and natural washes.” A large sports park has baseball fields, soccer fields, basketball, volleyball, tennis courts and ramadas.’
However, people like development director Chris Barr understand the complaints and are working to address them, specifically trying to attract grocery stores and gas stations.
The city has rezoned the land from residential to industrial, halting construction of 6,000 homes and potentially adding more jobs.
“We just wanted to create some employment opportunities and really good-paying jobs for people in that region who don’t want to take the highway and potentially have to leave the city of Buckeye to get to and from work every day.” Barr said.
Although there is a playground in the neighborhood, one resident wants more places for Tartesso’s younger residents to gather
People like development director Chris Barr understand the complaints and are working to address them, specifically trying to attract grocery stores and gas stations, and plan to eventually attract 100,000 residents.
The aim is to attract more people and give them more employment close to their homes so that they can continue to bring trade and retail to Tartesso, which has a target of 100,000 inhabitants.
He claims the problem with many of the desired public works programs, such as a recreation center and development in general, were carryovers from the great recession of the late 2000s.
“They had a lot of projections that took a long time to come to fruition because the market was effectively closed for a couple of years,” Barr said.
According to the city of Buckeye, at least one thing is materializing: a QuikTrip opening south of Tartesso.
QuikTrip is a southwestern convenience store chain with more than 100 locations in Arizona.
‘While commercial development is currently thriving in the eastern portions of Buckeye, our growth trajectory will extend westward along Sun Valley Parkway. “This will encourage expansion and development in those areas,” a statement from the city said.
There are also reports that a gas station will be built a mile from the neighborhood. The nearest gas station is currently 10 miles away.
Barr believes it’s all starting to come together in the small, isolated community.
“I don’t think we’re at that point,” Barr said. “But I think activity begets more activity.”
