27 minute read
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY May 2022 Writer Joseph J. Airdo
May 3–24
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TRAVELING WITH WATERCOLOR
The Holland Center will welcome Larry Charles for a four-week workshop during which participants will learn techniques for capturing landscapes in fleeting sunlight; quick-sketch plein air pictures; lifelike characters; watercolor postcards; and travel journaling. $200. 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. RSVP. The Holland Center, 34250 N. 60th St., Building B, Scottsdale. 480-4881090; hollandcenter.org
MUSICANOVA ORCHESTRA CONCERT
MusicaNova Orchestra will present the world premiere of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4. $30+. 2 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale. scottsdaleperformingarts.org
May 1
SPEM: SONGS OF HOPE AND LOVE
Phoenix Chorale will perform Thomas Tallis’ 40-part Renaissance masterpiece “Spem in Alium.” Through bespoke staging concepts in each venue, the audience will experience total immersion in the sound of 40 solo voices, each singing a different line of music and all joining together to create a phenomenal sound. $42+; discounts available for students, seniors and active military. 3 p.m. Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, 25150 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale. phoenixchorale.org
May 1
WATER IN THE DESERT
Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix will perform a concert of water-themed choral music — including sea shanties, rivers, weeping and baptism. See website for prices. 3 p.m. Camelback Bible Church, 3900 E. Stanford Drive, Paradise Valley. orpheus.org
May 1
YOU COME, TOO
Sonoran Desert Chorale will perform a concert of music that celebrates coming home, coming together, making a spiritual journey and spending time with loved ones. $18+; student and senior discounts available. 3 p.m. La Casa De Cristo Lutheran Church, 6300 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale. 480-305-4538; sonorandesertchorale.org
May 2
LITERATE FOODIE CLUB
Literate Foodie Club will host a discussion of Jose Andres’ “Vegetables Unleashed.” The club’s volunteer cooks will serve a sampling of foods related to the book. $10. 12:30 p.m. RSVP. Desert Foothills Library, 38443 N. Schoolhouse Road, Cave Creek. 480-488-2286; dfla.org
May 4–June 19
SOMETHING ROTTEN
The Phoenix Theatre Company will present its production of “Something Rotten,” a musical extravaganza about
conniving-but-clueless brothers who hatch a plan to cook up the next big stage hit. See website for price and times. The Phoenix Theatre Company, 1825 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-254-2151; phoenixtheatre.com
May 5–8
JUAN GABRIEL
Ballet Arizona will pay homage to the legendary performer and music of Mexican singer and songwriter Juan Gabriel, who captured the hearts of millions worldwide and whose works have transcended generations. See website for price and times. Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second St., Phoenix. balletaz.org
May 6–15
BE MORE CHILL
Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre will present its teen production of “Be More Chill” See website for price and times. Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre at Fashion Square, 7014 E. Camelback Road, Suite 0586, Scottsdale. 480-4831664; desertstages.org
May 6–22
NUNSENSE
Fountain Hills Theater will present its production of “Nunsense,” in which five nuns stage a variety show. See website for price and times. Fountain Hills Theater, 11445 N. Saguaro Blvd., Fountain Hills. 480-837-9661; fhtaz.org
May 7
BUILDING A BRIGHT FUTURE
Rosie’s House will host its annual ovation gala, featuring entertainment, a silent auction, dinner and a hosted bar. Rosie's House students will take center stage with impressive performances and stories of the life-changing impact of music. See website for price and time. The Camby, Autograph Collection, 2401 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix. 602-2528475; rosieshouse.org
May 7 and 8
NEW WORKS: MADE IN AMERICA
Arizona Masterworks Chorale will perform a concert of music by today’s most thrilling composers. $15+. Saturday 7:30 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church, 801 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix. Sunday 3 p.m. at Ascension Lutheran Church, 7100 N. Mockingbird Lane, Paradise Valley. arizonamasterworks.com
COMMUNITY May 2022 May 10 BANKING IN AMERICA The Holland Center will welcome Jim Sherbert for a lecture about the history of banking in America. $10. 4 Writer Joseph J. Airdo p.m. The Holland Center, 34250 N. 60th St., Building B, Scottsdale. 480-488-1090; hollandcenter.org
May 20–29
SPRING ARIZONA RESTAURANT WEEK
Photo from Match Market + Bar by Timothy Fox Photography
The Arizona Restaurant Association will host its annual event during which participating dining establishments will offer special three-course menus that showcase their culinary breadth and talent. $33+. See website for locations. arizonarestaurantweek.com
May 10
GET LIT BOOK CLUB
Desert Foothills Library will host a happy hour book club featuring Serena Valentino’s “Villains” series. Free. 5 p.m. RSVP. Mountain View Pub, 7033 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek. dfla.org
May 12 and 24
LIBRARY BOOK CLUB
Desert Foothills Library will host a book club featuring Li Cunxin’s “Mao’s Last Dancer.” Free. 10 a.m. RSVP. Desert Foothills Library, 38443 N. School House Road, Cave Creek. dfla.org
May 13–15
JURASSIC PARK IN CONCERT
The Phoenix Symphony orchestra will perform John Williams’ iconic score live to picture during a special screening of “Jurassic Park.” See website for price. Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second St., Phoenix. phoenixsymphony.org
May 13–Oct. 2
VISIONS ‘22
Scottsdale Arts Learning and Innovation will open a new exhibition showcasing the skills and inspiration exchanged between students and professional artists during art workshops throughout the school year. Free. Center Space Gallery at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale. scottsdaleartslearning.org
May 14
RETURN TO DOWNTON AFTERNOON TEA PARTY
English Rose Tea Room will host a celebratory afternoon tea in preparation of the release of the new major motion picture “Downton Abbey: A New Era.” Costumes are essential while “Downton Abbey”-inspired gifts, music and photo opportunities will be available. $55. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. RSVP. English Rose Tea Room, 201 Easy Street, Carefree. 480-488-4812; carefreetea.com
CELEBRATE MUSIC FROM HAWAII
Musical Instrument Museum will celebrate the music of Hawaii with live performances and educational workshops. See website for schedule of events. $20; youth discounts available. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. Phoenix. 480-478-6000; mim.org
May 14 and 15
ON THE ROAD: ARIZONA TO WEST VIRGINIA
In anticipation of its summer tour to the East Coast, Phoenix Boys Choir will perform a concert exploring the rich heritage and music of the American Southwest alongside several guest artists — including the Yellow Bird Apache Dancers and youth from the Tradiciones Dance Company. $20+. Saturday 7 p.m. at Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa; Sunday 3 p.m. at Willow Canyon High School, 17901 W. Lundberg St., Surprise. boyschoir.org
May 15
SCOTTSDALE PHILHARMONIC CONCERT
Scottsdale Philharmonic will perform a concert of classical music. $15. 4 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale. 480-499-8587, scottsdalephilharmonic.com
May 17–June 2
AN EVENING AT DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN
Ballet Arizona will perform a work with choreography that embraces and showcases the vast natural backdrop of the desert. See website for price. Tuesdays–Saturdays 8 p.m. Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix. balletaz.org
May 19
CAREFREE ART NIGHT
Galleries throughout Carefree will host an event that offers art enthusiasts an opportunity to enjoy live music and refreshments as they stroll through the breathtaking shadows of Black Mountain in search of their next masterpiece. Free. 4–7 p.m. See website for participating galleries. visitcarefree.com
COMMUNITY May 2022 May 19–June 25 THE CURIOUS SAVAGE Don Bluth Front Row Theatre will present its production of “The Curious Savage” — a heartwarming comedy Writer Joseph J. Airdo about an elderly widow who inherits a fortune and befriends a lovely group of misfits after her stepchildren commit her to a sanatorium. $28+; youth, senior, student and military discounts available. Don Bluth Front Row Theatre, 8989 E. Via Linda, Suite 118, Scottsdale. 480314-0841; donbluthfrontrowtheatre.com
May 29
BALLET THEATRE OF PHOENIX SPRING RECITAL
Ballet Theatre of Phoenix will perform three short ballets to celebrate the season — including “Etudes,” “Enchanted Garden” and Paquita.” $30. 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Herberger Theatre Center, 222 E. Monroe Street, Phoenix. 602-9573364; ballettheatreofphx.org
May 31–June 24
THEATER ARTS SUMMER CAMPS
Desert Foothills Theater will host a pair of one-week summer camps in which participants aged 7–13 will learn songs and dances from shows such as “Encanto” and “Moana.” The camps will also feature talent shows, dance parties, acting games, arts and crafts and special performances for parents. $595. 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Notre Dame Preparatory High School, 9701 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale. dftheater.org
COWBOY BBQ OPENS AT FRONTIER TOWN
Six years after a tragic fire took the anchor building in the center of Cave Creek’s Frontier Town, Wade Hansen and Denise Goode have put their creative and culinary talent to work, introducing Hansen’s Cowboy BBQ. Rusty antique trucks and horse trailers have been renovated into bars and food service windows; the back porch houses several large outdoor grills and smokers; and the Frontier Town Stage plays host to a variety of talented musicians playing old school country music. 6245 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek. hansenscowboybbq.com
June 3–12
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS
Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre will present its production of “Once Upon a Mattress.” See website for price and times. Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre at Fashion Square, 7014 E. Camelback Road, Suite 0586, Scottsdale. 480-483-1664; desertstages.org
June 3–12
WINNIE THE POOH KIDS
Fountain Hills Youth Theater will present its production of “Winnie the Pooh Kids.” $18; youth discounts available. See website for times. Fountain Hills Theater, 11445 N Saguaro Blvd., Fountain Hills. 480-837-9661; fhtaz.org
June 4
DESERT FOOTHILLS BOOK FESTIVAL
Desiring to connect personally with book lovers and to promote an appreciation of reading and the literary arts, a group of local authors will host an event during which attendees may meet and greet the community’s countless talented writers. The event will also feature a free raffle as well as an opportunity to purchase additional raffle tickets for gift baskets and other prizes while net proceeds from the festival will benefit local literacy programs. Free. 9 a.m.–2 p.m. The Holland Center, 34250 N. 60th St., Scottsdale. desertfoothillsbookfestival.com
June 8–Aug. 7
ALWAYS... PATSY CLINE
The Phoenix Theatre Company will present its production of “Always... Patsy Cline,” in which tales of musician Patsy Cline’s life on the road are told with downhome country humor and brought to vibrant life through her music. See website for price and times. The Phoenix Theatre Company, 1825 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-2542151; phoenixtheatre.com
June 10 and 11
THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE
Detour Company Theatre will present its production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Free. 7 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale. scottsdaleperformingarts.org
June 11 and 12
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS
Detour Company Theatre will present its production of “Once Upon a Mattress.” Free. 3 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale. scottsdaleperformingarts.org
June 14
THE COLORADO RIVER AND THE GRAND CANYON
The Holland Center will welcome Jim Sherbert for a lecture about the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon. $10. 4 p.m. The Holland Center, 34250 N. 60th St., Building B, Scottsdale. 480-488-1090; hollandcenter.org
July 1–10
ROALD DAHL'S WILLY WONKA, JR.
Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre will present its youth production of “Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka, Jr.” See website for price and times. Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre at Fashion Square, 7014 E. Camelback Road, Suite 0586, Scottsdale. 480483-1664; desertstages.org
July 8–24
URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL
Fountain Hills Theater presents its production of “Urinetown: The Musical,” in which a water shortage has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets, forcing citizens to use public amenities regulated by a single malevolent company. See website for price and times. Fountain Hills Theater, 11445 N. Saguaro Blvd., Fountain Hills. 480-837-9661; fhtaz.org
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COMMUNITY May 2022 July 11–29 THEATER ARTS SUMMER CAMPS Desert Foothills Theater will host a trio of one-week summer camps in which participants aged 7–13 will learn Writer Joseph J. Airdo songs and dances from shows such as “Encanto,” “Frozen” and “Moana.” The camps will also feature talent shows, dance parties, acting games, arts and crafts and special performances for parents. $285. 9 a.m.–3 p.m. The Holland Center, 34250 N. 60th St., Scottsdale. dftheater.org
July 29–Aug. 7
LITTLE WOMEN
Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre will present its teen production of “Little Women.” See website for price and times. Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre at Fashion Square, 7014 E. Camelback Road, Suite 0586, Scottsdale. 480483-1664; desertstages.org
IMMERSIVE KLIMT ARRIVES IN SCOTTSDALE
Impact Museums and Lighthouse Immersive this spring debuted an immersive art installation featuring the works of Gustav Klimt. World-renowned master of digital art Massimiliano Siccardi brings patrons through Klimt’s evolution from thousands of handdrawn sketches to works from the pinnacle of his golden phase — such as the “The Woman in Gold,” “Tree of Life” and “The Kiss.” $39.99. Lighthouse ArtSpace Phoenix, 4301 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. immersiveklimt.com.
RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION GETS NEW LEADER
Keeler’s Neighborhood Steakhouse general manager Michael “Fish” Fischer has been appointed to head the Carefree Restaurant Association. Fischer has a rich background in the restaurant industry, including working at the Hard Rock Café in Florida before coming to Arizona in 1998 and working with legendary chefs such as Eddie Matney and Tomaso Maggiore and at the likes of the Arizona Biltmore Resort’s many restaurants. In 2012, he briefly left Arizona for an opportunity with Keeler Hospitality Group’s first restaurant — Spencer’s for Steaks and Chops. He eventually returned to Arizona to help the company open Keeler’s Neighborhood Steakhouse. carefreerestaurants.com
THEATER ADVANCES TOWARD IMPROVEMENTS
The Phoenix Theatre Company recently launched the final phase of its Centennial Capital Campaign in support of construction of a state-of-the-art, 500-seat theater along with the creation of an arts innovation and training wing to support its community service programs. Technical improvements will include a full fly loft, below-stage traps and a stage large enough to accommodate pre-Broadway show development. phoenixtheatre.com
TThere are few things on this planet that a good book cannot solve. From providing you with a source of entertainment or mental stimulation to widening your cultural perspective or palate, books possess just about everything you can possibly desire to know or experience. That is especially true of books written by Arizona authors.
“Arizona authors are a vibrant, varied and caring bunch, eager to share their craft and enrich the lives of those in our community and beyond,” says Caren Cantrell, a children’s book author and Cave Creek resident. “Whether you are looking to escape into a world of fantasy and fiction or you want to know you are not alone in the problems you face, an Arizona author has what you need.”
Cantrell is the committee chairperson for the Desert Foothills Book Festival, a new free event conceived by a small group of local authors who desired to connect personally with book lovers and to promote an appreciation of reading and the literary arts.
“With the Tucson Book Festival to the south and the Payson and Prescott book festivals to the north, [we] felt the greater Phoenix, Scottsdale, Cave Creek and Carefree areas were missing a valuable opportunity to meet and engage with local authors from all genres,” Cantrell says.
Set for Saturday, June 4 at the Holland Center, the Desert Foothills Book Festival will begin with a storytime during which a local actress will read passages from children’s books written by some of the festival’s authors. The actress will return later during the event to read passages from adult fiction and nonfiction books.
Among the many local authors who will be in attendance at the festival are Victorian historical mysteries writer Karen Odden and western, thriller and paranormal writer Dan Baldwin. The event will also feature a free raffle as well as an opportunity to purchase additional raffle tickets for gift baskets and other prizes while net proceeds from the festival will benefit local literacy programs.
Children’s book author and Cave Creek resident Caren Cantrell is also the committee chairperson for the Desert Foothills Book Festival, a new free event conceived by a small group of local authors who desired to connect personally with book lovers and to promote an appreciation of reading and the literary arts.
CAREN CANTRELL
Cantrell recalls being very shy as a child.
“Books became my friends — a world I could immerse myself in with no judgments or criticisms and no fear of failure,” she says. “They taught me compassion, empathy and different ways to interact with the world around me. I knew I wanted to be able to do that for other children.” Cantrell spent 30 years as a banker, ending her career as an executive vice president in charge of operations with 600 employees in five states. Having never lost her love for books, she then founded 102nd Place — a publishing services company with which she helps other authors self-publish their books.
It was that role — and the role of grandmother — that convinced her to finally realize her earlier aspirations of authoring children’s books.
“Aside from the challenges I faced as a child, I feel the best teacher for me has been becoming a grandmother,” Cantrell says. “I have ten grandchildren and each one of them is unique and interesting. Watching them grow, listening to what they say and seeing them interacting with the world has given me so much more insight than any writing class ever could.”
Cantrell recently expanded her repertoire to include a middle-grade science-fantasy novel, “The Sun Thief,” but most of her works are picture books for children such as “The Fastest Dinosaur” — which, the author says, are more challenging to write than you might think.
“A picture book has to have all of the same elements as any other story or novel and you have to do it in 500 words or less,” she explains. “You have to be concise and use a single descriptive word rather than a string of adjectives.”
Cantrell believes that the effort is well worth it, though, especially if it ends up providing children with friends in her books — just as she had when she was a child — and the encouragement to keep reading.
“I am very concerned with the low literacy rate among kids, particularly here in Arizona,” Cantrell says. “If I can write something that inspires a child to keep reading, that is a good thing. Kids who read grow up to be adults who think.”
Victorian historical mysteries writer and Scottsdale resident Karen Odden says that stories often drop into her lap as demanding attention “in the manner of an exuberant puppy or a ticking bomb.”
KAREN ODDEN
Some kids who read also grow up to be adults to write — as is the case with Odden who, having previously worked in publishing, marketing and sales, made the leap to author in 2006.
Since the Scottsdale resident’s first novel “A Lady in the Smoke” became a bestseller, she has written three more novels — “A Dangerous Duet,” “A Trace of Deceit” and “Down a Dark River.” “I write historical mysteries and historical fiction,” Odden says. “Mysteries have life and death stakes and provide ample opportunity to explore themes of injustice, dysfunctional families, socioeconomic inequality, political upheaval and so on. Crimes and murders, in particular, are often driven by some combination of love, revenge, greed and fear, which occupy some of the darkest corners in the human heart.”
Odden adds that setting her stories in 1870s London enables her to address contemporary issues at one remove.
“That is, I can explore contemporary racism by displacing it to 1870s London, where there was vicious anti-Irish sentiment in certain parts of England,” Odden explains.
While the time and place of Odden’s novels are inspired by her experiences writing a college dissertation about Victorian literature and history and working at Christie’s auction house in New York, she says that the specific stories themselves often drop into her lap as demanding attention “in the manner of an exuberant puppy or a ticking bomb.”
For example, “Down a Dark River” was inspired by a nonfiction article Odden had read that got her thinking about how revenge is more complicated than the rather glib phrase “an eye for an eye” suggests.
“Revenge can be a form of communication, a last-ditch entreaty for empathy, a demand for understanding,” she explains. “So I wanted to write a book about revenge and the role empathy plays in bringing justice and mercy to our world. That book became ‘Down a Dark River.’”
Its sequel — “Under a Veiled Moon” — is scheduled for release this November.
When Odden is not writing, she is hiking Arizona’s trails with friends — both the real ones and the characters she makes up in her mind.
Western, thriller and paranormal writer Dan Baldwin, a Mesa resident, was inspired to venture into writing novels while hiking at the foot of Weaver’s Needle and thinking that it would make for a great setting in a story.
DAN BALDWIN
Baldwin says that he also enjoys playing with his “imaginary friends,” noting that, as a writer, he trusts completely in his own subconscious and the characters it creates.
“I am always surprised and sometimes startled to learn what my characters tell me,” Baldwin explains. “In a sense, I do not write; I transcribe.”
Having spent much of his life working in advertising, Baldwin’s foray into writing books began when he was offered the opportunity to ghostwrite a sales book for Tom Hopkins Institute in Scottsdale. He was inspired to venture into writing novels while hiking at the foot of Weaver’s Needle and thinking that it would make for a great setting in a story.
“I am an avid hiker and camper with a love of nature and landscape photography,” says Baldwin, who is a Mesa resident. “I call the Superstition Mountains ‘Lil’ Danny’s Big Ol’ Sandbox’ because it is such a joy to explore. Several of my western novels employ specific places in the Superstitions and other Arizona locations.”
However, western novels are just the tip of the iceberg for Baldwin, who also writes thrillers, short story collections and paranormal nonfiction — the last of which has provided him an opportunity to “explore the furthest reaches of the human experience with other souls unafraid to break out of the box of conventional thinking.”
“Truthfully, there is an ‘out there’ out there,” Baldwin says. “And I want to explore as much of it as the human mind can handle.”
That is perhaps why Baldwin’s books — which include “The Ad Club: Quest for the Phoenix Award,” “Sparky and the Twins,” “A Stalking Death” and “The Paranormal Pendulum: Dowsing the Departed” — often transcend the very concept of genre.
“I am committed to writing my books my way and therefore write whatever genre I want to write,” Baldwin says. “For example, I began my current novel-in-progress, ‘Gabby Durango and His Rangy Texans,’ as something I thought would be a western. After writing the obligatory, ‘It was a dark and stormy night,’ I found Gabby and friends in 1919 Arizona making a stag film. Where this thing will end, I do not know, but it will be one hell of a fun ride.”
desertfoothillsbookfestival.com
EXTENDED VERSION
VISIT IMAGESARIZONA.COM TO READ AN EXTENDED VERSION OF THIS STORY, FEATURING MORE INSIGHT INTO THE WORKS OF THESE THREE AUTHORS.
EEvery generation leaves its mark on our collective culture. Technology, world events and education mold our views of the world and our place within it, shaping our values and defining what is — and what is not — important in life. Those values are undergoing a monumental shift. We are perhaps the first generation to honestly ask ourselves if we are really living the lives we want to live, and to trade convention for happiness.
Experiences have become a top priority. From how we work to how we vacation and where we choose to live, we no longer want to live to work; we want to work to live — and where we live matters.
Because of this, the Valley has become one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States.
It only takes a short drive through the North Valley to realize that a Pandora’s box of development has been opened wide. The estimated 2,000 jobs being created by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., and 3,000 jobs being created by Intel expansion are leading many to believe that the Valley of the Sun is the next Silicon Valley.
Other industries are hopping aboard too, bringing tax dollars, jobs and an influx of people — all of whom need things to do, places to eat and somewhere desirable to live.
Development is not going to stop. The question is, “How do we control it?”
Innovators like award-winning architects David C. Hovey and his son, David Hovey, Jr., are answering that call, and they’re doing it with the kind of thought and foresight needed to preserve the lifestyles and beauty that bring people here in the first place.
Even if you don’t know the Hovey name, you likely know their work. Optima Biltmore Towers, Optima Camelview Village, Optima Sonoran Village and Optima Kierland are all beautiful examples that there is a viable intersection between sustainability, lifestylebased communities and visually attractive spaces. Arguably, there is not a neighborhood where Optima has built that has not been enhanced by their projects.
Their latest proposal, Optima McDowell Mountain Village, is a stunning residential and commercial development they hope to build on what is now a dusty vacant lot on the south side of Loop 101 near Mayo Avenue and Scottsdale Road on the cusp of Scottsdale Airpark.
“Optima has developed award-winning Arizona projects,” Hovey says. “We believe our proposal for Optima McDowell Mountain Village will enhance Scottsdale and stimulate healthy sustainable growth.”
The site is currently zoned for commercial use, but rather than building another car dealership or strip mall, Optima’s team envisions a dynamic and thriving community interconnected to the greater Scottsdale community by bicycle trails, public and open spaces and a community amphitheater for concerts, performing arts and other fun events.
The proposed development would eventually consist of six 11-story buildings with up to 1,500 condominiums and apartments, as well as 31,000 square feet of commercial space that can be used for amenities such as a high-end restaurant, a café and/or
coffee bar, office suites, a bicycle shop, a boutique spa or wellness center, schools or perhaps a bank.
All parking will be below-ground, reducing the environmental footprint on the 21.88-acre parcel and leaving room for a 10-acre public park and 80% total open space — a significant feat, but not unusual for Optima, whose team has won multiple awards for sustainable design.
WHAT WILL OPTIMA OFFER?
Any good architect knows that buildings are meaningless if they don’t enhance the lives of the people who live and work in them, and Optima intends to add value in spades.
“Optima McDowell Mountain Village provides a live, work, play environment that will appeal to a wide range of buyers and renters drawn to the architecture, open space, active lifestyle, sustainable design, health-based, amenity-rich community and service offerings, as well as its premier Scottsdale location,” Hovey says.
Outdoor plans for the encompassing land include a comfortable balance of indigenous plants and trees, and also children’s play areas, health and wellness features, a sculptural fountain, a putting green and seating and lounge areas complete with fire pits where people can congregate and relax. A 14-foot-wide bike and pedestrian path will wind through the property and connect to the City of Scottsdale Bicycle Master Plan of trails and routes.
As bucolic as the outdoor areas will be, it’s the structures themselves that will be the stars of the show.
The buildings are designed in Optima’s signature contemporary, eco-conscious style, with complex elevations that step in and out to emulate the shape of the McDowell Mountains that it overlooks. Private terraces with stunning waterfalls of greenery, also an Optima signature, blur the line between indoors and out.
From the bottom up, glass-enclosed 15-foot groundfloor levels greet residents, and cascading plants and open spaces provide a relaxing respite from the summer sun. Ground floors will also hold management offices and business centers with conference rooms.
Upstairs, fitness centers that look out over the courtyard will include basketball courts, strength and aerobic training equipment, a yoga studio and locker rooms.
At the top, rooftop decks feature 50-meter Olympic-sized swimming pools surrounded by chaise lounges, running tracks that will follow the perimeter of the roofs, locker rooms, outdoor fireplaces, barbecues, seating areas, perimeter plantings and sheltering arbors covered with vines. These will provide spectacular views of the McDowell Mountains to the east, beautiful sunsets to the west, Pinnacle Peak to the north and Camelback Mountain to the south.
Homes will range in size from approximately 675 square feet for a studio to 2,221 square feet for a three-bedroom option — and like the rest of the plan, they will be comfortable and aesthetically attractive. Also, because of Optima’s vertical integration, buyers may combine homes and fully customize. At Optima Kierland, there were several buyers who combined upwards of three homes.
“We have designed the buildings to emulate the colors of the desert with bronze glass, railings, planters and privacy screens made of Cor-ten steel which weathers over time to warm brown and desert tones,” Hovey adds.
WHO WILL LIVE AT OPTIMA MCDOWELL MOUNTAIN VILLAGE?
Though time will tell, Optima planners expect the demographics of Optima McDowell Mountain Village to resemble those of its sister, Optima Kierland. Located just 2.5 miles to the south of the proposed McDowell Mountain site, residents there range in age from 25 years to 75 years and older. They are singles, couples, empty nesters, families and retirees.
Some have relocated because remote work options that opened up in recent years have provided workers the option to live anywhere they want — and Optima Kierland is a place people want to live. Others have come in with the corporation boom that’s bursting in the Valley. Still, others have traded home ownership for the lower maintenance and greater convenience that Optima offers.
“Optima McDowell Mountain Village will draw the interest of residents interested in simplifying their lives without sacrificing quality,” explains Hovey, adding that residents have the option of opting into concierge services to bring convenience literally to their doors.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Optima has put together a proposal for Scottsdale’s Design Review Board, Planning Commission and Airport Review Board, which it must pass through because it is in Scottsdale Airpark. It must also gain Scottsdale City Council approval. Optima President David Hovey, Jr. hopes to have that process completed by late summer/early fall.
It is no secret that Scottsdale needs housing, but not at the cost of the environment or of the lifestyle that people come here to enjoy.
Optima has repeatedly addressed these issues with creativity and innovation that helps to build quality industries, happy people, and communities that enhance our area. After all, there is no place like home, especially when “home” is our much-loved Sonoran Desert.
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