Builder to put 3,000 homes in SW Valley

Rachel Stults
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 18, 2006 12:00 AM

WEST VALLEY - A new development is expected to bring nearly 3,000 homes to the far southwest Valley.

Scottsdale-based AREÁD Inc. has announced that two parcels west of Buckeye have closed, bringing the planned development to 900 acres.

The master-planned community, to be called Desert Whisper, will be between Indian School and Bethany Home roads to the south and north, and 371st and 363rd avenues to the west and east.

"We like to think that we are trying to provide a lifestyle for the residents in our community that will keep their kids busy when they come home from school and give it a community feeling," said AREÁD President Nariman Afkhami.

Prices for the one- and two-story homes will range from $150,000 to $250,000, with sizes from 1,200 to 3,000 square feet, Afkhami said. Developers have set aside 150 acres of open space for such amenities as swimming pools, tennis courts and parks.

Buckeye Economic Development Director Richard Chapman said AREÁD's focus on affordable housing is a plus to the area.

"My concern is, we're not going to have a varied housing stock and will only have executive-based housing not for the average workers making $30,000 to $50,000 a year," Chapman said. "The quicker we can get more varied housing, the better."

Groundbreaking for the development is set for late 2007 or early 2008, with completion by 2010.