PEORIA — A 5,300-acre master-planned community in Peoria that was once approved for 8,000 homes, three golf courses and a resort is scaling back to focus on housing, the Phoenix Business Journal reported in a story published by ABC15.
The Saddleback development is now planned for as many as 6,500 homes and 180 multifamily units, surrounded by more than 60 miles of trails, including a signature 13-mile Saddleback Trail, according to the report.
The land was entitled decades ago by a previous developer for up to 2 million square feet of commercial space and 800 hotel rooms. Austin, Texas-based Castle Hill Partners has no immediate plans to build a hotel or golf courses, said Carlee Ryan, the company’s vice president of development.
“We have an entitlement for both commercial and hotel but we are not actively in planning or development for either at this time,” Ryan said.
The Business Journal described Saddleback as a $1 billion community with five homebuilders actively working on the site, preparing for expected job growth in the area.
The community’s first village, Saltbrush, opened model homes this year from Taylor Morrison and Lennar, KTAR News reported. According to Saddleback’s website, Camelot Homes, David Weekley Homes and Toll Brothers are also building in the community, with some neighborhoods coming in 2027.
Saddleback sits northwest of Phoenix near Lake Pleasant, at the northern extension of Vistancia Boulevard. Developers have said more than 2,500 acres will be preserved as open space.
Sources: ABC15/Phoenix Business Journal, KTAR News, Saddleback. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Cornelius M. Keyes / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
