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SAHUARITA - Sahuarita's retail growth will continue with seven new businesses scheduled to open in the next three months including Ross and Big Lots.

These two national retailers signed leases for space in Sahuarita Plaza near Interstate 19 and Duval Mine Road. Each store has leased about 30,000 square feet of space that was formerly occupied by American Home Furnishings. Wick Communications, publisher of The Green Valley News and Sahuarita Sun, also relocated to Sahuarita Plaza in June.

The shopping center owners invested in a new Southwestern-contemporary façade, designed by Richard Huch of Seaver Franks Architects in Tucson.

Sahuarita's exponential residential growth in the middle of the decade created new retail demand in this community of 25,000 people. Fourteen new retail and service establishments opened in Sahuarita during the past 15 months, during most challenging economic times in recent history.

Sahuarita businesses serve a market area well beyond the Town's boundary, serving customers from Green Valley, southern Pima County and Santa Cruz County. In addition, shoppers from Mexico frequent Sahuarita businesses.

The Town's Planning and Building Department staff work diligently to enable businesses to open on schedule with a streamlined permitting process. The most important face-to-face meetings take place before the process even begins. "Our pre-submittal and pre-construction briefings have been very helpful to all parties in the process," explains Pam Little, Building Manager. She continues, "We've been working to streamline procedures and work with businesses to ensure that all work is completed, inspected, and approved as efficiently as possible."

Rick Pacinda recently opened Duval Body & Paint in Duval Commerce Park, a light industrial business park on the west edge town. Why Sahuarita? "I wanted to support the local community by having my business in the town," he says. "The key, however, was that the zoning was appropriate for my type of business (CI-1) and I was able to negotiate the space. The best part of the whole experience has been seeing it all come together and working with the Town to get everything accomplished for opening day."

New restaurants that opened in 2010 in Sahuarita include locally-owned Rigoberto's and El Charro, a Tucson family-owned chain established in 1922.

Kathy Ward, Manager of Economic Development and Communications for Sahuarita, says the new leases are an indication that "the market realizes we're underserved when it comes to retail." She references a study completed in March 2009 that quantifies and projects retail opportunities through 2019. That study is available on the Town's website at: www.ci.sahuarita.az.us

Medical services providers also see opportunities in Sahuarita's population growth. Northwest Hospital Urgent care signed a lease to open this fall and Carondelet Medical Group plans to expand its facilities in town.

Sahuarita also offers advantages for other types of development that strengthen its community. For example, Lifelong Learning Academy purchased land in Sahuarita at Madera Marketplace for their permanent location. While under construction during this school year, the charter school's "Digital Learning Academy" is leasing space from Pima Community College in Green Valley.