Development coming to life on site of former Tucson citrus grove

A former citrus grove turned mobile-home park is under transformation again.

Rancho Los Amigos, on Orange Grove Road west of Oracle Road, was bought last year by Alta Vista Communities. Now the construction of a 240-unit rental community with two-story, eight-plex buildings is underway.

Now called Pima Canyon, the development is expected to be move-in ready this fall.

The units will feature 10-foot ceilings and oversized patios and balconies.

The developer received a $3 million building permit for the first 32 units and a $500,000 permit for the sales office.

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Records show that in 1924, Maurice Reid bought a 1,500-acre ranch — bounded by what is now Oracle to the east, La Cholla to the west, Orange Grove to the south and Ina to the north — to create a citrus farm and moved his wife, Beulah, and sons Gene and Robert from Oakland, California.

Reid cultivated more than 200 acres of citrus trees and date palms. Over the years, most of the land was developed or sold as parcels for homes, and in 1950, the remaining property was sold to a group of doctors who developed it into a trailer court in 1955. The 18-acre Rancho Los Amigos was part of the original farm.

Gene Reid later became city parks and recreation director and namesake of Reid Park.

Other recent commercial transactions include:

• A $11.2 million permit was issued for Oro Valley Senior Living facility, a 79,000-square-foot community at 9005 N. Oracle Road.
• Topgolf Commercial Driving Range & Entertainment got an $8.1 million permit for a 52,000-square-foot facility at 4050 W. Costco Drive.
• The Humane Society is building a new animal-welfare center at 635 W. Roger Road for $5.3 million.
• Native Grill received a $1.3 million permit for a new spot in the Steam Pump Village at 11107 N. Oracle Road.
• The Hermitage No-kill Cat Shelter is building a $1.1 million facility at 5278 E. 21st St.
• Walmart received a $1 million tenant-improvement permit for its store at 1650 W. Valencia Road.
• Beta Epsilon of Alpha Phi is sprucing up at 1339 E. First St. with a $913,000 permit.
• Kino Hospital got a tenant-improvement permit for $679,000 for upgrades at the hospital, 2800 E. Ajo Way.Black Bear is readying for its move into Broadway Place, 6095 E. Broadway. The 5,400-square-foot restaurant got a $600,000 permit.