In Response to Strong Home Buying Demand, Stratford Land Moves Forward with 3,450-Acre Expansion of Vistancia

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vistancia, a master planned community near Phoenix, is opening an additional 3,450 acres on the north side of the development in response to strong demand for lifestyle communities in the area. Vistancia was acquired by Stratford Land in 2009.

“We are already seeing a tremendous amount of interest from homebuilders who want to be a part of Vistancia’s future. We strongly believe in this recovering market represented by the significant investment for the master plan’s future and look forward to creating a magnificent desert-inspired community in the north”

Located just north of Phoenix in Peoria, Vistancia recently broke ground on its Boulevard Bridge that will provide a gateway to its new communities across the Central Arizona Project (CAP) canal. The bridge is expected to be completed in fall 2013.

Set in the natural Sonoran desert and scenic mountainous terrain, the expansion of Vistancia will offer four lifestyle communities that can accommodate up to 3,500 homes in a diversity of architectural styles and home sizes. The new communities will include multiple community recreational centers, outdoor trails, commercial space, a 900-acre mountain preserve, city parks and public schools.

“When Stratford identified Vistancia as a possible investment, we recognized the exclusive lifestyle experience it offered, and believed it had huge potential for growth. Groundbreaking on the Boulevard Bridge signifies the strong demand for housing that offers the holistic community lifestyle Vistancia provides,” said Diane Belcher, senior investment manager for Stratford Land. “We are happy to see the continuing success of this unique master-planned community, and we look forward to this next phase of development.”

“The building of the Vistancia Boulevard Bridge crossing over the CAP canal marks the next phase of development for the 7,100-acre Vistancia community, representing a truly unique portion of the master plan,” said Mark Hammons, vice president/general manager of Vistancia.

“We are already seeing a tremendous amount of interest from homebuilders who want to be a part of Vistancia’s future. We strongly believe in this recovering market represented by the significant investment for the master plan’s future and look forward to creating a magnificent desert-inspired community in the north,” Hammons said.

One of the most successful master planned communities in the country, Vistancia was recently named among the top 50 best-selling residential developments in the nation for 2012 by Irvine, Calif.-based John Burns Real Estate Consulting.

Skanska USA Civil West RMD of Phoenix is serving as general contractor while Stanley Consultants of Phoenix is serving as the structural engineer/designer. Greey/Pickett of Scottsdale is providing the finish treatments for the bridge.

About Vistancia

Vistancia is located in Peoria, Arizona, and features eight actively selling new home neighborhoods by national and regional builders offering varied designs in three unique lifestyle communities: The Village at Vistancia, a multi-generational family community filled with amenities and activities for families of all ages; Blackstone at Vistancia, a private gated golf community featuring luxury homes and custom homesites nestled amidst pristine natural desert landscapes with generous open spaces providing spectacular mountain views from every home site; and Trilogy at Vistancia, an active-adult resort community. For more information about Vistancia visit www.vistancia.com or call 623-933-6233.

About Stratford Land

Stratford Land has more than 28 years of successful land investment history on behalf of institutional and private investors. Based in Dallas, Texas, the fund focuses on acquiring properties in high-growth corridors in Texas, Arizona, Southern California and the eastern seaboard from North Carolina to Florida. Offices are currently located in Dallas, Atlanta and Phoenix. For more information, please visit www.stratfordland.com.