"The location and the dynamics of the area" clinched the deal, Jim Gillespie, a principal with DESCO Southwest, tells GlobeSt.com. Gillespie said the new development will consist of 75,000 sf of class A office space spread over a nine-building campus atop Tucson's Foothills and bordering a natural wildlife area. Pathway Developments Inc., a Tucson general contractor, will build the $5-million project.

Set against a spectacular Sonoran desert backdrop, the location offers panoramic city and mountain views along a rapidly expanding commercial corridor with easy access to downtown Tucson. The single-story buildings, which will cover only 16% of the parcel, will feature flexible office plans ranging from 1,200 sf to 18,000 sf that will be geared toward office or medical users.

Although no tenants have yet signed on, Gillespie said there has been tremendous interest in the project, which will be located about a mile from the planned construction of 258,000 sf of high-end retail space at La Encantada. "This is a very unique location in a demanding market, and with the low site coverage for the property, we really will have one of the Tucson's most desired office locations," said Mark Schnuck, CEO of the DESCO Group, which commissioned Gillespie, and Michael Sarabia, both Tucson natives, to find niche deals in the Arizona marketplace.