1650 E. River Road
Continental Reserve
Continental Reserve, on Tucson’s northwest (NW) side was built as an extension to Continental Ranch in 1998-2006. The homes in Continental Reserve have a contemporary look thanks to their exterior paint schemes, rooflines, and floor plans that exhibit large open living spaces. Several major homebuilders developed communities in Continental Reserve. A.F. Sterling’s Sierra Ridge community offers large lots and all single-story floor plans.
Their Sierra Crest neighborhood is Continental Reserve’s only gated community, and also includes a pool and spa for residents. KB Home’s Stoneridge is a neighborhood of all single-story homes ranging in size from 1558 square feet to 2481 square feet. All feature tile roofs and many of their floor plans have great room concepts. US Home also built a large community in Continental Reserve that is named Summit Point. This community offers both one- and two-story homes ranging in size from 2000 square feet to over 3000 square feet.
These homes sit at the rear of Continental Reserve and some lots offer unmatched flawless views of Sombrero Peak and virgin desert landscape. The community lies adjacent to Saguaro National Forest, named after its rich growth of saguaro cacti. Pulte Homes offers the Jubilee community, one of the last communities built out in Continental Reserve.
These homes are some of the finest in the area due to their size and the finishing touches that were included in the neighborhood. Meritage Homes offers homes with a very contemporary look and feel. They were originally constructed by a local builder known as Monterrey Homes which was later purchased by national homebuilder, Meritage. Home sizes range from roughly 1800 square feet to just under 3000 square feet. These, like Pulte’s, offer owners higher-end finishes and dramatic homes that feature large open kitchens, extra-high cathedral ceilings, premium exterior architecture, and often include unique living spaces that other builders do not include in their homes.Other communities within Continental Reserve include Amber Crest, Coyote Trails, and Pinnacle Vista by Lennar, Paseo Crossings and Entrada by Monterrey (now Meritage Homes), Eagle Ridge by US Home, Continental Reserve Block 7 & 8, Continental Reserve Block 10, Continental Reserve Block 13, and Continental Reserve Block 17-19.
Continental Reserve is experiencing significant growth and expansion of commercial development and of the greater area. Higher end office space featuring lots of window space and rock exteriors is currently being completed at the corner of Silverbell and Coachline. A new Mexican restaurant has recently opened. Other services and restaurants, including the overly popular In-N-Out Burger, are located at Arizona Pavilions and Cortaro, which is roughly 2 miles away from the community of Continental Reserve. At Arizona Pavilions, there is a Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Chase Bank, Bank of America, Gamestop, and many other retail and service providers for the Continental Reserve/Ranch area. Both residential and commercial development has been accelerating quickly over the past several years. A new $3 million library to serve the residents is almost complete, as is a 48-acre park. A brand new school, Rattlesnake Ridge Elementary, has been built for residents of Continental Reserve. The urgent care facility by Northwest has brought medical services right into the neighborhood. I expect rapid development of Continental Reserve to continue over the next several years, given the natural beauty of the area, reasonable home prices, newer homes with all modern comforts, and a good location on the west side of I-10 just off of Silverbell. In the next year, full scale work should begin on a Twin Peaks I-10 interchange that will bring in additional demand for those who want direct access to I-10. Not that I-10 is far away currently, but a direct shot from I-10 to Continental Ranch and Reserve will be an added bonus.
For more information about the area, please read Michael’s article located on the website.