Read the article on Arizona Contractor & Community

Visit Optima McDowell Mountain Village for more details

For potential residents, this project is literally through the roof – with rooftop shade trees, running tracks, swimming pools and stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

But on the checklist of things current Scottsdale residents go through the roof in anger over, this billion-dollar project hits them all.

Desert land being developed? Check.

More apartments? Check.

More traffic? Check.

Roundabout? Check.

On May 4, the Development Review Board unanimously approved Optima McDowell Mountain Village, which plans 10- story buildings housing 1,330 luxury apartment and condo units on North Scottsdale Road.

The desert land to be developed spans from Mayo Boulevard to the Loop 101.

Scottsdale City Council narrowly approved the development in November.

The mammoth Optima project, projected to cost $1 billion to build, was opposed by council members Kathy Littlefield, Betty Janik and Solange Whitehead.

“Residents told us loud and clear to anyone who was listening in the last election that they wanted to slow down the development in Scottsdale,” Littlefield said at the November meeting.

“It seems to me all we’ve done now is try and find the ways to manage to grow more and grow higher. Higher, denser, bigger is not what our citizens voted for.”

But Mayor David Ortega and council members Tammy Caputi, Tom Durham and Linda Milhaven approved the high-end complex.

Littlefield raised concerns about water use.

“I am concerned about a couple of things with this,” Littlefield said. “We’ve been going around telling our neighbors and telling our citizens, ‘Cut back on water, cut back on water, don’t water your lawn, don’t do this, don’t do that.’”

But an Optima representative sold the Development Review Board that the development will be extremely “green.”

“This will be our most sustainable project to date,” Optima’s David Hovey Jr. promised.

“Optima McDowell Mountain Village (units) will use approximately one-quarter the amount of water of a single-family home.”

Last year, Optima transferred 2,750 acre feet of water to the city “to make the project water neutral.”

Hovey Jr. said that would provide anywhere from 11 to 32 years of demand by the new project.

Optima says it will have a 210,000 gallon rainwater harvesting storage tank – which the developer claims will be the largest private rainwater harvesting system in the United States.

Optima has a similar development at Kierland Commons.

“Other site enhancements include a new sidewalk and path system along both street frontages, a roundabout located at Mayo and North 73rd Place and a transit stop along North Scottsdale Road,” according to the plan submitted by Optima.

According to the presentation, the 20-acre development in the Greater Airport Area “has evolved as the result of 11 iterations with the mayor, city council, the city’s planning and building departments and neighborhood outreach.”

“We had over 300 letters of support and only six letters in opposition,” he stressed.

In addition to adding a bus stop, the project will have a bike path “around the entire development.”

The project’s six buildings will be built in three phases, according to Hovey Jr..

He said 25% of commercial space was added “at the request of the mayor.”

“Traffic will be on average 1% to 1.8% more daily traffic than if the project was not present,” he said.

The rooftops of the buildings are particularly stunning, featuring shade trees, running tracks – and swimming pools.

Riehl referred to a $15.6 million “height buy up that can be used at the mayor and city council’s discretion.”

According to a website marketing the project, “Consisting of approximately 970 apartments and approximately 420 luxury condos for sale is Optima McDowell Mountain Village.

“The $1 billion development features a 22-acre location … subterranean parking, an underground trash system, and approximately 36,000 square feet of world-class commercial space.”

Plans show dozens of shade trees and large, open green space, including a putting green; Optima says artificial turf will drastically reduce water use.

If they were giving out grades, the Design Review Board would give this one an A+.

“This is a fantastic project for Scottsdale,” said William Scarbrough, a board member.

“I think it’s very stunning and beautiful,” fellow board member Michal Ann Joyner added. “I think North Scottsdale’s going to be very happy to have this project.”

Ali Fakih praised the “out of the box thinking” of the project.

Even Janik, who voted against the project in November, voted for it in her role with the Development Review Board.

“You have set the stage for Scottsdale development,” Janik told Optima.

Read more on Scottsdale Progress

Visit Optima McDowell Mountain Village for more details

Award-winning real estate development firm, Optima is partnering with Mitsui Fudosan America, Inc. for the development of the first building within its newest Arizona residential development, Optima McDowell Mountain Village, located on 22-acres on the southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and the Loop 101 Freeway in North Scottsdale.

The first building will consist of 210 rental residences, which just broke ground this month and is located on the southwest corner of the site. The overall development will comprise six, eight-story apartment and condominium buildings that will include 1,330 luxury residences and 36,000 square feet of commercial and retail space.

Designed by David Hovey Sr., FAIA, and David Hovey Jr., AIA, each of the six buildings will feature the sophisticated architectural detail that characterizes Optima’s Arizona projects and will contain its own resort-style amenity offering which will include a rooftop sky deck with a 50-meter Olympic-length swimming pool; a sauna, spa, and cold plunge; a running track that will follow the perimeter of the roof; outdoor fire pits; lounge seating; outdoor kitchens with barbecues and dining spaces and sheltering arbors covered with vines. Every rooftop will offer spectacular views of the McDowell Mountains to the east, vibrant sunsets to the west, Pinnacle Peak to the north and Camelback Mountain to the south.

The ground-floor level of each building will be similarly outfitted with spacious, well-appointed lobbies; a fitness center and yoga studio that look out over the lushly landscaped courtyard; a sauna and steam room; a residents’ club with game room and theater; an indoor basketball and pickleball court; an outdoor pickleball arena; a golf simulator; an outdoor putting/chipping area; indoor and outdoor kids’ play spaces; a massage room; a dog park and pet spa; and a business center and conference room.

Optima McDowell Mountain Village™ will provide an unprecedented 75% open space area at grade level with a grand central courtyard as well as feature a bicycle and pedestrian path around the entire perimeter of the master planned development that will connect to the project’s 36,000 square feet of destination retail as well as the bicycle and multi-use paths of the City of Scottsdale Bicycle Master Plan.

“We are very excited to begin this partnership with an organization of the caliber of Mitsui Fudosan America that shares our commitment to exceptional design, the highest quality construction, resident-centric property management, and the creation of sustainable neighborhoods,” says David Hovey Jr., AIA, President & COO of Optima®, Inc.

The community will be the first project in Arizona to be built under both the new International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and International Green Construction Code (IgCC). A few highlights of the sustainable features include 75% open space that will be a combination of artificial turf, xeriscape landscaping and native plants; high-performance mechanical systems, and solar panels; 100% underground parking to mitigate the heat-island effect, Optima’s signature vertical landscape system, and the largest private rainwater harvesting system in the United States. The vertical landscaping system, with its self-containing irrigation and drainage, enables a palette of vibrantly colored plants at the edge of each floor to grow both up and over the edge of the building. The integration of enhancements to the vertical landscape and architectural shading systems protects homes from the sun and creates additional privacy, while filtering the air and lowering ambient temperature.

With views of the majestic McDowell Mountain range as the backdrop, the location is just a five-minute drive to the shopping, dining and entertainment destinations of Scottsdale Quarter and Kierland Commons. Being adjacent to the Loop 101 Freeway and just two minutes from the SR-51 Highway and ten minutes away from the I-17 Highway will enable residents to be just 15-25 minutes from Downtown Phoenix, Glendale, Old Town Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

Now in its 46th year, Optima® continues to grow in the Greater Phoenix market. Having previously opened Arizona luxury condominium and apartment developments, including Optima Biltmore Towers®, Optima Camelview Village®, Optima Sonoran Village®, and Optima Kierland Center®.

“As is evidenced by our investment in our Optima McDowell Mountain Village™ project, Optima® signifies our long-term commitment to ongoing investment in the growing Scottsdale and Arizona markets,” adds Hovey Jr.

Read more on AZ Big Media

Visit Optima McDowell Mountain for more details

Optima, an internationally acclaimed architecture and real estate development firm, announced today the launch of sales for the first luxury condominium tower at Optima McDowell Mountain—a $1 billion, design-forward community in North Scottsdale that has already secured close to $27 million in early reservations ahead of its public release.

Optima McDowell Mountain represents the latest evolution of architectural design, sustainability initiatives and a lifestyle-forward amenity experience. The debut condominium tower, 7230, will feature 196 thoughtfully designed residences ranging from 728 to 2,204 square feet, with one-, two- and three-bedroom floorplans, showcasing signature elements such as floor-to-ceiling glass, lushly landscaped private terraces, designer kitchens and integrated smart-home technology. Prices are estimated to start in the $600,000s for one-bedrooms, the $900,000s for two-bedrooms and the $1.4 million range for three-bedrooms.

Buyers can also customize their homes, with options to combine units and personalize layouts and finishes. Already, more than 60% of early reservations are for custom combination homes, where individuals purchase two to three units to create expansive, bespoke residences, underscoring the appetite for highly tailored living at Optima McDowell Mountain.

Located on a 22-acre site at the southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Loop 101, Optima McDowell Mountain will include six eight-story towers, home to a mix of condominiums, apartments and 36,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. The development is designed to live in harmony with its surroundings.

“This is a significant milestone for Optima,” said David Hovey Jr., AIA, president of Optima. “It’s the first time in four years we’ve introduced for-sale residences in Arizona, and we’re bringing everything we’ve learned over the past four decades into this new community. Optima McDowell Mountain reflects our ongoing commitment to thoughtful design and quality living, and it represents the next chapter in our legacy.”

Setting a new benchmark for luxury living, each residential building will be anchored by approximately 1.5 acres of resort-caliber amenities. At the rooftop level of 7230, a dramatic Sky Deck unfolds with panoramic McDowell Mountain views, an Olympic-length heated lap pool, a perimeter running track, outdoor spa, cold plunge, sauna, firepits, lounge areas, outdoor kitchens, indoor and outdoor yoga studios and entertainment zones with TVs, shaded arbors and lush foliage. Ground-level amenities will include a state-of-the-art fitness center with indoor and outdoor training areas; Pilates studio, group fitness space and locker rooms; sauna, massage room and spa lounge; indoor pickleball/basketball court; two outdoor pickleball courts and bocce court; indoor golf simulator, sports lounge and outdoor chipping and putting area; business center with conference and huddle rooms; movie theater and a chef’s kitchen-equipped party room; indoor and outdoor children’s play areas; pet park and pet spa; and outdoor lounge with a spa and cold plunge.

With approximately 16 acres dedicated to open space, representing nearly 75% of the property, Optima McDowell Mountain is designed to feel like an oasis—vibrant, walkable and deeply connected to the natural landscape. A 10-acre central park serves as the heart of the community, surrounded by pedestrian paths and biking trails that link to Scottsdale’s trail systems and Bicycle Master Plan. Residents will enjoy the tranquility of the desert while staying connected to North Scottsdale’s premier dining, entertainment and shopping destinations just minutes away.

Optima McDowell Mountain also pioneers an innovative model for environmentally conscious development. The community will feature the largest private rainwater harvesting system in the U.S., designed to reduce overall water use, with an underground vault that can store up to 210,000 gallons of rainwater for on-site irrigation. The project is also the first in Scottsdale to be built under the newly adopted International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and International Green Construction Code (IgCC).

Other sustainability features include solar panels, self-irrigating vertical landscaping for natural insulation and air purification, 100% underground parking to reduce surface heat retention, high-efficiency VRF heating/cooling systems, induction cooktops in the residences and EV charging in the parking garage for both residents and guests.

The Optima McDowell Mountain Sales Gallery is now open by appointment only, inviting prospective buyers to experience firsthand the innovative architecture, sophisticated design and exceptional lifestyle that define this premier community. With residences in the first condominium tower now selling, completion is anticipated in summer 2027.

Read more on InBusiness Phoenix

Visit Optima McDowell Mountain for more details

Optima McDowell Mountain Village, Optima’s newest residential and commercial proposal, is composed of six 11-story buildings with 1,500 apartments and condominiums, as well as 31,000 SF of commercial space. This community, located in a vacant lot on the south side of Loop 101 and near Mayo Avenue, Scottsdale Road, and Scottsdale Airpark, will enhance Scottsdale and stimulate healthy, sustainable growth.

“Optima McDowell Mountain Village provides a live, work, play environment that will appeal to a wide range of buyers and renters drawn to the architecture, open space, active lifestyle, sustainable design, health-based, amenity-rich community service offerings as well as its premier Scottsdale location,” Hovey says.

Read the full article on Images Arizona

Read the article on CoStar

Visit Optima McDowell Mountain Village for more details

For potential residents, this project is literally through the roof – with rooftop shade trees, running tracks, swimming pools and stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

But on the checklist of things current Scottsdale residents go through the roof in anger over, this billion-dollar project hits them all.

Desert land being developed? Check.

More apartments? Check.

More traffic? Check.

Roundabout? Check.

On May 4, the Development Review Board unanimously approved Optima McDowell Mountain Village, which plans 10- story buildings housing 1,330 luxury apartment and condo units on North Scottsdale Road.

The desert land to be developed spans from Mayo Boulevard to the Loop 101.

Scottsdale City Council narrowly approved the development in November.

The mammoth Optima project, projected to cost $1 billion to build, was opposed by council members Kathy Littlefield, Betty Janik and Solange Whitehead.

“Residents told us loud and clear to anyone who was listening in the last election that they wanted to slow down the development in Scottsdale,” Littlefield said at the November meeting.

“It seems to me all we’ve done now is try and find the ways to manage to grow more and grow higher. Higher, denser, bigger is not what our citizens voted for.”

But Mayor David Ortega and council members Tammy Caputi, Tom Durham and Linda Milhaven approved the high-end complex.

Littlefield raised concerns about water use.

“I am concerned about a couple of things with this,” Littlefield said. “We’ve been going around telling our neighbors and telling our citizens, ‘Cut back on water, cut back on water, don’t water your lawn, don’t do this, don’t do that.’”

But an Optima representative sold the Development Review Board that the development will be extremely “green.”

“This will be our most sustainable project to date,” Optima’s David Hovey Jr. promised.

“Optima McDowell Mountain Village (units) will use approximately one-quarter the amount of water of a single-family home.”

Last year, Optima transferred 2,750 acre feet of water to the city “to make the project water neutral.”

Hovey Jr. said that would provide anywhere from 11 to 32 years of demand by the new project.

Optima says it will have a 210,000 gallon rainwater harvesting storage tank – which the developer claims will be the largest private rainwater harvesting system in the United States.

Optima has a similar development at Kierland Commons.

“Other site enhancements include a new sidewalk and path system along both street frontages, a roundabout located at Mayo and North 73rd Place and a transit stop along North Scottsdale Road,” according to the plan submitted by Optima.

According to the presentation, the 20-acre development in the Greater Airport Area “has evolved as the result of 11 iterations with the mayor, city council, the city’s planning and building departments and neighborhood outreach.”

“We had over 300 letters of support and only six letters in opposition,” he stressed.

In addition to adding a bus stop, the project will have a bike path “around the entire development.”

The project’s six buildings will be built in three phases, according to Hovey Jr..

He said 25% of commercial space was added “at the request of the mayor.”

“Traffic will be on average 1% to 1.8% more daily traffic than if the project was not present,” he said.

The rooftops of the buildings are particularly stunning, featuring shade trees, running tracks – and swimming pools.

Riehl referred to a $15.6 million “height buy up that can be used at the mayor and city council’s discretion.”

According to a website marketing the project, “Consisting of approximately 970 apartments and approximately 420 luxury condos for sale is Optima McDowell Mountain Village.

“The $1 billion development features a 22-acre location … subterranean parking, an underground trash system, and approximately 36,000 square feet of world-class commercial space.”

Plans show dozens of shade trees and large, open green space, including a putting green; Optima says artificial turf will drastically reduce water use.

If they were giving out grades, the Design Review Board would give this one an A+.

“This is a fantastic project for Scottsdale,” said William Scarbrough, a board member.

“I think it’s very stunning and beautiful,” fellow board member Michal Ann Joyner added. “I think North Scottsdale’s going to be very happy to have this project.”

Ali Fakih praised the “out of the box thinking” of the project.

Even Janik, who voted against the project in November, voted for it in her role with the Development Review Board.

Read more on East Valley Tribune

Visit Optima McDowell Mountain Village for more details

Award-winning real estate development firm, Optima®, is partnering with Mitsui Fudosan America, Inc., (“MFA”) for the development of the first building within its newest Arizona residential development, Optima McDowell Mountain Village™, located on 22-acres on the southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and the Loop 101 Freeway in North Scottsdale.

Read more on InBusiness

Visit Optima McDowell Mountain for more details

Optima has launched sales at the first condominium tower at Optima McDowell Mountain, a $1 billion mixed-use project currently under development in North Scottsdale, Ariz.

The condominium project is part of the development’s first phase, and is expected to come online in summer 2027. The first phase also includes one residential tower with rental units, set to reach completion this fall.

Construction on the first building began in March last year, with Mitsui Fudosan America Inc. as development partner, according to AZ Big Media. In late 2023, the developer secured $102.2 million in construction funds for the first phase from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, according to Maricopa County public records.

The first condo tower, dubbed 7230, will include 196 units ranging from 728 square feet to 2,204 square feet. Floorplans will range from one to three-bedroom units with floor-to-ceiling windows, private terraces and smart-home technology. Prices for one-bedroom units will start in the $600,000s, while the two- and three-bedroom units will range from $900,000 to $1.4 million.

Optima McDowell Mountain will include six eight-story buildings built across 22 acres, with condos and rental apartment units encompassing 1,330 luxury residences, 36,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and nearly 1.5 acres of amenities for each building.

The first tower is located at 7230 E. Mayo Blvd. Interiors are designed to include walk-in closets, kitchens with granite or quartz countertops, custom-crafted cabinetry and JennAir and SubZero/Wolf appliances, bathrooms with frameless glass showers and Kohler fixtures, among others.

Blending sustainability & amenities

Amenities at 7230 E. Mayo Blvd. include a sky deck on the rooftop level, a heated lap swimming pool, an outdoor spa, sauna, cold plunge, lounge spaces, indoor and outdoor yoga studios, entertainment spaces, outdoor kitchens, firepits and a running track.

Meanwhile, the project’s ground-level amenity package includes a fitness center, Pilates studio, massage room and spa lounge, as well as an indoor golf simulator, business center with conference rooms, indoor pickleball and basketball courts, children’s playroom, party room, movie theater, pet spa and park area together with multiple outdoor spaces.

Optima McDowell Mountain will feature nearly 16 acres of open space, representing nearly 75 percent of the mixed-use development’s land area. Additionally, the project will include a 10-acre central park area with pedestrian paths and biking trails leading to the city’s trail systems.

The development will also include one of the largest private rainwater harvesting systems in the country. Designed to reduce the overall water use, it has an underground vault with up to 210,000 gallons of rainwater stored for on-site irrigation. It is the first to be built in Scottsdale under the International Energy Conservation Code and International Green Construction Code. Other sustainability features at Optima McDowell Mountain will be solar panels, air purification, underground parking with EV charging stations and self-irrigation systems for vertical landscaping.

Optima developed multiple luxury projects in the Phoenix metro. One of them is Optima Kierland, a master-planned four-tower project located about 30 miles from downtown Phoenix. The project includes two luxury rental towers and two condominium towers that were developed in two separate phases. The final tower, 7190 Optima Kierland, was completed in 2023.

 

Read more on Multi-Housing News

Visit Optima McDowell Mountain for more details

PHOENIX — A mixed-use project that could represent a capital investment of $1 billion in north Scottsdale received its thumbs up.

Scottsdale-based Optima Inc. received approval from Scottsdale City Council this week on a development agreement and rezoning for Optima McDowell Mountain Village. The deal was approved Monday on a 4-3 vote. Optima will build six, eight-story buildings that are each 118 feet tall. Four of those buildings will be apartments and the other two are condominiums. Those buildings will include 1,330 units plus 36,000 square feet of commercial space and other amenities throughout the development.

Optima will build studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units that range in square feet from 775 to 2,025 square feet. Each of the six buildings will have a rooftop pool.

Read more on ABC 15

Visit Optima McDowell Mountain Village for more details