Bourn Closing on Master Plan Site at The Bridges; Starts GEICO Building

TUCSON, ARIZONA — BP Bridges Partners, an affiliate of Bourn Companies, closed on 112 acres of land at the Bridges for $18 million ($160,650 per acre) and began to move dirt the same week for a new 200,000-square foot multi-level office building on 20-acres near 36th Street and MLK Jr. Way, at the The Bridges planned master site in Tucson. The seller was U.S. Home Corporation.

As a condition of sale, the developer had to rezone for commercial development approximately 112 acres at The Bridges. GEICO, the second-largest private passenger automobile insurance company in the U.S., will be the first corporate employer to locate in the development. With this move, GEICO plans to add 700 jobs in Tucson over time.

“We’re thrilled to be working with a terrific company like GEICO again to build a great facility for their employees. It’s really a testament to Tucson and our great workforce that they are making such a significant commitment to Southern Arizona,” said Don Bourn, Founder & CEO, Bourn Companies.

This 112-acre Bourn development will comprise a new corporate employment center, a variety of multifamily residential units and a new community park. The development is integrated within the larger The Bridges project which also includes the UA Tech Park at The Bridges and Tucson Retail’s regional shopping center, The Marketplace at The Bridges.

The Marketplace at The Bridges has been extremely successful so far, attracting major tenants like Dave and Busters, Costco, Century Theatres and more. The future University of Arizona Tech Park at The Bridges is still talking to find private companies for the location and has yet to develop their planned Innovation and Technology building that would anchor the tech park.  There is also hope for a hotel and conference center to be built adjacent to the Innovation and Technology building.  Beyond the Tech Park and the Marketplace, there is still plenty of land left over, which at one point was planned solely for housing, but now seems to be broadening its purpose to office space.  This new GEICO regional office may be the catalyst for development that has been so sorely needed for The Bridges.  This should be another great step in Tucson’s transition to a place where U of A graduates have good paying job opportunities available to them when they graduate.

A planned 350-acre mixed-use development, The Bridges is accessible to 70 percent of the region’s population within a 25-minute drive. When complete, its amenities will benefit GEICO employees, surrounding neighborhoods and the entire Tucson and Southern Arizona community. With Construction on GEICO’s new building started it is expected to move-in mid-2019.

GEICO is a leading employer in Tucson with 2,100 employees and is celebrating its 15-year anniversary serving Arizona and states in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest.

“GEICO’s relocation adjacent to UA Tech Park at the Bridges presents tremendous opportunities for the company, for the UA, and for our region,” said Robert C. Robbins, president, University of Arizona. “This move allows for more local hires and will be a boon to both the Tucson economy as well as the University of Arizona, which partnered with GEICO to develop a UA Online program through Eller College of Management. I am looking forward to the future collaborations this move makes possible.”

“When an industry-leading company like GEICO chooses to significantly expand its workforce in Tucson, it demonstrates the quality of the talent, operating environment and lifestyle that Arizona offers,” said Sandra Watson, President & CEO of Arizona Commerce Authority. “We were proud to work collaboratively with our partners on this exciting project and thank GEICO for their continued investment in our state.”