The SouthEastern Arizona Governments Organization (SEAGO), representing 15 districts in the four counties of Cochise, Graham, Greenlee and Santa Cruz, has resolved its support for “The Villages at Vigneto” a 12,300-acre master-planned community with 28,000 homes planned within the City of Benson by El Dorado Holdings of Phoenix.
The resolution comes after a preliminary economic impact report by Dr. Robert Carreira, President of UsEconomicResearch, indicates that the proposed project will have an estimated $24 billion economic impact, approximately 16,000 jobs will be created in Benson and the surrounding region during the peak of the proposed project's 20 year build-out period, and that after the project is completed, approximately 8,500 permanent jobs will continue in perpetuity.
Mike Reinbold, Development Partner with El Dorado said, “We are very pleased to have such strong support coming from the Benson region. We have been working closely with the Mayor and Council of Benson and City officials to diligently address all relevant infrastructure requirements and environmental issues.”
Reinbold says, “The finalization of the master-planned community should be ready by the end of year, with final design and engineering coming as soon as the first half 2016 for construction to start.”
The SEAGO Executive Board states that it is confident that the actions taken by the City of Benson will adequately and responsibly address the economic impact, community impact, and environmental impact of the community development project, and will ensure the project will be in the best interests of the citizen of Benson and surrounding region.
Richard Polheber, CEO of Benson Hospital, who we spoke with shortly after the closing of the Douglas Hospital, is also supportive of the new community development,. “El Dorado Holdings has set aside 50 acres for a healthcare campus at the northern edge of the community near common space. Mike Ingram, (the founder and chairman of El Dorado) and his team at El Dorado have shown themselves to be a good community partner that will be beneficial to Benson and the region.”
The Villages at Vigneto project will redefine economic performance opportunities for the entire region and growth within southeastern Arizona.
