By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
Orsett Properties, developer of the Reserve at San Tan campus on Germann Road in Gilbert, has shifted its original vision for part of the site.
Now, rather than developing another office project it feels would not perform well, given the logistical and business challenges of the property, the company wants to build a multifamily community with 121 units.
Located at the SWC of Germann Road and Mustang Drive, the Reserve at San Tan campus currently has three office buildings on its western side. The northern building has an occupancy rate of 78%, according to the project narrative. The centermost building is only 38% occupied, and the southern building is 71% occupied.
The Reserve at San Tan development began in 2008. The currently vacant 4.9-gross-acre southeast portion of the site was originally envisioned for another office building.
“However, 18 years have passed and it is clear that building a new office building is no longer a viable plan for this parcel,” according to the submitted narrative.
On May 6, the Gilbert Planning Commission was presented with Orsett’s proposal requesting a rezoning of the site from Business Park to Multifamily Medium with a planned area development overlay and a minor General Plan amendment to change the land use from General Office to Residential with a density of 14-25 units/acre, along with associated requirement updates.
The presentation was made in a study session with a request for input only. No action was taken.
Part of the Reserve at San Tan Phase 2 subdivision, the Residences at the Reserve subject site is surrounded by office buildings to the west, office parking to the north, light industrial and multifamily to the east, and single-family residential to the south. The south end of the property sits on the border of the Town of Gilbert and the City of Chandler.
Further explaining the challenges in staying with the previous office plan and the benefits of moving to a multifamily use, the narrative says, “What Orsett has found over the years is that the office buildings along the arterial roadway frontage have an easier time being leased, but the buildings further away from the arterial have a difficult time. Orsett has struggled and struggled to fill office space. Nobody in that situation would invest millions of dollars in more office space that would only sit vacant. And so, without another alternative, this parcel will remain vacant and the campus will remain unfinished—which only further harms the ability to fill the existing office space.”
“The site is likewise challenged for other BP (business park) uses because of its lack of arterial frontage, small size, adjacency to residential, and need to be compatible with the rest of the campus. For example, light industrial uses with loading docks could never work here because of the small size of the lot. And such a use next to residential would not be a proper fit either. Other commercial uses, like a restaurant, that can fit on small parcels wouldn’t be viable here without commercial frontage or being part of a shopping center.”
It also points out, unlike some cases the Town has seen, Orsett is primarily an office, rather than a multifamily, developer. It says this is not a case of a multifamily developer arguing for a commercially viable site to be converted for residential use, but an office developer who has found commercial uses unviable, but who does not want to leave the property vacant.
Design Components and Features
The multifamily buildings are planned as one three-story U-shaped building with a clubhouse and three two-story carriage-style apartment/garage buildings.
Units will be a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom spaces with either ground-floor patios or upper-floor balconies. The carriage buildings will have one-car garages on the first level and two one-bedroom units on the upper.
To protect the privacy of existing single-family residents to the south, the buildings nearest the southern property line will not have south-facing balconies; windows will be placed higher than eye level, and a 20-foot landscape buffer will include a double row of staggered trees.
The original plan proposed in 2024 had one four-story and one three-story building centrally located on the site. After taking input from residents and staff, the plan was revised to its current form, with a reduction in planned units from 134 to 121 and an equivalent reduction in the requested allowable density, among other changes.
Because of the property’s comparatively small size, amenities are planned around a 20KSF central open space and include potential uses that could feature a pool, a dog run, a barbeque area or unprogrammed open space.
Orsett Properties is the owner, with architectural services provided by Ware Malcomb. The project is represented by Earl & Curley.
