A 13-acre commercial project is taking shape at the southeast corner of Cave Creek Road and Carefree Highway, where Black Mountain Marketplace is expected to bring a mix of retail stores and restaurants to the town, anchored by a Mountainside Fitness location. The site sits in a section of Black Mountain that was zoned commercial back in 1986, before Cave Creek's incorporation, and developers say the project now meets the town's zoning ordinance requirements for parking, building setbacks, outdoor lighting and landscaping.
Town Council Signs Off on Density Transfer
The town of Cave Creek approved a transfer development rights agreement on May 21 with the developers of the property, according to yourvalley.net. Black Mountain Marketplace, as the 13-acre property will be known once developed, is zoned for general commercial use, and a transfer of density will allow visitors to continue viewing Cave Creek's scenic corridors, according to a news release cited by KTAR News 92.3 FM. As part of that arrangement, a portion of the residential-zoned property on Black Mountain will be left open to display the area's unique high-desert landscape.
Commercial listing site evgre.com, which is marketing the development, describes it as a Mountainside Fitness-anchored shopping center sitting at what it calls the most dominant intersection in the trade area. The same listing says the broader trade area, which includes Walmart, Lowe's and Sprouts as anchors, has more than 200,000 square feet of gross leasable area. High-profile retail pads remain available for ground lease, with drive-through, convenience and automotive uses permitted at the site, per evgre.com.
Tenants Still Negotiating, Town Watching Sales Tax Impact
Several tenants are currently negotiating to join the development, which Cave Creek says is expected to significantly enhance the town's sales tax base, according to the Cave Creek government. Town staff flagged Black Mountain Marketplace among a list of ongoing projects, alongside a boutique hotel and other retail and live-work proposals, during a May 5 Town Council review, as reported by citizenportal.ai. That same meeting introduced a new public web map meant to improve transparency around development projects following changes tied to Arizona House Bill 2447, the outlet reported, and included discussion of water-capacity constraints affecting projects townwide.
Native Plants Get a Salvage Plan Before Construction
The developer has prepared a native plant inventory and a salvage plan for the site, using a licensed professional for both efforts, according to the news release cited by KTAR News 92.3 FM. Regulatory steps are being taken to ensure proper permits and expert oversight are in place, and the project will incorporate cacti and trees from the property once that process is complete. Land for the project has reportedly been established to allow native plants to begin growing before Black Mountain Marketplace itself is ready, with environmental stewardship described as a priority for the development.
Arizona law restricts how protected native plants can be handled during projects like this one. Under state statute, a person may not take, transport or possess a protected native plant removed from its original growing site without a valid permit issued by the division, according to the Arizona Legislature. That framework underpins the kind of salvage planning developers say they've built into the Black Mountain Marketplace project.
Cave Creek's water resources will not be affected during construction of the project, and the City of Phoenix will supply water for development south of Carefree Highway, according to the news release relayed by KTAR News 92.3 FM. No construction completion date or final tenant lineup beyond Mountainside Fitness has been established for the site.
