Chauncey Ranch development nears completion

With a single vacant lot left, the Chauncey Ranch development is nearly finished.

Except for that lot, which is behind the Mercedes dealership that fronts Scottsdale Road, all of the planned buildings have been erected and almost all of the available space has been leased in the area bordered by Scottsdale Road, Mayo Boulevard, 68th Street and Princess Drive.

The Penske Automotive Group is home to dealers selling 17 models, including Rolls Royce, Bentley, Jaguar, Volkswagen and Honda, as well as the Penske Racing Museum.

Chauncey Ranch includes two large office buildings along Mayo Boulevard, one of which is unleased.

One office building is home to Allied Waste and Keller Graduate School of Management.

Six smaller office buildings are home to medical offices, financial-service firms and even a church.

The shopping center includes a Whole Foods Market and a Lifetime Fitness center.

The 160-acre site has residential units on the southwestern corner at Desert Club Apartments and Montage Condos.

Business tenants cite numerous reasons for moving in over the past year: easy access, plenty of lunch spots for employees, desire to be a new development.

"We like it a lot," said Greg Felten, president of the Felten Group, a structural engineering and architectural consulting firm.

Audrey Robertson, a spokeswoman for the Container Store, said the location fits the type of customer the store attracts: upscale, well-educated women. The Container Store was the most recent opening at the Shops at Chauncey Ranch.

Located near Loop 101 and Scottsdale Road, the location worked perfectly for Frank Beranek of Alliance Insurance Group. "We are tickled pink by the location," he said.