Rio Rico Properties Announces Anza Trail Certification

November 29, 2005

The Villages of Rio Rico announced the official Anza Trail Certification by the National Park Service. This historic event marked the official certification of the 13 mile segment of the Anza National Historic Trail from Rio Rico to Tubac by the National Park Service. Rio Rico Properties received official recognition from the National Park Service for their donation of the easements for the trail segment.

Guy Tobin, President of Rio Rico Properties, said, “It is an honor and a privilege to see this project finally come to fruition. Rio Rico maintains the rich traditions of yesterday with an unspoiled rural residential ambience, and residents can literally step out their front doors and retrace the footsteps of history. This marks the final step in preserving this important piece of our natural and cultural history for future generations.” All of Rio Rico’s neighborhoods are designed with trails linking them to the Anza National Trail, allowing residents to literally walk out their front doors and retrace the footsteps of history.

Richard Williams, President of the Anza Trail Coalition of Arizona, said, “In their capacities as landowners and developers, they have shown extraordinary foresight and public spirit in contributing part of their land towards creating this National Historic Trail in perpetuity for all to enjoy.” The coalition is a non-profit organization that was formed over 10 years ago to oversee the volunteer effort in building the trail in Arizona, with a wonderful group of members from Santa Cruz County and the other counties that the trail crosses from Nogales to Yuma.

Once part of a vast land grant from the King of Spain, Rio Rico maintains the unique balance of new homes planned around thousands of acres of open space, a new State Park and the Anza National Historic Trail, the luxurious Esplendor Resort, and the par-72 Robert Trent Jones, Sr. golf course, which is consistently rated among the best in the state. Rio Rico’s major attraction is a resort lifestyle, affordable housing, and its proximity to both Tucson and the Mexican border.

A subsidiary of Avatar Properties, Inc. of Florida, Rio Rico Properties is the residential, commercial and industrial developer of the 35,000 acre community. Rio Rico Properties has enjoyed 10 years of helping to develop and build the town of Rio Rico, whose population recently topped 16,000, with a lasting commitment to preserving the culture and natural beauty of the area.

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