Photos: Green Valley in black and white back to the 1970s
Green Valley started in earnest in 1961, when Chicago investors purchased 2,900 acres of grazing land in the Canoa Land Grant from Farmers Investment Company (FICO).
They were lured by the promising elderly retirement and an amendment of the Fair Housing Act that allowed for government support of construction. The University of Arizona Foundation acted as a sponsored for the retirement community with a $12.5 million federal loan.
The community officially unveiled in 1964, but the housing market slumped and development did not pan out as expected. Federal Housing Authority took it over. At that point, the community amounted to a 371-acres, which included a golf course, shopping center, community center, some apartments and various parcels of land. The remaining land was development into homes by the reorganized investors group, Green Valley Development.
In 1972, Fairfield Green Valley Inc, a subsidiary of the developer of retirement communities in Arkansas, bought out Green Valley Development.
The FHA sold its holdings Haven Management Corp. of Chicago.
Today, Green Valley boasts a population of more than 20,000 over about 20 square miles.
All photos © Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Citizen
Green Valley Country Club, 1971
Green Valley Country Club in February, 1971, shortly before the grand opening (with cocktails). The original building had 7,000-square-feet of space and cost $250,000 to build. It was designed with expansion in mind.
Green Valley Country Club, 1971
Green Valley Country Club in February, 1971, shortly before the grand opening (with cocktails). Ample parking for golf carts. The original building had 7,000-square-feet of space and cost $250,000 to build. It was designed with expansion in mind.
Our Lady of the Valley Parish, Green Valley, 1971
Our Lady of the Valley Parish, Green Valley, 1971. The church got its first resident priest in 1965 It was a mission of St. Monica's Church in Tucson until 1970, when the new church was built at a cost of $110,000 and dedicated on 110-acres. It is a parish of the Diocese of Tucson.
Green Valley, 1975
Sign announcing the Green Valley Social Center in Green Valley, Ariz., in June, 1975.
Green Valley, 1975
Somewhere behind that creosote are new homes in Green Valley, Ariz., in June, 1975.
Green Valley, 1975
Landed cleared for buildings in Green Valley, Ariz., in June, 1975.
Green Valley, 1975
Sign announcing the Santa Rita Health Care Center of Green Valley, Ariz., in June, 1975.
Green Valley, 1975
New homes along Abrego Drive at Santa Inez in Green Valley, Ariz., in June, 1975.
Green Valley, 1975
Recently completed homes near Abrego Drive in Green Valley, Ariz., in June, 1975.
Green Valley, 1975
Homes under construction near Abrego Drive in Green Valley, Ariz., in June, 1975.
Green Valley, 1976
A golfer sends his ball sailing toward the Santa Rita Mountains from the course at Green Valley Country Club in 1976.
Green Valley, 1976
"Dangerous" intersection at Abrego Drive in peaceful Green Valley in 1976.
Green Valley, 1976
Ray Johnson, a retired highway engineer, sips coffee from the bottomless cup at a coffee shop in Green Valley in 1976.
Green Valley, 1976
Billboards along I-19 extoll the virtues of retirement living in Green Valley in 1976. The Santa Rita Mountains rise in the background.
Green Valley, 1976
Retirees catching some rays in Green Valley in 1976.
Green Valley, 1976
Homes under construction in Green Valley in 1976.
Green Valley, 1976
Model homes by Fairfield in Green Valley in 1976. Sales were limited to people age 45 and over without anyone under 18 living in the home. However, people who worked in local businesses and had families were allowed in several areas.
Green Valley, 1976
A bridge tournament at the recreation center in Green Valley in 1976.
Green Valley, 1976
Shopping and eating at the Lucky Supermarket in Green Valley in 1976.
Green Valley, 1976
Shopping and eating at the Lucky Supermarket in Green Valley in 1976. Note the price for coffee – 25-cents and 5-cents for refills. Accounting for inflation, that would be 98-cents per cup in 2022. Few restaurants sell coffee for less then $2 per cup in 2022.
Green Valley, 1976
Shopping at the Lucky Supermarket in Green Valley in 1976.
Green Valley, 1979
Tailings piles from the nearby copper strip mine are omnipresent in Green Valley in 1979.
Green Valley, 1979
Workers at a $5 million complex and Green valley's second retail center on Continental Road in 1979.
Green Valley, 1979
Cycling through Green Valley streets in 1979.
Green Valley, 1979
Golfers walk the golf course at Green Valley in 1979 as homes pop up from the desert floor. An 18-hole golf course was part of the original community, built from 1966-72. By 1979, there three 18-hole courses.
Green Valley, 1980
Aerial photo of Continental Road interchange at I-10 in Green Valley, looking north, in 1980.
Green Valley, 1981
Interstate 19 and Continental Road interchange (center) in Green Valley, looking north in 1981.
Green Valley, 1981
The Desert Hills housing development in Green Valley and part of the championship golf course (left) in 1981. South Camino del Sol is in the foreground. I-19 is background.
Green Valley, 1981
Two couples had the courage to take the dance floor at the Sundancer Restaurant and Lounge in Green Valley, 1981. "A lot of people are going to be that there is something going on in Green Valley," said manager Pete Guerrero.
Green Valley, 1981
Ernie Glassman performs on trumpet and accordion for diners at the Copper Quail in Green Valley, 1981.
Green Valley, 1981
Cuco del Cid serenades diners at Los Amigos in Green Valley, 1981. The restaurant attracts younger patrons because of a happy hour and large bar.
Green Valley, 1981
Dancers swing to the tunes of pianist Denny Ferrell at The Place in Continental Plaza, Green Valley, 1981."We gear our entertainment to the pleasant, quiet type of music that most of our customers are familiar with and life to dance to," said owner J.T. Eppler. "There are nights like last night when we couldn't get them off the dance floor," he added.
Green Valley, 1981
Ernie Glassman performs on trumpet and accordion for diners at the Copper Quail in Green Valley, 1981. He entertained diners from 6-10pm every Tuesday-Saturday. The restaurant owner would often encourage people sing and clap along with the music
Green Valley, 1983
Heavy equipment clear open desert for an 18-hole golf course near a new Desert Hills subdivision in Green Valley in 1983.
Green Valley, 1983
Heavy equipment clear open desert for an 18-hole golf course near a new Desert Hills subdivision in Green Valley in 1983.
Rick Wiley
Photo editor
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