If you follow the threads here or have been around the community for much time, you get the impression that some folks tend to downplay Phase 1. There was a period in time when Realtors actually told clients "you don't want to live there." All of that began to change when the Fairway Rec Center got a 16 million dollar total renovation. It's gorgeous and it was time we began reinvesting in the first section of Sun City. It gets even better because we now know the RCSC board is talking about far more in the way of improvements in Phase 1. The Sun Bowl is there and 20 Sundays a year we see some great entertainment free of charge. This grassy tiered venue holds 7000 plus and yearly the RCSC allocates $50,000 plus dollars to bring in shows to perform. Really; who hasn't sat under the stars, watched a great show and wondered how it gets any better than this? There's talk of a significant upgrade to this property; time will tell. Just down the road from the Sun Bowl is Mountainview Rec Center. It was the third one built, opening in 1968. It was wonderful in it's day, but that has long since passed. The Sun City Players hold their performances there, but it is wholly inadequate. Now we see the board has talked of a 9 million dollar renovation there and it will only enhance Phase 1. The softball field is next to the Sun Bowl, the various musical groups all practice in the million dollar music room at Fairway and downstairs is a model train club with a set-up you wouldn't believe. Housing is an interesting mix of the first block homes and the dramatically changing housing styles Meeker brought to Sun City when he took over in 1965. Rather than post some of my favorites in the housing thread, I'll try and do justice to Phase 1's uniqueness and post some of the more interesting styles in coming posts. Phase 1 is clearly evolving. Some of the best prices are found in those earlier homes and as you drive through that section south of Grand Ave you see a great blend of newer renovations and some that have maintained their individual charm of the day they opened. Again, it's that kind of diversity that makes Sun City both special and different from almost every other age restricted community out there.
BPearson, just a little feedback for you. I have been reading your posts and have found them to be very helpful. I think I read where you had worked at the Sun City Museum and maybe that's helping you to provide these very interesting insights. This is great for folks like us who are trying to figure all of this out and to understand the history of the place, which is very interesting indeed. Del Webb comes across as some kind of visionary and certainly seems to have pegged the active retirement concept before anyone else did. We're gradually getting a better idea of what the Sun City lifestyle is through this forum and post such as yours. Thank you!
Hey Henry. Virtually everything I am posting is courtesy of the Del Webb Sun Cities Museum. Of all the things I have done while living here, it is the one place I have enjoyed the most. My goal has been to help people understand the community. The better people can get their arms and head around what and why it has succeeded, the more likely we will to continue that success. I've been offering to work a blog like this since the day I moved here. Organizations tend to fear interactive communication. I see it as I tool to enhance, educate and grow the community and all it has to offer. Nothing says I'm right and they're wrong...it's just when I see potential buyers use this site to better understand Sun City, it tells me we are on the right track. There's a never ending supply of history, stories and events that will keep a site like this relevant. Best of all, you are all helping verify, justify and expand the growing cirtcle of users...and that's good for Sun City and its future.
Such good stuff here. We're signed up to take the bus tour Thursday. The time got moved up to 11:30 due to heat. If you see our group shout out! Gene and Joan
What hot weather Gene? Back to the topic at hand; my tendency is to tell people too much. I seldom assume a reader knows or is familar with what i am talking about. We know Sun City opened on January 1, 1960. We know there were 5 model homes next to Community Center (now Oakmont) and we know sales exploded the first year (in fact 60, 61 and 62 were all exceptional for sales). We also know the three men (Breen, Ashton and Jacobson) who convinced Webb/Boswell to invest in this project had targeted low to moderate income retirees. Their vision was to build them inexpensively and to keep costs down. It was a plan that created issues within the community because by the time they built the second rec center (Town Hall, now known as Fairway), they had to change their business model (another topic for another day) We also know that by 1964 Sun City was in trouble and Webb removed Breen, Ashton and Jacobson and replaced them with John Meeker. His tenor began in 1965 and the changes he made from that point forward are near on legendary. Clearly home styles were a part of the Meeker legacy. To help amplify that, i will post pictures and floor plans from 1960, using the smallest and the largest to give you a look of how much difference there was once Meeker put his stamp on home styles. Just as a footnote; the Del Webb Sun Cities Museum is actually the first and smallest of the 5 model homes and we have preserved the kitchen, bathroom and part of the living room to mirror opening day. First up, the Kentworth (2 bedroom/1 bath). Next up is the Pickford (3 bedroom/2 bathroom). These were modest homes, block construction, but with some nice high end finishes (just check out the pink kitchen and bathroom at the Museum). The reality was, DEVCO realized the real draw was the community, the active new way of life they were touting. They figured the homes needed to be nice, not spectacular.
Did you know Mamie Eisenhower started the whole pink kitchen & bathroom trend when she was in the white house. When looking at houses I wondered about the pink and did a bit of research. In fact there is a group and website that encourages people to keep the pink. http://savethepinkbathrooms.com/10-facts-about-pink-bathrooms/
Lest anyone thinks I'm blowing smoke about Sun City being on the ropes, included in Meeker's journal is an alternative plan for Sun City. The age restricted community was going to stop at Grand Avenue with everything north of there being either an Industrial Park or non-age restricted homes. Webb sent him in to either shake things up or move in a different direction. Clearly John loved the challenge and it became his passion to help make Sun City succeed as it was originally designed. He did a number of things to build a sense of community, but I won't go into them now. One of the things he noted was everyone loved a value. Buyers from all economic walks of life found Sun City attractive, all of which prompted Meeker to become more aggressive with home style. In 1965 he added Villa Del Sol condo's, with it's Mediterranean look and he realized there were more opportunities along this line with single family homes. He also heard residents clamoring for more square footage and one of his best assets was listening to what people wanted. It should be obvious by now, I prefer the Santa Fe/Mediterranean influence. Rounded archways and flat roofs were incorporated into designs. To this day when I drive through Phase 1, I love the look of a number of the models he built into the area north of Peoria Avenue. One of my favorites came from the 40 series (1966) and the another came from the 50 series (1968). There's actually a number of others, but these two styles I fell in love with. I'll post them below with both elevation and floor plans. Remember, click on the pictures to enlarge them: Plan 46 from 1966 was a 3 bedroom/2.5 bathroom beauty. It came in three elevations: *46B The SunDowner. 46M The Mediterranea. 46 S The Pueblo. Here are the elevations and the floor plan: The next is from 1968, the 50 series. This one was a 2 bedroom/2.5 bath and had lots of space to roam. Again, 3 elevations and here's their designation: *55S The Villarosa. 55F The Monaco. 55B THe Ventura. Front elevations and floor plans below: If anyone is interested, i have the square footage around somewhere, just let me know and i'll post them.
Way cool C; I didn't know that. I do know whenever people see the pink tiles at the museum folks get all nostalgic.
I am at the Visitor Center right now - 1:30 Wednesday, June 17, 2015. Please call to confirm the time for your tour. The information I have is 12:30. Of course, you could always wait in the library or even the Center. 623-777-1191
