Well, here we are again,

and I am determined to get back to our Fountain Hills history lessons this week.

As I sat down to begin typing, I noticed I had to turn the page on my calendar. It was already March.

Daylight Saving Time starts on March 14. That doesn’t mean much for you Arizonans. You don’t have to change your clocks like the rest of the country does. You just have to remember if you are calling the grandkids in New Jersey, you have to add another hour when you are calling them.

If you are calling anyone on the west coast, then they will be on the same time as Arizona as of the 14th. It will be that way until November 7.

As promised, I am going to write about how in the first year of being open, Fountain Hills was already being looked at with significant interest by outside developers, contractors, investors and homebuyers.

Now as you read this information you have to remember these are 1972 figures.

In his October 1972 report to company headquarters in Los Angeles, Fountain Hills Project Manager Bill Fisher wrote that some $18 million had been invested in the community in the first year of development. McCulloch spent $12 million, and the remaining $6 million was spent by special districts and private companies.

Some of the major projects included the reception and information centers, the MPI office building, planning and grading of the 18-hole golf course, in-tract streets, a major landscaping program throughout the community and installation of the centerpiece fountain and accompanying lake.

Also, the second retardation unit in the community’s flood control system was completed.

Detailing these projects include:

The Fountain Hills Reception Center – this building on the corner of Colony Drive and Saguaro Boulevard was built at a cost of $300,000. The 7,500 square-foot building was built with floor-to-ceiling windows on its north side to give panoramic views of the fountain and lake. It was later used as restaurant space (Tibor’s and Michael’s come to mind.) and eventually became Messinger Mortuary, which it remains today.

The Fountain Hills Information Center – This facility was erected at the main entrance to the community. Salesmen greeted drive-in traffic from the Phoenix area to this location on Shea and Saguaro boulevards. It was originally a grouping of mobile homes with a façade front on it and carports. A large flagpole (which remains) and a sign reading Fountain Hills Information Center – McCulloch Properties Inc. were the remaining improvements. An attractive two-story building was later built on the site when it became MCO Realty.

18-hole golf course – In the May issue of the monthly Fountain Hills Times, we featured a story about the beginning of construction on the first of three planned golf courses in Fountain Hills. The par 71 course is 6,331 yards long. Cost of blading and contouring the golf course fairways was $1 million. Golf course PGA golf professional Johnny Allen used his 13 years of experience to design the course. He designed or co-designed courses in McCulloch Properties’ two other planned cities, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., and Pueblo West, Colo. The Fountain Hills course opened for play in September 1973. Today the course is called Desert Canyon Golf Club and is owned by Freeder Ort.

MPI Office Building – The office building that was used by McCulloch Properties as its executive offices during the early development was built on Colony Drive. The slump block building was also the office of Anderson-Nelson Engineering Co. They were responsible for most of the grading and contouring of the land including the Fountain Park and Lake, the golf course, the downtown commercial area and the northeast residential area.

The offices of Chaparral City Water Company were also located in the building. It was the community’s first water company. It was managed by Lee Barte.

Today, the building is used as the offices of Fountain Hills Mini Storage.

Flood Control System – A $550,000 budget was approved for 1972 work on the community’s Flood Control System.

The system consists of a series of retardation structures which appear to be earthen dams with large holes in them.

Sanitary District Treatment Plant and first road paved – A $60,000 contract was awarded for site grading for the community’s waste water treatment plant.

Fountain Hills Project Engineer Hal Marron announced the contract was awarded to JMJ Corp. of Phoenix.

A $200,000 contract was awarded to McAfee-Guthrie Construction of Phoenix for installation of sewer lines in the community. A similar contract was awarded for paving of roads to D.C. Speer Construction of Phoenix. Both contracts were on an “as needed” basis. The Speer firm earlier paved Saguaro Boulevard.

Major Landscape Program – A $100,000 landscaping program began in May to relocate a group of saguaro cactus that were previously removed during grading and stored in a sanctuary south of Fountain Park. The “saguaro forest” that was created became a talking point in the community.

The giant cacti were replanted in Fountain Park, along the Saguaro Boulevard median and other locations around the community.

Other private firms were busy with their own expenditures in Fountain Hills. These firms were all working hard to see that their investments would pay off for them.

And that’s how it all began. Fountain Hills was on its way. We’ll have another Fountain Hills history lesson next week.