An uptick in the economy was reflected in new development for Fountain Hills during 2015.

The long-awaited Adero Canyon project in the McDowell foothills along the western edge of town began excavation and infrastructure work this past year.

In February the Town Council approved an updated master plat for the 431 acres in the development owned by MCO Properties.

The new plat allows for 61 single-family custom home sites to be developed by Toll Brothers, an additional 44 units will be town homes and there are another 120 units designated as multi-family to perhaps be used by the CopperWynd Resort.

There will be 118 custom home lots remaining from the original platting.

The development will allow for the access and improvement of the Fountain Hills McDowell Mountain Preserve trailhead site. The trailhead access is expected to be available late in 2016 or early 2017 so that work can begin.

Current work includes the improvement of the semi-custom home plats as well as the extension of the main Eagle Ridge Drive into the canyon.

Toll Brothers has also begun work on a planned new condominium project in FireRock Country Club.

That development will have 32 duplex units for a total of 64 residential homes.

The excavation and infrastructure work on that project is also underway south of Shea Boulevard off FireRock Country Club Drive.

This past year has also brought plans for the development of the downtown area along Avenue of the Fountains.

Morningstar, a Denver, Colo. company that operates skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, is working with a local contractor to develop an 81,000-square-foot, two-story assisted living project west of the Lexington Hotel.

That project broke ground earlier this year, and construction is well underway.

A second part of the downtown development is being identified as Park Place with a plan for 400 apartment units along with about 50,000 square feet of commercial/retail space along Avenue of the Fountains.

The developer is still working with town officials on a development agreement for that site and project.

Another local developer has received approval for land use changes to build an assisted living facility along the Shea corridor at Saguaro Boulevard and Trevino Drive.

Dan Kauffman has received approval for a 100,000-square-foot campus with 10 separate buildings. It will include 16 assisted living suites and 11 independent living suites.

Construction has not begun on that project.

The town got a boost in its retail base when Tractor Supply Company opened a new store in Fountain Hills in May.

The Tennessee-based retailer specializes in farm and ranch and equine supplies and has an aggressive expansion program into Arizona.

The Fountain Hills store is approximately 21,000 square feet on Monterey Drive at Shea Boulevard.