Looking back, the year 2022 might be seen as a year of improvement and expansion for the Verde Communities. The Rio Verde Fire District expanded with the addition of a second fire station. Rio Verde opened its expanded Community Center with all new fitness center and immediately began renovations for Phase II of the project. Tonto Verde did an extensive remodel of its Clubhouse, which is near wrapping up.

The Rio Verde Fire District (RVFD) held a ceremonial groundbreaking event on Jan. 24 for its new $5 million public safety facility in the district at 176th Street and Rio Verde Drive.

The contractor, Core Construction, had the 9,200 square-foot facility ready for opening in November. The station will house a crew of up to six personnel, although it is initially staffed with four-person crews.

Voters living in the Fire District approved a bond totaling $5 million at the November 2020 election to allow the project to move forward.

Response time was a critical determining factor in the Fire Board’s decision to ask voters to approve the expansion. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) sets the standard response time for emergency incidents at between four and six minutes. The Rio Verde Fire District has historically maintained an average emergency response time (Code 3 lights and sirens) of four minutes.

As the population of the Fire District has increased it has seen an increasing number of emergency calls, longer response times and more back-to-back emergency calls.

The Forest Road fire station will remain in operation.

At the opening ceremony for the facility, Maricopa County Supervisor Thomas Galvin (D-2) praised the district for its foresight in planning for growth in the area.

As the year comes to a close, there is still ongoing work at the Rio Verde Community Center to complete Phase II of improvements.

The work has included expansion and improvement of the multi-purpose room, renovation of the activity rooms, expansion of the library and patio space. The amount approved for Phase II was $2,437,000.

Tonto Verde Clubhouse renovations were on track over the summer to allow completion of the work going into the new season.

New equipment for the bar renovation arrived on time and final decisions were made on flooring selections, paint colors, and furnishings for the bar and lobby areas.

A separate page on the TVA website was used to share updates on the renovations as various project stages were complete.

As various stages of demolition and reconstruction began, areas of the Clubhouse were impacted, with specific areas closed to member use. All amenities within the Clubhouse continued to operate with some normalcy during the work.

A new Fitness Center with all new equipment was part of the renovations.

The Bar and Grill area was also completely remodeled to provide a new look and experience for members.

Tonto Verde Association offices were relocated to the lower level of the Clubhouse to provide additional activity space on the main floor.

These projects were reflective of the ongoing effort of the Verde Communities to maintain a favorable position in the marketplace for 55+ living communities.