Town Council Approves Lease Agreement for Downtown Marana
Located in the gateway to southern Arizona, Downtown Marana is your future destination for unique flavors, fun experiences, and vibrant events.
MARANA- The Town of Marana is proud to announce an exciting milestone in its plans to develop a future Downtown Marana mixed-use entertainment district.
On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, the Mayor and Town Council approved a resolution authorizing a lease and development agreement with Marana Urban LLC. This enables the company to move forward with the next steps toward developing the 19-acres of Town-owned property located east of Marana Main Street and north of Civic Center Drive.
The downtown project consists of five phases to be built over an approximately 11-year period.
Phase One is located near the Marana Aquatic and Recreation Center (MARC). It is anticipated to include restaurants and a spa, along with an open recreational outdoor area, a temporary parking lot, 400 linear feet of brick-paved roadway with sidewalks, curbs, street lighting and trees. It also includes an illuminated arch sign and a billboard sign to be located along Interstate-10.
Under the agreement, the developer is required to submit a development plan for Phase One no later than 18 months after the effective date of the lease agreement. Within two years, they must begin construction in conformance with that development plan.
“I’ve done this my entire career [restoring old buildings]. This is a different challenge because it is building ground-up and it has to feel old and age well. That is hard to do, but it’s going to be done because you all deserve it. This community deserves something that is that special,” said Scott Stiteler, principal of Marana Urban LLC. “It’s really about the people, and when I say the people, it starts with who is going to show up and dine in the restaurants – the community and…the business owners.”
Town Manager Terry Rozema thanked current and former Town Council members for their vision in this project. Rozema also thanked Stiteler for his valued partnership in this investment in the Town of Marana, as well as Town Attorney Jane Fairall for her work on the agreement over the past year.
“This is truly a historic event and evening for us,” said Rozema.
After the meeting, Mayor Jon Post remarked, “Town Council has worked toward this moment for years. I’m excited to see Downtown Marana become the central hub our community has long needed.”
This action follows a thorough Request for Proposals (RFP) process initiated by the Town in May 2024 to identify a qualified developer to lease and develop the property. The Town received one proposal, submitted by Marana Urban LLC. After evaluation of the proposal, the Town Council voted 7-0 in November 2024 to begin negotiations on a formal lease agreement.
On November 18, 2025, the Town Council also adopted a resolution approving a notice of intent to enter into a retail development tax incentive agreement related to the downtown project.
The approved lease term is 75 years, with an option for the developer to renew for an additional 25 years, for a potential total term of 100 years. The lease includes both fixed rent and percentage rent payments to the Town of Marana.