Our Story: A Lifetime Legacy

The Founder of Rancho Sahuarita, Bob Sharpe, acquired 3,000 acres of farmland in Sahuarita, Arizona with a dream of creating a place that thousands of families would be proud to call home.

Humble Beginnings

Bob recalled being delighted by building and creating from the very start, while reminiscing on the nostalgia of playing with Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys. A true industrial entrepreneur, Bob was well ahead of himself at the time, developing a keen sense of vision that would one day make him one of the country’s most successful developers.

Little did Bob know, in the 1990s, he began his journey as a champion for communities people could call home. Starting with his signature tree-lined streets and sidewalks along neighborhoods in Southern Arizona, leading into an active membership in the Urban Land Institute, holding many leadership positions (including trustee, Program Committee member, chair of the Community Development Council, Terwilliger Center Board Member, and ULI Arizona Advisory Board Member) along with his role as Governor of the ULI Foundation — he soon would build the technique and tenacity that would lay the foundation for something greater, something for everyone.

Bringing Life to Rancho Sahuarita™

Only a short time later, Bob founded the Rancho Resort community in 2000, followed by the Rancho Sahuarita community in 2001. This tremendous milestone allowed him the opportunity to create the same sense of home he created in his early neighborhoods on a far larger scale. Bob envisioned an area where families could come together and experience a better quality of life at an affordable price. His dream would one day become Rancho Sahuarita.

Laying a Promising Foundation for Others

With a personal motto that quickly became the rallying force behind Bob, he moved through each day to the credo of “Today is a Good Day.” Even though the odds against him seemed impossible to overcome, he approached each day with gratitude, acknowledging he was blessed to have a new day; a day to help others, and a day to make a difference. As part of this morale, Bob distributed more than 10,000 “Today is a Good Day” stickers and established the “Today is a Good Day Foundation,” touching thousands of people through his inspirational outlook on life.

Today, nearly 20 years after the first home closed, thousands of families call Rancho Sahuarita™ home. Rancho Sahuarita resounds as a thriving master plan community of more than 18,000 residents and 6,000 homes. Rancho Sahuarita™ stands strong and continues to grow in stride with Bob’s vision and honor, which will guide development into the future.

Over the past few decades, that 3,000 acres of land just south of Tucson has transformed into an award-winning, highly amenitized, master-planned community in Southern Arizona.

Our History