Marana’s future is bright, Mayor Jon Post said | News

The future is bright if the theme of Marana’s State of the Town is true. On April 2 at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, Mayor Jon Post told a crowd of 500 about the many plans fulfilled, the many that are now being implemented and the many for improvements that residents can anticipate, thus the theme: Building the Town of Tomorrow.

It takes time to do all that building, but Post said he was warned about how busy he would be.

“It is the kind of busy where you meet hundreds of residents, attend a ribbon-cutting before you finish your morning workout, hop over to a meeting about an interchange and then somehow end the day inside the MARC watching kids sprint past you for a (basketball),” he said. “It’s the kind of busy where you spend hours — and I mean hours — with regional partners working through transportation plans because cooperation is what turns ideas into real progress.”

It’s all in the pursuit of making Marana even better, making it a great place to live. 

“This year has reminded me over and over again what makes Marana so special,” Post said. “I’ve met neighbors who care deeply about this town.”

Of course, the reason the quality of life in Marana is so great has to do with the past.

“Marana is built on a strong foundation,” Post said. “We have incredible employees, dedicated public servants, amazing community partners and residents who show up for each other day after day.”

Post discussed the fact that Marana tourism is “booming,” he said. Marana’s events are drawing tourists.

With that, Post looked to the future.

“With everything we’ve accomplished together I think it’s fair to say that we are standing on a strong foundation and now it’s time to build the town of tomorrow,” which means that the town is not going to wait to see what happens but is ready to do the work to make things even better. Things such as the new airport tower at Marana Airport, which will “strengthen operations, enhance safety and expand our economic opportunity for our community,” Post said.

This better future also includes some major transportation projects enabled by RTA Next that will improve cross community mobility for the next 20 years.

“Honestly, I think we should clap for that,” Post said.

The first five years will see the completion of projects in the town’s original plan that were not realized, which includes expanding Tangerine Road from Marana Tech Drive to Dove Mountain Boulevard. It turns Tangerine Road into a major east/west corridor from Marana to Oro Valley. 

The brand new Moore Road Interchange is also slated to come in during this time.

Finally, Post could not overlook the Great Tangerine Squeeze, which although hard now will make traffic so much easier in the future. The Tangerine Interchange improvements will include adding buffered lanes beneath the overpass but this is only the beginning. Future plans see a flyover interchange that “will transform Tangerine,” Post said. “It will look similar to Twin Peaks and Ina Road. It will eliminate the railroad crossing, improve safety and will resolve congestion.”

The Cortaro Interchange will also see changes as will Ina Road, which will be expanded. Other Marana roads will be improved, making it easier to get in and out of Marana.

“Together, these projects will open up more mobility, more access and more opportunity,” Post said. “Marana’s location along the interstate makes us the gateway to southern Arizona so it is important that we are good stewards of our region’s first impression.”

Finally, also coming is drainage improvement which, Post admitted, is not as interesting as the other plans. However, this isn’t just any improvement. 

“Instead of building a typical drainage channel we’re turning that space into something residents can actually enjoy,” Post said. “Barnett Linear Park will combine drainage infrastructure with recreation space, creating a place where people can walk, bike and spend time outdoors. It will also connect to the Chuck Huckelberry Loop. That’s pretty cool. That’s the Marana approach: Taking something functional and turning it into something that adds real quality of life for our residents.”