Community Focus – Tubac, Arizona
We recently interviewed Todd Harrison about Tubac as a travel destination, a residential community, and the roles his company The Harrison Group Real Estate Services are taking in helping to shape the future of Tubac as a sustainable community. Photo by David Jewell, Photo courtesy Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Located about a 35 minute scenic drive south from Tucson in Southern Arizona, Tubac was originally established in 1752 as a Spanish presidio. Today, Tubac has become a popular destination for art lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, birders and history buffs. In Old Tubac, working artists' studios now surround the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park and the grounds which once served as a Spanish military garrison.

We recently interviewed Todd Harrison from The Harrison Group Real Estate Services. Born and raised in the Tubac area, Todd still lives locally with his family. He and his dynamic wife Lisa, own and operate a local Montessori school, and of course, his real estate company. With the community’s best interests at heart, Todd has kept a close watch on Tubac as it grows in popularity as both a travel destination, and as a residential community. The community has mixed feelings – as do most small tourist communities we have come across as we cover the Southwest US as a magazine. For years, we have watched small communities battle over the growth issue.

The reality is this – the population is getting bigger, people are living longer, and a whole lot of the population either wants to escape the city and retire in a small community, or perhaps raise their family in a safer, rural environment. A lot of us simply want to escape the stressful hustle-bustle, and return to our roots and life in a pretty place. There is a balance – there is an answer. As communities, we can choose to shape our community and grow in a steady, healthy fashion. Growth is a fact and planning for it now, will lessen the chaos factor when it arrives – for it will not just arrive, it will move in – whether systems are in place or not. Our interview with Todd discusses how to shape a community, how Tubac is handling growth and the roles he is playing in creating a healthy environment and community, with systems that will allow the community to thrive in the future growth to come--in short, responsible growth.

One of the projects we talked to Todd about is La Entrada de Tubac. This dvelopment is at the very front of the Tubac Village, greeting visitors with a collection of elegant galleries, restaurants, shops and services. It is also home to the Tubac Visitor’s Center which serves as a Tourist Information Center for Tubac and the surrounding communities of Santa Cruz County. Bridging the old and new elements of the community, La Entrada de Tubac is currently undergoing a large expansion taking into consideration the needs of the visitors, businesses and the arts, while keeping it's environmentally friendly integrity.

Below is an excerpt from our online radio show, Champagne Sundays, featuring Todd Harrison. To listen, please double click on the Play button below.

For more about La Entrada de Tubac and its expansion process – Click here.
For more about Todd’s company The Harrison Group Real Estate Services – Click here.
For more about Tubac – Click here.