Desert Camp Site Improvement Project

The Desert Camp Site Improvement Project (DCSIP) is phase one of the DC Ranch Master Plan.

Resident input drove a design that maximizes available space, preserves existing unique characteristics, represents the DC Ranch aesthetic, integrates seamlessly into the environment and existing site, and will foster resident engagement and enjoyment now and well into the future. The plan features include an expanded fitness center, dedicated fitness studio, preservation of important viewpoints, resident gathering space for enjoying coffee and conversation with neighbors, additional tennis (future phase) and pickleball courts and a walking path around the center. The total square footage of the center is proposed to increase from 7,362 square feet to approx. 15,000 square feet.

View the latest floorplan | View the latest site plan

Check out the Info Sheet for answers to frequently asked questions.
Updated: Nov. 30, 2023

To introduce residents to nearby alternative facilities during construction, a comprehensive list of sites has been compiled and continues to be updated. The Community Council trial at EOS fitness is closed. Those residents already registered will be active through March 24. Residents may continue to drop-in for 8 visits at McDowell Mountain Ranch Aquatic and Fitness Center through March 31.  For details, including how to sign up, click here.
Updated: Jan. 29, 2024


Current Project Updates

Pool renovation
In conjunction with the Desert Camp Site Improvement Project, the Community Council has identified reserve projects to complete. These projects will further enhance amenities while the center is already under construction. The first of these is the pool renovation, which will begin Monday, March 11 and is expected to be completed by the end of April. The renovation includes replastering, retiling and redecking both pools.

Amenity access and usage
The parking lot, pool, fitness center and restrooms are officially closed. Construction is anticipated to take 9-12 months.

In response to resident requests, the Community Council collaborated with the contractor to provide access to specific amenities during the construction phase. This includes the tennis courts, walking paths, basketball court, and the playground at Desert Camp. While there might be occasional closures, residents can safely utilize these amenities during construction. Residents are encouraged to access these amenities via the path and trail system as parking is restricted in neighborhoods and on sidewalks, curbs, and easements throughout DC Ranch.

  • One of the tennis court was modified into two pickleball courts. Tennis and pickleball players may make court reservations online or by calling The Homestead front desk at 480.585.1641. Read the updated reservation and usage guidelines.

What residents can expect
In order to keep the project safe for residents and construction personnel, Haydon installed a screened fenced perimeter on the site. The screening provides privacy, ensuring that construction activities are out of the line of sight and minimizing impact on residents’ daily routines.

Residents can expect to see large equipment and trucks coming and going from the site. Haydon abides by a strict safety policy for equipment operators and drivers. The construction daily start and end times throughout the project will follow the regulations set by the Covenant Commission and City of Scottsdale Codes and Ordinances. Winter hours (through March 31) are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As work begins, residents will see neon-clad construction personnel around the site. If you see them while you’re out walking or driving by, don’t be afraid to give them a wave or hello. Haydon’s team is excited to be part of the project.


Harmony between desert and dwellers

DC Ranch is known for its commitment to xeriscaping and the use of native plants in landscaping since its inception. To preserve the fragile desert, the developer, DMB, made certain that streets flow with the contours of the land. Xeriscaping, which requires little water, is used throughout DC Ranch and native plants played an integral role in the original development philosophy. Even today, the DC Ranch landscape philosophy is tied directly to preserving the Sonoran Desert and saving as many cacti and trees as possible is priority for the DSCIP project.

Haydon (the contractor) has advised that, during the salvage design process, Native Resources (NRI) inspected all trees and cacti being impacted by the new design and determined which of these plants could be salvaged and which could not be relocated due to the health of the plant. Healthy plants and trees were flagged with pink and red flags. Unhealthy plants that would not survive the transplant process were tagged with a blue flag and will be removed.

Native Resources has an environmentally sensitive approach to plant relocation, plant nursery development and landscape construction. NRI has perfected a standardized methodology over the last 2 decades that provides for optimum survival on projects.

Plant salvage process

The native plant salvage process consists of preparing a plant for removal by boxing and containerizing the roots. Placing native trees in boxes allows them to be relocated to either a new location or a nursery where they can be maintained until development is complete.

Tree relocation process

As part of the tree salvage process, NRI is the industry leader in moving large trees to the onsite nursery or final planting location. Using an assortment of large loaders, backhoes and cranes, they are able to move trees that can weigh up to 50,000 pounds.

Nursery details

The east event lawn will serve as the onsite plant “nursery” until they can be placed back in the landscape at the end of the project.

Revegetating plants back into their native habitat

NRI has become an authority in the Southwest of creating beautiful landscapes for large-scale commercial projects that fit harmoniously into the natural environment. As the final step in the inventory and salvage process, NRI is also a specialist in revegetating native plants back onto project sites once development has been completed.


The Homestead Community Center: Stop in for a cup of coffee, refill your water bottle or sit on the veranda and visit with neighbors. Residents will continue to have access to The Homestead. Outdoor amenities at The Homestead include a basketball court, covered playground and a splash pad water feature.

Lobby hours:
Monday-Friday | 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday | 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Parks, Paths & Trails: Explore the 47 parks, located at the heart of each neighborhood, that are interconnected by over 50 miles of landscaped paths and trails. Many residents meet each other for walks, with or without their canine companions! The trails ultimately lead pedestrians, runners and cyclists to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Log in to view and download trail maps.

Events and programs: A full calendar of programs will continue to be offered throughout construction, utilizing the spaces at The Homestead. Residents can enjoy a variety of their favorite programs, from Social Hour, Grapenuts Wine Club and Food Truck Night to beloved family traditions like Spooky Carnival and Eggstravaganza. Visit the calendar to view upcoming programs and register.

Fitness classes: Yoga, Strength & Balance, and Zumba will remain at The Homestead until the renovation is complete and these classes can move into the new dedicated fitness studio at Desert Camp. Drop-ins are available for residents who are interested in trying out a class before registering for an entire month.

Drop-in card clubs: Residents who currently use Desert Camp for drop-in card clubs have a space at The Homestead to meet, play cards, and make new friends.

Swimming, fitness, tennis and pickleball: These activities at Desert Camp will pause during construction while the new fitness center, fitness studio, two new tennis courts and four replacement pickleball courts are built. To introduce residents to nearby alternative facilities during construction, a comprehensive list of sites has been compiled.


Other Project Updates

  • The City has required that Acoustifence be installed on the pickleball court fencing as a sound mitigation measure. At a special meeting on Dec. 5, the Community Council Board of Directors voted to approve the installation of the Acoustifence during construction to meet the requirement.
  • At their open meeting on Oct. 16, the Community Council Board authorized the project to move forward and voted to:
    • Hold on constructing two new tennis courts as both a cost savings measure and to enable site access; this project component will be reconsidered in spring 2024.
    • Authorize the Council Executive Director to negotiate and finalize an addendum to the contract and proceed with the project.
    • Authorize a loan as supplemental funding if needed.
  • During the closure, Council staff will be busy conducting inventory, monitoring construction, and creating and/or updating policies and procedures for the new center such as pickleball sound mitigation requirements, new policy limiting business use of community center common areas, researching options to enhance the resident experience at the center, and much more.
  • The design team has been working with Atmosphere on selection of furniture and furnishings in accordance with budget and the design theme of sunrise to sunset.
  • Council team members are working with the contractor’s marketing team on a plan for communicating with residents on project status throughout construction. Sign up for text message updates here.

Updated Jan. 24, 2024

DCSIP FAQS Outreach Milestones

Design Revision

In mid-March 2023, as the design team of Haydon Building Corp. and Architekton prepared to submit the plans to the City of Scottsdale for final permitting, they were advised that, because the center site falls within the AO floodplain, the building would need to comply with FEMA requirements. As designed, the building did not meet those requirements. So, the design team pivoted and began to redesign. At resident-attended meetings in both March and April, the Board engaged in rigorous dialogue regarding the various design options.

The design team evaluated four options, all comparable in cost, for the Board’s consideration, as follows:

  • A: Keep existing design and install floodproofing measures.
  • B: Expand building to west.
  • C: Create separate buildings.
  • TH: Consider constructing new fitness studio and center on The Homestead Site.

Option A proposed keeping the design “as is” with modifications to meet FEMA requirements. This option required installation of an expansion joint to establish the expansion as a separate structure, plus dryproofing measures. Flood (or dry) proofing would be required up to 6’ and features installed so devices can bolt on to doors and windows (similar to hurricane preparation). Alternatively, clear story walls would need to be 6’ high. More demolition work is necessary to fully separate the structure. Design elements would need to change to adapt to FEMA requirements. For example, operable slider doors would not be acceptable, and would be replaced with double doors with mullions to be able to bolt on flood shields. This option requires studies, creation of a storm warning plan, guaranteed seepage factors, dryproofing deployment, and other factors. Due to cost, liability, and aesthetics, this option was eliminated by the Board at the March 2023 board meeting.

Option C was for a campus-like environment with three separate buildings at different elevations, including a separate fitness studio building and a standalone fitness center on the northeast/east side of the existing building. Both buildings would be elevated to meet FEMA requirements.

The Board also considered constructing a new fitness studio and center on The Homestead parcel, as it is not in a floodplain. However, because new lockers would be required, there was no cost savings, and the limitations on the property, this option was not pursued.

Ultimately, the Board selected Option B. This option involves modest modifications to the existing building and adding the expansion to the west. Parking would be revised slightly. Because of the grade to the west, the differential is only 1’, which would require a ramp and/or stairs to transition between the two spaces.

In this new design, residents will enter the lobby. After checking in, to the left you can find meeting rooms, a gathering corral, seating for reading and playing cards, and access to the locker rooms and the beautiful north patio with breathtaking views of the McDowells. The fitness room will be converted to a full service meeting room.

If you turn to the right after entering the lobby, you will find the fitness studio with views over the pool, and access to the fitness center with views over the valley. An additional restroom and storage complete the space.

Under any of these scenarios, the design of the tennis and pickleball courts remains the same. More information on the courts can be found below.

The board considered phasing the project, beginning with the courts as phase I and the building as phase II to expedite completion of the courts. However, this option was not pursued as it would have added approximately $350,000 to the overall project cost. Instead, the design team is working diligently to prepare the project for fall 2023 groundbreaking pending City of Scottsdale approvals.

Tennis Courts
Two additional courts will be added. It is interesting to note that the initial plans for the Desert Camp Community Center from the late 1990s anticipated that the site would have a total of four courts in the future.

Pickleball Courts
The plan calls for demolition of the two existing courts and construction of four courts.

Due to proximity of the courts to residential areas, an acoustician was hired to conduct a sound study and make recommendations to mitigate noise from the courts. Complete elimination of noise is impossible; however, there are measures that can be employed to reduce noise. Three options that the team explored are “green” paddles, Acoustifence and a masonry/stucco barrier wall. The necessary height for the fence/wall to make any measurable difference in sound was 10’. A wall of this height is not permitted on the property. For this reason, as well as the extensive cost (over $150,000) and other site restrictions that limit the effectiveness of the wall, this option is not viable. The Board has directed the design team and Council staff to develop policies, including use of “quiet” technology per the USA Pickleball’s new “Quiet” Category to mitigate sound impacts on neighboring properties. Staff will also review court reservations to assess utilization to determine adequate hours of operation. These policies will be created and launched prior to opening of the new courts.

Click here to learn more about the development of the master plan and beginning stages of the DCSIP project prior to 2021.

In early 2021, the Board contracted with Holly Street Studio to review and validate the priorities, engage with the community, and create a phased plan for the identified amenity improvements. This plan was adopted by the Board in September 2021. Read the final report.

In late 2021, the Board released an RFP for design-build services for the priority project, which included an expanded fitness center, dedicated fitness studio, two additional pickleball courts, two new tennis courts, a walking path, and gathering space at Desert Camp Community Center.

After a rigorous selection process, Haydon Building Corp. and Architekton, both with significant experience constructing top quality community centers, were chosen to lead the project. The project design kicked off in late spring 2022. Focus groups with resident stakeholders were held in summer 2022 to gather input on each of the design spaces, from pickleball courts to meeting rooms.

In fall 2022, the DC Ranch Community Council and the design-build team of Haydon Building Corp. and Architekton held an open house to present an overview of the proposed site improvements for Desert Camp Community Center and gather input.

The bulk of funding for this project will originate from the Council Capital Fund.

When the community was set up by DMB, the developer, DMB implemented a transfer or “benefit” fee of ½ of 1% of the resale value of every parcel in DC Ranch, both residential and commercial. This fee was specifically designated to fund programs and enhancements that keep DC Ranch vibrant and relevant and bring value to residents, both current and future. The strong home sales from 2019-2022 enabled the Council to set aside excess benefit fees for this project, totally $7.5m. A loan is being considered for the gap in the project cost vs. savings. Currently anticipated at $2.5m, the final numbers will be determined once the project is bid and a guaranteed maximum price is established.