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Trillium at Douglas Ranch in Buckeye, AZ

A City of the Future  

It's hard to believe that just 3 decades ago, Mike Ingram had purchased quite a large piece of land that was purchased from the legendary actor John Wayne. While this is only part of the story, many components are developing a new concept that ties in with a highway extension, a city of the future, and a revitalization of Buckeye that is bold and daring.


Starting with the project formerly known as the Trillium project, now recently renamed Teravalis. This project has been part of a long-proposed and ongoing saga that originally spanned 34,000 acres. Now- the project has been increased to cover 37,000 acres and is reportedly selling lots to developers as of this writing.This is part of a project that includes the Howard Hughes Corporation which has invested $600 million with additional investors within the area.


The first phase of this new project which has emerged into what we can now call Teravalis intends to create 100,000 new homes for at least 300,000 residents. It will further include an infrastructure to support the community with shops businesses, and more than 55 million square feet of land reserved for commercial real estate business.

map of trillium


It's part of a community project that will provide a business park, residential family homes, and an executive residential zone.Teravalis will also have direct access to Interstate 11 which is passing through Buckeye. This new Interstate connection would further allow new residents to have direct routes from Phoenix to Las Vegas. And what might sound like the mythical golden story of El Dorado, there's more to this story to uncover.

A Superhighway of Abundant Trade 

A long time in the making, this corridor route that is aptly named Interstate 11 was originally unveiled in 2014, not too far from the Hoover Dam has finally gotten the green light from the US Department of Transportation in 2021. This newly proposed route corridor will become a connection route that will enable many who live in Buckeye currently to have direct route access to Phoenix, Las Vegas, and all the way down to Nogales at the Mexican border.


It's a major move that is now in action to build model homes within the next year and is set to change the previously named Douglas Ranch project. This proposed span of Freeway is over 280 miles connecting major interstate links along the path from the border all the way to Las Vegas. It's one of the few new Infrastructure and Jobs Pact projects that were outlined in Joe Biden's 1 billion dollar initiative that actually goes to improving and developing new roads in America.


What this new project will do is to create a high-priority route in the National Highway system. Although the initiative doesn't mention any reference to Interstate 11 specifically, the proposed plans for I-11 have already undergone countless studies and environmental impact reviews. Among the plans that are being addressed is the impact of the desert tortoise and several species of plants.


The environmental impact has also gotten swift attention from environmental advocates who are against the extension for obvious reasons. On top of that, local Native American Indian tribes have further voiced their opinions on how I-11 will impact their religious ceremonial sites.

An Ever-growing and Emerging Population 

This all comes from the very same developers of the previous Trillium project that has plans to increase the community population to include 300,000 new residents in the next 50 years. The current population numbers around 89,000, yet with new construction and Freeway development on the horizon, this number could jump to over 305,400 as early as 2040. Just the proposed I-11 project will be pumping an additional $30-60 billion into the local Buckeye economy!


This would mean that a sustained temporary population will be appearing sooner than expected. There are over two dozen projects meant for housing in Buckeye alone, that are all expecting new workers, contractors, and residents in the 2022-2023 season. The proposed model homes set to be built by late 2024 (but no later than early 2025), is now a reality, but not limited to local Buckeye concerns.


There is also a growing population that is quickly moving to areas including Phoenix for work opportunities and will likely want to find better and more affordable residential housing. Ultimately, the developers of the newly renamed Teravalis project are looking forward to new business developments within the West Valley and drawing in more residents coming as far away as Phoenix. The border of Buckeye would then extend from Wickenburg all the way down to Gila Bend in the south as early as 2040.

Water Shortage Concerns 

One of the major concerns for residents of Buckeye and for the developers of Teravalis is obviously the scarcity of water. For a project of this size, water is an asset that could potentially shut down the entire project aside from the lower Hassayampa aquifer as their proposed source of groundwater. The most current news about this prospect is another question that has received more environmental backlash that questions this move.


David O'Reilly, a representative of the Howard Hughes Corporation, has stated that the groundwater supply underneath the purchased property at Buckeye is plentiful. He further stated (according to previous surveys of groundwater in the area) that there is a 100-year renewable supply that is assured. However, there is one snag to this proposal that is alarming members of the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter. According to Sandy Bahr, she claims that pumping groundwater would impact the region greatly causing fissures and land subsidence that cannot be fixed once any water is pumped out.


Other sources have quickly pointed out that the level of water in this underground basin that was estimated to exist is much less than it appears to be. There are also fears that the water may not be usable due to the quality levels. Despite this, O'Reilly has shown they are compliant with regulations according to the ADWR (Arizona Department of Water Resources).


It wasn't revealed until recently that the 2023 Hassayampa Subbasin groundwater model report completely counters their claims for adequate water supplies. For the first stage of 7,000 homes that will be built in the next few years, it barely covers what is available for the entire Teravalis project as a whole. 

An Environmental Impact

Water is not the only issue that is causing red flags to be raised in Buckeye. The developers of Teravalis are also facing environmental impacts caused to the property itself. These are largely coming from the Sierra Club's Grand Canyon chapter head Sandy Bahr who is sounding off about the potentials of animal wildlife and vegetation. It seems that the larger issue with global footprints may spoil hundreds of miles of untouched desert and life that exist there.


Startling as it may sound, Teravalis in Buckeye is facing the issue of irreversible harm to local wildlife. Only one tortoise was actually found living there, but that's enough to raise concerns in addition to many types of wild animals that roam within this arid territory. In addition to that, fears of the current climate crisis are being used as a ploy to prevent development for the ongoing Freeway and Trillium projects.


This includes the plight of the desert tortoise that had been spotted living within a section of Buckeye near the borders of the Teravalis property line. They are deeply concerned that the corridor Freeway project will threaten homes and ceremonial sites used for religious pursuits of its tribal members. Additionally, the present climate crisis rhetoric is not the only reason that these concerns are being voiced about the ongoing I-11 freeway project and construction at Teravalis. Local Buckeye residents already have major issues with ongoing drought problems that are limiting groundwater extraction as it is.

What is happening currently?

Since last December in 2021, there hasn't been much news that is being revealed just yet. The latest news is- that lots will be available for sale in 2022. Nothing formal has been announced on the main website nor is there much news on the proposed Interstate 11 plans moving forward. Unlike similar projects within the area that include the Taresso community, and the Sun City Festival and Festival ranch projects, Teravalis has not provided any answer to the water shortage issue. However, unlike the expectations for the development of Tartesso, another development near Trillium, Trillium is showing much more promise to reach its initial proposed expectations.


If any when there is breaking news that emerges, we'll be following this development closely to give updates on construction or groundbreaking ceremonies are being announced.  As you may expect, large-scale megaprojects that previously included Trillium at Douglas Ranch are pushing forward with the new Teravalis project one way or another. If current water issues and the eternally delayed I-11 freeway project cease to come to fruition, the sustainable viability of any Buckeye development will be dead in the water (so to speak).


Or perhaps, the allocated funds that are intended from the Infrastructure and Jobs Pact approved last year are not available yet (as of this writing).

What we can see from recent media reports, an endless slew of advertisements and media coverage is further pushing the opportunities to invest in Teravalis property lots. Expansion in new jobs and construction could indeed rival the population of Phoenix- if it occurs without further delays.


Now consider that there was a lot of media build-up for the Nikola hydrogen Truck Factory located in Buckeye back in 2018. Although this was 5 years ago, these old reports were hyping up the then-proposed Douglas Ranch project. Or consider that a new shopping center will be built at the corner of Jackrabbit Trail and Indian School Road in Buckeye that was announced in January of 2021?


There isn't a lot of information that is showing much of anything is being built in Buckeye aside from these random news announcements. Nonetheless, we are thankful that we can share our views on this and hopefully recycle some of that information that comes from it. 


As always, Arizona Junk Removal, will be standing by to service this new addition to Buckeye.

FAQs

What is the community of Trillium in Buckeye, AZ?

Trillium was a master-planned community that was proposed to be built at Douglas Ranch back in 2007. The Project has since collapsed and has now been renamed the Teravalis Project Currently, there is nothing built at the Douglas Ranch location due to a limitation on water rights.  

How is the community of Trillium different?

The property at Douglas Ranch is currently miles and miles of empty land that is waiting to be developed. However, the original concept of Trillium is a City of the Future that included businesses, residences, parks, community centers, lakes, schools, and specialty shops for its residents.

What are the amenities offered?

While there is no physical construction that is planned at the Douglas Ranch location, one of the feature amenities is said to include the first phase of model homes and a welcome center that is set to be completed by 2025.

Where is Trillium Located?

Trillium and the newly revised version now called Teravalis is located at the Douglas Ranch in Buckeye. It will also intersect with the proposed I-11 Freeway project that would increase business and trade through Teravalis and much of Buckeye.

How can I find out more information about Trillium at Douglas Ranch in Buckeye, AZ?

There is limited info about Trillium anymore since the project has been shut down. The best information on contacting the new project managers for the Teravalis project is to visit their website: https://www.teravalis.com/ to get more updated information.

How do I contact Trillium?

The original owners and property developers for the Trillium project have switched direction with their earlier project and now are in the works to start the Teravalis project that broke ground in December of 2022. They can currently be contacted by joining their interest list on the homepage of:  https://www.teravalis.com/ to get news and info.


Tags

buckeye, news, Phoenix Valley


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Brad Thomason is the owner of AZ Junk Removal, a seasoned professional with decades of experience in the moving and junk removal industry. With an acute understanding of how people acquire and dispose of items, he established his company in 2001, serving the Phoenix, Arizona area with exceptional junk removal services. Throughout his career, Brad has witnessed the exponential growth of the city as new communities, businesses, and retail centers continue to develop.

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