Arcadia's Last Big Open Parcel May Go Vertical. What the Arcadian Square Proposal Says About Arcadia Land

"We are significantly decreasing the intensity of this site relative to what is approved there right now." That's Benjamin Tate, the Withey Morris Baugh zoning attorney representing Cullum Homes, describing the plan for 12.62 acres at the southwest corner of 48th Street and Indian School Road.

He's right, measured against the right baseline. If you're comparing Arcadia with other central Phoenix and Scottsdale neighborhoods, the proposal is more useful as a signal than as a future address. The newest single-family homes being planned in Arcadia stack living space on small lots, so a big yard is no longer part of what a new Arcadia home includes.

A Ranch, a Stalled Office Plan, and a Rezoning Request

For decades the site was the Lazy R&G Ranch, a retreat for employees of The Arizona Republic and the now-defunct Phoenix Gazette. The land was sold in 2005, including eight acres that went to Arcadia High School. In 2011, Arcadia Development LLC had the remaining 12.62 acres rezoned for a mixed-use office and commercial project. That project never gained traction, according to Tate.

The 2011 change moved the property from R1-10 single-family zoning to C-1 Neighborhood Commercial. The application narrative says the site "continued to sit relatively unused" afterward, even though the city's General Plan still designates it Parks/Open Space. That explains why there are two filings. Cullum Homes, a Scottsdale-based custom builder, is seeking a Planned Unit Development rezoning under case Z-101-26-6, with a companion General Plan Amendment, GPA-CE-1-26-6.

The proposed community is called Arcadian Square. It would have 60 detached homes, gated, with design inspiration the narrative attributes to "London row homes."

Three Baselines, Three Answers on Density

Whether Arcadian Square counts as low density depends on what you compare it to. The site plan in the June 18, 2026 draft narrative sets out the numbers.

Against the commercial entitlement, the plan cuts allowed density by about four-fifths. Against the site's own pre-2011 residential zoning and the single-family zoning on its west, south and east sides, it is a taller, tighter kind of home than the surrounding blocks. All three descriptions are accurate. The baseline the city eventually adopts will decide how the project gets judged.

Michael Del Prete, a candidate for the District 6 City Council seat, has argued on his campaign blog that the proposed standards could allow about six homes per acre, or roughly 75 homes, rather than the 60 in the concept. That's his reading of the filing. The city's case register still lists the application as a first submittal, with no staff report posted.

What a Little Over a Tenth of an Acre Holds

The site plan tells you more than the density figures do. Lots 5 through 60 range from 4,523 to 6,675 square feet and average 4,568, which is just over a tenth of an acre. Lots 1 through 4 average 5,945 square feet. The proposed building footprint is 2,990 square feet, and total lot coverage reaches 55%.

Each home would be two or three stories with 3,500 square feet of living space. The third level would have conditioned space plus "a generous outdoor living area." Every home comes standard with a small elevator, buyers can add a basement, and two lots can be combined into one residence.

Each of those features makes up for the lot size. The elevator makes three stories workable. The basement adds space underground because the lot can't take it sideways. The third-level outdoor living area stands in for a backyard. The option to combine lots is the only way to get a bigger lot. Outdoor space shifts to shared ground too. Front doors face landscaped greenbelts and paseos, garages open onto private drives at the rear, and the PUD calls for a garden plaza, a community lawn and a dog park in the central open space.

So the product is high-end, and its value is almost entirely about location. The narrative says the site sits "at the crossroads of the two busiest bike and pedestrian thoroughfares" in the community and describes the plan as "hyper-walkable."

The Sales Data Points the Same Way

You won't find a public land-versus-house value split for Arcadia, but ZIP-level sales data fits the same story of buyers paying more each year for the address itself. In ZIP 85018 for August 2026, single-family homes sold for a median of $1,562,500, up 5.6% from August 2025. The average was $1,910,208, up 14.3%. Year to date through August 2026, the median was $1.7 million, up 15.3%, and the average was $2,189,792.

When the average climbs faster than the median, the top of the market is pulling away from the middle. Sellers received 98.3% of list price in August 2026, compared with 95.1% a year earlier. Supply was 4.7 months, with 166 single-family homes for sale. A couple of cautions: 85018 is a ZIP code, so it doesn't line up exactly with Arcadia's boundaries, and August had only 24 closings. That's too small a sample to read as appreciation on any individual home.

What the numbers support is this. Buyers paying above $1.5 million for an existing Arcadia home are paying a lot for the lot. If Arcadian Square is approved and built, it would offer a different trade at a similar address, with more house per square foot of land, newer systems, and shared grounds in place of a private yard.

Where the Case Stands as of September 30, 2026

Arcadian Square is a proposal. As of September 30, 2026, here is where the public process stands.

1. June 18, 2026. The draft PUD narrative was stamped received by the Planning & Development Department.
2. July 21. The Arcadia Osborn Neighborhood Association held a community meeting at Arcadia High School to discuss the project.
3. August 23, 2026. The Phoenix Business Journal reported that city officials were considering the request.
4. Now. The city's PUD case register lists the case as an active first submittal, with no staff report or hearing result posted.
5. October 6, 2026. The Camelback East Village Planning Committee meets from 6 to 9 p.m. An unofficial agenda index lists the case as an information-only item, so no vote is expected.

Nearby residents have raised traffic concerns. Tate's answer is that 60 homes would generate less traffic than the approved commercial use. He says the plan will include pedestrian safety measures along 48th Street and extend shared-use paths onto Indian School Road, where the existing five-foot sidewalk would be pulled back 10 feet to create an 18-foot zone between the community wall and the curb.

A Short FAQ

Is Arcadian Square approved? No. As of September 30, 2026, the case is an active first submittal. It still needs a rezoning and a General Plan Amendment, and no Planning Commission or City Council hearing date has been posted.

Could the home count change? Yes. The concept shows 60 homes. Plans often change during rezoning, and at least one public commenter reads the proposed standards as allowing more homes. Until the city publishes a staff report, the final standards are an open question.

Does a nearby home's value depend on this outcome? Nobody can say yet, and the case record doesn't address it. If you're buying near 48th Street and Indian School Road, keep track of the case through the city's PUD register and the Camelback East Village Planning Committee calendar.

Does the site have SRP irrigation? The site plan shows an existing SRP irrigation easement on the property. Irrigation access in Arcadia varies by parcel, so check any specific property directly with SRP.

If you're weighing a classic Arcadia lot against newer homes on smaller ground, or wondering how a case like Z-101-26-6 could affect a home you own nearby, Annie Cole can go through recent 85018 sales with you and help you work out what you'd be paying for in land and in house. Let's Connect.