After over 40 years, Shalimar Golf Club closed its doors at the end of April.
Courtesy Carl Streiff
Against Loop 101 in the southeastern corner of Tempe, the former nine-hole Shalimar Golf Course Club sits vacant, surrounded by longtime residents who were anxiously anticipating change.
Now a developer has withdrawn plans to rezone the land to build homes on it.
The 44 acres with hundreds of homes surrounding it is zoned for one unit per acre. BB Living, a development company in escrow to purchase the land from golf course owner Jane Neuheisel, submitted a rezoning application in January 2025 proposing to build 244 high-density luxury houses and townhouses.
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Against Loop 101 in the southeastern corner of Tempe, the former nine-hole Shalimar Golf Course Club sits vacant, surrounded by longtime residents who were anxiously anticipating change.
Now a developer has withdrawn plans to rezone the land to build homes on it.
The 44 acres with hundreds of homes surrounding it is zoned for one unit per acre. BB Living, a development company in escrow to purchase the land from golf course owner Jane Neuheisel, submitted a rezoning application in January 2025 proposing to build 244 high-density luxury houses and townhouses.
Carl Streiff, president of the Save Shalimar Association, said the rezoning would have increased traffic and drastically changed the space.
“This means everything,” Streiff said of the withdrawal.
Branden Lombardi, president of BB Living, which signed a contract to buy the land for $22 million in 2024, contingent upon rezoning, said his company has decided to move forward with a new plan.
“This isn’t us waving a white flag. It’s us moving forward with our plan to build more housing to make housing more affordable in Tempe,” Lombardi said. Lombardi did not comment on his new plan but did say that there would be no need to rezone the property and that ground would be broken before the middle of 2027.
“I don’t know why it took a year, but I’m confident that everyone who went out to the council and spoke (made an impact), but this isn’t over,” Streiff said.
Streiff recruited over 2,000 supporters who spoke, donated and signed petitions about their love for the open space. Many neighborhood residents went to the City Council to share their experiences on the course.
Anne L’Ecuyer, a Shalimar resident, spoke at the April 30 meeting, reminiscing on the times when the golf course was open and held events at its clubhouse.
“The Shalimar community needs to come alive again,” she said, inviting the public and the council to the course to see the site. “I get my best ideas outside, and I’m so curious about what we might find out there in the sunlight and the fresh air.”
To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Madeline Bates joined Independent Newsmedia in 2025 as a Phoenix/Tempe reporter. Before graduating college, she spent a semester in Washington as a Congressional reporter in the first 100 days of the second Trump administration. But local news is where her heart is. She is excited to be in Phoenix full time and exploring new parts of the city (as long as they have AC).
Community: After living in East Phoenix for two years, she fell in love with Paradise Valley, Mesa, Tempe, and everywhere in between. She recently discovered the beauty of the South Mountain Reserve and hopes to continue exploring should the weather comply.
Education: Madeline has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and a certificate in Political History and Leadership.
Random Fact: She is a self-taught nail tech. No, she cannot do your nails.
Hobbies: Hiking (when its not 100 degrees), fiction writing, cooking, baking and trying new coffee shops.
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