By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Twelve homesites. Three already sold. And prices start at nearly half a million dollars — just for the land.
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Quintana is Tucson’s newest gated community, perched on a ridge in the central Catalina Foothills. According to experts, there is nothing else like it left.
‘All by accident’
Quintana sits on the last premium 20 acres in the central Catalina Foothills — a stretch of land that listing agent Russell Long brought to architect and developer Michael Franks, who almost passed on it.
“Well really all by accident,” Franks said. “Russell said he had 20 acres to sell and I would be the person to do the development. I said, ‘I’m not interested.’ He said, ‘Well I think you should think about it.’”
Franks, whose firm built Tucson’s Westin La Paloma and other buildings in Tucson, eventually said yes. But the work was not simple.
“And this terrain is difficult,” Franks said. “So it took about two years to get all the utilities in. To get the road in. To just get to a place where we could start building.”
Building is in Franks’ blood. His father founded La Quinta Building Company in 1968.
“I grew up with the idea of design and building all in one,” Franks said. “My father was a designer, he was actually a landscape architect.”
Territorial style, luxury finishes
The result is Quintana — 12 single-level homesites with floor-to-ceiling windows and masonry walls that frame the desert landscape.
“The thing about the style Michael builds a lot is territorial,” Long said. “Meaning it’s the style that was popular in Tucson when Arizona was a territory, with straight walls and a brick or an adobe cap on it.”
Every room connects to an outdoor patio, and natural light is throughout. Franks said the finishes rival homes twice the size.
“Built in refrigeration, freezer, cooktop ovens, wine cooler, warming drawers, microwaves, all the things you would expect in larger luxury homes,” Franks said. “Just on a smaller scale.”
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The views span north to the Catalinas and south to the city of Tucson.
For buyers looking to downsize or seeking a second home, Long said Quintana fits the bill.
“These are pretty easy to lock up and leave,” Long said.
Luxury market has cooled
Long Realty CEO Kevin Kaplan said Tucson’s overall housing market is healthy, but the luxury segment — homes over $1 million — has cooled slightly after years of pandemic-driven growth.
Closed luxury sales are down more than 5% compared to the same period in 2025, while the number of luxury listings has fallen nearly 15% compared to June 2025. That means buyers have fewer options on the market.
“What they’re looking for is quality, they’re looking for amenities, they’re looking for feel and they’re looking for views,” Kaplan said. “And they’re looking for great locations. It’s less about look at me, and more about how I feel when I’m inside the place.”
Kaplan said what makes Quintana stand out is the scarcity of comparable options.
“There’s not a lot of lots and availability to build in town, or even in the foothills,” Kaplan said. “Most of what’s for sale is an existing home, some of it is older that may need to be brought current. And it’s rarer to find a development of new construction that’s high end. And you have a very famous developer and architect with that in Michael Franks which I think makes it quite special.”
Pricing and availability
Three lots have already sold. Floor plans range from 2,500 to 4,200 square feet, with finished homes ranging from $2.5 million to nearly $4 million.
The three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath home we toured sits on just under an acre and is listed at $2.8 million. Another available lot in the community spans nearly three-and-a-half acres.
Long said the development will stand apart once complete.
“By the time he’s done it will be one of the most desirable upper end products in Tucson,” Long said.
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