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Casa Blanca and it's history,
It was an early Arizona resort frequented by Hollywood's elite (I've been told Marilyn Monroe frequented Casa Blanca), complete with its own landing strip for private aircraft, a movie star could easily slip in and back out. According to, " Jody Smith who used to live right across the street from the Casa Blanca Airport,"
“which was located between 64th Street & 68th Street" ... and bordered on the north & south by Jackrabbit Road & Chaparrel Road.
We used to watch the planes land with famous people (movie stars & such) that were staying at the Casa Blanca.
That was in the early 1950s.”
The original ranch structures complete with barn and horse corral were designed and built in the 1920s by architect R.T. Bob Evans (also designed Jokake Inn) for Donald Kellogg heir to a Buffalo New York manufacturing company. Donald original home was 8000 square feet and constructed of Adobe and Mexican tile . Originally Donald Kellog, the forefather of the Casa Blanca Inn had 63 acres at the base of Camelback Mountain, Donald passed away shortly after the construction of his beautiful home... and the ranch eventually was sold to the Charles W. Borg family of Illinois in 1944. George Borg, inventor of the automatic transmission, used the home as a winter retreat for family and employees of the Borg Warner Corporation. Mr Borg was the first to name the property Casa Blanca in 1944, coincidentally the 1942 movie classic Casa Blanca starring Humbrey Bogart had just been released two years earlier.
Borg had an extra wing constructed onto the home in the shape of a Morocan-style dome.
Folklore has it that George was such a boisterous drinker that he was thrown out of all the bars in nearby Scottsdale. So he built his own bar with an onion-domed roof, which later became a restaurant at the Casa Blanca Inn. The dome would also serve as a landmark for Mrs. Borg who was an avid pilot. In 1946-1947, Mr Borg had a 2,600' dirt airstrip constructed that stretched diagonally across the property from the corner of what is now Chaparral Road and 68th Street to the corner of Casa Blanca Drive and Jackrabbit Road. Mrs Borg would fly her personal plane in from Wisconsin. The Borgs were the first of many from Wisconsin -mid west to enjoy the great winter weather in Paradise Valley-Scottsdale.*Brian Baker recalled “A Phoenix strip called "Casa Blanca"... It was in Scottsdale just east of Camelback Mountain, and served the Casa Blanca Resort Hotel.
I went in there with a guy in an Ercoupe about 1957 or 1958, and we just barely got out of there with 2 of us in it. It closed soon afterwards.”
By 1953 , The Borgs Hacienda had developed into a guest ranch and the Borgs hired friend Royal Treadway to be the general manager. Five years later, The Borg's sold the property in the mid nineteen fifties to Mr Royal Treadway and investors -contractors James Phillips and Samuel Kitchell. Royal Treadway intent was to establish a first class desert resort. This was the grander beginning of the Casa Blanca Inn, a five star property that operated continuously for the next 30 years, advertising "Charm, Diversity of Amusement and Perfection of Appointments". The iconic onion-domed bar created by Mr Borg became The Sultan's Table restaurant and cocktail lounge in 1962. During the same period 1961- 1962 the Casa Blanca resort was expanded to accommodate 130 guest. The goal always being the highest quality of service regardless of expense; at the Sultans table restaurant "every necessary device and appliance was installed to enable the chefs to achieve the highest standards of the culinary arts. By 1967 Royal Treadway had decided to sell the property to Bernard McDonough who was a private hotelier , Bernard ran the resort for four years before selling the Casa Blanca Inn to Ramada Inns , who extensively remodeled the property and added the current tennis courts and turned the Sultans Table into La Jardin Restaurant. However, although Casa Blanca was a great and beloved success, the economics of the 1980tys and the opening of several new Scottsdale resorts were to spell the demise of the Casa Blanca Inn as it was so fondly known.
The property was sold to Great Western development in the early 1980tys and turned into for the first time a residential community, with lead architect George Christensen - Miller; Thus establishing the current residential incarnation of the Casa Blanca Inn under the ownership of the Great Western development group who converted approximately 37 of the old buildings around the Rose Garden and restaurant into condominiums (Phase I). Those units that were converted, were originally built in and around 1969. Then, in the mid 1980's, Developer- John Gardiner with architects/ master builder, George Christensen and Miller were commissioned again to continue the expansion with the design and build of Phase II. Phase II - of Casa Blanca is a collection of 38 single and tri-level homes with The Cactus Garden as it's center piece. With these homes you will typically see a construction date of 1985 The third phase of development took place in early the 1990's with home construction dates typically of 1991 and 1992. Phase III added 39 single level detached homes with garages on the of the northern end of the property with primary builder being Casa Blanca Building Company headed by Builder Mr. Backman. Mr Backman is quoted as saying at the time - circa 1990 "We saw the market as requiring a totally detached home" .
You may be wondering what those new two bedroom plus dens sold for in 1991- 1992. well you would have been a happy owner in 1991 for between $212,000 and $230,000. Today those same units .. will cost you between $1,300,000 and $2,000,000
Today the Casa Blanca community and it's three phases of development occupy approximately 19 acres with 2 acres of famed rose gardens three pools and two tennis courts. HOA dues in the community range are in the $800.00 to $875.00 per month range. This includes 24 guard gate, community landscape, pool, tennis court and more.
This famed resort enjoyed a rich history entertaining celebrities and politicians from around the world. Buildings may change but memories are a gift of a lifetime. Many fond memories were made at Casa Blanca Inn. Today the memories belong to happy home owners who now live on the grounds of the famed Casa Blanca Inn.
Latest Casa Blanca Homes for Sale
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