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34-450: Anthem was developed by Del Webb Corporation . In November 1997, Henderson, Nevada approved the first phase of Anthem by annexing 2,535 acres (1,026 ha) of vacant land into the city. Del Webb acquired the land through a property swap with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the annexation had been in the planning for two years prior to its approval. Del Webb planned to start preparing

68-767: A graduate nurse. In 1920, Webb was a ship fitter , and they were living with his parents and two younger brothers in Placer County, California . At the age of 28, he suffered typhoid fever , and moved to Phoenix, Arizona , to recover. In 1928, Webb began Del E. Webb Construction Company. He received many military contracts during World War II . In 1942, he led the construction of the Poston War Relocation Center in Arizona, one of ten Japanese-American internment camps built during World War II , which held over 17,000 internees. Construction began on March 27, 1942, and

102-535: A number of construction projects commissioned by the United States government , including the construction of a rocket engine test stand at Edwards Air Force Base . The company also built military housing on Offutt Air Force Base , Whiteman Air Force Base and Vandenberg Air Force Base . The company's founder, Webb was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for Patriotic Civilian Service by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson as recognition for these projects. In 1987,

136-532: A resort town, followed. Established in 1953, the town was built by Webb (along with M.O.W. Homes Inc.) for the Magma Copper Company. It required the building of streets, shopping centers, schools, a hospital, and parks. This was a prelude to Sun City, Arizona , which launched on January 1, 1960, with five home models, a shopping center, a recreation center, and a golf course. The opening weekend drew 100,000 people, 10 times more than expected, and resulted in

170-531: A small contractor who was building a grocery store. The contractor eventually left town without paying Webb or completing the grocery store, so Webb took over the business to complete the job. This became the foundation of his namesake construction company. Among his earliest commissions were grocery store buildings for the Basha family . Webb soon became known as a grocery store builder. However, Webb sought to expand his firm and eagerly sought out public sector jobs during

204-991: The Rosenzweig Center all in Phoenix, Campbell Plaza and Wilmont Medical Center in Tucson, Executive and Commerce Plazas in Oak Brook and the Stardust Country Club (renamed Sahara-Nevada Country Club) in Las Vegas. The Webb Corp. also served as leasing agent to many large companies including Prudential Insurance , Travelers Insurance, Arizona-Colorado Land & Cattle Company, Valley National Bank , Feau Realty & Development and Hartford Insurance Company . The company's interest in commercial properties continued until 1987 at which time these properties were sold. Del Webb Delbert Eugene "Del" Webb (May 17, 1899 – July 4, 1974)

238-577: The Thunderbird Lodge , to the BLM. In exchange, Del Webb received an additional 2,535 acres for the Anthem project, for a total of more than 5,000. A year after opening, Del Webb had sold more than 1,000 homes in Anthem. Sun City Anthem had 660 residents, while Anthem Country Club had approximately 200 residents and 100 golf members. During 2000 and 2001, Anthem was the sixth-best-selling master-planned community in

272-516: The inspector general for the U.S. Department of the Interior was investigating the land swap deal after former and current BLM officials complained about it. The land was valued at $ 10,900 per acre, although critics of the deal said each acre was worth $ 36,000. The deal also raised questions about the involvement of Bruce Babbitt and senator Harry Reid , who both supported it. Babbitt, the Secretary of

306-461: The 1950s Webb began building shopping centers which were also owned or jointly owned by Webb through several wholly owned subsidiaries. The Del E. Webb Building Management Co. was created in 1968 as a subsidiary. It then became the Del E. Webb Realty & Management Co. in 1970. Major properties that fall under this umbrella Include Uptown Plaza Shopping Center, Camelback Village Square, Christown Mall and

340-412: The 1960s Webb would develop a chain of high-end, multi-story hotels called Towne House. During this time, the corporation was also deeply involved in the development of Oak Brook, Illinois , Clear Lake City, Texas and Alamaden, California . In the late 1960s, the corporation entered a joint venture building infrastructure for several South American countries, which was the firm's first engagement outside

374-399: The 1970s and early 1980s, the corporation continued to construct many large and small scale projects including housing, schools, hospitals, hotels, high rises, convention centers, athletic venues, and airports. The company would also continue to keep close ties to Las Vegas and its gaming industry, working on a major expansion of Caesars Palace in the mid-1970s. The company was involved in

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408-442: The Anthem deal was unrelated to the fundraising. The Anthem land was ultimately appraised at $ 12,210 per acre, although a retired appraiser challenged this figure, stating each acre was worth between $ 15,000 and $ 17,000, which would equal taxpayer losses ranging from $ 8 million to $ 24 million in undervalued appraisals. Del Webb and the BLM stated that critics did not take into consideration the $ 250 million infrastructure that Del Webb

442-723: The Del E. Webb Construction Company went public on the New York Stock Exchange trading as WBB. The company also became known as the Del E. Webb Corporation at this time. In 1961, the Webb Corporation acquired the Sahara Nevada Corporation and its holdings of the Sahara and Mint hotels in Las Vegas. This made Webb the first publicly held corporation to be involved in Las Vegas gaming. Webb would go on to purchase, build, and expand several properties throughout Nevada. In

476-534: The Del E. Webb Development Company, responsible for the design and construction of housing tracts and shopping centers. In 1953 the development company would begin construction on San Manuel, Arizona a mining town built out of nothing. In 1955 the Webb corporation began constructing hotels for the Flamingo Corporation , which Webb was part owner. The following year Webb constructed the first Hiway House Hotel , which

510-588: The Great Depression of the 1930s. In 1937 the firm opened a small branch office in Los Angeles to oversee construction of a high school there. With the onset of World War II the firm constructed several airfields throughout Arizona, as well as an internment camp for Americans with Japanese lineage at Poston ( Poston War Relocation Center ). In 1943, Webb made trusted employee L. C. Jacobson a 25 percent partner. Jacobson eventually became vice president. In 1946 Webb

544-422: The Interior , had once represented Del Webb in efforts to acquire BLM land. Although Babbitt recused himself from the Anthem deal, he became involved with the project at a critical point when he ordered the BLM to prioritize the Anthem deal. At the time, other property exchange applications had been put on hold. In addition, Del Webb had previously held a fundraiser for Reid in 1994, although Reid said his support for

578-540: The United States. Also at this time, the corporation formed an additional subsidiary, the Del E. Webb Building Management Company, which was responsible for building management and would eventually become the Del E. Webb Realty and Management Company when the subsidiary expanded to include holding leases on public buildings. In 1971, the corporation acquired Merlin Hotels, which had many properties throughout East Asia. Throughout

612-737: The United States. Anthem was ranked fifth for 2005, but did not make the top 10 list in 2006. It has a median household income of $ 115,612. The neighborhood is served by the Clark County School District . The schools above are the schools serving all of the Anthem community. There are also multiple private schools in the surrounding area including The Henderson International School, Challenger School, and Hillcrest Academy. 35°57′50″N 115°05′24″W  /  35.964°N 115.090°W  / 35.964; -115.090 Del Webb Corporation The Del E. Webb Construction Company

646-601: The Yankees until selling the club to CBS in 1964 for $ 11.2 million. During those 20 seasons, the Yankees were in 15 World Series , winning 10. In 1946 and 1947, mob boss Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel hired Webb as the general contractor for the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas . After boasting about his claim that he had personally killed 16 men, Siegel said to Webb, "Del, don't worry, we only kill each other", after seeing

680-587: The company tried to reward him by nicknaming a star after him in 1993. In 2001 the corporation was purchased by Pulte Homes . The Del Webb name is used by Pulte as a brand name for its age-restricted communities. Works built by the Del E. Webb Construction Company, (1928-1960) later the Del E. Webb Corporation (1960-2001) are listed in the table. Several works by the firm are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Properties owned, managed and/or operated by Del E. Webb Corporation. In

714-400: The construction of Youngtown, Arizona , Del E. Webb began planning the construction of a retirement community for senior citizens in 1959. The development was planned as an age-restricted community of modern ranch-style houses , with facilities such as a shopping center , golf course , motel , and swimming pool . On January 1, 1960, the development company unveiled Sun City, Arizona as

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748-498: The decision was made to divest the gaming, hotel, and realty management sections of the corporation, all of the Webb-owned properties were sold off, and the corporation was reorganized to focus solely on the concept of master-planned communities for senior citizens . New communities opened in Arizona, Nevada, California, and Texas. During the 1990s, Marco Rubio began holding speaking engagements at these retirement communities, for which

782-579: The first community designed for senior citizens. More than 100,000 senior citizens were present at the community's unveiling, which marked the first planned retirement community in the United States. Sun City was a success, with the company selling 237 homes within its first three days of opening. It was followed by Sun City, California , the Kern City , Sun City Center, Florida , and similar developments in Nevada , Illinois , and Massachusetts . In December 1960,

816-425: The following decades. Along with construction, the corporation was also involved in real estate and owned several hotels and casinos which were built and/or expanded by the company. The company was purchased in 2001 by Pulte Homes. Pulte Homes since merged with Centex Corp. and became PulteGroup . Del Webb continues as a brand of PulteGroup. After moving from Fresno to Phoenix in 1928, Del Webb began working for

850-402: The future needs of the new community. As part of the annexation agreement, Del Webb and property owners would be responsible for projects such as the paving of roads and the installation of sewer lines and utilities. Del Webb would also pay to build a fire station, and worked with the Clark County School District to locate a 20-acre site for the construction of a middle school. By January 1998,

884-520: The panicked look on Webb’s face. Aside from Howard Hughes, Webb would become the largest casino owner in Nevada after his Webb Corporation acquired the Sahara Nevada Corporation and its holdings of the Sahara and Mint hotels in Las Vegas. In 1948, Webb was contracted to build 600 houses and a shopping center called Pueblo Gardens in Tucson, Arizona . San Manuel, Arizona , a mining company town and later

918-399: The site for construction by the end of 1997. Anthem was expected to take 15 to 20 years to fully build out. The development project would include a country club community and a Sun City senior community. Anthem would eventually consist of 11,000 to 13,000 homes. Approximately 72 acres of the first phase were set aside for parks and recreation. Henderson ensured that its water supply would meet

952-929: The time of opening, construction was nearing completion on two golf courses, and had begun on a 74,000 sq ft (6,900 m) recreation center. Upon completion in about 13 years, it was expected that Anthem would have 30,000 residents. The community would include retail and office space. Del Webb relocated its local administrative offices to Anthem in January 1999. In February 1999, the Henderson Planning Commission approved plans for parts of Anthem, including its commercial subdivision. Anthem Country Club opened its golf course in April 1999, and received approval for residential units in August 1999. That year, Del Webb transferred ownership of 147 acres of Lake Tahoe land, including

986-455: Was a company owned jointly by Webb and Flamingo. On March 1, 1958, Webb sold his share of the Flamingo hotels and Flamingo sold its share of Hiway House. Thus Webb became full owner of Hiway House, the hotel chain would be sold off in the early 1960s. As well as housing, during the 1950s, the construction company would build hospitals, hotels, and other large and small scale projects. Inspired by

1020-510: Was a construction company that was founded in 1928 and developed by Del Webb . Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona , United States, it became the Del E. Webb Corporation a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange in 1960. The same year, the corporation unveiled Sun City , outside Phoenix, as the first community designed for senior citizens. Many more Sun Cities were built by the corporation in

1054-545: Was an American real-estate developer and a co-owner of the New York Yankees baseball club. He founded and developed the retirement community of Sun City, Arizona , which was built by his Del E. Webb Construction Company . Webb was born in Fresno, California , to Ernest G. Webb, a fruit farmer, and Henrietta S. Webb. He dropped out of high school to become a carpenter's apprentice, and in 1919, he married Hazel Lenora Church,

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1088-513: Was completed in three weeks. This was accomplished by a crew of 5,000 laborers working double shifts. A former semiprofessional baseball player and a lifelong fan, Webb and partners Dan Topping and Larry MacPhail purchased the New York Yankees in 1945 for $ 2.8 million from the estate of Col. Jake Ruppert, Jr. After buying out MacPhail in October 1947, Webb and Topping remained owners of

1122-470: Was contracted by mobster Bugsy Siegel to build the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. From 1947 to 1948 Webb built distribution centers and warehouses throughout the United States for the Kraft Foods Company . In the early 1950s Webb would be contracted to build facilities for Howard Hughes . The Webb firm would go on to build several plants for Hughes. In 1952 the company founded its first subsidiary,

1156-462: Was putting into place on the land. Anthem home sales began in mid-1998, and the community held its grand opening on October 24, 1998. Approximately 3,000 people attended, more than twice what was expected. Anthem consisted of three subdivisions: Anthem Country Club, Sun City Anthem, and Coventry Homes at Anthem. The latter subdivision was marketed as affordable housing. Sun City Anthem offered new residents free advice from professional home designers. At

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