BedBrock Developers Break Ground on Crown Canyon Mansions in Paradise Valley 

A 30-acre canyon tucked away in the middle of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve will be home to 12 new mansions with prices starting at $9 million.

BedBrock Developers is breaking ground for the first home within the new exclusive community being called Crown Canyon near 40th Street and Lincoln Drive in Paradise Valley. The 8,100-square-foot home designed by CP Drewett of Drewett with interior design by Mara Green of Mara Interior Designs already has been awarded a “Best in American Living Award” by the National Association of Home Builders.

Rich Brock, founder of Paradise Valley-based BedBrock Developers, is so excited about this exclusive gated community, he bought a 2.2-acre lot for his own home last year.

“Mine is the first lot inside the gate,” Brock said.

“I’m the de-facto guard,” he joked. “You’re not gonna get past me.”

While the average homes will be in the 8,000 to 9,000-square-foot range, Brock said his will be the smallest home of them all, at about 6,300 square feet.

Designed by Drewett, Brock’s home will be a modern with floor-to-ceiling glass offering views of the mountains, along with five outdoor fireplaces and fire pits. A separate building on the lot will include a theater room, exercise room and will have an area that opens up into a courtyard where he plans to have mini concerts featuring his daughter, Shea Brock, who is making her way through the music scene in Los Angeles.

Brock said he plans to break ground this month on his own home, which should be ready in about 16 months or so.

Each of the 12 lots are named after a jewel — Brock’s is Onyx and the one that won an architectural award is called Jade.

On 5.41 acres, Amethyst has the largest lot, with “amazing views” of Papago Park and Camelback Mountain, said Kevin Groman, principal of Crown Canyon Capital who bought the 30-acre site in 2014.

He started getting the land ready for home development back in 2015 but the timing wasn’t so great for the luxury home market at the time, Groman said.

“It really seemed as if the right time is now,” he said. “Sadly, with COVID, people are really looking for peaceful, serene places where they can enjoy outdoor living and the beauty of Arizona without having walls surrounding your home and neighbors breathing down on top of you.”

Metro Phoenix doesn’t really have a small exclusive community like Beverly Park celebrity enclave in California or The Ridges in Las Vegas.

“All around the country, you have exclusive 10 to 20 or 30 highest-end homes with incredible views and a lot of space,” Groman said. “There are 2,000 people in Desert Mountain or Silverleaf on the outskirts of north Scottsdale, but it’s not exclusive. If you are a high-end celebrity or athlete, you may not want so many people around. You want your own peaceful canyon where people aren’t looking down on top of you.”

Crown Canyon is within the heart of the city, within minutes from downtown Phoenix, ballparks and theaters, he said.

“It’s the ultimate fusion of that urban convenience with that natural beauty and exclusivity,” Groman said. “It combines all those elements. To me, it’s a legacy project.”

When parts of the Valley got snow on Jan. 25 — mainly in north Scottsdale and Cave Creek areas — the canyon also got snow, Groman said.

“It will probably be for those types of individuals who are seeking that gated, exclusive environment with that peaceful natural mountainside,” he said. “If you are a very high-profile individual, this provides a lot of protection you don’t otherwise have. It’s very private, very secure.”

Maximillian de Melo and Patrick Niederdrenk, founders of America One Luxury Real Estate, are the exclusive listing agents for the property.

They also are part of an investor group financing the construction of the Jade home.

“This is a one-of-a-kind legacy project that has never been done by anyone — and never will be done,” said de Melo. “Being part of something that is so unique and will go down in real estate history in the state just blows me away.”

The majority of the homes will be spec homes, but a few lots will be saved for custom home development, de Melo said.

“We have exclusive build-to-suit options in the canyon,” he said. “We can also do compounds.”