"Having grown up within two miles of this iconic McCormick Ranch location, I know firsthand how much this site means to the neighborhood and the City of Scottsdale." Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky said that at the September groundbreaking for The Lakefront at Scottsdale, according to Arizona Digital Free Press. She spoke at 7501 E. McCormick Parkway. The property dates to 1978, and the building on it today is a single-tenant office overlooking the lake.
That site is the biggest piece of a larger shift. Within a few weeks this fall, a lakeside dining room opened on Hayden Road, an all-day market and eatery got close to opening a short drive north, and a 1978 office property started coming down so restaurants and a marina can take its place. The ranch's lakes are being turned outward, toward people eating, walking and lingering by the water. Some of that is open now, and some won't be ready before 2027.
A 1978 office building is coming down to face the water
Scottsdale-based Diversified Partners broke ground on The Lakefront at Scottsdale on Thursday, Sept. 24. The Scottsdale Independent had announced the 9:30 a.m. ceremony two weeks earlier. Arizona Digital Free Press reported that more than 213 people came.
The property covers about 100,000 square feet and was first developed in 1978. It sits east of Scottsdale Road near McCormick Parkway, with views across the lake to Camelback Mountain. The redevelopment plan adds restaurants, outdoor dining, retail, Class A office space and public gathering areas designed around walking and activity on the water.
Three details show how far the site is moving from its office past:
- Forever Lane, a named feature in the plans
- A dedicated valet arrival area
- A small marina with Duffy boat rentals
A boat rental dock on a McCormick Ranch lake is about as clear a sign as you'll get that the water is meant to be used. The plan treats the lake as part of the property.
So far, three food and drink tenants have been announced. V Modern Italian will take about 7,000 square feet and is expected to open in 2027. The menu, developed with Michelin-starred chef Stefano Ciotti, is planned around house-made pastas, antipasti and premium meats. SUSHISAMBA, which blends Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cooking, has signed a letter of intent for about 12,000 square feet. La La Land, a specialty coffee and matcha café, will open in a freestanding corner building.
The timeline matters if you drive McCormick Parkway every day. Demolition of the existing building was scheduled for early October. The larger construction phase is expected to start in early 2027, once design and permitting are finished. Expect the work you see this winter to be mostly teardown, not new buildings going up.
Vecina shows what a lakeside table looks like right now
If The Lakefront is the long-range plan, Vecina is the part you can try tonight. The Arcadia restaurant opened its second location on Friday, Sept. 18, at 8300 N. Hayden Road, Suite D-101, in the space Z'Tejas used to occupy, as reported by Phoenix New Times. PHOENIX magazine describes it as a much larger location than the original, with a lakeside patio and modern Latin food from chef James Fox.
The current menu includes California sea bass ceviche, Faroe Island salmon tacos, Duroc pork belly tacos, a carnitas empanada, smoked half chicken and a mesquite-grilled ribeye. Its reservation listing shows dinner hours of 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. daily. Hours can change, so check before you go.
The hours tell you something. Vecina is an evening spot. For now, the lakeside dining it brings to Hayden Road starts at 4 p.m.
Dash is built for the hours Vecina doesn't cover
Dash is aimed at the rest of the day. Chef Matt Carter and Brian Raab, the team behind The Mission, Fat Ox and Zinc Bistro, are opening an all-day eatery and neighborhood market at 9619 N. Hayden Road, Suite 101, near Hayden and Mountain View roads. Phoenix New Times reported a November opening. As of this writing, Dash's own site still says "Coming Fall 2026," and no exact opening day or hours have been announced.
The planned menu runs from morning to night:
- Coffee and pastries
- Breakfast bowls and breakfast sandwiches
- Chopped sandwiches and salads
- Roman-style pizza and Portuguese-style charcoal-roasted chicken
- Soft serve
- Market provisions to take home
Together with Vecina, Dash fills in the daytime. One restaurant is a dinner patio by the water. The other is somewhere to get coffee in the morning, pick up a roast chicken on the way home, and buy groceries in between. Both are on the same stretch of Hayden Road.
One room changes, and the overall count still goes up
The changes aren't all openings. Chef Christopher Collins closed Saint Urban, his McCormick Ranch wine bar, as a public restaurant after less than two years. PHOENIX magazine reports the space is becoming the Saint Urban Private Dining Room, available as an event space. That means one less place to walk in for dinner and one more place in the neighborhood to book a rehearsal dinner or a holiday party.
Here's where everything stands as of early November:
| Place | Location | Status | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vecina | 8300 N. Hayden Rd., D-101 | Open since Sept. 18, 2026 | Dinner and happy hour, lakeside patio |
| Dash | 9619 N. Hayden Rd., #101 | Slated for November 2026 | All-day eatery and market |
| Saint Urban Private Dining Room | McCormick Ranch | Converted from restaurant | Event space |
| The Lakefront at Scottsdale | 7501 E. McCormick Pkwy. | Demolition phase; major construction early 2027 | Dining, retail, office, marina |
| V Modern Italian | The Lakefront | Expected 2027 | Italian, about 7,000 sq. ft. |
| SUSHISAMBA | The Lakefront | Letter of intent signed | About 12,000 sq. ft. |
| La La Land | The Lakefront | Announced | Coffee and matcha café |
The holiday calendar runs while the lakefront is torn down
The new places will take a while to settle in. Meanwhile, the ranch's usual holiday spots fill the gap through the end of the year.
Holiday Lights 2026 at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park runs Nov. 27 through Dec. 30, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. There is no event on Dec. 24 or Dec. 25. The event page has the details:
- Tickets: $15 per person for ages 3 and older, free for children 2 and younger, with train and carousel rides included. Members get $5 off.
- Wristbands: Required for entry and for every ride.
- S'more Land: A fire pit by the tracks, with kits for $8 each.
- Food: Sold at Hartley's General Store and food trucks, and the Model Railroad Building is open.
- Santa: Meet-and-greets on Dec. 1, 5, 7, 11, 13 and 17, plus every night from Dec. 19 to Dec. 23.
The park says the event sells out every year, and tickets are sold through the city's ActiveNet registration page. That same listing shows two smaller nights before the public opening. Adaptive Recreation Night is Thursday, Nov. 19, from 6 to 8 p.m., and Member Night is Nov. 20, both at 7301 E. Indian Bend Road.
At The Scottsdale Resort & Spa in McCormick Ranch, Thanksgiving on Nov. 26 offers two options. Brunch runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and costs $105 for adults, $49 for ages 5 to 12, and nothing for ages 4 and under. A three-course dinner in La Fogata runs 4 to 9 p.m. and costs $79 for adults and $38 for children 12 and under, plus tax and gratuity. The resort also lists Christmas brunch on Dec. 25 and a La Fogata three-course dinner that evening from 4 to 9 p.m.
The resort's First Friday Movie Night comes with free popcorn and an RSVP page. Wedding Crashers plays Friday, Nov. 6, the day after this post goes up, and Die Hard plays Dec. 4. Bring a blanket or a chair.
You could make a full evening of it before December. Start with happy hour on Vecina's patio at 4 p.m., then drive a few minutes to the Railroad Park for the 5:30 p.m. Holiday Lights opening. Once Dash opens, you could grab coffee there the next morning too.
If you're watching The Lakefront go from demolition to dining, or you know someone deciding whether McCormick Ranch fits the way they want to live, we're happy to talk through what these lakeside changes mean on the ground. Reach out to Gregory Corbett and Let's Connect.
