File photo by Margaret Naczek/Cronkite News
Local realtors closed sales on two multi-million dollar ranches in Santa Cruz County late last month: The Oak Bar Ranch and the Baffert Ranch, which will allow two companies to expand their operations in the mining and trucking sectors, respectively.
The Oak Bar Ranch, which sits just northeast of the Nogales International Airport, was purchased by Australian mining company South32 for $3.8 million. While the property is designated as general residential zoning, a South32 spokesperson said the company currently has no plans to use the property for housing.
Instead, spokeswoman Taja Vivens said, South32 plans to use the 637-acre property to accommodate a transmission line that will support the company’s Hermosa Project in the Patagonia Mountains.
“Beyond that, South32 has not yet determined the long-term use of this property,” Vivens said.
Meanwhile, the Baffert Ranch – located off North Grand Avenue – was sold for roughly $3.4 million to Citizen Auto Stage, a Nogales-based brokerage and freight business that also manages motor coach and school bus divisions.
The Baffert Ranch zoning provides a bit more flexibility for the local family’s operations: It is zoned for residential, light industrial/commercial and agricultural use.
Thomas “T.J.” Morgan, CEO and president of Citizen Auto Stage, said the company had a years-long desire for more space for its existing operations.
“But now we’re thinking we’re going to go a bit further,” Morgan said, noting that his family’s company is exploring the possibility of creating an industrial park, residential area and a city park.
“It’s a win-win for us and the city,” he said.
Oak Bar Ranch
The Oak Bar Ranch was originally built in the 1930s and long operated as a large cattle ranch. The property, which boasts eight bedrooms and seven bathrooms, had also been listed as a bed and breakfast business on Yelp in recent years – offering guests horseback riding and birding opportunities, given its proximity to the Coronado National Forest.
Gary Brasher, the selling Tubac-based realtor with Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty, said the ranch had been on the market for about four years. Zillow records show that the property was initially listed for $4.2 million in 2021 and was dropped to $3.8 million in 2022.
Other interested parties had made offers on the property during that time, Brasher said, but South32 representatives were ultimately the ones to close the deal.
“I think, certainly, they were accommodating regarding the price that my client was asking,” Brasher said, noting that South32 representatives were also willing to work with the family as they moved out of the property that they’ve called home for multiple generations.
Moving forward, South32 will use the property to make way for a 138kv power line that will support its mining operations.
Vivens noted that the company has a “short-term priority” of maintaining the existing land and structures “in good and safe working order.” Part of that will consist of retaining the current on-site ranch manager and other service providers, the spokesperson said.
Baffert Ranch
The Baffert Ranch, which spans about 240 acres, was built in 1913 and got its name after the ranching Baffert family bought the property in 1953. The family’s business operations began with raising about 40 chickens to sell eggs.
That small-scale endeavor eventually grew to several thousand hens, allowing the Baffert family to commercialize their business by selling to grocery stores and restaurants. More growth ensued as the Baffert family purchased cattle and horses to manage full-blown ranching operations.
Most recently, Brasher said, the property had been put on and off the market for some time. Zillow records show the property was listed for $4.9 million in 2020 and taken off the market in 2021. It was then listed again in 2023 for $3.4 million.
Thalia Kyriakis, the selling realtor with Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty, said several companies, including some from other states, had expressed interest in buying the Baffert Ranch, based on its industrial and commercial opportunities.
According to real estate records, the property includes a house with five bedrooms and three bathrooms. The land comes with water rights for three wells – one for irrigation and two for private use. It also includes other amenities, including a warehouse, block office buildings and farm utility buildings.
“It’s great that it ended up going to a local buyer,” Kyriakis said of the 108-year-old Citizen Auto Stage with deep roots in Nogales.
Morgan noted that the ranch offers ample space for his company to expand its operations.
“We had these plans for some years,” Morgan said. “I really have to give kudos to my team for sticking through with this.”
