Southeast Valley Development News

[azsunsurfer]

Great win for Gilbert!

https://azbigmedia.com/real-estate/comme...100000-square-foot-expansion-in-gilbert/

[Phxguy]

https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertai...Lv9TWZDFt29-TMGGKPtN4i7h8MGbfDtJi66BF8B0

Our de facto ‘Asian District’ continues to expand with the anticipated H Market opening on the SE corner of Dobson and Main. With light rail already in place and the possibility of street car running down Dobson to MCC, am curious to see if this area evolves to become more urban.

[combusean]

I grew up on Dobson and Warner and when I finally left Chandler for Phoenix about 15 years ago it was surreal to see that area turn into Chandler's Chinatown. For years that corner was vacant lots, a MegaFoods and golf store and computer store that all came and went, the justice court in a strip mall that left as well, not much of anything and the corner struggled for a long time as the area sprawled around it.

Then came the asian grocer kitty-corner to the venerable C-Fu Gourmet and Lee's Sandwiches and the rest is history. It's interesting that Dobson there lines up with the small Chinese scene in Mesa that experienced a similar growth.

[azsunsurfer]

Yeah it's funny because there is a whole stretch of Asian businesses that run along Dobson and Alma School from Mesa to Chandler. I wonder if Chandler will get on the marketing train? Tempe has it's fair amount too but they are not as concentrated.

[muertecaza]

Union offices in Mesa at Riverview broke ground.

https://azbigmedia.com/real-estate/comme...square-foot-union-breaks-ground-in-mesa/

[muertecaza]

Rundown of proposed Mesa projects:

http://azbex.com/developments-planned-for-downtown-mesa/

Mostly frankly depressing, as most of the proposed developments are nowhere near construction. But it does say that the 5-story apartments on the Bailey's Brake Shop lot on the NWC or Country Club/Main is supposed to break ground in mid-November, which would be surprising but awesome.

[azsunsurfer]

Agreed! If projects on the city owned lots can't get off the ground....it's another desperate cry for them to say "please invest in Mesa, please!" LOL they still can't seem to gain any traction even in this economy. It's a shame because it has potential around the historic core, but their leadership seems dysfunctional?

[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by azsunsurfer

Agreed! If projects on the city owned lots can't get off the ground....it's another desperate cry for them to say "please invest in Mesa, please!" LOL they still can't seem to gain any traction even in this economy. It's a shame because it has potential around the historic core, but their leadership seems dysfunctional?

There definitely is an aspect of a lack of leadership. I don't even know if I'd say dysfunctional so much as just...old. Older councilmembers with a suburban mindset without the vision to get things going downtown. Just as an example, you see from the article that City Council is requiring that a developer replace and reconvey 76 parking spaces to the City in order to redevelop a city parking lot. Why? Downtown Mesa is so ridiculously overparked already--I don't think anyone has ever had a problem parking there. I can imagine that being the difference between something being built or not.

And it didn't help that the fresh young councilman that campaigned a couple years ago on urbanizing Mesa, Ryan Winkle, immediately after getting elected got arrested for DUI, and got voted off the council. Mesa seems to be willing to spend money--they've variously tried light rail, the arts center, ASU, etc.--but no one seems to have the vision to really carry those investments to tangible results.

[Phxguy]

https://azbigmedia.com/real-estate/comme...medium=social&utm_campaign=ReviveOldPost

Agritopia continues to expand with its next phase being an urban village: higher density housing above commercial retail. Interesting how these little nodes of urbanism are beginning to sprout across the Valley.

[azsunsurfer]

Originally Posted by Phxguy

https://azbigmedia.com/real-estate/comme...medium=social&utm_campaign=ReviveOldPost

Agritopia continues to expand with its next phase being an urban village: higher density housing above commercial retail. Interesting how these little nodes of urbanism are beginning to sprout across the Valley.

Right especially that part of the EV....Down the street they've started construction on the first phase of Verde (aka Downtown Cooley Station) which will be a pedestrian shopping street surrounded by high density housing, San Tan Village has been adding more retail and high density housing around the area, you have the Gallery Row a mile east in Mesa that is suppose to be the East side's Kierland Commons that will also have high density housing too.

[Obadno]

ASU's Mesa operation breaks ground:



https://azbigmedia.com/real-estate/comme...tion/asu-mesa-city-center-breaks-ground/

The City of Mesa and Arizona State University held a groundbreaking ceremony today initiating construction of ASU @ Mesa City Center, a new state-of-the-art academic building that brings ASU to downtown Mesa.

“Mesa is thrilled to be breaking ground on ASU @ Mesa City Center,” Mayor John Giles said. “These programs from the Herberger Institute for Design will use augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D modeling and visualization to develop technology with the potential to impact industries as diverse as healthcare, aerospace, manufacturing and entertainment. This building is already attracting interest from Fortune 50 companies interested in the emerging technology.”

ASU @ Mesa City Center is a three-story, 118-thousand square foot building, located at the northwest corner of Pepper Place and Centennial Way. It will house programs offered by the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts related to digital and sensory technology, experiential design, gaming, media arts, film production and entrepreneurial development and support.

“Today’s groundbreaking marks not only the beginning of a new project at the start of a new decade, it reinforces our commitment to preparing for the competitive demands of a new economy,” said Arizona State University President Michael M. Crow. “We are grateful for the confidence and investment from the City of Mesa which enables us to leverage that support into an investment in students and faculty in several related and transformative areas of study. Along with the Polytechnic campus in east Mesa, this new Center will give ASU a stronger presence in one of the most important communities we serve.”

The new building is expected to open to approximately 800 students and faculty in time for the Spring 2022 semester. The ground floor will contain a large exhibition gallery, screening theaters, production studios, fabrication lab, and a public café. The upper floors will include a mix of flexible classrooms and innovative spaces for collaborations with community and industry. Unique to this building will be a 3,000 square foot enhanced immersion studio where users can create augmented realities and map virtual spaces onto physical environments.

The project budget for ASU @ Mesa City Center is $73.5 million, of which $63.5 million will be funded by City revenues and $10 million will be funded by ASU. ASU will also contribute a minimum of $10 million towards the interior build-out and be responsible for all ongoing operations and maintenance costs, currently estimated at $1.3 million annually.

Along with the ASU building, the City is designing Mesa City Center as part of a burgeoning downtown innovation district. The first phase is made up of a two to three-acre gathering space called The Plaza @ Mesa City Center and an adaptive reuse of Mesa’s first library at the southwest corner of First Street and Centennial Way into The Studios @ Mesa City Center. The Studios will allow the collision of ideas between industry leaders, entrepreneurs, students and the public.

[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by Obadno

ASU's Mesa operation breaks ground:

https://azbigmedia.com/real-estate/comme...tion/asu-mesa-city-center-breaks-ground/

Nice. I saw the other day that they had the area fenced off. I'm as excited about the three-acre plaza/park area as I am about ASU. That area of municipal buildings in DT Mesa has really nice (to my taste) midcentury buildings that are disconnected and marred by surface parking lots. Eating some of those up with a plaza and ASU building should look really nice.

[muertecaza]

There is fencing up and the asphalt is torn up for 'The Grid' in Mesa at Mesa Dr./Main. Project website is here: https://thegridinmesa.com/

Still not sure if it will happen but it looks like they have dust control permits and things so at least something is happening.

[nickw252]

Originally Posted by muertecaza

There is fencing up and the asphalt is torn up for 'The Grid' in Mesa at Mesa Dr./Main. Project website is here: https://thegridinmesa.com/

Still not sure if it will happen but it looks like they have dust control permits and things so at least something is happening.

Is there a way to look up building permits similar to in Phoenix? I've tried before but never been successful. I'd love to see this go up being a Mesa resident with apartment rentals in the Central Mesa area.

[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by nickw252

Is there a way to look up building permits similar to in Phoenix? I've tried before but never been successful. I'd love to see this go up being a Mesa resident with apartment rentals in the Central Mesa area.

Yeah, not a very good one. I had the same question today after I saw the fencing. I ended up poking around this site: https://aca.accela.com/MESA/Cap/CapHome.aspx?module=Permits&TabName=Permits, which is where I found the info about the dust control permit. But it would be nice if they had a Phoenix or Tempe-style search that was more user friendly.

[ASU Diablo]

Originally Posted by muertecaza

There is fencing up and the asphalt is torn up for 'The Grid' in Mesa at Mesa Dr./Main. Project website is here: https://thegridinmesa.com/

Still not sure if it will happen but it looks like they have dust control permits and things so at least something is happening.

Breaking ground next month!

https://azbigmedia.com/real-estate/the-grid-a-75m-mixed-use-project-coming-to-downtown-mesa/

[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by ASU Diablo

Breaking ground next month!

https://azbigmedia.com/real-estate/the-grid-a-75m-mixed-use-project-coming-to-downtown-mesa/

Awesome. I believe this will be the first major, privately-funded, market rate development along the light rail line in Mesa. There is the subsidized housing nearer the Mesa-Tempe border, and I'd call the apartments going up on the other side of Mesa Dr. from this one quasi-private given the association with the LDS church. Nice to finally see some return on the investment.

After so many false starts, Mesa may finally see some momentum in its downtown. The new brewery/restaurant, 12 West, opened at the beginning of the year and it's great--really well done, great drinks/food, and quite busy the two times I've been. There will now be 500-ish multifamily units at the corner of Mesa Dr./Main. ASU has broken ground and is under construction.

[combusean]

The Mesa permits site is arguably better than Phoenix's. You can just search by commercial permits (which includes apartment buildings) and it takes about a minute to review the day's work.

It also seems to be one permit per phase/applicant rather than splitting it out into a million separate permits. They give total unit counts and valuations that seem to be more accurate than Phoenix's.

[nickw252]

Originally Posted by muertecaza

The new brewery/restaurant, 12 West, opened at the beginning of the year and it's great--really well done, great drinks/food, and quite busy the two times I've been. There will now be 500-ish multifamily units at the corner of Mesa Dr./Main. ASU has broken ground and is under construction.

I’m at the new brewery (12 West) right now based on your recommendation. This place is incredible. This feels like downtown Gilbert or Old Town Scottsdale (without Scottsdale people).

[muertecaza]

Originally Posted by nickw252

I’m at the new brewery (12 West) right now based on your recommendation. This place is incredible. This feels like downtown Gilbert or Old Town Scottsdale (without Scottsdale people).

Glad you liked it. Yeah it's great and hopefully bodes well for future food/beverage offerings of similar quality.