Mesa Considers Ways to Grow Its Downtown
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The City of Mesa is actively devising strategies to invigorate downtown growth. Geanluca Lorenzon, representing the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Policy, presented a series of recommendations to the Economic Development Advisory Board aimed at revitalizing the area. These recommendations included establishing a “special regulatory corridor” downtown to facilitate redevelopment, extending downtown development westward along Main Street, implementing mixed-use zoning, particularly along the light rail line, repurposing the park-n-ride lot into a supermarket to generate substantial economic benefits, making investments in shade and trees along Main Street to enhance the urban environment, emphasizing the significance of arts and entertainment development as a catalyst for attracting tourists and engaging residents, and targeting the MICE market (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) to position Mesa as a premier event destination, which entails expanding lodging options. These recommendations and their framework will be discussed with the city in the coming month.
