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Jan
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January 2025 - Development Community Newsletter
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Development Services Awards
The Development Services Department held its second annual Development Community Partner Awards during a recent breakfast meeting of the Development Advisory Forum. Four awards were presented:
Best Architectural Design: Edged Data Center
The Edged Data Center is a key component of the Warner Gateway 202 development. It’s architectural design reflects a modern, innovative aesthetic, with a focus on both functionality and visual appeal. The building’s exterior is strategically designed with a “stair-step” effect, where different building heights give it a dynamic and visually interesting silhouette.
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Best Site Layout: Cottages on Sossaman
The Cottages on Sossaman is a thoughtfully designed 37-unit multi-family development on a two and three-quarter-acre infill site. Amenities, including a swimming pool with shade structures, a dog park and a pickleball court, are strategically placed to encourage community interaction, minimize disruptions and enhance the overall living experience.
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Best Overall Project: The Craftsman
The Craftsman is a dynamic mixed-use development located within Village 3 of the Hawes Crossing Master Development Plan. The project allocates 65% of the site to multi-family units and 35% to retail and commercial uses, ensuring a balanced and engaging space for residents and visitors. The development features landscaped plazas, outdoor patios and shaded area along with vertical mixed-use buildings along Elliot Road.
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Best Adaptive Reuse: Pedal Haus
Pedal Haus Brewery has converted the former Pit Stop auto body shop into a vibrant, modern biergarten. Highlights include an indoor-outdoor bar and a spacious 5,400-square-foot dog-friendly patio. Key architectural elements, such as the distinctive “V” awning and original brick siding, are thoughtfully preserved, transforming a previously industrial building into a lively social hub.
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Advisory Board Meetings
All Advisory Board meetings will be held at the Council Chambers, 57 E. First St.
Feb. 4 - 6pm
Historic Preservation Board Lower Level Council Chambers
Feb. 5 - 5:30pm
Board of Adjustment
Lower Level Council Chambers
Feb. 11 - 4:30pm
Design Review Board
Lower Level Council Chambers
Feb. 12 - 4pm
Planning and Zoning Board Upper Level Council Chambers
Feb. 26 - 4pm
Planning and Zoning Board Upper Level Council Chambers
March 4 - 6pm
Historic Preservation Board Lower Level Council Chambers
March 5 - 5:30pm
Board of Adjustment
Lower Level Council Chambers
March 11 - 4:30pm
Design Review Board. Lower Level Council Chambers
March 12 - 4pm
Planning and Zoning Board Upper Level Council Chambers
March 26 - 4pm
Planning and Zoning Board Upper Level Council Chambers
City Council Meetings
All City Council meetings start at 5:45pm in the Upper Level Council Chambers of the new City Hall, 20 E. Main St.
• Jan. 27
• Feb. 3
• Feb. 24
• March 3
• March 17
Community Events
Feb. 8 - 5am-1pm
Mesa Marathon
Finish line at Mesa Riverview Park, 2100 W. Rio Salado Parkway
Feb. 22 - 10am-2pm
Baseball Block Party
1 E. Main St.
March 1 -
I Love Mesa Day
1 E. Main St.
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Development Services 2024 Activity Levels
Planning submissions – 1,346
Construction submissions – 10,286
Permits issued – 5,447
Inspections completed – 44,163
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Adaptive Reuse
Mesa City Council approved a zoning text amendment pertaining to adaptive reuse at its Dec. 9 meeting. The amendment addresses the requirements of the recently approved House Bill 2297. The new rules state each adaptive reuse project must contain a residential portion and 10% must be set aside as affordable housing. No public hearing will be required for the residential portion of the project, but non-residential uses must follow the Mesa Zoning Ordinance requirements. Partial demolition is also allowed.
Exceptions to the new state law include historic districts and landmarks, land near airports and commercial or employment hubs identified by the City. More information about the adaptive reuse changes are available on the Development Services website under Codes and Ordinances.
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Zoning Text Amendments
In addition to the adaptive reuse zoning text amendment, Mesa City Council recently approved amendments pertaining to accessory dwelling units, detached accessory units, public safety facilities, billboards, freeway landmark monuments and administrative timeline completeness of residential zoning applications. Information, including the ordinances, is available on the Development Services website under Codes and Ordinances.
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Electric Vehicle Chargers
A new ordinance took effect Dec. 18, 2024 requiring the inclusion of infrastructure for electric vehicle charger installations in all new single-family and multi-family projects. Projects currently under design that could not be submitted prior to Dec. 18 will have a 90-day exemption window through March 18, 2025. To qualify for the exemption, a code modification (no fee) must be submitted with the project. After the 90-day window, all projects must comply with the new requirements. More information is available on the Development Services website.
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President’s Medal For Social Embeddedness
The City of Mesa’s Planning Division, along with ASU’s Resilient Visions CoLab, were awarded the 2024 President’s Medal for Social Embeddedness by Arizona State University for our 2050 General Plan Youth Immersive eXperience! ASU’s President's Medal for Social Embeddedness is awarded to individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to the community through their work or research.
Through our collaboration with ASU’s Resilient Visions CoLab, Mesa became the first city in the nation to utilize immersive technology into its public engagement process. This innovative project, engaged approximately 400 students from 10 high schools, allowing participants to explore realistic, immersive urban environments and provide feedback on the future of Mesa.
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Arc GIS Revolutionizes Urban Planning
Thanks to ArcGIS Online, Mesa’s planners are modernizing the urban planning process, enhancing internal and public communication about active development sites. Esri (Environmental Systems Research Institute) recently published an online article about Mesa’s use of their ArcGIS products.
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Fiesta Redefined
City Council has approved a zoning change that will pave the way for development of Fiesta Redefined, a mixed-use project on the site of the former Fiesta Mall. The zoning change from Limited Commercial to Infill Development District allows for a range of residential and non-residential uses.
The project will utilize development blocks, which allows for flexibility in future development to react to market conditions and ensures a pedestrian friendly environment and a mixture of uses. It will also include a village green, which is open space located in the northeastern portion of the site that will serve as one of the focal points of development.
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Gallery Park
A groundbreaking event was recently held for the dual-branded Tempo by Hilton and Homewood Suites by Hilton at Gallery Park in Mesa’s Gateway Employment Area. Tempo by Hilton will have 474 rooms, a resort-style pool, an event lawn, private event spaces and indoor and outdoor fitness areas. Homewood Suites will feature 787 extended-stay suites.
Gallery Park is a mixed-use project offering more than 1 million square feet of office space, retail, restaurants, luxury apartments, a food hall and a co-working venue overlooking The Park, a large outdoor community gathering space. A number of restaurants and other businesses at Gallery Park have already opened along Power Road.
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Cannon Beach
Revel Surf, the 4.5 acre Surf Park located at Cannon Beach, has opened to the public in southeast Mesa. It includes two wave pools, surfside restaurant and bar, white sand beaches, four diving platforms, cabanas, a tide pool, skate park and retail shop.
Coming in 2025, Restaurant Row - a dining district and the Cloud 7 Entertainment Center with movie theaters, electric go-cart track, Hyper-Bowling and arcade. Over the next three years, Cannon Beach will see the addition of an athletes training center that will feature an event lawn, accompanied by 2 hotel projects, with a total of approximately 300 rooms on property.
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JX Advanced Metals
JX Advanced Metals recently celebrated the grand opening of its new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in southeast Mesa. The 63-acre facility is already engaged in test production, with full-scale production set to commence early this year. In this new facility, JX will produce advanced sputtering targets for the semiconductor industry, serving an expanding customer base in the U.S. and Europe. This new Mesa location will position the company as a critical supplier in a rapidly growing market.
The 273,000-square-foot plant includes expansive advanced technology production areas, collaborative office spaces, solar panel covered parking, electric vehicle charging stations, a workout center, and a welcoming garden area for employees. The facility's completion signals a significant step in JX's plans to make Mesa a central hub for its U.S.-based advanced materials operations.
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Planting Trees for A Cooler Mesa
It will take all of us working together to achieve the lofty goal of planting one million trees. And we know you have been busy adding trees to your properties and businesses and we want to extend a huge thanks for your efforts and encourage you to continue planting and recording your trees.
Mesa and our many business and nonprofit partners are working collectively toward that goal. Check out this tree planting event that brought Mesa and the community together to plant 102 new desert-native and desert-adapted shade trees at Heritage Park.
Want to help? Learn more about the Trees Are Cool Initiative.
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Josh Grandlienard, Senior Planner; Charlotte Bridges, Planner II; and Sergio Solis, Planner I, were praised by Bentson Richardson with Glenwood Development for their work on projects for new Angie’s Lobster, Dutch Bros and Culver’s restaurants. “We are so grateful for your hard work at the City in our behalf…You guys are the best and we love working with you all!”
Josh Grandlienard was also recognized by Bentson Richardson for his work on several projects, saying his is an “outstanding asset for the City of Mesa and for the development community…Josh is an excellent communicator and completely understands how to create a win-win situation for all involved.”
Mary Kopaskie-Brown, Planning Director; Rachel Nettles, Assistant Planning Director; Evan Balmer, Principal Planner; and Josh Grandlienard, Senior Planner, were among several people praised by Sarah Toler, City of Mesa Education and Workforce Administrator, for their work in getting the ordinance and development agreement “across the line” and approved for the Mesa College Promise Billboard Project. “This was truly the embodiment of a community-wide collaboration for the benefit of students and our City’s future workforce. This would not have been possible without the commitment of every person involved.” Brian Spicker, Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation President and CEO, thanked Sarah Toler in a follow-up email, for “your stewardship with this complex and successful partnership! Go go GO Mesa Promise!”
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New / Promoted Employees
- Dan McCarthy is a new Senior Building Plans Examiner
- Cassidy Welch has been promoted to Principal Planner
- Emily Johnson has been promoted to Planner II
- Randy Jones is a new Plans Examiner
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Permitting 480-644-4273 | Planning 480-644-4726 | Building Inspections 480-644-2428
mesaaz.gov/business/development-services
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