ASU campus is a game changer for downtown Mesa
Great cities are created by bold ideas and community investments. These actions lead to economic opportunities and assets that make the city a desirable place to live and work. Mesa’s proposal to create a downtown Innovation District and to partner with ASU is a bold idea that will benefit the entire community.
Mesa is a city where residents have historically supported worthy initiatives and public investment. In just the past two decades, we have seen notable community projects come to fruition. The Mesa Arts Center, the Chicago Cubs and Oakland A’s spring training facilities, Apple’s $2 billion investment and Benedictine University in downtown are just a few examples. But one of the boldest initiatives has been Gateway.
Williams Air Force Base closed 25 years ago, and city leaders were devastated by the loss of jobs and economic activity the base brought to the area. But the leaders had a vision. They renamed the area Gateway and began work to transform it into an economic and educational force.
Naysayers scoffed at the plan. But a long line of leaders never wavered. Over the years, Mesa invested millions of dollars to construct buildings, streets, water lines and other infrastructure. It took time, but the results are impressive. Today, Gateway is home to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and thousands of students at ASU Polytechnic Campus and Chandler-Gilbert Community College. The airport alone supports over 10,000 jobs and creates over $1.3 billion in economic activity — more than three times what Williams Air Force Base generated. And Gateway has just scratched the surface. Bold ideas. Positive results.
There’s little argument that downtown Mesa has lagged other areas in the city. But the heart of the city and center of government is on the cusp of a real renaissance. The arts center, extension of light rail, and a downtown plan with cutting edge zoning rules have helped to create a flurry of activities and private investment. Downtown Mesa is now home to a variety of community events, new businesses and three microbreweries! Let that sink in. In just the past three years, private developers have built six new projects and announced several more. The total value of these projects exceeds $300 million. By comparison, there was virtually no new development in the downtown area in the three decades prior to light rail.
An ASU campus in downtown Mesa will be a game changer. The campus will anchor the Innovation District and will add to an already impressive higher education landscape in downtown. ASU will be both a magnet for private investment and a catalyst for new jobs, which helps all Mesa residents. Growth in Mesa must be more than just adding people. We must also make investments that will grow our economy and produce the high wage jobs.
Bold ideas and investment help to create great cities. As with the Gateway plan, an ASU campus in downtown Mesa is a visionary move. And like the successful bold ideas that preceded it, it is an investment that will pay dividends to all Mesa residents for years to come.
Downtown Mesa is now home to a variety of community events, new businesses and three microbreweries!