Take me out to the Ball game via light rail ...in Mesa?

There is finally some talk about Downtown being an option for the Cubs stadium. I always thought it was a likely choice but was told by former powers that be in Downtown that it would never be a discussion. Of course I wanted to know why and the answer was the idea died when Hohokam was built down the road. I continued to conversation with others and many were on the same page as I was/am... times have changed or at least should!

The Tribune's article today confirms that Downtown may be back on the table for a stadium location. Here are some excerpts from the article "The Chicago Cubs are scouting a growing number of locations across Mesa for a spring training complex, including along the light-rail line downtown. The new locations could dramatically change the character of the complex, as a downtown spot would call for a denser, more urban development.
A downtown location would also revive an idea born in the 1990s, when Mesa was planning to rebuild Hohokam Stadium for the Cubs and had considered moving the team to 40 acres of land it owns downtown. Supporters of the idea said it would transform the downtown, but the team stayed in Hohokam.
Light rail wasn’t part of the equation back then. It will arrive downtown in 2016 and has sparked renewed interest. Mesa’s 40 acres on the southwest corner of Mesa and University drives are several blocks from light-rail access, but the city is looking at plans that could involve using land that’s now privately owned to take better advantage of the transit line.
“If there were property available, we’d like to see the stadium as close to light rail as possible,” City Manager Chris Brady said."

I know someone will wake me up but this dream is kinda sweet - people getting off the light rail train at the stop just east of Center and walking through our beautiful Downtown to see a game, then heading to the micro brewery for an after game drink, all the while commenting that they should have taken advantage of the opportunities in Downtown Mesa before it became the place to be and be seen.

Wrigleyville West at University and Mesa Dr?

So there was this vent in the Tribune today- "Mesa definitely needs to fix the mess it made when it bought and demolished all those homes at University and Mesa Drive. A new ballpark would do the trick. The funny thing is that Internet maps still label the area as 'Glenwood Historic District.’ ”

Is this idea such a stretch that it is out of the realm of possibilities? With the Light Rail coming down Main past Mesa Drive, it would seem that to have the stadium on the Corner at University would be sweet. The City is considering making land part of the deal because cash is not an option. They also own the land that was once the "Glenwood Historic District" and the land to the north, the old abandoned Escobedo housing complex. Escobedo has to be demolished as it is well beyond it useful life. It seems to me that Downtown Mesa has some of the infrastructure of the Wrigleyville concept in that is it already a City, there is a hotel, convention center, shopping dining and historic homes. The locations in East Mesa have to be built from barren desert.

I know there are some large number of acres that are needed for the concept and I am not sure that University and Mesa Drive has enough, but it has to be close when you include Escobedo. I remember when the area where the US Air Arena and Bank One were occupied with other structures and Colangelo thought outside the box to make it happen.

So, Downtown Mesa, where is our Colangelo ?