Main street sidewalks will be full of artists, six bands, a summer fashion show with clothing by local designers followed by a reception to meet the models and designers, City of Mesa Parks and Rec, the Mesa library, street performers, and the radio station 103.9 attending this month-they will be broadcasting live.
It's an unfortunate moniker, because it implies everything that would drive smart people and their investments away from the city.
Sadly, there was some truth to the name. Mesa was known for waging war with businesses over signs in windows and having a city staff that would find more reasons to say "no" than "yes."
In 2005, community activists began calling this city home of the CAVE people, or Citizens Against Virtually Everything. When Google executives visited later that year to scout a location for a satellite office, Mesa, the Valley's second-largest city, wasn't even on the radar.
It's hard to break a reputation like that, but the city is at least starting to bend it. And that's a good thing.
Voters shocked the Valley in recent years when they approved two projects - the Waveyard water-sports resort and the Gaylord hotel and conference center - that required them to think big and long-term. Then, in a first for the city, voters approved a secondary property tax to finance public safety and street projects.
Mesa threw out land-use maps - a crutch it had long used to say "no" - for Mesa Gateway, opting instead for forward-thinking regulations that put less emphasis on what buildings are used for and more on how they work together. It is now doing the same with its citywide zoning-code update and redevelopment plans downtown.
Yet another indication of Mesa's departure from "wide streets and narrow minds" came last Friday - aptly enough, in the form of a road closure. The city agreed to shut down Main Street for the Independent Music Project Festival, a celebration of independent music from multiple genres.
This is significant, because Mesa has long rebuffed requests to close the busy street for a festival. Have to keep traffic flowing on those wide streets, after all.
But city leaders saw the festival's potential. There were bands playing on multiple stages, classic cars and art on display. And people. Lots of money-spending people.
Merchants stayed open late. Vendors sold wares to the eclectic crowd. Who cares if a few people were inconvenienced on their planned breeze through downtown Mesa?
A bunch more happened on a pretty happening place, and that could convince people to come back again for a special event - or eventually, just because it's Friday night.
It's a new mind-set. Instead of standing in the way of people with good ideas - or at least requiring them to fit a preconceived notion of what's a good idea - city leaders are telling thinkers and dreamers to make their best pitch. If a request makes sense, Mesa is ready and willing to do what it can help.
As a result, the city is saying "why not" a lot more than "why" these days, and that is an incredibly positive step.
There are a new batch of adorable glamour hats that you will want to pick up at Contagious on Main Street in downtown Mesa. They retail for $25 each. Check them out, I bet they go quick
.http://makazhome.blogspot.com/2010/04/glamour-hats-just-in.html
Arizona PIRG, a group that advocates for the public interest, released a report this week titled The Business of Light Rail. According to the AZ PIRG website, the report provides an on-the-ground perspective of how light rail helps small business owners in Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. Many of the businesses mentioned were negatively impacted by the light rail during several months of construction. Now that the system is up and running, the business owners are seeing the benefits of having light rail roll along the streets of Phoenix. What exactly does the report accomplish?
However, as of yet, there has been no document which compiles anecdotes of how the light rail has benefited the local economy. This report provides real-life examples of businesses that have thrived by having light rail access near their establishments, documenting perspectives from local business owners in their own words that statistics simply cannot provide.
Arizona PRIG
There report mentions six common themes and perspectives amongst the 14 businesses profiled in the document.
¨ increased foot traffic due to light rail
¨ businesses shaping their location decisions in anticipation of light rail, thereby potentially decreasing urban sprawl
¨ light rail’s value as a transportation alternative for special events like community festivals
¨ increased visibility for the businesses near the light rail
¨ light rail’s role in community development
¨ light rail’s role as a mobility option for people who cannot drive.
Here is the link to the report
http://www.arizonapirg.org/home/reports/report-archives/smart-transportation/smart-transportation/the-businesses-of-light-rail-a-compilation-of-local-business-interviews.
Another announcement about Mesa's extension of light rail....
Mesa to unveil light rail extension details. Metro will give the public its first full look at how the light rail system will look in downtown Mesa when the planned 3-mile extension is to be completed in 2016.
The April 24 presentation will unveil the latest plans for where stations will be positioned, how they will be designed and how they will integrate with the city’s plans to redevelop downtown. After taking public comment, Metro will proceed with engineering the four-station extension. This open house will be held in conjunction with other downtown Mesa events including the MacDonald Street Farmers’ Market and MACFest. It will take place at:
Saturday, April 24, 2010
9 a.m. – noon
18 W. Main St., Mesa (between de la Cruz Bistro and Milano’s Music)
For additional information on this meeting or project, please contact Carla Kahn at (602) 744-5552 orckahn@metrolightrail.org. Light rail extension information is also available online.
