Banner rehab hospital expansion planned in Mesa

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

The design and landscaping for an approximately 13,231-square-foot expansion of the existing Banner Rehabilitation Hospital East building will be discussed Tuesday by the Mesa Design Review Board.

The expansion at the 7.2-acre property at 1702 S. Pierpoint is to be discussed during the board’s May 12 meeting that begins at 4:30 p.m. in the lower council chambers, 57 E. First St.

Building materials include textured exterior insulation and finish systems, concrete masonry unit veneer, and metal panel, according to a city of Mesa document.

The landscape plan includes trees such as thornless cascalote, desert diva, desert willow, desert, museum palo verde and ironwood; and shrubs such as valentine bush, rio bravo sage, natal plum and yellow bells.

Approval of alternative compliance is being sought to have a design consistent with the existing building, Laura Boler, HDR senior project manager, wrote in a letter to the city.

“The proposed building addition has been designed to match the existing building in terms of the roof integration and changes in height or roof form to provide a seamless transition between the existing and the new,” she said. “(A)ll parapets will have a proper sheet metal trim cap designed to match the existing building for a seamless transition between the existing and the new.”

The all-volunteer Mesa Design Review Board is unique in that its composition is set by the zoning ordinance to include two architects; two from other design professions such as landscape architecture, engineering, urban planning, interior design or other design-related background; one contractor or developer; and two residents, according to the city’s website.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines, https://www.yourvalley.net/civility-checklist/.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.