‘Flagship’ Comarch data center planned in Mesa

By Richard Dyer
Twitter: @RHDyer

A data center planned on 3 acres north of Elliot Road on the east side of Ellsworth Road is to be Comarch’s first in North America.

“From a design perspective, this is Comarch’s flagship building in the U.S. — this is our first building to be built here in the U.S.,” said Louis Rossi, Comarch’s director of business development for North America, during the Feb. 9 Zoom meeting of the Mesa Design Review Board. “We worked really hard with our architects to assure that our design is both well-suited and positively received in the region.”

Dawn Hart is the applicant and Krakow, Poland-based Comarch Inc. is the owner. They are in the process of opting into the Elliot Road technology corridor, Mesa Planner Cassidy Welch said at the meeting.

A contemporary modern design has been proposed with a variety of materials including concrete panels, corten — weathered — steel, scored concrete masonry units and painted steel, she said.

“The proposal is for one large industrial building of approximately 32,000 square feet. This will be for a proposed data center; however, there will be some supportive administrative offices located within this building,” Ms. Welch said. “The applicant is proposing a significant amount of landscaping, particularly on the north and south sides of the site.”

Several design review board members explained why they liked the building’s design.

“(T)his is potentially a really great piece of modern architecture ... so I’m excited to see it come to our city,” board member Paul Johnson said.

“I’m really liking the materials that are being used here. Very modern, very cool-looking building. You can tell that this is a flagship,” Vice Chairman Sean Banda said.

Board member Scott Thomas likes the use of glass on the exterior of the building.

“I really like this. I like the glass that they’ve brought in as opposed to just being a straight almost industrial-looking building. I think they’ve done a great job,” he said.

The concrete west wall along Ellsworth Road should have more articulation, board members said.

“I understand that it is a data center. There’s obviously not very much going on the west elevation. I would like to see something happening, especially because of its proximity to Ellsworth,” board member Tanner Green said.

The west wall is not flat, said Jay Silverberg, Gensler design director, of the design.

“As you look at this on the west side ... we have a series of low landscape walls that give it texture and scale as it comes in from the street. You see the long building; it’s articulated and pushed and pulled into three pieces.”

Some of the weathered steel could be brought onto the west side, Mr. Johnson said.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley
@RHDyer

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.