Historic landmark overlay approved for The Nile in Mesa
The Nile — in a late 1920s photograph — is now used as a theater and coffee shop. The business is within the 100 block of West Main Street and the 100 block of South Macdonald in downtown Mesa.
City of Mesa
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The Mesa City Council on Aug. 28 voted unanimously on consent to approve a rezoning to the downtown core with a downtown events overlay and a historic landmark overlay for the 0.19-acre venue at 105 W. Main St. in downtown Mesa.
The Nile in downtown Mesa, which was constructed nearly a century ago as a movie house and was the first air-cooled building in Arizona, has a new historic landmark preservation and protection designation.
Mesa City Council on Aug. 28 voted unanimously on consent to approve a rezoning to the downtown core with a downtown events overlay and a historic landmark overlay for the 0.19-acre venue at 105 W. Main St. in downtown Mesa.
Michelle Donovan of The Nile is the applicant. CK Properties LLC is the owner.
At a work session prior to the meeting, Council Member Jenn Duff, District 4, thanked Donovan for protecting the historical building.
“I just want to make a ‘thank you’ to Michelle Donovan for taking the steps to preserve The Nile and Mesa’s history, and we appreciate her remarkable businesses and contributions to downtown,” she said.
“I just want to make note of The Nile and downtown Mesa and her application for a historic landmark overlay on that building to preserve it for generations to come,” Duff said.
To be eligible for a historic landmark overlay district, a building, structure or object must display exceptional historic, visual or architectural significance, according to the Mesa zoning ordinance.
“It’s hard to overstate the significance of The Nile. There’s some really cool historic photos going back to the very, very early days of our downtown,” Mayor John Giles said at the work session prior to the meeting.
The Nile opened in September 1924, was the first movie house in Mesa and was the first “air-cooled” building in Arizona, according to a written project narrative.
“The Nile cost $200,000 to build in 1924 which made it one of the more expensive buildings in the area,” it stated. “A renovation of the facade was done in 2018-19 to bring the facade back to its original glory. Minus the marquee, and the box office structure, the building looks very much the way it did in 1924.”
The Nile was built with locally kilned, Lehi brick and was part of the Art Deco era of design. From the parapet to the Egyptian motif, The Nile was true to the time’s obsession with the Far East and Art Deco linework, it stated.
The Nile Theater is a two-part commercial block building between two buildings in downtown Mesa, according to a written staff report from Planner Michelle Dahlke.
“The Nile Theater currently operates as a music venue with a coffee shop,” it stated. “It consists of brick construction with three bays which are accentuated by the varied parapet. Although the building no longer exhibits original stylistic elements, the building continues to contribute to the character of the downtown Mesa business core through the building type. It is possible that the elements of the original style could be reconstructed.”
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@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.
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