Mesa council advances action on proposed multiuse development
Rendering courtesy of city of Mesa
The proposed mixed-use Legacy Park and Gateway Crossing Project at State Route 24 and Williams Field Road could include multifamily residential, retail, restaurants, a hotel and commercial office space.
The Mesa City Council introduced a series of ordinances that, if passed, will open the door for construction of a new mixed-use development in that would have more than 2,000 dwellings.
The venture, commonly referred to as the “Legacy Park and Gateway Crossing Project,” is generally located at State Route 24 and Williams Field Road.
At its meeting on Monday, council introduced two ordinances that would annex 196 acres, known as Legacy Park, at the northeast corner of South Ellsworth Road and East Williams Field Road, and 5 acres within what is known as Gateway Crossing at the southwest corner of East Williams Field Road and State Route 24 in Maricopa County.
The third ordinance introduced would rezone the 196-acre parcel from light industrial to planned community district.
A public hearing on all three proposed ordinances will take place during the council meeting on Monday, Sept. 14.
The council voted 5-0 without comment to introduce the three ordinances as part of its consent agenda in which all items are voted on through one motion and vote. Mayor Mark Freeman and Councilmember Jenn Duff were absent.
The 196-acre property, worth more than $1.3 million according to a staff report, is owned by Pacific Proving LLC and Mesa BA Land LLC and consists of four privately owned undeveloped parcels. The 5-acre property, worth $281,835, is owned by Pacific Proving and consists of one privately owned undeveloped parcel.
The Mesa Planning and Zoning Board voted on Aug. 26 to recommend that the council approve rezoning for the site of the proposed Legacy Park.
Legacy Park would have 2,400 dwellings and 6.7 million square feet of nonresidential floor area, according to a staff report.
“The proposed project provides for an initial phase of mixed-use development that will create a core of uses such as commercial entertainment, retail sales, restaurants, multifamily residential, and parks and recreation facilities,” the report stated. “Additional permitted uses include hotels, business and professional offices, medical and dental offices, personal services, research and development, and other uses consistent with the general plan.”
One key development of the project is “The Boulevard,” a mixed-used pedestrian area with a main corridor and cross extensions that provide pedestrian connections through paseos, plazas and open space.
“The Boulevard will consist of a minimum 6-foot-wide clear pedestrian path and an adjacent pedestrian amenity zone. Amenities may include outdoor seating, public art, small gathering spaces, decorative paving, retail display zones, wayfinding elements, and other similar amenities,” a staff report stated.
Gateway Crossing is a proposed 37-gross-acre, mixed-use project with commercial retail development featuring no less than two midscale hotels, a big-box retailer, at least two restaurants and additional retail, a council report stated.
At a special meeting on Aug. 27, the council voted to adopt a notice of intent to enter into a tax-incentive agreement for the Legacy Park and Gateway Crossing Project.
The proposed agreement would reimburse developers a portion of the construction sales tax, retail sales tax and transient-lodging tax generated by the project for certain public infrastructure.
A public hearing and council action on the tax-incentive agreement is also set for Sept. 14.
Janet Perez can be reached at jperez@iniusa.org. Please send your comments about this article to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
Janet Perez News Editor | Queen Creek &
San Tan Valley
Meet Janet Janet Perez joined Independent Newsmedia as editor of the Queen Creek Independent and Florence Independent in 2020. She started her career in 1989 with the Gannett-owned El Paso Times. In 1992, she moved to Tempe and has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. She left Arizona for three years to work at New Mexico State University and Baylor University before returning to work at Arizona State University. Missing the business, she went back to journalism in 2017.
Community: A long-time pet owner, she supports animal welfare causes.
Education: University of Texas at El Paso with a BA in journalism and a minor in political science.
Random Fact: She had a head full of random facts.
Hobbies: Reading, watching documentaries, cooking and playing with her dogs.
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