Mesa Council discusses proposed ASU facilities in downtown Mesa

By Connor Van Ligten
Mail

The Mesa City Council was given a presentation from Urban Transformation Manager Jeff McVay on planned development of new Arizona State University facilities in downtown Mesa during their June 26 study session.

Titled ASU at Mesa City Center, the project has identified at least three potential development sites for future ASU projects and two city center partner locations for possible development.

The three development sites are the Post Office at 135 N, Center St., the Mesa Public Library Parking Lot at 64 E. First St., and the Municipal Building at 55 N. Center St. The two city center partner locations are the former council chambers at 57 E. First St. as well as the area of 51-55 E. Main St.

The primary source of the discussion was the Post Office. The university plans to renovate the office and the 190,362-square-foot site into a center for creative technology that features studios, classrooms, student spaces and a post office.

The plan is for the site to smoothly integrate ASU buildings with the existing Mesa City Center.

“You take the loading dock and turn it into the front door connecting (ASU’s) uses there with the rest of the Mesa City Center,” ASU Associate Vice President of Program Development Planning Rick Naimark said during the presentation. “We hope to continue to accommodate retail postal services in the building.”

According to McVay, the Post Office has a three-year lease with USPS that was approved on May 15, 2025. However, ownership of the Post Office reverted to the city on June 1, 2025.

Based on the intergovernmental agreement established in 2024, the city and ASU must mutually jointly develop the site before the end of the development determination period on June 1, 2026.

McVay clarified that he is confident in the success of that joint development, which will fetch a high price for just the design concept itself.

“We estimate the cost to be in the range of up to $500,000 for the design effort.” McVay said. “We would like to have that conceptual design consider the post office beyond its boundaries.”

McVay noted that both the city and ASU intend to retain the retail Post Office as a component of any future development, something that Mesa Mayor Mark Freeman seconded.

“Part of it is our due diligence for financial commitment to make sure that we’re able to leverage this building for future development,” Mayor Freeman said. “It’s a 53-year-old building. We have to make a financial commitment to take the next steps forward for ASU.”