‘The Nox’ music venue warehouse planned in Mesa

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

A 48,000-square-foot warehouse is planned as part of The Nox music venue about 1,150 feet northeast of the intersection of East Ray Road and South Sossaman Road in Mesa.

The look and landscaping for the Potato Barn distribution facility on 3.2 acres were discussed during the July 15 meeting of the Mesa Design Review Board.

The warehouse would be south of the music venue site the board reviewed a couple months ago. Entrance and exit from the property will be from Seaver Avenue, Staff Planner Joshua Grandlienard told the board.

“It is part of that same landscape plan,” he said. “The Nox is across Seaver; you’ll have pedestrian walkways that are designed like guitar frets.”

Vince Di Bella of Adaptive Architects is the applicant. Ray II LLC is the owner.

The facility is part of the overall master-plan development of The Nox music event center designed to provide live music across multiple genres. The distribution facility completes the three-parcel complex consisting of the Potato Barn and The Nox, Di Bella wrote in a project narrative.

“The owner desires to develop a new facility consisting of approximately 48,000-square-foot single story warehouse with site improvements installed to support the parking needs. The new facility consists of mostly an open-air floor plan and shell space for storage use. The facility will also contain a small showroom for customer retail showcase. Supporting functions include restrooms, loading docks for trucks to load equipment and electrical/fire riser rooms,” it states. “A shaded canopy feature consisting of exposed beams, purlins and columns help to shade the entry and the building, while also adding to the overall architectural character that is unique to the Potato Barn development.”

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. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

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.