Redevelopment Plans Announced for Area Near Mesa Arizona Temple

Plans have been announced to redevelop 4.5 acres of land along the Main Street light rail corridor in Mesa, Arizona, an area located just west of the Mesa Arizona Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A new mixed-use community will replace vacant lots and buildings near the temple, which is currently closed for renovation.

“We’ve been planning this project for years,” said Matt Baldwin, real estate development director for City Creek Reserve (CCRI), an investment affiliate of the Church. “We’ve talked with city and county government leaders, city planning staff and other local developers. We want to enhance and beautify this block, but we also want to make sure what we’re proposing is what downtown Mesa needs,” he added.

The revitalization, located between Mesa Drive and LeSueur Street, will include 240 apartments, 12 townhomes, 70,000 square feet of landscaped open space, ground floor retail space and underground parking.

CCRI worked with Scottsdale-based Dale Gordon Design to create a plan for a vibrant, transit-oriented neighborhood using diverse residential unit sizes, comfortably scaled buildings, Mesa-authentic architecture and landscaped streets and gardens.

“What CCRI has envisioned is exactly right for downtown Mesa right now,” observed Mike Hutchinson, executive vice president of the East Valley Partnership and former Mesa city manager. “They’ve done their homework. This project will bring renewed vitality to this key block on Main Street.”

The new apartments will include studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floorplans. The townhomes will feature three-bedroom plans. Amenities will include a business center and conference room, garden areas, outdoor cooking and fire pits, an outdoor games area, property security, a package concierge and gated parking access.

Retail tenants will be accommodated in up to 12,500 square feet of ground floor space. Underground parking with 450 stalls will serve both residential and retail users.

Renovation plans for the adjacent Mesa Temple block call for demolishing and relocating the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitors’ Center. A new 18,000 square foot visitors’ center and interactive Family History Discovery Center will be built on the corner of Main and LeSueur as part of CCRI’s project.

After reviewing CCRI’s plans, Mesa developer Tony Wall said, “There’s no doubting City Creek’s commitment to downtown Mesa. Their investment will encourage other developers to be a part of forging a new future for downtown.”

Pending rezoning and permit approvals, City Creek expects to begin construction in September of this year, with completion projected in 24–30 months in late 2020 or early 2021.

City Creek Reserve, Inc. (CCRI) is a real estate investment affiliate of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. CCRI is the master developer of City Creek, a sustainably-designed, 23-acre, walkable urban community of residences, offices and retail stores in downtown Salt Lake City, which has renewed and revitalized the heart of the city.