East Valley Tribune "Contributor" Gary Nelson > Much Ado About "A-Redo"

Image WM Grace

Gary Nelson might be right in his front-page story appearing in the Sunday Edition of the East Valley Tribune August 26, 2018 that Fiesta Village is probably "the most highly-anticipated redevelopment project in the history of southwest Mesa, noting with a relief that "it has at last made it onto a Mesa City Council agenda. . . Final approval probably won't come until October, at the earliest. . . " (see below for the mainstream media hype that created the anticipation)   

It's nice that Gary Nelson appears to know or pays attention to what's on the agendas for Mesa City Council meetings - that means he might be doing his job to report the news.
However, cherry-picking just one single item on the jammed-up agenda for the August 20th meeting - just one Rezone on a 16-acre tract  in District 3 - takes the attention away from other important agenda items.
He's right that Fiesta Village has smoldered. He's right the city has sunk tens of millions of taxpayers-dollars into the district trying to entice private real developers. And he might be promoting Francisco Heredia who running right now in a contested race for District 3 in the Primary Election to get elected  to the Mesa City Council.
At the same time other items fly under-the-radar screen for public scrutiny . . . as you can clearly see in this five-minute-quickie Mesa City Council "Study Session" presided over by the mayor who appears to scanning-over and stumbling through the agendas.  

By narrowing his job to report the news, or what he intends to make "the news" on only one development here in Mesa, Tribune Contributor Gary Nelson shirks his professional duties and responsibilities to the public. . . here's the heading when the article gets online

Council to consider a re-do of a fallen Mesa attraction

HERE'S A LINK TO THE ARTICLE that was uploaded online yesterday

Council to consider a re-do of a fallen Mesa attraction

East Valley Tribune-Aug 27, 2018

What probably is the most highly anticipated redevelopment project in the history of southwest Mesa has at last made it onto a City Council agenda

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HERE'S THE RUN-DOWN OF

Fiesta Village in Mesa may get a residential and retail makeover

KTAR.com-Apr 4, 2018

PHOENIX — Fiesta Village, once a booming retail destination in Mesa, may soon get a makeover. “The idea is to blend both retail and restaurant uses together ...

Fiesta Village project to heal Mesa sore spot

East Valley Tribune-Apr 2, 2018

W.M. Grace Companies plans to turn Fiesta Village at Alma School Road and Southern Avenue into a modern mixed-use residential and retail project.

Mesa looks at area around Fiesta Mall as employment hub

East Valley Tribune-Sep 22, 2017

While creating the Southwest RDA, the city met with business and land owners in the area – including Fiesta Village owner W.M. Grace – to come up with ...

Tempe strip rebuilds as Mesa center finds hope

East Valley Tribune-Sep 17, 2017

After more than a decade of disuse and decay, there are at last signs of hope that Mesa's infamous Fiesta Village shopping center can be revived. Meanwhile in ...

Fiesta Village – 'the worst of the worst'

East Valley Tribune-Nov 23, 2016

When the Mesa City Council was discussing how to redevelop business areas ... Kavanaugh said Fiesta Village and Fiesta Mall “are the two highest-profile ...

Party time for Fiesta again?

East Valley Tribune-Nov 21, 2016

The shopping center at Alma School Road and U.S. 60 in Mesa—not yet 40 years ... Larger, fancier malls in the region such as Arizona Mills in Tempe and ... by other retail centers in the immediate vicinity—most notoriously, Fiesta Village just ...

Readers' picks: Worst East Valley eyesores

azcentral.com-Dec 24, 2015

The Fiesta Village Shopping Center is on the northwestern corner of Alma ... While the rest of Mesa's Fiesta District enjoys a post-recession redevelopment boom, .... Lloyd Wright in 1957 for his proposed Arizona State Capitol structure nestled ...

Vacant Fiesta Mall Macy's to become jobs hub

azcentral.com-Mar 12, 2015

"This neighborhood ... has historically been the financial capital of Mesa," Mayor ... where the fenced off Fiesta Village shopping center has fallen into disrepair.

Is Mesa's Fiesta District the next hotspot?

azcentral.com-Sep 23, 2014

For those who have written off Mesa's Fiesta District after years of decline, the idea that ... The dilapidated Fiesta Village shopping center on the northwestern corner of ... Chief Technology Officer Lowell Vande Kamp told The Arizona Republic.