13 May 2019

Q2 2019 Newsletter from City of Mesa Office of Economic Development

Let's start this off with an image from Arcgis that shows what is titled The Urban Expansion of Phoenix available online that can give readers of this blog an expanded perspective that puts Mesa in the context of area geographic development.
No one would call the kind of expansion you see  "urban", although the over-used word "suburban" might be used to describe it.
In common usage is another word with some serious negative connotations in land-use planning lingo: SPRAWL.
Your MesaZona blogger likes the word "Spawn" to describe the current future breeding grounds where people choose to live outside of older city centers - like Mesa, east and south.
What do we get beyond "urban centers" and how to develop new areas for places to live and places to work: real estate speculation for investments in vast tracts of open acreage to incentivize residential/commercial/industrial growth > spending on highways and loops and installation of utilities (water, sewer, electric and gas power lines, fiber optic/broadband hook-ups and networks) > scattered business parks, industrial and manufacturing corridors inside the "inner loops", tech centers and data centers, new employment corridors and multi-modal airport zones that can capitalize on transportation logics.
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If truth be told, the Director for the city's Office of Economic Development doesn't look like this any more.
Neither does Mesa after his arrival 12 years ago.
You might notice that this 2nd Quarter 2019 Newsletter is getting published ahead of time (it's usually April-May-June).
Along with the usual "Mesa In The News" column that just reprints what is published, Bill has highlights he wants you to know about.
THE ECONOMIC REPORTER Second Quarter 2019
The QUICK JAB
By Bill Jabjiniak
Economic growth and Opportunity Zones driving new industrial development in Mesa
"Since January 2018, more than 30 industrial buildings, consisting of nearly 2.5 million square feet, have been constructed, are under construction, or are currently in the entitlement process in the City of Mesa.
Many of these projects are located in Mesa’s Opportunity Zones.
Companies including Piper Plastics, EuroContempo, EdgeCore, and PotatoBarn have all broken ground or opened space in the last 12 months in both the Falcon District and Mesa’s Gateway Area.
In fact, so much activity has occurred in and around Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport that in Oct. 2018, the Phoenix Business Journal identified the area as “the next industrial development hot spot.”
LINK to the entire Economic Reporter Newsletter is inserted farther down
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Blogger Insert: To the left you can see a infographic taken from an April publication Community Impact for Gilbert.
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport is the former military base Williams Field. It is very close to the Gilbert boundary.
An Employment Corridor
Take a look at the numbers from the sources they use for community impact. How's that for Return-On-Investment?
Public Investment:  $504,000,000
Private Investment: $  87,000,000
Investment dollars from the public are about 500% more than dollars from private interests.
What does that tell you? Benefits for the public _______
Benefits for private investors ______________________
(Fill-in the blanks  . . . )
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The federal Opportunity Zones program, which enables investors to defer and discount capital gains tax owed should they invest in a qualified Opportunity Fund, has driven much of the interest in industrial speculative space in Mesa.
Eleven census tracts in Mesa have been designated as Opportunity Zones, further incentive for companies and developers to invest in Mesa.
A map of Mesa’s Opportunity Zones can be viewed here.
The chart below includes a sampling of the current opportunities and industrial developments in Mesa.
As the economy continues to strengthen and more information is published about the Opportunity Zones program, we expect to see steady interest in these and other properties: 
Recent Industrial Development in Mesa
Site
Name		LocationBldgsSFDelivery
Date		DistrictOpp.
Zone*
 Gateway
 Technology
 Commerce
 Center		 Ray Rd. between
 Sossaman Rd./
 Hawes Rd.		2138,901May 2019
Under
Const.		GatewayYes
 The Landing Ray Rd. between
 Sossaman Rd./
 Hawes Rd.		6281,085Q2 2019
Under
Const.		GatewayYes
 Sunbelt
 Holdings		 NEC Elliot Rd./
 Loop 202		2286,000TBDGatewayNo
 The Landing
 202		 SWC Hawes Rd./
Ray Rd.		TBD500,000+Q1 2020GatewayYes
 Falcon Field
 Business
 Center		 3110 N. Greenfield
 Rd.		142,228Available
Now		FalconNo
 Longbow
 Gateway
 One		 3115 N. Higley Rd. 1147,435Available
Now		FalconYes
 Falcon
 Industrial
 Park		 1715 & 1737 N.
 Rosemont		129,412Apr. 2019
Under
Const.		FalconNo
 Falcon
 Commerce
 Park		 1710 N. Higley
 Rd.		3130,689May 2019
Under
Const.		FalconNo
 Majestic
 Falcon
 Field		 NWC Higley Rd./
 Ingram St.		185,554Dec. 2019
Under
Const.		FalconNo
 Longbow
 Gateway
 Phase 2		 NEC Higley Rd./
 Longbow Pkwy		3211,050TBDFalconYes
 Metro
 East Valley
 Commerce
 Center 2		 709 E. Auto
 Center Dr.		2363,600Sep. 2019
Under
Const.		US 60
Corridor		No
 * Denotes whether properties are in one of Mesa's Opportunity Zones.

Take a look at >                (www.MesaAzOpportunityZones.com)
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Mesa’s Available Properties
Follow along if you wish and watch the developments move from concept to completion using our new Active Development map at www.selectmesa.com/mesadevelopments. Additionally, viewers can experience an aerial 360-degree, interactive tour of Mesa’s business districts at  www.AerialMesa.com.
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It is interesting to note that the right side includes contact information for members of the Economic Development Advisory Board and a link to their page on the official City of Mesa website 
Voting Members
Rich Adams (20) - 1st TermPresident & CEO
Southwest Business Credit Servicesrich@swbcs.com
 
Brian Campbell (21) - 1st TermAttorney
Campbell Law Group of Arizona, PLLCbcampbell@campbellazlaw.com
James Christensen (19) - 2nd TermPresident & CEO
Gateway Commercial Bankjamesc@gcbaz.com 
 
Deb Duvall (19) - 1st TermCommunity Volunteerdebbieduvall@cox.net 
 
Jim Kasselmann, Vice Chair (20) - 1st TermGeneral Manager
Dexcomjames.kasselmann@dexcom.com
 
Matt Likens (19) - 1st TermPresident & CEO
GT Medical Technologies, Inc.
mlikens24@gmail.com
 
Natascha Ovando-Karadsheh, Chair (20) - 1st TermAssociate Broker/Owner
KOR Propertiesnataschak@KORproperties.com
 
Dominic Perry (20) - 1st TermAssociate
Avison Youngdominic.perry@avisonyoung.com
 
Ex-Officio Members
John GilesMayor
City of Mesamayor@mesaaz.gov
 
Chris BradyCity Manager
City of Mesachris.brady@mesaaz.gov
 
Sally HarrisonPresident & CEO
Mesa Chamber of Commercesharrison@mesachamber.org
 
Jeffrey S. Pitcher
Partner
Stinson Leonard Street LLPjeff.pitcher@stinson.com
 
Staff
William JabjiniakEconomic Development Director
City of Mesawilliam.jabjiniak@mesaaz.gov
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https://www.selectmesa.com/about/news-room/economic-reporter-newsletter/second-quarter-2019
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