Could Be "An Insider-Fix" For Mesa's Pioneer Park Winning A GREAT PLACES IN AMERICA Award

Pardon me, but your MesaZona blogger got baffled and cringed when he heard a week 'through the grapevine' before the public announcement that Pioneer Park, reopened in December 2017 after a $12,000,000 renovation that was twice the original $6M allocation, was going to an award of some kind . . .maybe playground equipment came to mind first.

There's a lot of multi-family housing units and kids living north of Main Street all around the three sides of the 8-acre public park. The south side is Main Street directly across from the Mesa LDS Temple Area that covers 20 acres.
The opening image was supplied by the City of Mesa capturing a small northwest section corner showing playground equipment and trees. At right is the layout of the park
_________________________________________________________________________
Story from KJZZ.org yesterday

Mesa's Pioneer Park Wins ~~'Great Places~~ In America' Award

By Scott Bourque

Published: Monday, October 14, 2019 - 9:35am

MesaZona blogger reaction

"Pioneer Park in downtown Mesa has been recognized by the National Planning Association as one of its 13 “Great Public Spaces In America” for 2019.
_________________________________________________
BLOGGER NOTE: KJZZ reporter Scott Bourque didn't get the name of the award correct
_________________________________________________

Jessica Sarkissian, the Arizona chapter president of the association, says one of the main reasons it was considered was the care the city took to preserve the park during its recent redevelopment.

"We were really happy with the fact that they maintained the locomotive, the location, the natural trees, and the view of the temple," she said.

"Everything just came, and memorialized what the park meant to the community when it was originally here."
OK that might be true, but the current community now is far different from the early 1920's. Furthermore, only saying "Everything just came,.." totally glosses over most of the details planned with city officials for the Temple Area and the reasons why the largest public park space in downtown Mesa got to be memorialized with the name Pioneer Park.
A bronze statue dedicatedin 1987 to four founding-families of settlers sent from Salt Lake City to colonize Arizona, following the orders of the Prophet Joseph Smith of The Church of the Latter-Day Saints to establish and incorporate the City of Zion in 1878 to expand their Kingdom of Deseret in what is now the American Southwest.

Pioneer Park becomes the sixth place in Arizona to earn this distinction.

_________________________________________________________________________

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: How to fix an issue: Arrange to get an award!

September 2019

Mesa officials take issue with low parks rating

By Jordan Houston, Tribune Staff Writer Sept 2, 2019

"More than 175,000 Mesa residents do not live within a 10-minute walk from a park, according to a recent Trust for Public Land study.

And that helped put Mesa in the bottom five of the 100 largest U.S. cities studied for how well they meet people’s needs for parks.

Mesa is #95 . . . Gilbert is even lower!

________________________________________________________________________

BLOGGER INSERT: Here's a direct link to see details about that 'issue' it's very clear

The Trust for Public Land ParkScore^® index:

2019 ParkScore rankings For Mesa > https://www.tpl.org/city/mesa-arizona

The most comprehensive evaluation of park access and quality in the 100 largest U.S. cities.

________________________________________________________________________________

"The trust — a national nonprofit that conserves land for park and historic use — scored Mesa in the bottom five for the third consecutive year, although its ParkScore this year is 95, up one spot from last year. . .

Park access is crucial for overall quality of life, said trust spokeswoman Joanna Fisher.

While the trust found that only three percent of Mesa’s land is currently being used for parks, Heirshberg said it’s not entirely true.

“It doesn’t take into account our schoolyards and HOAs,” he said. “They’re focusing on municipal-owned properties. . .

BLOGGER NOTE:

1. The city has no formal agreement for shared-use at public schools

2. HOAs are privately-managed on privately-owned properties

" . . .He noted that Mesa is one of four finalists for the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Parks and Recreation Management, which recognizes excellence in management in parks and recreation operations.

Source: East Valley Tribune

_________________________________________________________________________________

MESAZONA POINT-OF-VIEW

Published MesaZona Sept 2018

30 September 2018

Real Estate & For-Profit Religion: The Massive Mormon Make-Over of Downtown Mesa

Redevelopment Plans Announced for Area Near Mesa Arizona Temple

We are so blessed! NO FINANCIAL DETAILS WERE EVER DISCLOSED TO THE PUBLIC
Just another one of those 'Revelations', published today by East Valley Tribune staff writer Jim Walsh who's getting ahead of his stories published by The Times Media Group for local consumption, framing them with a battle between "historic preservation can't beat progress" and "revitalizing" downtown Mesa.
Now he's revealing Phase 2 in the Mesa LDS Temple-area, where for-profit investment affiliates own more than 70 properties - they essentially "own the neighborhood" so we won't see any neighbors objecting. . .
_________________________________________________________________________

This clip is from the comedy
"Parks & Recreation"

Blogger Note1: Writer Jim Walsh provides no links to the statement by CCRI Spokesman Dale Bills that he uses in the reporting and he doesn't name the CCRI 'affiliates' who own the land increasing the original Phase 1 of 4.6 acres to the 8.2 acres in Phase 2.

Blogger Note 2: Scroll down below in related content to see the sources of the announcements and revelations about earlier plans -

Question: Is this really what Mesa needs?

TIME FOR A REACTION?
Or cross your fingers behind your back and hope no one notices?
Blogger Note: It's very clear from statements made by Matt Baldwin, real estate development director for City Creek Reserve (CCRI)), an investment affiliate of the Church.
We’ve been planning this project for years, . .We’ve talked with city and county government leaders, city planning staff and other local developers. . . (In 2017 everyone denied knowing any details, except that the Mesa Temple would close for "renovations". LOL)

__________________________________________________________

The Media Blitz was first about the playground equipment:

Mesa officials hope new Pioneer Park will encourage play – for both kids and adults

Lily Altavena, The Republic | azcentral.com

Dec. 12, 2017 |

azcentral

"Weeks before it's revealed, scores of adults have slid down and climbed up the new play structure at Mesa's Pioneer Park.

Officials hope all the activity foreshadows more play to come when the renovated park is officially unveiled during a grand opening on Dec. 16 — with both kids and parents clambering up every inch of the jungle gym, a structure completely unique to Mesa."

BLOGGER NOTE: Nothing about Pioneer Park hoping to get an award two years later as "One of The Great Places In America." It was all about play for kids and adults

". . . The ambitious renovation effort is financed by a $70 million park bond approved by voters in 2012. That bond's money has also gone to Riverview Park improvements, Fiesta Sports Park and others.

. . . The three playground structures anchoring the play area are designed to mimic three types of trees: a sprawling pistache, a looming palm and a sturdy pine.
Architecture firm Dig Studio and the parks department brainstormed the concept. . ."

________________________________________________________________________________

News from AZ Big Media/Commercial Real Estate

Valley Partnership program creates well-rounded CRE pros

GRADUATING CLASS: Members of the 2015-16 Valley Partnership Advocates class pose for a picture during their graduation event.
(PHOTO BY JESSICA SARKISSIAN)
Commercial Real Estate | 26 Jun, 2018 | Steve Burks

"If you browsed her resume back in 2015, you would think Jessica Sarkissian would be the kind of expert in her field that would be a guest speaker for a class of young professionals. But there Sarkissian was, with her Masters degree in Administration and Community Planning and her job as a senior planner for a national firm like Bowman Consulting, learning things about the real estate development industry she never even considered from her point of view as a planner.

“Attending those meetings, you hear from one side, either the public or private side or from the view of an architect, and then you’re also hearing what the opinions are of the other side,” Sarkissian said. "It really makes you understand why things are done a certain way and what to take into account on your projects.”

______________________________

Bird's eye-view across from Main Street entrance to Pioneer Park [palm tree tops]

". . . The Advocates program is quite different than a standard mentorship program. The most striking difference is the make-up of the class.

There are planners, architects, lawyers, construction engineers, brokers and developers who bring their expertise to the table . . .

“As a transactional commercial real estate and corporate attorney, I only see deals at a certain point in the process (for purchases, sales, financings or developments),” said Nicole Hanson, an associate at Squire Patton Boggs in Phoenix and a member of the 2017 Advocates class."
(BLOGGER NOTE: SPB is a lobbyist firm hired by the city of Mesa with a $40,000 contract)
To the right is an image from The Mormon Newsroom of the smaller scale 8-acre version of the 23-acre $3.5B City Creek Mall in the Temple Square Area of Salt Lake City.
Even the same architecture!! All new construction made to look "old" - wanna call it Faux-Retro Fake Classic? It is definitely NOT "Mesa-authentic" as promised. . .

_______________________________________________________________

BACKGROUND: Note the somewhat ironic name "UPFRONT"
Jessica Sarkassian UPFRONT Planning & Entitlements LLC

Jessica Sarkissian | People on The Move - Phoenix Business ...

https://www.bizjournals.com › phoenix › potmsearch › detail › submission

Jessica Sarkissian, AICP,LEED AP | Bowman Consulting

https://www.networkingphoenix.com › profile › jessica-sarkissian-aicp-lee...

________________________________________________________________________