File #: | 25-0530 |
Type: | Resolution | Status: | Agenda Ready |
In control: | City Council |
On agenda: | 6/16/2025 |
Title: | Approving and authorizing the City Manager to enter into a three-year Agreement with Visit Mesa, Inc., for the distribution of a portion of the City’s transient lodging tax proceeds for the promotion of tourism and destination marketing in Mesa, Arizona and in accordance with A.R.S. §9-500.06. (Citywide) Resolution No. 12387 |
Attachments: | 1. Presentation, | 2. Council Report, | 3. Resolution, | 4. Agreement |
Purpose and Recommendation
Approve Resolution authorizing the City Manager and/or his designee to sign and
execute a three-year transaction privilege tax (TLT) funding transfer agreement
(Exhibit A) with Visit Mesa for the promotion of tourism and destination marketing in
the City of Mesa (“City”) and in accordance with Arizona Revised Statutes § 9-
500.06.
Approve Resolution authorizing the City Manager and/or his designee to sign and
execute a three-year transaction privilege tax (TLT) funding transfer agreement
(Exhibit A) with Visit Mesa for the promotion of tourism and destination marketing in
the City of Mesa (“City”) and in accordance with Arizona Revised Statutes § 9-
500.06.
Background and Discussion
Arizona Revised Statutes require that a certain portion of TLT collections be used in
the promotion of tourism by the City or a contracted non-profit organization.
Visit Mesa is a nonprofit corporation and a destination marketing organization whose
mission is the promotion of tourism in Mesa, Arizona, including the promotion of
sporting and community events, visitor spending, economic tourism, and cultural
exhibits.
mission is the promotion of tourism in Mesa, Arizona, including the promotion of
sporting and community events, visitor spending, economic tourism, and cultural
exhibits.
The current agreement expires June 30, 2025.
Visit Mesa received
- $3.9M of TLT funds in FY 2022/2023,
- $3.5M of TLT funds in FY 2023/2024, and is expected to receive
- $3.4M of TLT funds in FY 2024/2025.
50% funding split of the TLT funds received.
The proposed agreement was approved by the Visit Mesa Board on June 3rd, 2025.
- The new agreement extends the term from one to three years, reflecting the desire to return to a longer-term strategic partnership.
- Additionally, it formalizes Visit Mesa’s $50,000 financial contribution to the Downtown Mesa Association (DMA), reflecting their ongoing partnership and supporting continuity in budget planning.
This agreement also provides the City Council with the flexibility to attract top tier hotel developments through the use of the incremental TLT generated at the development site for reimbursement of public infrastructure (in compliance with A.R.S. § 9-500.06).
Grid agreement paves way for downtown Mesa hotel
The Grid broke ground in downtown Mesa on the $75-million project in 2020 and faced funding issues that halted construction a few times before coming to a full stop in January 2024. The new agreements approved by Mesa City Council set the stage for its possible completion in three phases.
Soletrust could bring a hotel to the site of The Grid, an unfinished multi-use project sitting dormant on 3 acres of city-owned land at the southwest corner of Main Street and Pomeroy in downtown Mesa.
- City Council last week approved without comment a ground lease and other agreements, clearing the way for the developer to buy the building out of bankruptcy court.
- The developer also has negotiated settlement of all 32 claims against the bankruptcy estate, according to the city.
“This
has probably been one of the most frustrating projects we’ve all been
involved in for some time,” City Manager Chris Brady said at his last
study session the week prior, where the deal was discussed at length.
“We had great aspirations for this mixed-use development downtown — lots
of pretty pictures, lots of excitement, high school bands, everything.
“And here we are and at one point we were stuck with a
shell. This is a big relief that we’re going to be able to take a
project at 60%, have a developer come in and finish it off.”
Exhibits: A. Final Visit Mesa-City 2025-2028 Agreement

Time will tell - it's back "to the drawing boards" and back to the entire development review process.

RELATED
Friday, May 30, 2025
*** THE GRID BANKRUPTCY *** >>> AGENDA FOR MESA CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR MONDAY....Council Study Session - 5/29/2025
Jeff McVay + "his team" present the resolution for THE GRID BANKRUPTCY - FIRST AGREEMENT WAS BACK IN 2017 leading to a default. . . He is mixing up his dates
Same developers as Forge Towers
McVay is missing a few details
October 2017
Mesa Council Study Session Mon 16 Oct 2017
Item
6A started in 1883 and Mark Freeman wants some history and he gets it
from Director of Downtown Transformation Jeff McVay who stumbles quickly
through an update on what was a 2.75-acre parcel that's now 3 1/2 acres
-
NEEDS
A ZONING CHANGE
WHAT IS IT?
2 new 7-story buildings - watch for some details
Mayor John Giles tunes in with some mumbo jumbo about "vertical/urban" ???
Mayor John Giles tunes in with some mumbo jumbo about "vertical/urban" ???
.
. . and here's A Conceptual Rendering of what it might look like in an
exaggerated perspective rendering of a something they added called
"Gateway Park" . . .
that looks about three times as big as the real space
15 November 2017

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