Here's A Vision: Light Rail on Main Street inThe New Urban Downtown Mesa

It's taken from a article by a Distinguished Professor of Architecture, Michael Sorkin City College of New York. Hit this link:  City Limits: How Localizing Is the Key to Our Urban Future

QUESTION: How does a vision like this get localized?
Although many people have questioned building light rail tracks running "right through the heart of downtown Mesa", when it could have been planned on the path of earlier railways from Mesa to Tempe and Phoenix on what is now University Drive, it will now become a warp in weaving the urban fabric important to both the original "One-Square Mile" extending for blocks on/off and north/south of Main Street while creating a long-range transportation corridor.

Mesa History Museum image

Keep in mind that Main Street was once a parking lot as you can see from the visual to the left. Traffic patterns have since moved to highways, freeways, shopping malls, sub-urban sprawls, corporate and industrial parks, technology corridors, and Aerotropolis.

Open Downtown space is now available to plan a clear vision for how the new urban downtown will evolve that is not car-dependent

What you do not see in the visual above are no cars at all - you see light rail and a lot of green with people and activities on the streets.
You see low-rise higher density buildings and vertical gardens, not asphalt-covered heat islands.

It may be a stretch of the imagination to figure out how to localize here in the New Urban Downtown Mesa the features in the urban future envisioned by Michael Sorkin, so let's imagine and seriously get together at a "grassroots" level to regenerate not only the vision of our new urban environment, but make it the world around us. If New York City can transform an old rusty abandoned elevated railway into the High Line surely we can do that on the ground here on Main Street.

Your blogger used to walk by this every day in Central Park: it stuck in my mind

You might want to contact your local organization called ULTIMATE IMAGINATIONS and find out what the Downtown Mesa Association is incorporating into their vision ....
Ultimate Imaginations Inc

You may say I'm a Dreamer, but let's trust I'm not the only one!

Follow-up to Science of Cannabis Summit @ Mesa Arts Center

Here's a YouTube video uploaded yesterday May 18th of this educational exploration into the world of Cannabis here in downtown Mesa at The Piper Theater.
Children of Cannabis: Regina Nelson Mesa AR - YouTube Video for Science of Cannabis summit Mesa Arizona▶ 27:15 www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQSA3CpHkgs 
Social media - instagram, reddit, google+, linkedin, meetup and twitter - and this blog on the New Urban Downtown Mesa, promoted this event extensively. Those attending in-person - including this blogger, certainly came away with a more informed perspective. One of the most impressive instagram sites was this one: http://yooying.com/tag/ArizonaMMJ

KLZZ's Steve Goldstein had a 05:36 interview with Lezli Engelking, president of FOCUS: Foundation of Cannabis Unified Standards. 
Go to this link to listen: http://kjzz.org/content/139202/science-cannabis-summit-coming-mesa
In the image taken at the Cannabis Summit in the closing Question-and-Answer Session, Regina Nelson is second from left and Lezli Engelking is third from left. The first person talked about the history of cannabis. On the far right is Zac Hildebrand Ph.D, Director of Science and Research of C-4 Laboratories in Chandler who talked about unlocking the therapeutic properties of cannablis at one of the morning sessions.

Big Real Estate Deal Last Week: Stone Canyon Apartments Sells for $47 Million Dollars

This isn't downtown ... but a big deal

A Southern California investor, based in Costa Mesa who immigrated to the U.S. from Iran in the 1960's, has entered the real estate market here to buy for $47 Million  the 392-unit Stone Canyon apartments ($119,899 per unit) located at 5210 E. Hampton Avenue in Mesa.
Built in 2000 on 25 acres, Stone Canyon is a gated community with 20 garden-style apartment buildings, consisting of one and two bedroom apartment homes.
The investment is the first in the Valley for Khosro Khaloghli, who is affiliated with Olen Residential Realty Corp. in Newport Beach, Calif. (Igor Olenicoff, principal). Olen Residential also owns Serena Lakes in Gilbert.
Maricopa County records show three tenant-in-common companies TIC formed by Mr. Khaloghi  acquired the Mesa apartments with a $32.5 million Freddie Mac loan issued by Centerline Mortgage Partners Inc. Khaloghli is the sole member or managing member of all three buying entities. 
The sellers were 34 TIC entities formed by SCI Real Estate Investments in Los Angeles, Calif. (Marc Paul, Bob Robbotti, co-founders) who originally purchased the property in June 2005 for $37.62 million ($91,837 per unit). See link below for more details:

Arizona Business Real Estate News May 2015 

In a press release from May 13, 2015 National Asset Services, one of the country's leading commercial real estate companies, has successfully delivered a cumulative return on investment ROI of over 95% to the tenant-in-common co-owners of Stone Canyon Apartments in Mesa, Arizona.

Stone Canyon Sale from PRNewswire May 13, 2015 

Stone Canyon Apartments is located in the proximity of some of Mesa's largest employers including; Banner Gateway Hospital, Banner Baywood Hospital and The Boeing Company. 
It's one block south of Southern just off Higley Road, very close to the Freeway.

YES: From Blabbermouth News - At The Mesa Arts Center

YES To Release "Like It Is - Yes At The Mesa Arts Center" 2CD/DVD And Blu-Ray
Read more at http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/yes-to-release-like-it-is-yes-at-the-mesa-arts-center-2cddvd-and-blu-ray/#f6vri3hXgGmQxdEY.99

In a previous post, information about Mesa came from a disclosed source far-away in The Netherlands, Plasticnews so it's not surprising to get news from another source called BLABBERMOUTH.net - this time a live performance here in Mesa will be going out to the world.

When your MesaZona blogger went on a guided public tour of the arts exhibition, performance and arts education facilities at the Mesa Arts Center, the theater spaces are amazing. The Ikeda Theater was impressive, with a media control studio up in the back behind tinted glass. 

Now there's a live release of a performance from August 12, 2014  that brings the magic and wonderful music of that evening here in the New Urban Downtown Mesa to fans everywhere in the world.

Frontiers Music Srl will release "Like It Is - Yes At The Mesa Arts Center", a new concert recording from the legendary rock group YES, on July 3 in Europe and July 10 in North America.

Channel Change-Up: How about some Plastic News?

Your blogger just could not ignore a puzzling news feed: 
DSM Dyneema buys customer Cubic Tech 
where the only words I recognized were "buys" and "customer"

I'll disclose my source:  Plasticnews.com

What does this "buy" have to do with Mesa?
Here's a Clue: It's all about UHMwPE

[Curiosity might have killed the cat but its drives your MesaZona blogger]


Here's the answer in a press release from far-awayThe Netherlands:
The Netherlands, 13 May 2015 - DSM Dyneema, the inventor and manufacturer of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMwPE) fiber, branded as Dyneema®, today finalized the acquisition of Cubic Tech Corporation. This privately owned company, based in Mesa (Arizona, USA), has specialized for more than 23 years in the custom design, development and production of innovative high performance ultra-lightweight flexible laminates and fabrics — most of them based on Dyneema®. Cubic Tech is focused on high-end solutions in applications as diverse as racing yacht sails, equipment and apparel for sportswear, outdoor and future soldier programs as well as emergency medical equipment.  
Terms of the acquisition will not be disclosed. [Italics and text color mine]
http://cubictechnology.com/news.htm 


Did You Know? Dyneema® is the world’s strongest fiber™. Dyneema® offers maximum strength combined with minimum weight. It is up to 15 times stronger than quality steel and up to 40% stronger than aramid fibers, both on weight for weight basis. Dyneema® fiber floats on water and is extremely durable and resistant to moisture, UV light and chemicals. The applications are therefore more or less unlimited. Dyneema® is an important component in ropes, cables and nets in the fishing, shipping and offshore industries. Dyneema® is also used in safety gloves for the metalworking industry and in fine yarns for applications in sporting goods and the medical sector. In addition, Dyneema® is also used in bullet resistant armor and clothing for police and military personnel. 
There are many applications for aerospace as well: successful development of flexible laminates for lighter-than-air decelerator systems - inflatable structures
 

DSM is a global plastics and chemicals maker with annual sales of more than $10 billion. 
Cubic Tech will be fully integrated into DSM Dyneema. The 26 employees of Cubic Tech are being invited to stay on after the acquisition.

Cubic Tech Corporation
4511 East Ivy Street
Mesa, Arizona 85205
USA
Office: 480-924-3100

            

SOUTHMACD: Old & New Businesses Regenerate a Block Off-Main Street

Let's give it a name: SouthMacD
The block-long area on Macdonald Street, South of Main Street to First Avenue

Bill Wahl

Your MesaZona blogger wants to start off by going back to an opinion piece from the East Valley Tribune written by Mark J. Scarp on October 27, 2012 about Mesa: 
" . . . downtowns are more than just a collection of a few big-name projects. The large landmarks are the catalyst for an equally vital component to a strong downtown: small business. This includes places to eat, to be entertained, to buy interesting products and services not usually found in a shopping mall."
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/columns/east_valley_voices/article_0321bf0e-1fc9-11e2-9957-0019bb2963f4.html 

When your blogger lived in New York City, everyone raved about SOHO, but I always said, "So What?" . . . After living in downtown Mesa for about a year-and-a-half there's no way not to get excited about the block of Macdonald Street South of Main. 
There's a back-access behind 101 Main Street and The Nile Theater that can be called "Arts Alley" -  maybe that should be called AASOM [Get it? Awesome] where you'll find a brick-paved passageway convenient for parking with colorful banners overhead on the sides of buildings for arts, theater and music organizations. 
A few steps away under the veranda sidewalk shade structures in place since the 1980's you can find the locations on the west side of the street for more than 60 years of two of the oldest "Mom & Pop" or just "Pop" service establishments in downtown Mesa: Mesa Typewriter Exchange with 3rd-generation family owner Bill Wahl and Lamb's Shoe Repair where a guy named George took over the business from his previous employer.
When asked how business is going, both owners said "Business is booming" . . . good to know these hands-on owners in skilled manual trades have been keeping customers happy and coming back for so many years when a lot of storefronts and commercial properties on Main Street have stood vacant for far too long.
Your blogger snapped Bill in the middle of taking a call from a customer from his office space at the back of the vintage typewriter displays. He's a busy guy but has taken the time on a number of days to chat about the business development of downtown and to exchange views about friendly politics.

The New Urban Downtown Mesa now has a convenience store. Just down the block a few steps from these two shops is what's called "The Inconvenience Store". It's operated by people from the Transitional Living Center, a nonprofit human services provider,  who lease space on the same side of the street. The Salt Mine Recording Studio is located on this side also.

National Historic Register Plaque

Across Macdonald Street between The Alhambra Hotel, one of the few buildings in downtown listed on the National Historic Register marking the same location since 1895, and the VFW Post at the corner with First Avenue katty-corner to Lenhard's Hardware, are two centers of activity getting fresh paint and/or new entrances or total renovations.

One, Broadway Boxing, a non-profit organization where someone told me a Gold's Gym used to be located, has been providing sports training, recreation, activities and physical conditioning for a younger group of Mesa's diverse population - not those Millenials or Baby Boomers that get so much attention as two desired demographics to attract to downtown.

Having lived in New York City for many years, and right on Broadway in the Upper Westside, there was no way not to notice this graphic on the sidewalk right in front of the door and had to ask, and find out, what's that all about?
The place was always dark inside with lights out when taking my usual morning or afternoon walking jaunts around the streets of downtown.

Click to enlarge

 It's usually open from 4-7 p.m, after normal downtown business working hours and after school times. 
Both tomorrow and Saturday the place comes alive with weigh-ins for boxers and their trainers starting at 7 a.m.  in a big event called "Battle on Broadway".
Bouts start Friday night @ 7, and Saturday afternoon starting at 2:00. Admission is $10, kids under 5 free.

Check out their Facebook page by going to the following link: 
https://www.facebook.com/BroadwayBoxingInc
Great pictures and great comments

There's training and competition for both boys and girls for local championships with outstanding competitors going on to regional finals in Utah.

Image from Broadway Boxing Facebook page

You'll have to wait until Friday, June 5th for the opening of the new next door business, Prime Cut & Sew - a Barbershop and Boutique @ 61 S Macdonald.

Stopped by yesterday noticing work was going on inside and talked to one of the owners Zeke Mendoza after snapping a few images. The front no longer looked like this; today - it had been totally opened up for the installation of new overhead doors.
There will be five cutting stations and a retail area in the front for men's clothing. There were already 3 wall-mounted large-screen HDTVs so look for something more than what you might expect inside a barbershop.

The owners already have a logo and a website
http://primecutandsew.com/

We wish them a great success and hope that it's a Prime & Prosperous Time for the new business owners here with a vote of confidence in the business potential of the New Urban Downtown Mesa.
Stop by on the First Friday Night in June while you're here for activities that fill the streets - It's Opening Night!


Before opening night on June 5th, you can contact one of the owners at this email address: zeke@primecutandsew.com 

City of Mesa Newsroom Press Release: Republic Services

Post Date:05/13/2015 11:21 AM

Republic Services Arizona 
Celebration of Freedom July 4 in Mesa

Question: Anybody want to call that "Corporate Branding" ?
The name of one corporation appearing on promotions and publicity from the City of Mesa for a celebration of independence and freedom?

Reads and sounds like a great name connected with "a celebration of freedom", but what the press release from the city newsroom doesn't tell you is that Republic Services is a waste management and recycling company with both a bad environmental record and several very high-profile violations apparently overlooked here in Mesa - with over $12.5 Million dollars imposed as fines by the Environmental Protection Agency and $36 Million dollars in remediation costs.

Whether or not this event will be The "Coolest" Independence Festival in Arizona, a prediction made by the City of Mesa on its website http://mesaaz.gov/things-to-do/arizona-celebration-of-freedom, time will tell, but you will have to wait for details . . . you can see all the hoopla from last year's event in a video produced by Mesa Channel 11 https://youtu.be/zfnIq-Z8kZA


On September 21, 2009, Newsweek released their "Green Rankings",^[19] a ranking of the 500 largest corporations on their track record on a number of environmental issues. Republic Services was ranked 448th out of 500 overall, and 46th out of 50 in their industry.^[20]

^{- according to details and information from Wikepedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_Services}