Rancho del Arte > Mesa Development Celebrates the Arts

Image from Perlman Architects

This blog started with a feature post on Rancho del Arte. Just to wrap up the most recent "news" and put it all together looking forward to the next year, there are some things to keep in mind about Creative Place Making, transit-oriented development and financing affordable housing.
[see accompanying post from today].
Local Initiatives for Sustainable Communities LISC Phoenix invited John Williams, head of the San Francisco Federal Reserve, for an on-site tour in the new urban downtown Mesa that was the subject of another post on this blog.

An article by Cristina Serlin that appeared yesterday December 17, 2015 starts off with
"A new housing development in Mesa, Ariz., brings together affordability, sustainability, and the arts . . ."
Read more >>
http://www.housingfinance.com/developments/mesa-development-celebrates-the-arts_o

The $14.2 million development was financed with low-income housing tax credits (LIHTCs) allocated by the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH), which also provided gap financing through the HOME program and the state’s Housing Trust Fund. Alliant Capital was the LIHTC syndicator, with JPMorgan Chase as the investor. Additional funding included a construction loan from Chase and HOME funds from the city of Mesa.
According to Eric Paine, the CEO of Community Development Partners, "We designed El Rancho del Arte through a thoughtful, human-centered collaboration with the local Mesa stakeholders. We involved the community and local artists to create a housing culture that supports the arts and encourages community engagement,” says Paine. “We are very proud of the outcome as we feel we have achieved our goal of raising the bar on affordable housing.”
The second phase of the development is under way and has received an award of LIHTCs from ADOH. CDP plans to break ground on the 47-unit project in February. The development team also is exploring a community-supported food business accelerator program with a commercial kitchen.
Take a look at the overhead image below and you can see the inside atrium in Phase 1 that is not visible from the street. It's a masterstroke of design providing exposure to sunlight for inside-facing windows overlooking a recreation area with seating and an outdoor grilling area-gathering place.

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/131697520" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/131697520">El Rancho Apartments // Mesa, Arizona</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/producofilms">Produco Films</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
<p>song - &quot;fantastic voyage&quot; by olive musique // licensed through premiumbeat.com</p>

Take ACTION >

LIHTC Industry Edges Close to Permanent 9% Minimum Rate In a huge win for the affordable housing industry, Congress has included a permanent extension of the 9% low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) rate in a final tax extenders package.

Proposed Tax Extenders Legislation Would Permanently Extend Minimum 9 Percent Housing Credit Rate . . . The House is expected to vote on the plan Thursday or Friday, with the Senate following soon thereafter.Congress set to vote on a critical tax extenders package.

http://www.housingfinance.com/finance/tax-extenders-package-includes-permanent-9-minimum-lihtc-rate_o

The LIHTC program financing tool that has created 2.4 million affordable housing units in the country.
Working to Protect, Strengthen and Expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit
http://www.rentalhousingaction.org/take-action

NewsFlash> Trump Hits New High in Poll



That's according to two new press releases for media on his website http://www.donaldjtrump.com/media
One from The Hill and one from Business Insider

Did somebody in the media say Mesa "is trying to shed its conservative image" ??
How ya gonna do that with a popular Republican-multi millionaire + a right-wing controversial not gun-shy Sheriff staging a double-act here?
Trump is sky-rocketing in poll ratings and soaring on his own personal jet from a Las Vegas debate last night into the skies overhead touching down in a big conservative base at noon here in Mesa at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport to be introduced by none-other Maricopa County's top-gun Sheriff Joe Arpaio . . . stay tuned

Birds of a feather flock together - hawks in this case

Hey! It's Time For The Holidays + Time For A Year-End Wrap-Up

Your MesaZona blogger is starting to see some year-end reviews from corporations and businesses, but only scant 411 from elected or appointed officials for the City of Mesa - What's the story?
What have they done, started and finished in the last year? ... and yes, please don't go on and on about things like "challenges" and "opportunities" in the future.

Where has the tax payer-funded-and-approved $2.1 billion bond issue gone with its 10% annual bite out of the total budget to pay off debt service accrued during the Smith-Giles administration and the current City Council?
Have cost-benefit analyses been done? Have programs gotten evaluated for efficiencies?
These questions are made in good faith to spark open data, transparency, and accountability in local government - not just for elected and appointed local government to note in measurement and strategy for the future, but for your audience to see if they maybe missed some of your best stuff.

Is This Open Government in Mesa?? Pay To Hear The Mayor Talk About The-State-of-the-City?

Outrageous!
It's been the mayor's job for about a year now riding on the tailwinds of former mayor Scott Smith's initiatives. 

John Giles is employed and gets paid by Mesa taxpayers. We pay him to get things done on his own . . . and now businesses, organizations and residents [notice residents come last in the solicitation from the Mesa Chamber of Commerce for a breakfast] have "a great opportunity" [HUH?] to hear his "vision for Mesa's future" but it comes at a price:
Cost
Chamber Members: $50 per attendee  
Non-Members: $60 per attendee
Just like what he says, or doesn't say, in a recent article in Phoenix Business Journal stuck behind a pay-wall, you can find out if you pay.

Heads Up > Good Reading for Mesa City Council Officials

(Re)Building Downtown: A Guidebook for Revitalization is a resource for local elected officials who want to re-invigorate and strengthen neighborhood centers of economy, culture, and history through a smart growth approach to development.
This guide uses Smart Growth America’s seven-step approach to:
Understand your community
Create an attractive, walkable place
Diversify economic uses
Plan for equity
Improve government regulations and processes
Finance projects
Establish on-going place management

These seven steps are fundamental to fostering a successful downtown district. Your community may decide to use some or all of them, depending on where you are in the (re)building process.
This guidebook will discuss each of the above steps in detail, and provide specific ways for communities to implement each.
Any community, of any size can use this approach. Through public engagement, strategic planning, public commitment, and ongoing support, you can create a place that unites your community, attracts visitors, and supports businesses for years to come.
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/guides/rebuilding-downtown

READERS PLEASE NOTE: THIS DOWNLOAD IS FREE . NO PAY-WALL. NO COST.

Smart Infill Development > Here's A Tool

Infill Score offers local governments and developers 30 strategies to build the foundation for livable and sustainable communities & overcome obstacles to achieve smart infill development. 1:16 You Tube video

The tool helps establish priorities, policies & actions, build strong public support, create new partnerships for change, and leverage public investment while attracting private capital. Calculate your Infill Score today and join a growing group of civic innovators across the globe who are taking the first step to revitalize their community.

Category:     Nonprofits & Activism