Mesa Gateway Strategic Plan

Documents

Technical Memos

Presentations

Background
On December 8, 2008 the Mesa City Council adopted a strategic development plan for the Mesa Gateway Area (MGA) in southeast Mesa. MGA includes the rapidly developing area around Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport that will become the economic engine for southeast Mesa and the surrounding region. The study focuses on two overlapping study areas. The transportation study area extends approximately from Power Road to Meridian Drive and from Southern Avenue to Germann Road. The land use study area extends approximately from Power Road to Meridian Drive and from the halfway point between Guadalupe Road and Elliot Road to Germann Road.

  • Elements included in the strategic development plan are:
  • Strategic market assessments and economic development;
  • Land use planning;
  • Community facility, infrastructure and utilities plans;
  • A transportation master planning; and
  • A funding and implementation plan to achieve the infrastructure and community facilities needed to support the vision and prosperity of the area.

The study began in June 2007 and was completed in December 2008. MGA is approximately 52 square miles and located within its boundaries are freeways, universities, the airport, large landowners, railroads, roadway access points and planned developments. All of these elements are taken into consideration during the planning process.  The consultant for the Mesa Gateway Strategic development Plan was HDR and their planning philosophy is to enhance area assets, recognize the value of the airport, integrate land use and transportation, create fiscally responsible solutions and a innovative development in this unique area of Mesa.

The planning process had six phases:

  • Phase I: Project Start Up
  • Phase II: Baseline Data Collection
  • Phase III: Alternative Analysis
  • Phase IV: Refinement/Testing
  • Phase V: Presentation/Adoption
  • Phase VI: Plan Production

As each phase was completed a draft memo was distributed for review and comment by the Stakeholder Advisory Committee and the Project Advisory Committee. The Stakeholder Advisory Committee is comprised of major landowners, businesses, universities and community members who are directly involved in the development of the area. The Project Advisory Committee is comprised of surrounding municipalities, government agencies and utilities who have an interest in how the area is developed. The final memos created the Mesa Gateway Strategic development Plan that was adopted by Mesa City Council in December 2008.

Mesa Gateway Area Vision
Part of developing a strategic plan is identifying a vision for MGA that the stakeholder committee and project advisory committee agrees upon and supports. To facilitate that process, Mesa and HDR invited Dr. John Kasarda to tour MGA and to give a presentation about airport area development and participate in the visioning process for MGA. Dr. Kasarda is internationally recognized for developing the concept of an "aerotropolis". He is an expert in aviation infrastructure, logistics, urban development and commercial real estate. Dr. Kasarda has also consulted on many international and national airport projects.

It is important that the Strategic Development Plan identify a path for the future, while preserving sufficient flexibility to accommodate changing market demands, maintaining compatibility with airport operations and furthering the Mesa's economic development goals. To this end, a general Framework Plan has been established.

The Framework Plan is designed to establish the critical aspects of general development character and permissible land uses in the various sub-areas of the Strategic Development Plan. The Framework Plan designates the key considerations for land uses in the various portions of the Strategic Development Plan area, in keeping with airport operations and the Mesa's economic development objectives.

The Framework Plan's categories are more general than those of the current General Plan, in that each category can accommodate multiple General Plan land use designations. While a description detailing the focus of each of the districts is in the Plan Summary, the Districts' Expectations and Visions document provides details regarding the focus, form, goals, character, standards, block character and design for each district.

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