Site 17

Project typePredevelopment Phase

In Downtown Mesa, 27 acres of undeveloped city-owned land is nestled between residential neighborhoods and the historic downtown core at the southwest corner of University Drive and Mesa Drive. As Downtown’s future cornerstone, the transformation of this property will play a key role in achieving Mesa’s vision for a vibrant new neighborhood a short walk from the heart of Mesa.

After several years of planning, public engagement, and analysis, the predevelopment of Site 17 concluded in 2019 with the creation of a conceptual plan for the site, public engagement meetings, and a vote by the Mesa City Council to move forward with proposals.

In 2023, Mesa released a Request For Proposal (RFP) to select a developer for Site 17. From that, Culdesac was selected to move forward. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was approved by City Council on April 1st, 2024 which allowed the City and Culdesac to set terms for negotiations on the site. A Development Agreement and Purchase Agreement are currently being worked on and is anticipated to be finalized Spring 2025.

Property Owner: Mesa
Size: 27 Acres

Site Development Timeline

Conceptual Planning Process Summary 2018-2019

Mesa hired an urban planning consultant in 2018 to create conceptual master plans for the 27 acres of city-owned land at the Southwest Corner of University Drive & Mesa Drive. The consultant conducted several public outreach meetings and developed three conceptual master plans and guiding principles for development based on public feedback.

The product of the conceptual master planning was used to craft an RFP for the current master development of the site.

Conceptual Master Plan Summary(PDF, 5MB)

Initial Public Outreach 2016

Mesa held two community meetings and conducted a survey in the summer of 2016. The Mesa City Council then asked that a consultant be hired to create conceptual master plans for the property with more community input. Mesa hired the consultant, Crandall Arambula, in September 2018.