Mesa

[MJLO]

haha that mall isn't so bad. Fiesta Mall is scary, Superstition Mall is just more boring, and better fits the character of Mesa's main demographic. Those neighborhoods around there are so perfectly Stepford, the hyperbolic statements these people make, makes them look downright uneducated. I mean, if you're going to opposed to a certain business going in your neighborhood fine, but please atleast attempt to make an articulate arguement.

[colin]

That's definitely one thing I dislike about Phoenix: how they sort of abandon their retail spaces and build ones further out instead of investing in refurbishment. There's one somewhere in northwestern Gilbert that really struck me. It was almost totally abandoned, but, right down the road, probably less than a mile away, there was a brand spankin' new shopping area with big box and chain stores galore. I don't get it.

[convulso]

how they sort of abandon their retail spaces and build ones further out instead of investing in refurbishment.

[colin]

But why do they not do that here in Tucson when those same factors are present?

I mean, just look at our malls. El Con is dead but has always had big plans to re-invent itself, and it already has in some ways with the big box influx. But there are others like Southgate Plaza (I-10@6th Avenue) that, I think, should just die and merge into a light industrial park, but you still hear about people wanting to redevelop them. Then you have something like Broadway Village (Broadway@Country Club) that has not only been around for 40+ years, but is actually thriving.

Does this come back to that whole "no one cares" stereotype of Phoenix that I have?

[convulso]

But why do they not do that here in Tucson when those same factors are present?

[colin]

more speculation, but perhaps tucson / pima county's zoning & land use laws encourage redevelopment as well as new development; whereas developers in phoenix / mesa / maricopa, et. al., may have greater incentive to just move out a little ways and build new. if the tucson side of that is true, 'encourage' is still a relative term. tucson and lots of other places could benefit tremendously from regulations that demand -yes, demand - that reuse and mixed use go hand-in-hand. a walgreens will never be anything but a walgreens (or similar hand-me down store if the original tenant leaves): one-story building, parking lot, dumpster. multiply that blueprint for an urban fabric by some arbitrary bigass number and you have most of tucson.

[convulso]

Yeah, it is my fault...There are definitely differences (Tucson will never look or be anything like Mesa), but the similarities warrant comparisons.

[MJLO]

silly boys this sounds like a conversation for the PHX - TUC planning comparison thread

[MJLO]

WOW, what's up with this. A state law could all but force the city of Mesa into bankruptcy.

The law is an

[colin]

"The law is an

[MJLO]

I have some guess lol, but they are not "country fresh"

[colin]

Mesa plans crackdown on illegal immigration

I love the first sentence:

"Tired of day laborers hanging out on streets and crime associated with undocumented immigrants..."

Not to bring the immigration debate up in here, but these people wouldn't be hanging around unless there was work for them. And now Mesa wants to threaten them with arrest?

[MJLO]

Haha, I'm not going to voice opinion on the issue one way or another. But I gotta tell you, the Mesa "ghetto" is FULL of guys hanging out on the streets. Just take a drive up and down Broadway, during morning rush.

[MJLO]

Just some Mesa Developement news, some buildings going up in the far east. It's like the " Japan" of Mesa it's so far east. Crismon and US-60. Four office buildings of various hieghts may be built.

[colin]

Councilman threatened after not standing for Pledge

Crazy Mesa.

[MJLO]

Mesa residents. Do you think a certian religious institution, that has a very definate political stance might have something to do with the Mesan Residential reaction to this guy?

[MJLO]

more Hurricane bay stuff

Mesan residents are doing more fighting bickering, and making more naive comments.

Oh Mesa I hope you grow up at some point and give your residents a reason to like living there.

[MJLO]

Does anyone think that with the LRT coming to downtown Mesa, that it might grow up, and become even a little bit trendy? I'd love to see that happen.

[traal]

I think it would be good, but we won't see a station in downtown Mesa for another 8 years.

They really ought to think about putting at least one station in the Fiesta Mall / MCC area (the "other" downtown Mesa). Especially if those high-rise condos go in behind Best Buy ("Fiesta Towers").

[colin]

Also, there's a ValleyMetro transit center near Fiesta Mall which would almost certainly put it through that area. That's actually why they diverged the northern route somewhat close to the Metro Center.

But yeah, it'll be a while until Mesa sees light rail.

[MJLO]

Mesa is a super suburb. It has so many people and decent enough density, that it should have some kind of clout to Make itself more urban.

[MJLO]

All this Mesa LRT talk and here you go:

End-of-the-line construction on light-rail is begun in Mesa

It has begun contruction on Mesa's light rail line has begun! Better days ahead for us Mesa Enthusiasts.

[markusparkus]

All this Mesa LRT talk and here you go:

End-of-the-line construction on light-rail is begun in Mesa

It has begun contruction on Mesa's light rail line has begun! Better days ahead for us Mesa Enthusiasts.

[MJLO]

It's a good thing, however the LRT Snaking down Main won't happen for years. Now it'll stop just at the edge of downtown. It's still exciting.

[MJLO]

I read in the EVT that Mesa is considered the 4th fattest city in the country. That seems insane to me How do they grade these things?

On the other hand Tucson was 4th fittest city.