ICYMI - City of Mesa and Downtown Mesa Association Team Up to Improve Building Exteriors

ICYMI - City of Mesa and Downtown Mesa Association Team Up to Improve Building Exteriors

City of Mesa and the Downtown Mesa Association have partnered to enhance the storefronts of downtown Mesa businesses. Mesa's Faade Improvement Program awards grants of up to $250,000 to fund design, demolition and construction for improvements to commercial and mixed-use properties located in the Historic Downtown core. The total investment in this program is $4.4 million.

The properties were selected by the City of Mesa through an open application process. All design concepts were reviewed by the City's Design Review Board and Historic Preservation Board.

Construction has officially started, and the businesses that will benefit from these improvements include:

• Sonoran Rows,which will start construction soon
• OneOhOne Art Gallery
• Outcast Doughnuts
• Rebel Wine Lounge
• Everybody's All Day Caf, which will start construction soon
• Tortoise and Hare, which is currently under construction
• Phantom Fox Beer Company
• Goat and Ram
• Arizona Distilling Co.
• Tre Bella by Wedgewood Wedding
• Espiritu Cocktails + Comida
• Linton Milano Music
• Le Studio Salon De Beaute
• Lonestar Music Depot and Coffee Bar
• Phoenix Motor Leather
• East Valley Paranormal HQ/Rydables Tours
• Pomeroy's Men's Store

In addition to these businesses, two vacant spaces will also undergo an exterior transformation.

It's crucial that residents and visitors know that they can still patron these businesses during construction. The Downtown Mesa Association will support them through online marketing efforts (i.e. social media posts) and on-site signage.

"We are so excited to see the City's continued investment on Main Street," said Terry Madeksza, president and executive director of the Downtown Mesa Association. "Downtown Mesa is home to many small, local businesses, and it's important to provide support, when possible, to help them survive and thrive."

Mesa's Faade Improvement program was established as part of the Central Main Plan, which outlines goals to create a high-quality, pedestrian-friendly environment in downtown Mesa that is attractive to existing and new employers, residents and visitors.

The Faade Improvement Program started in Mesa in 2018 with enhancements to the exterior appearance of eight businesses along Main Street. In addition to positively impacting preexisting businesses (reducing tenant turnover, increasing sales and creating jobs), this program also helps attract new small businesses and convert low-activity spaces to higher and better uses.

"We saw such positive impact from the first round of facade improvements, and we are excited to see how this second round will transform downtown Mesa," said Jeffrey McVay, Manager of Urban Transformation with the City of Mesa. "Downtown's history and future is woven into the fabric of Mesa. Further investment in faade improvements, helps downtown define and bring together our community as a center of cultural, entertainment, employment, and residential activity."

Property owners that participate in the Faade Improvement Program must contribute a percentage of the direct construction cost of the project. This further establishes their vested interest in the revitalization of their space and ultimately, the downtown area.

For more information on the Faade Improvement Program, please visit downtownmesa.com/invest/incentives/facade-program.