Imagine a downtown with multi-story buildings and sidewalks bustling with young people, professionals, and shoppers. Frequently, a light rail train travels through, stopping to unload passengers from all over the Valley who come to this urban center for work, entertainment and a vibrant nightlife.
Downtown Phoenix? Mill Avenue in Tempe?
No, we’re talking about downtown Mesa — the future home of at least two (and more to come) residential colleges.
This week, the city of Mesa plans to announce negotiations with a third college interested in opening a campus downtown. Already, the Catholic, Illinois-based Benedictine University and liberal arts, Missouri-based Westminster College have committed to opening campuses in downtown Mesa in the fall of 2013.
For a downtown corridor that some may see as nothing more than the Mormon Temple at one end, blight and closed businesses at the other end, and not too much in the middle — the prospect of residential colleges locating there is huge and welcome news.
If Mesa, a city of half a million people, is to be a place where businesses want to locate and people want to work, play and continue to raise families, then it must have an urban downtown center that exudes energy and prosperity. In a word: life.
That life and energy is already starting to return to downtown Mesa as represented by the gorgeous Mesa Arts Center and the Second Friday art walk and concert events that draw huge crowds each month. What better way to supercharge that effort than by infusing it with institutions of higher learning and thousands of college students?
In a recent Tribune story, Mayor Scott Smith said Mesa has declined offers from start-ups, instead looking for established higher education institutions that are nonprofit and residential.
“We were looking for something more than a storefront presence,” Smith said, “and that was important to us because we want the colleges that come here to play an integral role in our community.”
He’s absolutely right. You don’t need to look any further than Mesa’s neighbor to the west — Tempe — to see that. Tempe and Mill Avenue would not be what they are without Arizona State University and the students and employees it brings to the city’s downtown. In fact, ASU President Michael Crow is even advising Mesa on how to market itself as it develops a downtown with an education focus.
In 2011, Mesa mailed invitations to 1,000 colleges to seek proposals for branch campuses as part of its push for economic development. The city, as the Tribune recently reported, wants to boost the number of residents with college degrees while matching those degrees with skills that high-tech employers want.
“The more opportunities you can present to kids at an early age, the more they start talking about taking advantage of these opportunities,” Smith said.
We agree and whole-heartedly support the vision that the mayor and Mesa City Council have for downtown. And we hope that this year’s elections won’t toss a monkey-wrench into the plan.
Smith and two council members are up for election this fall. It’s crucial that Mesa residents vote for candidates committed to the urban development of the downtown corridor — and not the status quo as a bedroom community.
The very livelihoods of our residents and businesses will depend on it.
renew21 posted at 1:29 pm on Sun, May 13, 2012.
Great article. However, this picture is the wrong one. Why? because this is a the proposed location of a 5 story affordable senior housing project that the mayor is against and most of the council is for. This is a poor location for such a project, especially in the heart of it all. This needs to be dedicated to mixed use, market housing and retail. Senior housing has its place, but not in the heart of downtown.
Bringing extension campus is a big thing in establishing a thriving downtown. However, they need to focus on growth potential long term because most extension campus do not grow much, especially out of state. But site 17 and the Mesa conv center area needs to be focused on a medical school intertwined with the old Mesa General hospital. This needs to be the focus of the area and reinvesting and revitalizing the core city center of Mesa.
Mesa is well on its way with good leadership and a solid zoning code for downtown. Now they need a vision and need to stick with it. No senior housing next to the city office building!
downtownresident posted at 7:22 pm on Sun, May 13, 2012.
Imagine a downtown hamstrung by no place to park and old people who call the police whenever the bands start up on weekends.
Regardless of the hype, there is no place for shoppers to park in downtown now, except in July and August. Nobody wants to walk more than 20 feet to shop or go to work.
The employees, caregivers and visitors who come to the low income hi-rise and stay all day will compete with city employees, shoppers and Arts Center patrons for what little parking there is.
Economic impact, beyond the developers profit, will not materialize. Look at the Courtyard Towers and see how many residents you see on Main Street, or anywhere else outside the facility. None.
Maybe Auto Nation will move and the garage the city GAVE to Brown and Brown can be used to relieve some of the parking pressure, if it materializes.
JMJ posted at 8:14 pm on Sun, May 13, 2012.
Neither university/college, to date, offers technological, science or math studies, I believe. Correct me if I am wrong. If kids graduating from Mesa schools need anything, it's more technical and science/math career options. The 85% who become between 6 - 20% four year college graduates, depending on which article you happen to read, need to count on college.
downtownresident posted at 8:41 pm on Sun, May 13, 2012.
Liberal arts colleges are FAR more desirable than more half-way houses.
Do you know how many probationers and sex offenders live between Main Street and Broadway between Country Club and Mesa Drive? TLC claims 750 beds. There may be others.
gil the baker posted at 6:41 am on Mon, May 14, 2012.
Sorry but this reads like another nocturnal emission. commuter colleges are good for the lunch business and such, nothing more nothing less. I do applaud the current city administration for at least thinking a little more out of the box than past ones.
Engaged Voter posted at 11:13 am on Fri, Jun 1, 2012.
I see no mention of the constitutionality of taxpayer money being used for the establishment of religious schools in downtown Mesa.
THIS IS ILLEGAL.
Mayor Smith and his cronies in the legislature need to be brought up on charges and tried for their crimes.
Accuracy posted at 3:32 pm on Sun, Jun 10, 2012.
Tribune Editorial: “This week, the city of Mesa plans to announce negotiations with a third college interested in opening a campus downtown.”
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Besides the above colleges opening campuses, in downtown Mesa, planning to come in the fall of 2013 . . . LWU – Living Word University – will be taking application and enrollment beginning in July 12 for the college coming this year, 2012.
LWU – an extension of Life Christian University – will be available at the Living Word Bible Church in Mesa, Ariz. The Life Christian University institution teaches its students to focus on their faith and study the Bible as a way of obtaining God’s blessings in their life. Learners are encouraged to develop a Christ-like character to enjoy peace, diving healing, a healthy body and divine prosperity. LWU will offers degrees ranging from Associates Degrees, Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral degrees.
Engaged Voter posted at 1:08 pm on Mon, Jun 11, 2012.
"The Life Christian University institution teaches its students to focus on their faith and study the Bible as a way of obtaining God’s blessings in their life. "
Good for them...but as long as they demand my tax money pay for it, it remains ILLEGAL.
Bluepoet posted at 12:31 pm on Thu, Aug 16, 2012.
So, out of a thousand colleges contacted, Mesa city came up with two Christian colleges. Some details of these deals would be nice to read about, in say, a newspaper, or some business dealing in news. I wonder, who could be preparing such stories for the locals (hint, hint)?
From their sites, I gathered that both of these colleges teach sciences and technology, with emphasis on Liberal Arts, which is fine, particularly the Benedictine college, which has a good tradition behind it, as far as academics and philosophy. I'm just wondering how they came to their choices, and what it will cost the taxpayers. Is that asking too much?
remo303 posted at 10:11 am on Sun, Sep 2, 2012.
Hedging economic recovery on an industry (college education) that hinges on Federally-funded student loans is insane and indicate the leaders involved are not paying attention to the ballooning student debt bubble. Of course, most of this is smoke-and-mirrors to simply get developers into the downtown and then turn the student facilities into later urban development resources for profit and taxbase.
Just call a spade a spade and quit blowing smoke up our hineys.
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Abstract01 posted at 6:54 pm on Tue, Nov 27, 2012.
this editorial has been sitting here, mostly dormant, for six months.
OK, I read it.!
Now will you replace it with something more up to date?
Looks like the previous few entries are more advertisements and from the UFO convention, than pertinent to the downtown re-reinvention.