By Michelle Reese | East Valley Tribune
The first residential phase of the long-awaited 3,200 acre Eastmark community in East Mesa will make its public debut Saturday.
Scattered between neighborhood parks with large ramadas and newly planted trees and desert plans, 14 model homes by seven different builders are nearly complete. Construction crews worked seven days a week in recent months to finish drywall, paint, lights and more.
When DMB purchased five-square miles of the former GM Proving ground in 2006, it was dubbed as the future center for economic development in Mesa, with jobs and homes to fuel growth in the surrounding area. Crews set to work designing what will eventually become home to thousands in one of the last large-scale residential-land developments for the East Valley.
But the recession hit and plans were put on hold. A few years went by as homebuilders and even potential employers — including a large hotel and convention center — hit the brakes to see when the recession end.
Until homebuilders arrived, First Solar was the only company open for business on the development.
That all started to change in late 2010, said DMB vice president and general manager for Eastmark Dea McDonald. DMB went to homebuilders and asked what could be done to attract them to the site.
Apparently, the timing was finally right. More than 30 different builders responded to the idea to build on 10 different subdivisions.
If you’d like to discuss real estate matters, contact Rose Law Group founder Jordan Rose, jrose@roselawgroup.com
