Mesa’s much-maligned downtown colonnade — a lumbering shade structure installed by the city in the 1980s in front of most Main Street businesses — will be torn down this fall to encourage redevelopment.
The Mesa City Council approved an $852,000 contract last week with Rytan, LLC., the lowest bidder to undertake the extensive project, which will rip down the colonnade from 10 downtown buildings.
Jeff McVay, the city’s manager of downtown transformation, said the project is needed to create more visibility for downtown storefronts, helping businesses attract more customers and helping landlords attract more businesses, particularly restaurants.
