By Joshua Bowling | Arizona Republic
Mesa’s first light rail station may soon trade asphalt for apartments if a development years in the making moves forward.
City officials in 2016 signed off on a plan to redevelop the 20-acre light rail park-and-ride lot at Main Street and Sycamore into a mix of retail and housing. The rub: Mesa doesn’t actually own the land, which is divvied up among several private owners. Plans to develop the site evaporated as a key property owner backed out of the deal.
Five years later, a revived plan to develop half of the site with upscale apartments and retail is gaining steam.
City leaders have seen potential in the site for years. They say it has all the bones in place to support new housing. It’s off Mesa’s Main Street just a hop, skip and jump from downtown Mesa and the flagship Mesa Community College campus. Plus, it’s surrounded by the bustling Asian food hub Mekong Plaza and other restaurants and shops — including large Safeway and H Mart grocery stores.
