By Scott Shumaker | The Mesa Tribune
In April, the City of Mesa finalized a deal to purchase 9 acres of vacant land at the northeast corner of University and Stapley drives from the U.S. Government for $2.6 million.
In the quitclaim deed transferring the property to the city, the U.S. General Services Administration stated the property was “duly determined to be surplus to the needs and requirements of the United States of America.”
The GSA first offered the land to the city in June of 2021 and the city accepted.
The site is next to the Rogers Substation, the point of entry for electricity into Mesa’s city-owned electric utilit that serves about 17,500 residential and commercial customers inside 5.5 square miles of the city’s core.
The 9-acre Rogers Substation site is surrounded by residential neighborhoods and public facilities, including Hughes Elementary School and the Mesa Public Schools Curriculum Services building to the north.
In April, Energy Resources Program Manager Tony Cadorin told City Council his department was studying options for the site, including a “large-scale” 30 megawatt natural gas-burning power plant or a utility-scale battery storage facility.
