By Scott Shumaker | The Mesa Tribune
Mesa City Council debated the adequacy of the downtown Mesa’s current inventory of parking spaces at a study session earlier this month.
The majority of the council argued that downtown has plenty of spaces to accommodate its current visitation, but one council member advocated for more parking to make the district more attractive to people considering a drive in from outlying areas to shop or dine at one of the downtown’s award-winning restaurants or breweries.
The topic came up during an update from city staff on the next round of Mesa’s downtown Facade Improvement Program, which will channel almost $5 million in federal grants toward the restoration of the historic storefronts of 18 downtown buildings.
Mesa’s Downtown Transformation office believes the program will help downtown continue to draw new businesses and shoppers, and that raised the issue of parking for Council member Julie Spilsbury.
