By Scott Shumaker | East Valley Tribune
For nearly 70 years, Sunshine Acres Children’s Home has provided long-term homes for children in need on its 110-acre campus on the northeast corner of Higley Road and Longbow Parkway in Mesa.
Supported primarily by private donors, the orphanage – which often calls itself “The Miracle in the Desert” – is eyeing a move that could be a landmark in its history and give it greater financial independence.
In a plan submitted to the Mesa Planning Department, Sunshine Acres proposes to turn a 36-acre strip along the southern edge of its property into a 250-room resort hotel and waterpark with a 30,0000 square foot conference center, 21,000 square feet of retail space and four full-service restaurants.
