What you need to know about Mesa's massive Legacy Park development
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A rendering of Legacy Park. Image: Courtesy of Vestar
Mesa is betting its largest-ever mixed-use development near Gateway airport can bring a little Scottsdale-style luxury to the southeast Valley.
Why it matters: The $3 billion Legacy Park and Gateway Crossing — with upscale shopping and dining, luxury hotels, offices and public space — fills several gaps in the city.
The latest: Mesa City Council unanimously approved the development agreement Monday.
- The council also created a 428-acre theme park district that will finance infrastructure, like roads and parking garages, by adding an extra tax to purchases, restaurant bills and hotel stays within Legacy Park.
What they're saying: This "generational project" could help the city capture the tourism dollars flowing to Scottsdale or Phoenix, city manager Scott Butler tells Axios.
- Butler says it'll give Mesa families access to parks, splash pads, public plazas and other gathering spaces they currently travel to neighboring cities to enjoy.
How it works: The project largely pays its own way.
- Developers will front the construction costs of about $76 million to build roads, sewer lines, a public park and more, Butler says.
- Mesa would then reimburse them using taxes generated by people who shop, dine or stay at Legacy Park.
By the numbers: Legacy Park could generate $7.4 billion in economic output over 30 years and $545 million in Mesa tax revenue over 36 years, per an analysis by Applied Economics, a consulting firm.
- The developer's full vision — which includes a lake for kayaking and paddle boarding — could generate far more in that time period.
- Yes, but: Key details about the proposed lake remain unclear — including its size, water source and estimated annual water use — since the developer and landowner have yet to purchase groundwater rights.
Zoom out: Legacy Park is arriving alongside Cannon Beach, The Nox concert venue, new hotels, and additional development around Gateway Airport.
- "Southeast Mesa is having its moment right now," Butler says.
What's next: Legacy Park will break ground in 2028, with the first phase set to open in October 2029.