Delayed Mekong Plaza expansion is open for business in Mesa
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Business owners, politicians and others cut the ribbon for the expansion of Mekong Plaza in Mesa on Monday. Photo: Jeremy Duda/Axios
The long-awaited expansion of Mekong Plaza is open after years of delays.
Why it matters: Mekong Plaza formed the foundation of Mesa's thriving Asian District, Arizona's largest collection of Asian restaurants, grocery stores and shops.
Driving the news: Developers, business owners, politicians, economic development officials and others gathered Monday at the plaza, at Dobson Road and Main Street, to cut the ribbon for the 32,000-square-foot expansion.
Zoom in: Some of the new businesses are already open, like the first Arizona location of Haidilao Hot Pot, a Chinese chain with about 1,700 locations worldwide, and Miniso, a toy and gift store with a half-dozen locations in the Valley.
- The expansion includes other restaurants, such as Taiwanese dessert chain Meet Fresh, and Udon Shin, a Japanese chain from the owner of Mensho ramen that will open its first U.S. location at Mekong Plaza.
- There's more than dining — Heads Up! Spa, which has a location in Tempe, is open for business, and soon you'll be able to get portrait photos from Cloud Studio and bring the kids to Claw Zone arcade.
What they're saying: "There's new flavors here, there's new experiences here," Mekong Plaza development manager Drew Burtoni told Axios, making it "more of a destination and a place for families to come and enjoy the Asian District."
- Julie Provencal, co-owner of Mekong Plaza's Heads Up Spa, told Axios, "Everything is here, and we just want to be able to serve as many people as possible."
- The expansion brings 12 new businesses and about 200 new jobs, the city says. "The real investment here is how it strengthens our city, your families and the employees who work here," Mesa Mayor Mark Freeman told the crowd.
Meanwhile, the Asian District got another upgrade to go with the expansion.
- As of Monday night, the roadside signs welcoming people to the district are illuminated in the evenings.
Catch up quick: The project broke ground in July 2022 with the expectation that it would be finished a year later.
- But water infrastructure problems, building material holdups and construction delays pushed back the opening, Burtoni said.
Flashback: Mekong Plaza opened in 2008 after Peter Quach and Phllip Ta turned an abandoned Target store into the anchor for what is now a bustling Asian district.
- Mesa City Councilmember Francisco Heredia told the crowd at Monday's ribbon cutting that it "seems like an overnight success" today but emphasized that it's been "more than two decades in the making."
- Former Mesa Mayor John Giles noted to Axios that other attempts to create an Asian district elsewhere in the Valley fell flat, but Mekong Plaza and Mesa's Asian District are an "unmitigated success" because Quach "just wouldn't give up on it."