Rezoning plans submitted to Mesa for demolished Fiesta Mall
The former site of Fiesta Mall moved one step closer to developers’ rezoning plan after a formal request was sent to the city of Mesa on Monday.
The 80-acre parcel located at Southern Avenue and Alma School Road is about two-thirds of the way demolished after the complete leveling of the mall started in July.
Tempe based owner Verde Investments envisioned a plan in the rezoning application that would convert the site to mixed-use residential, business, and retail space.
The property would be tied together by a walkable outdoor environment, according to Verde Investments spokesman, David Liebowitz.
Verde’s plan asks the city of Mesa to reschedule the property from a Limited Commercial designation to an Infill District-2, which would allow for their development plan while staying in accordance with the cities 2040 General Plan.
If approved by the city, Verde’s rezoning could see 4,000 new apartments and 1.85 million square feet of commercial and retail space, along with outdoor areas that the property be built as “progressive, creative, diverse, and respectful of the natural environment,” according to the rezoning application.
The new construction offered to create a walkable and bike friendly community that would connect the residents with restaurants, entertainment venues, and hotels built over the former mall.
The site would still give residents plenty of living area and workers a selection of office and commercial space, according to Verde Investment website promoting the redevelopment, FiestaRedefined.com
“The vision for Fiesta Redefined is exactly what our name implies: Verde intends to completely redefine this 80-acre parcel, changing it from a sea of concrete into a live-work-play community unparalleled in the East Valley,” said Leibowitz.
The company also announced the start of a campaign to reach out to the nearby community to build support for the redevelopment, an effort paid entirely by the private funds of Verde.
Verde said the entire redevelopment plan could take at least a decade to complete.
Verde Investments, owned by DriverTime.com’s Ernest Garcia II, first purchased select portions of Fiesta Mall in 2015 before buying the entire property in 2020.
