March 2026

Mesa has experienced meaningful momentum this year, with major project announcements and continued investment interest reinforcing what we already know: Mesa is well-positioned for growth. The question now is how to sustain that momentum, strengthen Mesa’s competitiveness, and ensure we are prepared for what comes next.

To do that, the City has initiated a three-year Economic Development Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2027–2029. This plan will provide clear direction for how Mesa prioritizes business growth, redevelopment, workforce partnerships, and investment-ready infrastructure over the next three years. It is designed to be practical and measurable, with clear actions and performance measures that help ensure progress is visible and accountable.

For the first time in more than 12 years, we are engaging a professional consulting firm to assist in this process. The City has hired Hickey Global, an economic development consulting firm and sister company to Hickey & Associates, a national site selection firm, to lead development of the plan. Their role is to bring an outside perspective, data-driven analysis, and proven tools and best practices from communities across the country, while grounding recommendations in Mesa’s market realities.

Success today depends not only on attracting high value companies and jobs, but also on strengthening the systems that make long-term investment possible. That includes having the right sites ready for development, ensuring infrastructure keeps pace, aligning workforce pipelines to employer needs, streamlining processes that impact business timelines, and building a clear identity that the market understands. This strategic plan will help Mesa align these elements into one coordinated approach.

Several areas will be emphasized as part of this plan:

• Target industry clarity and competitiveness: Define and sharpen Mesa’s priority industry clusters and clarify what makes Mesa a strong location for those industries, including sites, infrastructure, and talent.

• Supply chain growth: Identify supply chain gaps and opportunities tied to target industries, helping Mesa recruit supporting businesses that deepen our economic base and strengthen resilience.

• Small and mid-sized businesses: Mesa’s existing businesses are a major driver of jobs, innovation, and community character, and the plan will refine how the City supports them at every stage. This includes strengthening business retention and expansion efforts, improving navigation of City processes, connecting companies to workforce and financing resources, and ensuring they have the tools and support needed to grow and succeed in Mesa.

• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): Build a clearer pathway for international business recruitment by identifying priority markets, developing strategies for soft landings, and strengthening relationships with site selectors and global partners.

• Redevelopment and district momentum: Focus on catalytic strategies for Mesa’s districts and Redevelopment Areas, identifying practical steps that can accelerate reinvestment and improve quality of place.

At its core, this strategic plan is about ensuring Mesa remains a community where companies choose to locate and scale, where redevelopment creates vibrant districts, and where residents have access to quality jobs and amenities. With a clear roadmap and consistent execution, Mesa can build on today’s momentum and strengthen its position as a future-focused city that delivers results. SelectMesa.com

Haley Freestone Promoted to Economic Development Project Manager

Recently, the City of Mesa Office of Economic Development announced the promotion of Hayley Freestone to Economic Development Project Manager.

Hayley joined the team as an Economic Development Specialist, where she quickly made a meaningful impact. In that role, she supported the City’s business development efforts by responding to new project leads, coordinating closely with Mesa’s Development Services Department, and collaborating with economic development partners at the city, regional, and state levels. She also played a key role in advancing the City’s retail recruitment initiatives.

In her new position, Hayley will lead high-impact projects that support business attraction and expansion, activate key commercial areas, strengthen public-private partnerships, and contribute to a vibrant and competitive local economy. She will oversee economic development projects from inception through completion, with a strong emphasis on retail-focused recruitment and development opportunities.

Hayley brings a unique blend of private-sector experience and community engagement to the Office of Economic Development. Her background includes business development and strategic relationship building across engineering- and construction-related industries, experience she now applies to multifaceted economic development projects.

A graduate of William Penn University and former collegiate athlete, Hayley is recognized for her leadership, energy, and collaborative, team-first approach. She is deeply involved in the community and currently serves as President of the Young Professionals Board for Treasure House, a nonprofit supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

With her team-oriented mindset, creativity, and commitment to inclusive economic growth, Hayley is well positioned to make an even greater impact in her new role and help advance Mesa’s economic future.

Learn more about the Mesa Office of Economic Development at SelectMesa.com.

City of Mesa Streamlines Development Review Process

The City of Mesa continues to modernize its development review process, cutting red tape, and consolidating department review functions to deliver faster approvals and greater transparency for builders, businesses, investors, and residents.

The changes are initial steps that follow comprehensive stakeholder engagement efforts and an evaluation of City processes, both of which identified opportunities to better align and streamline processes across the City’s development review functions.

The result is a significant overhaul of Mesa’s development review approach. Improvements include consolidated review teams, dedicated support staff and new technology that gives applicants real-time visibility into their project status, all while maintaining safety, design, and community standards.

Key Improvements

Centralized, Faster Reviews: Mesa has consolidated civil plan reviews for water, sewer and solid waste into the Development Services Department, creating a one-stop shop for applicants. This reduces handoffs between departments and improves coordination. New real-time dashboards provide visibility into review timelines.

Expanded Applicant Support and Concierge Services: The City has added a Development Ombudsman to serve as a single point of contact for navigating the review process and resolving issues quickly. Mesa also established an Office of Urban Transformation to provide concierge-style support for projects in redevelopment areas, guiding applicants from concept through completion.

Data-Driven and Continuous Improvement: A three-month evaluation of the City’s processes identified key opportunities for improvement and removed redundancies. A new Project Manager for Data Management and Workflow Improvement will oversee ongoing refinements, while citywide reviews continue to eliminate redundancies across departments.

Modernized Codes and Pro-Growth Policies: Mesa has adopted the 2024 International Building and Fire Code and approved multiple zoning code updates to expand housing options, enable adaptive reuse of existing buildings and streamline approvals.

Additional policy updates are underway, including an infill development ordinance, expanded administrative review authority, and caps on review cycles to promote accountability and timely project delivery.

For more information, visit MesaAz.gov.