Mesa's Redevelopment Areas

Mesa RDA-CBD Boundaries 

The Mesa Office of Economic Development’s mission is to enhance Mesa’s economy by promoting a culture of quality, supporting the creation of quality jobs, promoting direct investment, increasing prosperity, and improving life for our residents. To fulfill this mission and maximize development opportunities in Mesa’s more established areas, the City has formally established four Redevelopment Areas to promote revitalization and attract investment:

What is a Redevelopment Area?

A Redevelopment Area (RDA) is an area of the City designated by City Council that needs revitalization. The City of Mesa has four existing RDAs: the Town Center RDA (established in 1999), the Southwest RDA (2016), the East RDA (2017), and the West RDA (2017).

What is the Central Business District?

Mesa’s Central Business District, or CBD, is comprised of the four RDAs (Town Center, Southwest, West and East). A CBD is a single and contiguous geographical area that has been designated by the City’s governing body. Developments locating within a CBD may be eligible for economic development incentives, such as the Government Property Lease Excise Tax (GPLET). Mesa’s CBD was recently reassessed and the CBD designation was renewed by City Council Ordinance in April 2020.

What are the benefits of RDAs?

RDAs make available certain federal funds to be used to enhance neighborhoods and business districts. Activities may include renovation to buildings, new construction, and neighborhood amenities. Additionally, establishing an RDA is a necessary step for adding economic tools like the Government Property Lease Excise Tax (GPLET), which reduces a project’s operating costs by replacing the real property tax with an excise tax.

What development opportunities are available in the RDAs?

Are you looking to locate within one of Mesa RDAs? Here is a list of Mesa’s Available Properties.

What are the criteria for designating an RDA?

A key criterion for an RDA is that it is a "Blighted Area" as defined by state statute in ARS 36-1471. This means an area where a predominance of the properties experience any of the following:

  • Dominance of defective or inadequate street layout
  • Faulty lot layout in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility, or usefulness
  • Unsanitary or unsafe conditions
  • Deterioration of site or other improvements
  • Diversity of ownership (by block)
  • Tax or special assessment delinquency
  • Defective or unusual conditions of title
  • Improper or obsolete subdivision platting
  • Existence of conditions that endanger life or property by fire and other causes

Will specific properties be recorded as blighted?

The City of Mesa does NOT record a property's inclusion in an RDA.

This designation is NOT intended as a reflection of specific properties in the RDA, only that the RDA exhibits a predominance of blighted conditions.

What is the process used to define an RDA?

  1. Parcel Survey / Data Gathering
  2. Public Outreach
  3. City Council makes formal designation
  4. Begin Crafting Redevelopment Plan
  5. Public Outreach
  6. Planning & Zoning Board Review
  7. City Council adopts Redevelopment Plan
  8. City implements Redevelopment Plan recommendations, as feasible

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