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Talk of Arizona
Fa;ll 2015
the Mesa Community College area.
“The city of Mesa has invested heavily in that geographical area, as a catalyst,” Gary said.
Once the city completes the second phase of the project in next fall, the area will include new roads and infrastructure beneath the roads.
“Part of it is just to make that area more walkable,” Gary said. “We know that we have a lot of students on the west side of the district, and part of what students enjoy is being able to walk to some amenities like coffee shops or restaurants.”
Gary said the city hopes to make a statement with new walk areas that feature wide sidewalks, landscaping, benches and pocket parks, something she said is far different from the area’s original landscape that surrounded Fiesta Mall.
Gary said the landscape of retail is changing — malls are not built as they once were.
Instead, Gary said, financial and retail areas such as the Fiesta District are becoming