Mesa General Hospital demolished for 180-unit apartment complex
Mesa General Hospital, the birthplace of countless Mesa residents, was demolished earlier this year to make way for an apartment development along Mesa and University drives.
Mesa Drive Apartments is a $40 million investment on a parcel of land that has been dormant for many years.
Mesa Drive Apartments will be at 515 N. Mesa Drive on a 6-acre property with 180 units. It will have four three-story buildings with units ranging from a studio to two bedrooms.
The complex will also include a fitness center, pool, dog park and green space in the courtyard.
The project's developers are one step closer to breaking ground after the city’s planning and zoning board recommended rezoning the property to separate the north and south sides of the parcel.
The hospital was closed in 2008 and remained vacant for many years until AZ MED CAP, LLC, acquired the land two years ago. The property owner also invested another $2.2 million to bring up to code the acute health care medical center KPC Promise Hospital of Phoenix, which sits on the north side of the property.
Paul Alessio, the project developer, said the property owners tried to salvage the building and seek medical uses for it but there wasn’t any interest due to its decay. The city encouraged Alessio to demolish the building to solve issues with blight, bring the surrounding buildings up to code and connect with residents for feedback on the project, Alessio said.
Councilmember Mark Freeman, who represents the area, connected the developer with residents to make sure they received feedback and before they went “all in” with the project. It’s a prominent piece of land in the city that many nearby residents are invested in how the area would be developed, Freeman said.
After multiple neighborhood meetings, Alessio said he’s confident the project will be a good fit for the area. "We knew when we demolished Mesa General Hospital that a lot of really good memories were going to go with it," he said.
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A spark for future development
Freeman told The Arizona Republic he thinks the project will set a template for future infill development in the area.
“You’re going to see developers come in and ask what they can do to "urbanize and create some density," he said. Freeman is hopeful this project will spark development and enhance the area. He said he looks forward to seeing the project break ground and provide “closure” for residents who have been anxious to see movement at the property.
David Montague is one of those residents who gave developers feedback on how to integrate the apartment complex into the neighborhood.
He said he knew a lot of people who either worked at the hospital or received care there and was sad to see the hospital torn down. However, over the past years, the neighbors were concerned with vandalism and homeless encampments at the shuttered hospital, so Montague was in favor of seeing the area redeveloped.
He said the residents didn’t want the apartments to be walled off from the rest of the neighborhood but rather encourage an open atmosphere. It’s not unusual for residents to gather and have taco Tuesdays or other events. Montague said he wants residents living at the complex to be a part of those events.
Alessio, the developer, said he plans to bring the rezoning vote to the City Council in August. He’s hopeful they will break ground by the end of the year and begin leasing within 18 months, barring any issues with construction.
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Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa and Gilbert and can be reached at maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on Twitter @maritzacdom.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Developers demolished aging Mesa General Hospital to build apartments