Spaceship manufacturing, redevelopment and more: Mesa developments to watch in 2024

Maritza Dominguez, Arizona Republic
·3 min read
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Development projects for 2024 are part of Mesa’s plans to change its perception as a bedroom community and suburb of Phoenix.

The city has been focused on bringing new jobs, enhancing higher education attainment and building new city facilities.

Growth in the southeast area of the city is prompting new builds while redevelopment in west Mesa will be something to watch.

Here’s a look at what to expect with these developments in the new year.

Gulfstream

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. is expected to open its aircraft service center at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in the spring of 2024. It’s the company’s first facility in Arizona.

The 225,000-square-foot facility will be the hub for maintenance and repairs of its airplanes, jets and other aircraft in the western U.S. The company has nearly 3,000 aircraft in service worldwide. The project was first announced in 2021.

Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic, a sister company of Virgin Atlantic, is expected to open spaceship manufacturing at Gateway Executive Airpark in 2024.

Customizations to two hangers at the airport at the north end of the airfield are expected to be completed in the spring.

The Mesa assembly manufacturing facility could produce up to six spaceships per year for commercial flights. From there it will be shipped to the Virgin Galactic’s New Mexico operational headquarters in New Mexico for flight tests and commercial operations.

The company first announced its investment in Mesa in 2022.

NAU education center

Northern Arizona University, in partnership with Kind Hospitality, is expected to break ground on a two-story workforce development center near the airport.

The university’s School of Hotel and Restaurant Management will offer hotel restaurant management and hospitality degree programs as well as noncredit credentials. The center will be part of the larger 350-acre Skybridge Arizona development.

Fiesta Mall redevelopment

Movement at the long-time property of the once-shopping giant Fiesta Mall is finally happening. Developers began to demolish the 1.2-million-square-foot retail building in July.

Verde Investments is spearheading the redevelopment of the property under the name Fiesta Redefined. Initial plans call for multi-family residential housing, office and commercial space.

An official rezoning vote by the City Council could likely come in 2024 that would solidify the developer’s vision for the 80-acre property.

Gateway Library

Mesa will start construction on a full-service library for the first time in over 35 years for its southeast residents. Gateway Library will be located along Ray and Ellsworth roads in the Eastmark neighborhood.

The roughly 28,000-square-foot library will have similar amenities to the Read Mountain and Dobson Ranch branches. It's anticipated the project will cost $22.5 million and will be funded by a 2018 voter-approved library bond. Construction could take 18 months to complete.

City Hall expansion

The City Council will have a new meeting space in 2024 at the corner of Main and Center streets. The expansion to Mesa's City Hall comes with new conference rooms and space for city council sessions to better accommodate the public. The council chambers will be on the second floor.

Construction sales taxes will fund the approximately $30 million project.

The city demolished a section of its city hall that housed employees of its human resource department over the summer. The city will find a new use for its current 40-year-old council chambers once the council moves out.

Red Mountain Park expansion

Mesa leaders OK'd a plan to bring more baseball, softball and soccer fields to the massive Red Mountain Park. The expansion could open in early 2024.
Mesa leaders OK'd a plan to bring more baseball, softball and soccer fields to the massive Red Mountain Park. The expansion could open in early 2024.

The long-awaited expansion to east Mesa’s Red Mountain Park will wrap up in spring 2024.

On some 70 acres, 10 new multi-purpose fields, four new baseball and softball fields and the relocation of the disc golf course will open. The city is projected to spend nearly $34 million on the project using a 2018 parks bond.

The city initially voted on the expansion in 2022.

Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek and can be reached at maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @maritzacdom.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mesa developments to watch in 2024 include a city park, manufacturing