November 2015
Tanya and Brittney Bumbernic test out a police motorcycle on display at this year’s Celebrate Mesa.
Goodwill to build Las Sendas location
Falcon District launched as airport area’s new brand
By Michelle Talsma Everson Early next year, a 22,500-squarefoot Goodwill shop and donation center will open on the corner of Powell and McDowell roads. The shop was approved unanimously at a recent Mesa Planning and Zoning Board meeting, much to the chagrin of several Las Sendas residents who protested at the meeting, through e-mails and calls to Mesa City officials. At the Sept. 16 open meeting residents brought up their concerns that the Goodwill won’t mesh well with the sophisticated look of the Las Sendas area. One resident said that there are three Goodwill locations within 7
By Ken Abramczyk City officials hope a new brand for the Falcon Field area accompanied with a new logo, website and marketing strategies will help attract aerospace, defense, manufacturing and technology companies. The City of Mesa’s Office of Economic Development launched the new brand for the Falcon Field Economic Activity Area, designating it the “Falcon District.” The district, anchored by the Falcon Field Airport, encompasses more than 35 square miles of retail, commercial and industrial parks, as well as residential neighborhoods. The district’s website is www.MesaFalconDistrict.com. The branding effort arose from rec-
miles of the proposed building site, so he didn’t see the need for another. Other residents urged that the City of Mesa needed to give residents “retail [outlets] that we want to shop at” and noted that the Goodwill seemed at odds with the “Shop Mesa” campaign. Still, City officials note that Goodwill’s plans fall within Mesa City guidelines, so they cannot deny their request to build in an open retail space. “I appreciate the frustrations of some citizens, but preventing Goodwill to establish an operation is outside the control of anyone sitting in a city council seat,” said Councilman David Luna, whose district includes
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ommendations detailed in a strategic plan published in September 2014. A commission studying the Falcon Field area found that the area needed a market repositioning and a concerted effort to promote the area’s economic assets and positive amenities, according to Jaye O’Donnell, deputy director of the Office of Economic Development. “A lot of research went into the brand:
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