MESA, ARIZ. — DMB Associates and Gaylord Entertainment have agreed to develop a destination resort and convention center in Mesa. The project will be the launch site for a mixed-use project that will include retail, Class A office space, residential units and a Tom Fazio-designed 18-hole, par 72 golf course.
The project will be developed on the Mesa Proving Grounds, a 3,200-acre portion of land currently used by General Motors as its desert testing facility. DMB is also in talks with Westcor regarding future retail planning. Precise details of the size, theme and character of the resort have not been finalized.
Drew Brown, chief executive officer of DMB, says the convention center will attract millions of visitors, resulting in steady revenues for the city of Mesa, the Southeast Valley, Maricopa County and the state of Arizona.
“The infusion of private capital and, more importantly, capital from outside the state, will allow Mesa Proving Grounds to evolve into an important hub for economic development in the Southeast Valley, and in the process will help secure the City of Mesa’s economic security,” says Brown.
The hotel will likely be the largest in the state of Arizona.
“The importance of these announcements to the residents of Mesa and the Southeast Valley cannot be underestimated. Landing an outstanding, high-quality operation such as Gaylord — when the company could have chose to locate anywhere in America — shows remarkable forethought on the part of the leaders who initially introduced DMB to Gaylord,” says Brown. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”
Construction on the resort could start as early as 2010.