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First of all, may I just say that the Super Bowl was a heck of a game and everyone from Arizona should be proud of the team no matter how disappointing they have been in the past. They worked hard and despite very few people nationally believing them, they gave the Steelers a run for their money.
One of the after effects of all the fan euphoria and the Cardinals actually fielding a good team is this great story about East Valley officials lamenting the loss of the Cardinals Stadium. It was likely to happen, and I am sure its planted to create some heated discussion. Which it has, sparking a lot of East vs. West controversy in the comment section.
Basically, what Tempe and Mesa could have had was the Stadium and surrounding development instead of the Tempe Marketplace and Mesa Riverview projects that they have now. This notion is fairly ironic for those who remember that Marketplace and Riverview fought each other bitterly and spent millions to square off in what was probably one of the more costly local elections of all time.
Anyway, the voters at the time shot the project down. The voters of Mesa went as far as to make sure that anything even resembling a sports or public facility needs a public vote, hence the votes on Waveyard and Gaylord.
Would it have been nice to go to more Cardinals games because they were closer to home? Yes.
Would it be nice if the stadium was on the light rail line, instead of out in the west valley? Yes.
Would Mesa and Tempe like a million dollars a game in revenue pumped into the economy, plus the chance to keep the Fiesta Bowl and National Championship games? Yes.
Well, they aren't uprooting that stadium and dragging it to this side of town, so its time to get over it. Glendale, like it or not, has been very aggressive in putting up the money it takes to attract these types of opportunities. Will these things ever pencil out? Who knows, but they have beaten Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale, and Mesa to the punch attracting the Coyotes and the Cardinals to their city.
The lesson to take away from this is just as some of the people mention in the article. We must not lose our grip on the opportunities that we have before us. Althought we'll have to wait and see what it looks like, this Gaylord project could have the same sort of epic stature and local impact that a stadium has. Is it going to be filled with rabid fans from accross the valley? No. But it could bring millions of people into Mesa, including CEOs and other decision makers, and show them that Mesa would be a good place to do business. Now, that would help Mesa's long-term growth!
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I think the stadium should always be brought up for the huge mistake the voters made by listening to ignorant groups such as the concerned citizens and the other radical group vbo. They fought every thing that came to the table and I am happy they are out of Mesa. That was a huge mistake and would have been a huge economic boom for West Mesa. I understand the residents concerns, but this was a missed opportunity. It was not just a stadium, and the cost taxpayers would have picked up was very small. The development would have been amazing and it could have mixed things in such as a hotel, retail, and even a waveyard in the whole area. Could have brought lake front property to mesa, but to bad the freeway was built as a barrier on the south bank of the river. Could have been a great place but we have Riverview now. Another strip center that will come on hard times in 2 decades. Waveyard will help if it is every built to keep this area strong tho.
Two keys to this area depends on two properties. The wavyeard and if it gets built and the gravel pit on the north side of Riverview.
This will make mesa residents think twice before voting down gaylord now. Now with the vbo and the crazy citizens now shut up, Mesa has a great opportunity to redevelop as a community in a progressive manner.
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