Mesa insists it will not oust the Waveyard water park developers from the Riverview Park property even as that site has emerged as the Chicago Cubs’ top choice for a new spring training complex.
City officials have become increasingly skeptical Waveyard will be built, but Mayor Scott Smith said on Tuesday that Mesa isn’t telling the developer to abandon its plans so the baseball franchise can have the site.
Waveyard has until July 2011 to get permits from the city. Smith said it’s not for Mesa to decide early whether the project is still viable.
“That’s their call,” Smith said. “We’re not here to try to move Waveyard out of the agreement, nor are the Cubs.”
Waveyard’s agreement with Mesa requires it to have permits and proof of financing for the city to transfer the 125-acre property to Waveyard. But Smith said it will become clear by the end of the year whether the developer is far enough along to make the July deadline.
Should it appear Waveyard can’t meet the deadline, Smith said Mesa won’t move to cut off the deal. But he did say the city will broach the subject of the Cubs using the land.
“I’m sure there will be some very honest and straightforward discussions,” Smith said.
Waveyard representatives did not return calls for comment on Tuesday.
The Cubs have been looking at sites across Mesa for a year. Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts told the Tribune last week the Riverview site is the team’s top choice. The team is also looking at a location near the Loop 202 and Recker Road. Mesa’s City Council has suggested a downtown site, but Ricketts said the team has studied that location the least because it’s only come up recently.
The Cubs’ interest in the Waveyard site was sparked by Waveyard’s developers. They approached the team early this year with a plan to place the sports complex next to the resort and water park. The team wasn’t interested in a joint project.
The city didn’t offer that site a year ago because of its agreement with Waveyard. Ricketts, in his meeting with the Tribune, did not express an interest in making a move for the land unless Waveyard’s time runs out.
“Obviously, the Riverview site is one that has a lot of attraction for us,” Ricketts said. “It’s not available at the moment, so that’s its issue.”
The team is studying the pros and cons of each site. Mesa has launched its own study due for release in early September.
The Cubs have also started campaigning for approval of Proposition 420, which satisfies a city charter requirement to get voter approval on sports facilities that cost $1.5 million or more. Smith said he would like voters to have as many details of the complex as possible, including site plans and renderings of whatever locations are still being considered as the election nears.
The stadium and practice fields would cost about $84 million, paid for by Mesa and the Cubs. The team would develop a commercial venue called Wrigleyville West, featuring shops, restaurants and perhaps a hotel. That would be privately funded.
Waveyard was proposed in 2007 and voters later approved incentives for the $250 million project. It would include whitewater rafting, an indoor water park, scuba diving, a resort and shopping. Waveyard has been unable to get funding, and Mesa granted one extension already for the developer to raise money. The Cubs can wait until the July deadline passes to begin negotiating for the Waveyard site if that remains the top pick, Smith said.
“The Cubs have indicated that they’re willing for that to play out,” Smith said.
Rich posted at 5:56 pm on Tue, Aug 31, 2010.
You know what might work best there? Maybe a nice, challenging, affordable nine hole golf course, there are more golfers than surfers in Mesa. And a few softball fields, maybe a league or two. More Mesans play softball than go white water rafting. Maybe a football or soccer field for the kids. What might be great is, well sort of like a pond to fish in. Where Dads could teach their kids to fish without driving up beyond Apache Junction. And Bass Pro shop is right there. I mean wouldn't that really be cool?
Slabside posted at 6:28 pm on Tue, Aug 31, 2010.
I concur Rich. Even a shoe factory would be better than spending millions on a team that can't win a series in over 100 years.
next up posted at 6:37 pm on Tue, Aug 31, 2010.
Like, maybe Rich, you could look at the plan and notice that the park and lake was never going to change. And that football and soccer field is not open to the public, same with the softball fields. I know, maybe it is hard to look at all the info. So, so hard.
Maybe there are 9 golf courses in a 5 mile radius of Riverview. Do we really need more public golf courses? But my question is, if this area is so sought after; why not sell it to top bidder?
I also think this is horrible that they are moving forward with no plans, no proposals, or to tell us a backup plan if Waveyard actually happens.
Rich posted at 8:43 pm on Tue, Aug 31, 2010.
next up,
Even if you sell and get top dollar, the city will still want you to vote them another bond, or raise taxes next election. They'll claim they're going broke no matter how much they get for the park. Top dollar just gets flushed, keep what you got. The politicos won't give up their perks to fund policemen or firemen. About all selling the park will accomplish is giving Brady and co. a bigger gas allowance.
snipes posted at 6:59 am on Wed, Sep 1, 2010.
next up,
The fact is that Riverview Park *was* going to change, and dramatically.
Part of the fraud that is the Waveyard proposal is to downsize the existing park, and then later account for the same acreage by including the parking lot in the numbers. Furthermore, they propose to to redistribute several acres of the existing park along the front of Waveyard's entrance on 8th Ave, but since the city would maintain ownership then technically that narrow--and unusable--strip would be included in the park's acreage as well.
Like most the Waveyard proposal, it's a real shell game. And frankly, this Cubs Wrigleyville Sewerview Stadium is starting to look much the same.
trigama posted at 9:13 am on Wed, Sep 1, 2010.
Just say NO ! to "202 and recker" I live out here to get away from snowbirds. and traffic of downtown
azhawkeye posted at 9:13 am on Wed, Sep 1, 2010.
Building the complex so close to the Tempe Marketplace will suck business away from Mesa. The Riverview shopping complex is a flop when compared to Tempe.
We need to keep the ball park somewhere in Mesa that will benefit Mesa, if we build at Riverview Tempe needs to foot at least 50% of the bill. The only bad thing is that they will reap 100% of the revenue, since Tempe has nicer hotels, an active downtown, and more restaurants in an area set up for tourists and out of state visitors. Mesa downtown consists of pawn shops, three good restaurants, and no nice hotels. Mesa, get a clue!
mrfixer123 posted at 9:25 am on Wed, Sep 1, 2010.
Well Next Up you must not be a golfer. If you were, you'd know that there isn't a better 9 hole course in Phoenix than Riverview. It was originally going to be expanded to 18 but never happened. I don't know why the City is so determined to put one boondoggle or another at that site. As far as I'm concerned the Cubs should build their own field if they want a new one. They only are here 1-2 months a year. Why should the citizens of Mesa have to pay for this deal, which is what will happen in the long run.
wdgnas posted at 9:49 am on Wed, Sep 1, 2010.
i would still be against spending millions on a team even if they won a series in the last 100 years...
Butters posted at 10:42 am on Wed, Sep 1, 2010.
Why should Mesa taxpayers pay to build the next complex at Riverview, when the hotels in Tempe and south Scottsdale will be the ones to benefit?
Mayor Scott Smith said and I quote the article,"he would like voters to have as many details of the complex as possible, including site plans and renderings of whatever locations are still being considered as the election nears."
The voters deserve to know ALL of the details concerning the deal. Prop 420 shouldn't even be on the ballot unless the proposal is complete and accurate. Vote NO for Prop 420 and send a message to city hall and the Ricketts, NO MORE CORPORATE WELFARE.
Poorman posted at 12:34 pm on Wed, Sep 1, 2010.
The city fathers who were in power when the Waveyard blunder came about need to try and save face somehow.
Accuracy posted at 7:34 pm on Wed, Sep 1, 2010.
The big problem . . . Scottsdale-based Waveyard Development LLC. lack of available financing is the problem.
A four-star hotel, huge indoor water park, stores, restaurants, offices and even homes would mingle with large outdoor recreation features such as a whitewater river, surfing pool and a scuba-diving lagoon on the former Riverview Golf Course site and surrounding ball fields that the voters of Mesa approved for sale to Waveyard back in 2007.
But the water park/commercial/hotel development project by Waveyard in Mesa could cost $750 million, which is up from the initial estimate of $250 million because parts of the project have grown much larger than originally planned.
Will Waveyard pull its financing together by the end of this year? Or hold until July and throw in the towel?
mld678 posted at 11:22 am on Thu, Sep 9, 2010.
Keep the Cubs in Mesa for spring training! Vote Yes On 420 - it will keep jobs too, in the community
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Keep-The-Cubs/135768823134450