West Mesa hoping light rail spurs growth on Main

Motel owners and managers along west Mesa's drag of Main Street are eager to see benefits from the coming light rail. They're banking on the trains - and in some cases major renovations - to bring a new business-traveler clientele.

The light rail's final stop is near a row of motels along Main Street from Longmore to Alma School Road.

Some hotels are undergoing face-lifts and adding amenities in an effort to attract business travelers who can take the light rail to the airport or downtown Phoenix. The Majestic Guest Inn changed its name to American Executive Inn and is undergoing renovations, including fresh paint and new Wi-Fi services.

Rawl's Motel, which also owns the adjacent Regency Inn, has undergone renovations in its 47 rooms, replacing all the furnishings and repainting.

Ankit Patel, whose family owns the motels, said the hotel has already been attracting more business people and contractors after Wi-Fi services were installed last year.

"It's going to increase business," he said of the light rail, adding that he plans to park at the motel and take light rail to his classes at Arizona State.

Sam Patel, manager of the Tri-City Inn, said he's hoping the motel will benefit from the light rail, especially in light of the soaring gas prices that could encourage more riders. It's just a short walk from catching Mesa's final stop on the light rail, and he said the motel is looking to attract more professional-type people who are traveling or working in Phoenix.

"We're hoping for it," he said. "Gas prices are high. But we really don't know until (light rail) starts in December and after a couple, three or four months."

Bhabna Solanki, manager of the Plainsman Hotel, said business has been painfully slow, and the motel was hit hard when Wal-Mart closed across the street in order to open a store at Mesa Riverview.

"It's going to start just a couple blocks from us," she said of the rail. "We're thinking more people will be coming out and staying in our hotel. There's nothing on Main Street anymore. We're hoping it's going to be positive when (light rail) opens up."

Councilman Kyle Jones said he thinks light rail will help "clean up" west Mesa. While businesses have struggled to get through construction of the light rail, he said he believes "in the long run, they're going to come out way ahead."

Issues like prostitution, which some say has plagued the area, "just won't be compatible with new development," Jones said. "I think the residents will be impacted positively if you get rid of a lot of the negative element that is a problem to them now."

Hillary Foose, spokeswoman for Valley Metro light rail, said the presence of police officers, security guards and more people around the rail could also help ease safety concerns in west Mesa.

Mesa is seeing some of that growth, as land has begun to exchange hands.

Councilman Dennis Kavanaugh, whose district includes the west Mesa segment of light rail, said it's already causing a surge of interest in land along and near its tracks.

New apartments, stores and even a classic car lot are among ideas generated along West Main Street, he said. And density is also under discussion: The future of the stretch will likely include two- and four-story buildings with both stores and condos.

It's hard to set a timeline on when West Main Street could transform, partly due to the economy slowing down development, said Shelly Allen, Mesa's assistant economic development director. But the city is seeing a variety of proposals, and already some new developments have begun to take shape in the area or move forward. Mekong Plaza, a 100,000-square-foot Asian shopping center is expected to open in October on the southwest corner of Dobson Road and Main Street, and plans for the proposed West Main Station, a development that will have 55 townhouses and 13 stores, are moving forward on the 1300 block of West Main Street.

"We've had considerable interest in that area," Allen said.

Mesa spokeswoman Holly Walter said the light rail is running along one of the busiest travel corridors with the highest rate of bus ridership, and as a permanent system it is attractive to developers planning for the long term.

Managers and leasing agents at the three major apartment complexes along Mesa's mile of light rail say they've struggled through the construction of the rail, but are banking on a new demographic of residents. Their occupancy rates dipped from the high 90 percentages to, in at least one case, below 80 percent. Some have had to lower rent by more than $100 a month.

But they're starting to see new growth in tenants, some even coming to live along the light rail. They include college students as well as people who work in Tempe or Phoenix.

"I'm from Portland, and I used the MAX (light rail) a lot, to go all over the place," said Jennifer Hayes, manager of the Midtown on Main Street complex. "It'll be amazing for this area."