Mesa is moving forward with what city leaders call the largest private investment in the city’s history, a sprawling mixed-use development expected to transform southeast Mesa into a major regional destination for shopping, dining, hospitality, employment and entertainment. The Mesa City Council unanimously approved a development agreement Monday for Legacy Park and Gateway Crossing, clearing a major hurdle for the roughly $3 billion private investment near Mesa Gateway Airport. The council also approved related annexation and zoning actions and created a theme park district tied to the project.
DEEPER DIVE: Here are Arizona’s Most Admired Companies of 2026
The developments are planned on roughly 200 acres east of Ellsworth Road between State Route 24 and Williams Field Road, near Arizona Athletic Grounds, Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus and Mesa Gateway Airport.
“Legacy Park is a generational opportunity for Mesa and the largest private investment in our city’s history to date,” Mayor Mark Freeman said. “This is the kind of investment that can shape Mesa’s economy for decades to come.”
And the projected economic impact is enormous.
An independent analysis by Applied Economics estimates Legacy Park and Gateway Crossing could generate approximately $58.8 billion in economic activity, more than 13,500 jobs and $1.4 billion in City of Mesa tax revenue over 30 years.
What’s coming to Legacy Park?
Legacy Park is envisioned as a destination-scale development rather than a traditional shopping center. Plans call for approximately 400,000 square feet of restaurant, retail and fitness space, a 600-room luxury resort, 3.8 million square feet of office space, 2,261 apartments, a 150-room boutique hotel and a 20-acre city park.
Gateway Crossing is expected to complement Legacy Park with additional retail, restaurants and hotels. The connected developments will also include pedestrian improvements and transportation and utility infrastructure supporting continued growth in the Gateway area.
Plans also include a pedestrian tunnel beneath Williams Field Road, creating a connection between the development areas and Arizona Athletic Grounds.
The project is being advanced by real estate developer Vestar and Pacific Proving LLC.
“Rarely does an opportunity arise to develop a generational project that can really define a community’s identity,” Vestar President and CEO David Larcher told the council. “It’s the right location, it’s the right time, and we’ve got the right project to accomplish this.”
How the agreement works
Under the development agreement, developers must advance the cost of eligible public infrastructure and satisfy specified requirements before receiving reimbursements. Those reimbursements would come over time from designated tax revenues generated by the development itself.
City Manager Scott Butler said the significance extends beyond southeast Mesa because new tax revenue can support public safety, parks, streets and other essential services citywide.
Construction is currently expected to begin in early 2028, with the first phase targeted to open in October 2029, according to reporting cited by KTAR.
Once built out, Legacy Park and Gateway Crossing could dramatically reshape the economic landscape surrounding Mesa Gateway Airport and State Route 24 — adding another major employment, hospitality and entertainment hub to one of the fastest-developing areas of the East Valley.
