The Mesa City Council unanimously approved a development agreement dedicating over 230 acres of land for the Legacy Park and Gateway Crossing development on Monday, marking the latest win for a planned multi-billion dollar public-private partnership that city officials and developers have dubbed a “generational” win for residents of Mesa and the East Valley.

“It should be really stated tonight what a generational opportunity it is for the largest mixed-use hospitality, retail, housing project in the city’s history to come forward tonight,” said Mesa City Manager Scott Butler during the September 14 public hearing. “It’s been an effort that a lot of folks have dedicated their time and energy to over the course of years to get where we are tonight.”

The area, located just north of the Arizona Athletic Grounds, sits on a patch of largely undeveloped land straddling State Route 24 on the southwest corner of East Williams Field Road. Vestar, the developer, plans to build a “high quality, mixed-use destination” featuring a luxury hotel, public park, retail shops, restaurants, office space, multifamily residences and entertainment venues – all within a “pedestrian-oriented” urban development.

Vestar has also promised to build and pay for the substantial public infrastructure required by the project — essentials like roads, sewer systems and parking — if the city agrees to reimburse part of the costs through the tax revenue generated by the shopping centers, hotels and restaurants at the development. The city estimates the total reimbursement for public infrastructure at $76 million with allowable financing costs.

Monday’s 7-0 approval follows nearly two and a half years of public hearings. The project first went public on Feb. 15, 2024, when Vespar presented it at an Eastmark Community meeting. Since June 2026, there have been eight public meetings on the project, according to city officials.

“This is a 24-year-overnight success, to be candid with you,” Andrew Cohn, director of real estate for Levine Investments, the longtime landowner, said. “Financially, we were willing to wait for the right time, the right place, the right vision, the right people, the right politics and the right staff. And I believe we have that now, and it’s taken quite a bit of time to do that.”

Several Mesa residents who believed the complex would bring jobs, amenities and higher property values to the area echoed the council’s support. State tourism officials, the Mesa Chamber of Commerce, local fire departments and police forces looking to secure long-term revenue generation for essential public services also backed the project.

“The developer has a track record, that’s what alleviates my fears already. They’re not nobody,” said David Giarrizzo, an Eastmark realtor and attendee to the hearing, to the Arizona Globe. “The landowner has waited around. They could have put a Walmart or Fry’s grocery store on that property a long time ago, but they didn’t. They waited. They had a vision for it, and that’s exciting for someone like me who is realistic … that this might mean more than just the unmet expectations I’ve seen in the past.”

Butler said Legacy Park and Gateway Crossing’s anticipated tax revenue generation will be essential to the City of Mesa.

“(Other communities) have gone out to their voters to increase their sales tax or to do other things. We’ve taken the opposite approach here in Mesa. We’ve tightened our belt. We’ve found efficiencies. We made cuts across the board so that we can live within our means,” Butler said during the hearing. “But part of the long-term sustainability relevant to that is the fact that we need to grow those revenue sources that will ultimately fund those essential services that all of our residents rely on.”

An independent economic study done by Applied Economics in September 2026 estimated that a full build of the project would generate $1.4 billion in gross city tax revenue between 2029 and 2065 and generate $58.8 billion in total economic output over 30 years. The developers have also agreed to maintain the needed infrastructure in perpetuity, or forever, a significant signal that it wants to make the facility a permanent fixture of the area.

City officials also estimated that a fully built complex would generate 13,511 jobs for the area and between 360 and 457 annual positions during construction.

“Rarely does an opportunity arise to develop a generational project that can really define a community’s identity, and that opportunity is what we have at Legacy Park. It’s the right location. It’s the right time. And we’ve got the right project to accomplish this,” said David Larcher, President and CEO of Vestar. “… We’ve got a city with the vision to help create a project to enhance the quality of life for its citizens, as well as serve as an economic engine for generations to come… one that offers connection, experience and cultural value. Legacy Park will serve as a community focal point.”

Those opposed to the development spoke against providing tax incentives to support the construction of luxury amenities and hotels in the area, arguing it would juxtapose harshly with the realities of poverty in Mesa. They also questioned whether the types of jobs produced by the plaza—mostly in the fields of retail, hospitality and service—would provide living wages for Mesa residents.

They also spoke out against using Arizona’s limited water supplies to build luxury resorts.

Jim Smith, Mesa City Attorney, addressed the water issue during the hearing, confirming the facility will operate under Type 2 water rights, or grandfathered groundwater rights that follow land and are available for sale.

“No Mesa water will be used on the parks or the lake. They will get Type 2 water rights, have their own well, and they will provide all the water for the lake and the park,” Smith said. “It’s a very unique agreement.”

City officials instructed developers to look toward several already existing developments as both inspiration and a benchmark for the type of quality they expect from the Vestar. Two were located in Scottsdale, the Kierland Commons and the Scottsdale Quarter.

With the agreement’s approval, the city cleared developers to move into the next stages of the project, according to mesanow.org. They expect construction to begin in early 2028, according to the Phoenix Business Journal.