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The Waveyard
by Waveyard Development LLC
Location:
Site of the Riverview Golf Course and four recreational ballfields
in northwest Mesa.
Description:
A water-themed resort and mixed-use project with retail, office and
unique residential components in European styled buildings up to 10
stories tall.
News:Visitors
bureau chief leading campaign supporting Waveyard by
Gary Nelson - The Arizona
Republic - Jul. 31, 2007 12:00
AM
A bit more than three
months from now, Mesa voters will decide whether to rip up a city
golf course to make way for a massive water resort.
Robert Brinton is doing his utmost to ensure they vote yes.
Brinton is president of the Mesa Convention and Visitors Bureau. The
agency normally operates in the background when it comes to
elections, even when it strongly favors one side.
But this one is so important, Brinton said, that he's stepping into
the forefront, serving as chairman of an election committee called
Yes on Waveyard, which filed organizational papers recently.
Waveyard Development LLC wants to spend an initial $250 million, and
eventually up to twice that amount, to build a water-themed resort
and mixed-use project on the site of Riverview Golf Course and four
recreational ballfields in northwest Mesa.
The project would offer kayaking, scuba diving, whitewater rafting,
surfing and other outdoor sports, as well as an indoor water park
attached to an upscale resort hotel.
There also would be retail, office and residential components in
European-styled buildings up to 10 stories tall.
The project hinges on a Nov. 6 election.
"There have always been discussions about why have there been no
man-made attractions here in the Valley," Brinton said. "Out of the
top 50 cities this is the only place that doesn't have a Sea World,
a Busch Gardens, a Six Flags, whatever."
Waveyard, he said, will be a boon not only to Mesa but to the
region. Waveyard co-founder Richard Mladick said the company's
campaign will be educational in nature.
"Our job is to get out there and really expose people to what this
project is really about," Mladick said. "We still have people refer
to it as a water park."
Mladick said a series of community meetings will be held to explain
the project.
In the meantime, he said, a detailed site plan should be unveiled
within a few weeks, and Waveyard is negotiating with companies
expected to invest in the property, including prospective hoteliers.
Brinton said his organization is confident the development agreement
between Waveyard and the city protects taxpayers in case the project
falls through. Mesa plans to sell the golf course and ballfields to
Waveyard for $30 million, but only $10 million of that will be cash
upfront. The rest will be paid off in the form of tax credits.
Also read "Press
Release" -
http://www.transworldsurf.com/surf/pressrelease/article/0,19929,1206762,00.html
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