Sycamore station complex in works

Mesa is on the verge of bagging its fourth new housing project with close proximity to light rail.

Amcal Multi-Housing Inc. of Agoura Hills, Calif., is proposing a four-story, 82-unit apartment complex immediately adjacent to the Sycamore Street light-rail station.

Like the three others, which broke ground last year, Sycamore Station Apartments would be financed by federal tax credits that are designed to encourage development of low-income housing. The tax breaks allow developers to charge lower rents and still make a profit.

Amcal is applying to the Arizona Department of Housing, which issues the tax credits on a competitive basis and will decide this spring which projects to support.

The department has focused in recent years on developments with access to public transit. That criterion resulted last year in a mother lode of projects for Mesa, which had gone for years without seeing much interest in tax-credit housing.

The three projects under way will:

Create 81 units of low-income senior housing near Center Street and First Avenue. It is the first privately financed major construction in downtown in a quarter of a century.

Replace the vacant Escobedo Apartments on the north edge of downtown with a 124-unit development called Escobedo at Vista Verde.

Replace most of the La Mesita Family Shelter on West Main Street with 80 units of workforce housing.

Councilman Dennis Kavanaugh, in whose district the project would be built, said Sycamore Station Apartments appears to be a prime candidate for state approval. “It has many of the elements that are prized in such applications,” he said.

Amcal, a powerhouse in California’s affordable-housing industry, would be making its first foray into Arizona.

The company has been in business for 35 years and since 1998 it has completed 3,900 units from San Diego to the Bay Area. It has an additional 520 units in the planning or development stages.

Kavanaugh has met with Amcal and called it “a very reputable company” that has worked well with city staffers, adding, “I think it’s a very good transit-oriented development.”

“We’re always looking to follow opportunity,” said Dayna Ranger, an assistant project manager with Amcal. “Our mission is to bring affordable housing to residents that need it.”

She declined to discuss details of the Mesa project until the necessary approvals are in hand.

But in a lengthy zoning application filed with Mesa, Amcal said it often “builds on urban land that is vacant, requires environmental remediation or has obsolete uses, and transforms them into livable homes with attractive architecture and high-quality construction.”

Amcal’s Mesa project would occupy most of an unused parking lot that once was part of the defunct Tri-City Mall. In addition to rail access, residents would be within walking distance of a Safeway-anchored strip mall, Mekong Plaza, medical care and East Valley Institute of Technology.

It would be another step on the way to realizing the redevelopment potential that has long been touted by light-rail advocates.

That potential has been slow to come to fruition in Mesa, however.

By the time the first leg of light rail opened in 2008, the Great Recession had already deep-sixed two rail-oriented projects in the city.

One, called the Element at Tri-City Pavilions, was planned just north of the Safeway store at Main Street and Dobson Road. Nine five-story buildings would have offered condos designed for childless couples in their 20s and 30s.

The other, West Main Station Village, was planned on the site of a former boat dealership at 1350 W.Main St., with 56 townhouses and 13 shops.

Both would have been what are called market-based projects, with standard rents or purchase prices.

That the first iterations of light-rail development in Mesa are aimed at low-income residents caused some heartburn last year when the council was discussing the three projects then on the table — especially the downtown senior housing, which never did receive a unanimous council vote.

Kavanaugh said market-based projects will arrive in due course.

Right now, low-income projects have the edge because tax credits make them attractive to lenders, Kavanaugh said. “Conventionally-financed projects haven’t been able to get their financing. … It’s really a question of timing.”

In the meanwhile, Mesa’s experience with the three — and now possibly four — tax-credit developments should make the city attractive to other builders, Kavanaugh said.

“What I hope other developers do see is that the city, at least on the three tax-credit projects that are under way, has worked closely to move it through permitting,” he said. “We are a good place to build housing like that.”

In addition to state approval of the tax credits, Sycamore Station Apartments needs council zoning approval. That vote is scheduled for Feb.25; the Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval in January.

The final design also would need clearance from the Design Review Board.

Nothing is in concrete yet, but Mesa is beginning to get a clearer picture of the possible timing and costs for what seems an ever-more-likely extension of light rail to Gilbert Road.

About 50 people got up to speed on the project during a meeting Tuesday night at Mesa Church of Christ, just a block south of where the future tracks would transform the intersection of Main Street and Stapley Drive.

Work already has begun on 3.1 miles of new track from the Sycamore Street station to just west of Horne Street; service on that leg is expected to begin in late 2015. The extension to Gilbert Road would be another 1.7 miles.

Howard Steere, community relations manager for Metro light rail, said the agency would like to begin building the next extension the minute it wraps up work on the first.

“We’re going to work hard to make that happen,” he said, “but that’s a very aggressive schedule to try to accomplish.”

Much depends on funding.

Jodi Sorrell, Mesa’s acting transit director, said the City Council is expected to begin looking at the money issue late this year. “It could be kind of complicated,” Sorrell said.

Marc Soronson, project manager for the Gilbert Road extension, said light rail is currently costing $60 million to $80 million a mile.

The Gilbert Road extension will be on the low end of that range, he said, if planners decide to restrict vehicular traffic to one lane in each direction.

If Main Street must be widened to accommodate not only the tracks but four lanes of traffic, Soronson said costs will rise significantly. That scenario would require buying some private property.

Here’s a sampling of some of the questions and answers from Tuesday’s meeting:

Question: What effect will this have on my property taxes?

Answer: None. The most likely sources of funding will be federal grants and the countywide Proposition 400 sales tax that voters approved in 2004.

Q: Will this extension ever pay for itself?

A. ”This won’t ever pay for itself,” Steere said. But he said that is true of every public transportation project in the country, including streets. He said economic development is a big factor in such projects and said the four colleges building campuses in downtown Mesa are doing so in part because of the advent of light rail.

Q: Why not just enhance the bus service on Main Street to the Sycamore Street station?

A. Steere said light rail will attract many more passengers heading for destinations to the west than would buses, because people want a “one-seat ride” and are reluctant to switch from one mode to another on the same trip.

Q: Does light rail affect nearby property values?

A: Steere said Metro’s surveys suggest properties within a quarter-mile of light-rail stations are valued at 6 to 12 percent higher than comparable properties away from the light-rail line.

Q: What about crime?

A: ”Our level of incidents is low,” Metro spokeswoman Hillary Foose said. The number of people at busy rail stations and on-duty security officers discourage criminal activity.

Q: Why pursue the project in a down economy?

A: Other projects across the country are vying for federal dollars, Steere said. “We would rather be in a position to be in line than not in line if dollars do become available.”

Q: Will Metro and Mesa be able to force Main Street landowners to improve their properties?

A: No, because property rights are involved. But Mesa does have an overarching community plan for the light-rail corridor and can enforce architectural and design standards when redevelopment occurs.

With the project moving ahead rapidly, Metro officials said another public meeting will be Oct. 30 at St. Peter Lutheran Church, 1844 E. Dana Ave., where detailed design concepts will be available.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/12/20120912light-rail-gilbert-road-comes-into-focus.html#ixzz28OSJzXol

Phoenix, AZ (Sept. 24, 2012) Valley Metro wants to know if you are up to the challenge of sharing your ride at least once a week in the month of October. Employers, local residents and anyone that makes a regular drive to work or school is asked to consider alternative travel options next month.

“Sharing a ride is beneficial on so many levels,” said Dawn M. Coomer, Valley Metro Business Services Manager. “You can add minutes or hours to your day and arrive at your destination less stressed.” Considering vehicle fuel and maintenance costs, limiting the drive alone trip just one day a week can help save up to $70 a month.

According to regional air quality experts, 49 miles of vehicle travel creates one pound of pollution. With an average Valley daily commute of 32 miles, using alternative modes can reduce ground-level ozone and the additional churn of particulate matter or dust particles from vehicle use.

Western Refining employee, Mary Korba, says that joining a Valley Metro vanpool has been an exceptionally positive experience. “Not only am I saving money and time, I have developed lifelong friendships,” says Korba. “In fact, I met my husband while riding in a Valley Metro van. I guess you could say that spending quality time together twice each day has really paid off.”

Rideshare Month is an annual county-wide event that encourages the use of alternative commute options, public transit, carpools, vanpools or bicycling to help reduce emissions from vehicle use, decrease congestion and conserve energy.  Here are the ways local residents and employers can participate in Rideshare Month:

Commute Tracker contest: A perfect reason to try a new way to travel! Login or create an account at SharetheRide.com. Log daily commute activities and receive points to be entered into a contest for the chance to win prizes.

Employer Challenge: The competition warms up as the Valley’s weather cools down! Local organizations compete against each other in a Valley-wide challenge October 7-13 by getting their employees to leave their cars at home at least once a week.
More information is available by logging on to www.ValleyMetro.org.

Anyone in the Valley seeking a carpool partner, seat in a commuter vanpool, bike buddy or other travel option can go to www.ShareTheRide.com. Public transit schedules and fares, park-and-ride locations and trip planning tools, including Google Transit, are available at www.ValleyMetro.org. Customers can also call 602.262.RIDE for additional information on options to driving alone.

The Clean Air Campaign is sponsored by the Arizona Departments of Environmental Quality and Transportation, Maricopa Association of Governments, Maricopa County Air Quality Department, and Valley Metro.

About Valley Metro: Valley Metro provides eco-friendly public transit options to residents of greater Phoenix and Maricopa County, including a clean-fuel bus fleet, low-emissions light rail, commuter vanpools, online carpool matching, bus trip mapping, bicycle safety and telework assistance. Funding is provided by local and federal revenues. A board of 16 governments sets the policy direction for the agency and works to improve and regionalize the public transit system. Get the latest news by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

PHOENIX, AZ — Construction of light rail is back on the move in Phoenix, AZ with the re-launch of the Northwest extension along 19th Avenue from the current end-of-line north 3.2 miles to Dunlap Avenue.  The project has received approval to accelerate the completion year from 2023 to 2016.  Final design is underway; construction will begin in early 2013.

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton says many in the city have been looking forward to the project beginning again, “Speaking on behalf of the residents and passengers, I know there is much anticipation to add light rail service to the highly-used bus service along this route.  This project is an investment in the community I believe in and will prove to be a great benefit with its completion.”

The Northwest extension was initially set to open this year; however, in 2009, the economic downturn and decline in local sales tax revenue forced the project on hold.  With its postponement, the project was pushed out to a 2023 completion year.  The positive strides in the economy, expected boost from the building of this extension and local willpower have helped to advance it by seven years.

This project is one of six high-capacity/light rail extensions being planned for or in active construction in the metro Phoenix region. It will extend rail service farther north into Phoenix, capturing new riders, serving high-density neighborhoods and getting closer to the Interstate 17 freeway and its employment centers.

“It’s an exciting time as we further expand into Phoenix, providing our customers with greater access to transit and choice in how they travel,” said Valley Metro CEO Steve Banta.  “It is another step in building a multi-modal Total Transit Network that supports regional growth, mobility and quality of life.”

METRO is in process of re-energizing contracts with the Northwest extension designer, AECOM, and contractor, Sundt/Stacy Witbeck.  AECOM will work through the spring to update and complete design; Sundt/Stacy Witbeck will break ground with utility relocation at the first of the year.

For more information or to be added to the Northwest distribution list, please contact Carla Kahn, Community Outreach Coordinator, at 602-744-5552 or ckahn@metrolightrail.org.

Additional information is available online at www.metrolightrail.org/northwest.

Look out! Fares may increase in 2013.

Proposed fare increase for March 1, 2013

Valley Metro is considering a fare change that would increase fare revenue to support operations and create greater equity in the fare structure.

A fare increase is necessary to preserve service.  The cost of transit operations continues to rise and fare revenue must keep pace.  Regular adjustments will be required into the future in order to keep cost and revenue in the appropriate balance and service on the street.

This fall, Valley Metro will continue to seek public comment on a revised fare increase proposal that is recommended for implementation on March 1, 2013.

The public comment period is open now through November 3, 2012.  Open houses and a public hearing will occur between October 22 – November 1.

Background

In fall 2011, Valley Metro initiated a public outreach process for a proposed increase of $.25 to the base fare, taking a single ride fare from $1.75 to $2.00; an Express/RAPID single ride from $2.75 to $3.00.

With every fare increase proposal, a federally-required analysis must be conducted to ensure all riders continue to have equal access and pay equally for transit service.

This fall, Valley Metro will continue the public outreach process with a revised fare increase proposal that would allow Express/RAPID riders to more equitably share in the cost of operations. The new proposal would take an Express/RAPID single ride fare from $2.75 to $3.25, an additional $.25 from the proposal in fall 2011.

Fare increases and service reductions are occurring across the country; a shortfall in revenue is not unique to Valley Metro nor the region. 80% of transit agencies across the country have either increased fares, cut service or both in recent years.

How your fares support operations

Currently your fare pays for about 25% of the cost to operate your trip. As the cost of operations rises, your fare begins to insufficiently support the current service level.

Valley Metro has sought to streamline its costs by reducing under-performing routes and looking internally for savings. With the spring 2012 selection of a single CEO over Valley Metro, efficiencies have been achieved in staffing, employee benefits, use of consultants, operations with the onset of NextRide and restructuring of East Valley Dial-a-Ride and, finally, within the capital program using innovative delivery methods.

The proposed fare increase will generate approximately $6.5 million for the transit system annually, which is equivalent to 988,000 transit service miles or 3.2% of all fixed route service (bus and rail).

Go To Survey

Valley Metro is set to break ground today on the first light-rail expansion, a 3.1-mile stretch into downtown Mesa that city leaders hope will bring a sorely needed economic boost.

The $200 million extension is expected to attract thousands more East Valley riders daily and potentially nurture new development along the line.

Mesa’s hopes reflect a broader optimism among Valley transit planners. After delaying and scaling back projects during the recession, they see new signs of life for efforts to build out the system.

“I’m encouraged right now. We were concerned because of the economy, and we had to slow down the program. But now, we may have three active projects under construction within a year,” said Wulf Grote, Metro planning director. The other two are a Tempe streetcar line and a northwest Phoenix light-rail extension.

Two years ago, regional planners scaled back and postponed light-rail and freeway projects because the main source of funding, a half-cent-per-dollar sales tax approved by voters in 2004, was bringing in far less revenue than anticipated. Two light-rail lines in northeast and northwest Phoenix were deferred indefinitely.

Now, with the economy picking up, the Maricopa Association of Governments last week moved up the starting date for the northwest extension. The Mesa project is ahead of schedule by months and could be open in a little more than three years.

By 2016, it’s possible that the light-rail system will extend from 19th and Dunlap avenues in northwest Phoenix to downtown Mesa, a distance of 26 miles. It also would have a connection to the Sky Train people-mover into Sky Harbor International Airport’s Terminal Four, and it would intersect with a planned 14-station streetcar loop near Arizona State University in Tempe.

Despite the progress, the system, which opened in December 2008, is still not exactly the one presented to voters in 2004′s Proposition 400. Funding and other issues have caused planners to propose delaying construction of some lines and adding others.

Here’s a rundown:

Mesa extension: After today’s groundbreaking, work will start with utility relocation. Work on the tracks won’t begin until next year. By late 2015, Metro expects to carry passengers on the extension, which will run from the system’s busiest station at Sycamore Road to Mesa Drive downtown. There will be four additional stops and a park-and-ride lot downtown.

In early planning, Mesa and Metro found a larger-than-expected demand for East Valley rail service. Studies showed that large numbers would drive from miles around to reach the line and that more people would board a Gilbert Road station than the planned terminal downtown.

As a result, Mesa agreed to pay for environmental work to accelerate a second extension as far as Gilbert Road, which was not initially envisioned when planners conceived or voters approved the light-rail system. The environmental studies could start this summer.

Grote said the transit agency has enough vehicles to handle extra passengers from the Mesa and northwest extensions.

Northwest extension: Initially, a 5-mile route was envisioned to reach a business park on the eastern side of Interstate 17 opposite the Metrocenter mall in northwest Phoenix. Later, the plan changed to build it in phases. Then in 2010, Phoenix, which is paying for almost all the extension using its own transit-sales tax, saw the money dry up. MAG postponed the project indefinitely on the eve of construction.

This month, MAG restored the first phase of the extension, projecting that service would begin on a 3-mile, three-station extension to Dunlap and 19th avenues by 2016. For that to happen, the Phoenix City Council must approve a plan to shift money. Action may happen next month, Grote said.

After that, Metro engineers must revisit the design, renegotiate contracts and finish some right-of-way deals.

MAG pushed the opening date of the entire 5-mile extension past 2025, when Proposition 400 money expires, meaning it’s on indefinite hold.

Under Proposition 400, the extension was to have been in service by now.

West extension: Regional planners pushed back by two years the opening date for a planned extension along Interstate 10 to west Phoenix, from 2021 to 2023. The 11-mile line would also serve the state Capitol.

Last week, the Metro governing board approved a preliminary study recommending the route. In July, MAG is expected to make the final decision on that plan, which calls for light-rail trains to run mostly alongside I-10, with some track in the median.

Glendale extension: Recent action put the plan to run trains west into downtown Glendale on indefinite hold. Since passage of Proposition 400, city leaders have complicated the Glendale Avenue concept by suggesting that a north-south line along Loop 101 past the city’s sports complex would be more productive.

Metro is wrapping up a feasibility study and has applied for federal money to study the best route and type of vehicle. Planners expect an answer this summer.

Northeast extension: Valley voters originally approved a line into northeast Phoenix that ended at Paradise Valley Mall. Since then, the line has been deferred indefinitely, and no serious study has begun. Recent action pushes the opening date one year further out, to 2032.

South Phoenix extension: A line down South Central Avenue to Baseline Road was never considered by the region’s voters. Phoenix started a preliminary analysis in the spring, with results expected within two years. The city will hold public meetings on the concept this summer. So far, there is no money for the project and no expected opening date.

Tempe extension: The original concept was a short spur line along Rural Road going as far south as Southern Avenue. But engineering a path to avoid freight tracks proved troublesome, and city leaders decided instead to pursue a streetcar plan, which emerged as a viable option in preliminary studies.

The system would have in-street tracks, modeled loosely after a system in Portland, Ore., and smaller trains with more stops and more frequent service than Metro trains. Metro has applied for federal approval and federal money to proceed with the plan. The streetcar would run in a loop through downtown Tempe, then south on Mill Avenue to Southern Avenue. It would have 13 stops.

Tempe planners were so encouraged by early studies they have started thinking about extensions along Rio Salado Parkway as far east as the Chicago Cubs’ new stadium in Mesa near Loops 101 and 202. Another streetcar extension would go to Rural and Southern.

Sky Train: Sky Harbor is managing this project with airport funds and is now testing driverless trains on the track. Trains from Metro’s 44th Street station to Sky Harbor’s Terminal Four will begin carrying passengers next year.

A future phase to Terminal Two is expected to open two years later, with a line to the Rental Car Center planned for 2020.

The first inklings of light-rail construction will appear along Main Street this month.

Traffic restrictions can be expected as workers prepare to move utility lines between Sycamore Street and Mesa Drive.

Work this month will include verifying the location and depth of underground utilities that need to be moved, and some surveying.

The first phase of actual construction, moving the utility lines, is expected to begin in June, after a ceremonial groundbreaking on May 30.

The approximately $200 million, 3.1-mile extension is being funded by federal grants and a county transportation sales tax that voters approved in 2004.

It is expected to begin carrying passengers in late 2015, a key element in Mesa’s ambitious efforts to transform its downtown into a multifaceted urban community.

Early planning already is under way to run the tracks another 2 miles east, to Gilbert Road, but money for that hasn’t been allocated and there is no projected timeline.

Metro light rail has appointed Lisa Procknow as community outreach coordinator for the Mesa project. She’s available at 602-495-8213, 623-533-1352 or lprocknow@metrolightrail.org.

Ashley Hardee, 29, prides herself on keeping a tight rein on her energy usage.

She lives and works in downtown Phoenix, doesn’t use much gas and now she’s making sure every potential leak in her house is either stemmed or stifled to reduce her utility bills and energy waste.

This week, she participated in a well-touted but little-known program, Energize Phoenix, which aims to help homeowners and businesses within a 10-mile area of central and downtown Phoenix improve their homes’ energy efficiency and reduce electricity usage.

Her condo’s air-conditioning and heating system seemed efficient, “but it’s really my back bedroom that gets hot,” she told David Byrnes, an environmental engineer with Phoenix-based Green Integrated Design, who on Monday checked the windows and doors in her condo for air leaks.

Although Hardee paid $99 for the assessment by Byrnes, she is getting a $99 rebate from the Energize Phoenix program.

Managed by the city, Arizona Public Service and Arizona State University, Energize Phoenix has not been as electrifying for residents as it has been for businesses despite the potential benefits of reduced energy usage and lower utility bills.

Phoenix has spent an estimated $9.1 million of the $25 million in grant funds it received for the program in April 2010, according to a federal website, www.recovery.gov, that tracks spending of stimulus funds.

Most of the grant money spent in Phoenix has benefited businesses in the special corridor.

Homeowners have been a more difficult target, said a Phoenix-area marketing agency, DRA Communications, which was hired to aid the city with marketing the program.

Single-family home participation especially lags.

If Phoenix doesn’t spend all the money by June 2013, the city will have to return any unspent grant dollars to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Among those who can participate in Energize Phoenix are owners of apartment or condo complexes, homes and businesses within central Phoenix and downtown in areas surrounding the city’s 10-mile stretch of light rail. Phoenix officials have called this area the Green Rail Corridor.

In 2010, the corridor was very narrow, spanning a half mile on either side of the rail line from Camelback Road and Central Avenue to 44th and Washington streets. Phoenix widened the corridor in recent months to nearly a mile, an attempt at increasing participation.

In the north-south portion of the light-rail corridor, the boundary streets are Seventh Avenue, Seventh Street and Missouri Avenue to just south of Jefferson Street.

The east-west portion of the corridor has these boundary streets: Seventh Avenue, Arizona 143, Interstate 10 in downtown Phoenix, Loop 202 and Jefferson Street.

Home or business owners in the corridor can participate by contacting one of the 24 approved contractors to conduct the energy audit. The contractor’s audit is $99 up front but a homeowner recovers that money through an Energize Phoenix rebate.

Home or business owners who are concerned they cannot afford the $99 up-front cost and can’t wait for the rebate may qualify for the Energy Assist Program, which helps low-income owners. Renters may also qualify for temporary assistance.

After checking for leaks or other problems that lead to high electricity usage, the contractor can recommend steps to improving the efficiency of a home or business that would qualify for various rebates such as APS’ Home Performance program, Energy Star and Energize Phoenix.

Phoenix officials said 1,083 apartments or multifamily housing units have applied for Energize Phoenix assessments and potential rebates.

So far, 302 of them have made energy-efficiency improvements, and 388 went through the assessments. The remaining 393 owners have scheduled energy audits to check their usage and energy waste.

Energize Phoenix participants include 285 businesses, 149 of which have finished energy-efficiency upgrades while the other 136 are in the process of making improvements, Phoenix officials said.

Few owners of single-family homes in the corridor have participated in Energize Phoenix. City officials on Tuesday said owners of 133 single-family homes have applied for the program, and of those, 74 have undergone energy audits. Twenty-four of those homes have had upgrades.

Michelle McGinty of DRA Communications said the program has had low participation from homeowners in other cities and metropolitan areas as well, which The Republic reported in September.

The DRA marketing team has worked with the 24 contractors that conduct the energy audits to involve more homeowners, she said.

The team has also tried advertisements and door hangers in the affected neighborhoods to alert residents of an energy fair today at the Burton Barr Central Library.

Saving energy for the sake of helping the environment and reducing energy usage are laudable messages, but they have not resonated well with residents. McGinty said marketers have found residents in the corridor seem more concerned “about the impact on their pocketbook.”

Editor’s Note: Light Rail Connect promotes Live, Work and Play in the light rail corridor. Transit Oriented Development will play an important role in the light rail corridor.

A planned investment fund may help create a taste of urban living similar to that of Boston or New York without leaving the Arizona sunshine.

The $30 million Sustainable Communities Development Fund would create incentives to build affordable housing along the Metro light-rail line in Mesa, Tempe and Phoenix.

Projects funded by the incentives would feature transportation-oriented development, a high-density concept that generally features retail and commercial development on the lower floors with residential units on the upper floors.

“We want to work with our non-profit partners to create a pipeline of projects,” said Teresa Brice, a Mesa native and former mayoral candidate who is among the fund’s chief sponsors as executive director of the Local Initiatives Support Corp.

“We call this inventing a Plan B for the Valley of Sun,” she said, offering residents an alternative to the urban sprawl that has contributed to poor air quality and long commutes on jammed freeways.

The fund would help Mesa capitalize on the extension of Metro’s light-rail line and potentially aid in redevelopment efforts near the city’s only station at Sycamore and Main Street.

With the exception of Mekong Plaza, an Asian-themed shopping center that is barely visible to light-rail riders, redevelopment has lagged near the Mesa station, which still has several boarded-up buildings nearby.

Mesa has only 1 mile of light rail, but a 3.1-mile extension is scheduled to open along Main Street through downtown in 2016. It would end near the Mormon Temple east of Mesa Drive. Other new stops are planned at Alma School Road, Center Street and Country Club Drive.

Brice said such transit-oriented development projects have met with mixed results in Phoenix and Tempe during the two years since Metro opened, with Valley residents, developers and banks adjusting to a new concept featuring high densities, rather than traditional single-family development.

But little housing development has met with success in the Valley during the recession. Traditional single-family housing developments on the Valley’s fringes have been among the hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis and the sharp drop in housing values.

With its close proximity to Arizona State University, Tempe has capitalized well on light rail, with three apartment complexes along the route leased nearly to capacity, one of which includes a parking garage shared with light-rail riders.

The fund’s goal is to entice local developers who are accustomed to building on large parcels of desert to undertake more complicated transit-oriented development projects, which often involve assembling small parcels and dealing with a variety of funding sources, including federal and state programs, Brice said.

When the fund is launched – probably this spring – it may also attract developers from places with a far longer mass-transit history and much more established light-rail lines, like the San Francisco Bay Area or Portland, Ore., she said.

“I think there is a lot of great opportunity,” said John Smith, president and CEO of Housing Our Communities, a Mesa non-profit that helps low-income people buy renovated houses. “This fund could become a catalyst.”

Smith said even the fringes of downtown east of Country Club Drive could become prime potential sites for transit-oriented development projects, with bottom-floor businesses providing services for light-rail riders that are lacking near the Sycamore station.

These businesses would cater to rushed light-rail riders who might patronize them before jumping on trains. They might include drugstores, takeout restaurants or dry cleaners.

“As a city, I think we failed in the early light-rail stages to promote our light-rail station. We have not done much with our mile,” Smith said. “If the city lets downtown stay the way it is with light rail, then shame on them.”

Mesa is developing a marketing campaign to promote light-rail development on privately and publicly-owned parcels. It also is completing a zone code overhaul that will make transit-oriented development easier.

Gordon Sheffield, Mesa’s zoning administrator, said the long-awaited zoning overhaul may go to the City Council for approval in mid-April or early May, with the transportation-oriented development component added a little later.

He said Mesa will learn from the best examples of transit-oriented projects in Tempe and Phoenix.

“There might be an ASU effect that might bleed over to the first stop or even the second stop in Mesa,” Sheffield said.

Editor’s Note: Light Rail Connect promotes Live, Work, Ride in the light rail corridor. 

Fortified by hot coffee and a $35 million federal grant, Metro Light Rail kicked off the next leg of construction Monday with a promise to open the downtown Mesa leg a year early.

Monday’s event at the doorstep of the Mesa Arts Center served chiefly to unveil signs that will mark the 3-mile extension from Sycamore Street to east of Mesa Drive. Actual work in the form of utility relocation won’t begin until spring.

But Steve Banta, CEO of Metro Light Rail, made news when he told the shivering crowd, “Our desire is to deliver the project a little bit early. We’d like to deliver it at the end of 2015.”

That would be seven years after Mesa celebrated the opening of its busy Sycamore light-rail station on a December day that was even more blustery than the inhospitable weather that greeted Monday’s crowd.

“We are here today to stake our claim on the extension of Mesa light rail down to the center city,” Banta said.

The extension, he said, “is progressing very well” with local funding in hand and last month’s congressional approval for about half of what the federal government is expected to kick in.

Banta said Metro continues to work with merchants along the extension to help their businesses survive construction. “We will work hand in hand with them to minimize that impact,” he said.

Mike James, Mesa’s transit director, said there will be traffic disruptions when crews begin infrastructure work along the line in a few months.

“There’s going to be a lot of digging,” James said, although in the early going, the immediate downtown area will not be greatly affected.

Mayor Scott Smith, responding to critics who have said the line should take another route or not be built at all, said the extension is part of a regional transit plan approved by voters in 2004.

“We are merely carrying out the will of the voters of Maricopa County who, through Proposition 400, included in their approval the corridor that we are recognizing today,” Smith said.

“This is a great milestone not only for Mesa but for the entire region,” Smith said. “The East Valley has not only shown that they will support light rail but they will support it overwhelmingly.”

Smith said the extension will generate not only more rail passengers from the Southeast Valley, “but it will also spur the kind of development we have not seen in this part of the Valley.”